Empire - Lawrie Brewster - New Age Film

I think Susanne, that you have inadvertently hit the nail on the head... The majority of the filmmakers on here voting are American and the taste of movies between Europe and America is very different.
I personally found some of the movies in the top 8 as visual porn with no substance, while others thought they were worthy of the top 8, all a matter of opinion and cinematic upbringing I suppose. This is not to say I didn't enjoy their movies!!!
As you said, which I agree with, some of the European artier films don't place well in these Fests... saying that, it would have been interesting to see how the Meeting would have faired in the comp - a European film that had been reviewed very favourably. Whether it would have been voted highly in the Fest that is something we will never know now.

I am glad two Dramas, with important stories to tell, made it into the final 8.
 
Like others, I am literally shocked that this didn't make the top 8. It was definately in my top 3 for the fest. It was top notch and I am looking forward to your future contributions.
 
Awe Susanne, Dark Elastic, HC Prod that's so lovely!

I mean there has been overall really positive feedback on the threads - but the voting pattern for this film showed a full range of responses - from 10s to 2s!

Which perhaps demonstrates the polarising effect it had. Likewise expressed in some feedbacks, with the 'don't get its' or even Norm Sanders who couldn't bring himself to say one positive when pressed by another haha.

And thats fine (but you are getting a special mention in the video feedback Norm... you won an award aaaaall of your own hehe ;) but it does go to show the scale of extremity this film's response has had. In all because im an arrogant son of a ***** I am happy enough to have had favourable responses from those whom i hoped would like the film.

But even more so im glad that there were so many positive responses from folk who might not have ordinarily liked such a film.

Every filmmaker who attempts to create art is an artist. But what fuels us? For me my work must attempt to express an intellectual curiousity - that is I must have something to say and express of value. Some mistake that idea as seeking to be pretentious or to produce a 'worthy' film instead of an entertaining one.... misconceptions as i believe every film, from the genre too, requires a drive for artistic merit, albeit that term means many things to many people.

Sure there is a slant towards LA, Americans etc, (and thats no criticism Yankees ;) but what is positive is that more people have got involved in the festivals from Europe, all over, and this will continue i think to diversify the festival films entered and the voting. As this is a community - the nature of personality has a role to play too which is fine.

Yep I do believe in general that superficiality because of its glamour and emulation of succesful programmes forming the mainstay of popular culture can appear cooler to younger filmmakers, who define that as success and thus they can rocket up the voting ladder for a cool tony scott inspired scene, or for being shot on a much sought after camera.

Lossfest imo highlighted the worst of that excess with the win of Collections (a technically beautifully crafted film) but mind numbingly superficial, so much so that it will feature in a tv break during the SuperBowl soon hehe over films like Model Photographer... or well a few others ;)

Now thats just my opinion, im not attempting to be fair, balanced or popular, artists are not diplomats and i dont expect anyone to respond to my opinion likewise. However how can i not be delighted when ive had so many positive and helpful feedbacks. I intend to return that attention with any assistance i can offer with my video feedbacks.

Naturally I hope that Questfest will reward a film that shows artistic merit over superficiality.

It's exciting to see who wins now!

Empire21.jpg
 
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Lawrie, first, the majority of your screen grabs actually look impressive. Much more so than the actual film itself. Not sure if it's a compression issue, or just the fact that the still looks better than the whole when in motion?

Next, for you to add or comment on a filmmaker in your video review that didn't even submit this fest? Well, hats off to you then. But to be fair, when pressed, I DID find something positive to say about the film ... the fact that you finished in time & submitted is a positive, when so many others (including myself), either didn't try or weren't able to complete theirs in time.

That said, I was boggled to see praises from so many of the users on here, with no mention of the technical short comings ... from users who I've seen in past fests & threads point out technical issues before. I have a few ideas as to why, one of which being that one could easily tell this was more of an interpretive art film, and as such they didn't want to be classified as uncultured cavemen by saying they didn't like it.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all a fan for art, and for interpretation, but I also won't stand around in a gallery & stare at a 10-speed bicycle wheel nailed to a stool and marvel at what the artist intended to say with it. If something doesn't move me visually, or audibly, or in the story, or in the acting, etc ... then I'm not impressed. Granted, I could have & in hind sight probably SHOULD have sugar coated my response. It would have been much easier ... heck, easier still would have been lie altogether & say I loved it ... or the EASIEST would have been not to reply at all & just move on. But, I wanted to point out things that I felt were specifically lacking (once pressed by you), so that if you also thought these could be improved, then you could make that a point of effort in your next endeavor. Whether you choose to do so or not, is entirely up to you, obviously.

LossFest DID have SEVERAL artistic films that made it into the top 10....perhaps the difference between those and this (in how they scored better), was that they were less abstract, and/or much more technically sound ... something, as you & others have stated, tends to fare better here in the U.S., or the "Hollywood influenced/inspired" crowd.
 
Awesome post Conrad - love it.

Hey Norm yep its just a joke you'll love it really ;)

Yeah you were boggled, but thats more a reflection of your position than the films in my opinion. As your feedback while appreciated, was stark and matter of fact on issues that (while i agreed on with sound) I didn't to the same extent on visuals, but also tone darling. Then mostly the visuals were specifically praised while you hated them hehe! My own professional background is cognisant of the fact that the fx could be better, but for this style i know there overall just fine so you take some points and you leave some. But the overriding consensus was that the sound needs redone - but the music was popular especailly Sarah's beautiful song. Um saying the only positive was that the was film was made is pretty much facetious.

For the record i don't buy that Loss fest was particularly reflective of artistic films, namely with Collections and Placebo coming first and second despite your outrageous caps for 'SEVERAL' hehehe ;)

Oh i produced a film i wanted to Norm, not say a film to 'win' - i have done so on commission though, but i think to try and make a film for any cynical festival purpose in a community forum like this is nuts! Be yourself - express yourself to your fellow artists and film peers. Leave the superficial impressing for those clients demanding it hehe.
 
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Just because you may or may not have liked Collections or Placebo (seeing them as 'superficial'), I find it interesting you say LossFest wasn't a reflection of artistic films, when I would classify the following films all as more artistic, as compared to the more a-typical Hollywood formula:

Acceptance (foreign film)
Again To Return (extreme cutting edge, pushing boundaries in style)
Ano Perdido - Lost Year (foreign film)
Melody For Allriane
Model/Photographer

By my math, that would make 50% of the top 10 films in LossFest being of a more artistic nature, vs. the more commercial, mainstream cinema of Americans.

But, I know you'll disagree, and give me a very long reason as to why.....
 
But, I know you'll disagree, and give me a very long reason as to why.....
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No reason to be sarcastic Norm (dust that chip off your shoulder hehe!) 1st and 2nd position won because they recieved the most votes - this was reflective of a majority statement. Which obviously liked what they saw, i found that indicated a preference for what looked cool over artistic merit and i aknowledge even apolagetically its just my personal opinion in answer to others discussing it.

Your 50% suggestion of artistic merit being recognised however is a bit like Bill Hicks joke about Iraq having the 4th largest army in the world.
 
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My first response to this film was initial shock and awe. I believe I had a "WTF" moment, the first of the fest and I almost turned it off and moved on, especially when the little boy opened his mouth and his voice was just so, so wrong. Still I endured, and sat there for a long moment before the urge came to me to watch it again just to be sure I had just reallly watched that. On second viewing concepts started to become clear. I didn't start to love the film, but I began to respect it for what it was and the briliance behind it.

There are some films you watch and you just go: oh my god that was a pile of ****, and you can tear it apart piece by piece, pointing out exactly what you hated. The only thing I felt after watching this the first time was a confused awe. A second viewing cleared that up, once I had a grip on what I was seeing. I went in expecting Hollywood and instead I got a headful of Lawie Jaffa. That's usually a bad thing, but this time it was something worth seeing and thinking about.

Sure he fell down on a few technical merits, especially in the sound department,but in all it was a well constructed film. If you go in as a blank slate and enjoy the film for what it is, then you're set. If you go in ready to compare it to what's coming out of La-La land than you're totally ****ed.

I'm still of the opinion that Lawie is an opinionated bastard at times, but that's what we love about him and now that he's thrown in with us and shed blood with us... well he may be more of a bastard. But he has a unique vision that I for one will be looking forward to seeing more of.

Just fix the sound next time.
 
Hehe Puck ;) bless ya for that! I know im still being forgiven by some for the Audio Reviews Feedback in Lossfest (a few chaps are in therapy) - but fortunately the video ones will be far more outrageous and controversial (while still amusing and i hope expressing respect for fellow filmmakers.) Cheers for the comments mate.

For the record just fix your dudes hair for the next time hehe ;)
 
FYI... I think Blaine and Lawrie were the only ones who understood "The Dare".
I think we should have ArtFest next!
 
Norm Sanders said:
.... Granted, I could have & in hind sight probably SHOULD have sugar coated my response. It would have been much easier ... .
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Please don't Norm. I find blunt reaction refreshing on this site. Not enough of it IMO. I try to sugar coat too, but I have no balls....

As for the film. I'm a big fan of anti-narrative, thematic led content. Tarkovsky or Lynch may also be considered to fall into this category, but there is something in their subtext which strings them together, perhaps it's not something I grasp instantly, its under the surface, but I know I feel somehow emotionally satisfied. Something tells me it makes sense, even if the narrative does not. All films are linked below the surface and perhaps 'art' films need to be even more so. If you're disjointed with the logic then I feel the subtext needs to be even stronger!

But I didn't feel it was when watching this piece. It felt thematically disjointed. I actually found some of the visuals really interesting and I liked the mix of comic book styling with the real. It sorta reminded me of that old Lord Of The Rings Anime, crossed with Box of Delights... Considering your BTS photos you did really well to even try to create this world from what you had. I do applaud that.

I remember once when I was studying media, I just made some commercial derivative pap. My friend who was a total hippie said to me 'Are you actually proud with what you've done, its really commercial and boring!' I looked at his work of a hand opening and closing in slo-mo for 5 minutes and I quickly realised that we had both made derivative work but at different ends of the spectrum. He was as crap as me, he just didnt realise it and thought his work was beyond comment. He failed the course, but then said it was because he was cleverer than all the tutors and they didnt get him.... lol

While I'm not saying that goes for this piece, I am saying that art doesnt simply escape criticism because 'its meant to be what it is'. Especially if you put in in a competition :) .... Ok, you can't judge this from a conventional narrative view, but I think art has to provoke emotion and thought on some level for it to be successful - and in a specific direction.... So did I a) have an emotional response to it as a viewer b) did the work have resonance on some level and leave me thinking? and c)did I get the impression the director really knew what his work meant thematically, did he get that across in the subtext?

And there, for me, it failed to work. I didnt find any of that here below the surface. So there were some good images, moments of atmosphere, and I felt it had a consistency visually. But overall I personally felt that the director didnt 'get it' either or at least didnt communicate it well to the audience. And I really need to feel that when I watch something like this becasue there is nothing else to go on. I haven't read any of the post rationalising because I prefer to have a gut reaction to the work. But my reaction was also 'huh?

If you want some techinical feedback, I was pulled out by the gated dialogue and the bad acting. When the kid cried 'mummy' a bunch of us started laughing?!. Sorry to say that, but it's honest... So that unfortunatly ruined the atmosphere, which for a time you managed to create in bursts. I really liked the guy nailed to the cross and the dancing soliders were quite haunting too. This was never boring and it was one of a few which actually held our attention.

So while I will give credit for doing somethng really ambitious, both technically and with the content. I felt it was overall a failed experiment. I'm all for unanswered questions, but when there are logic leaps and what appear to be unintentional holes in the plot. I get nervous.

But that said I'd certinaly look out for your work in the future. I would rather watch this than many other films in this fest.

Sorry if that was being blunt. I havent commented on many films and this at least did get my attention, so you're doing something right :)

Please carry on the ambitious work and maybe next time I'll have more of a reaction to it.

cheers.
 
I agree Darkline sugur coating is a waste of time, but personally I like to express feedback with some understanding that we are equal as filmmaking peers. Thats just my take it on though! Blunt respect, blunt humility and blunt understanding all have roles to play alongside blunt criticism. That you will notice in my own feedback in the video i'm producing and is something you expressed in your feedback here too which i thank you for, imo :)

So thanks for your response to the film - its your personal opinion and i value that contribution mon amie, added to the mix expressed here I do take it all in what folk say.

I agree on the sound, and i think its redux will make the acting more passable. You don't have to apolagise for laughing at that particular moment, everyone has their own reaction to moments in film, its not a split definitive.

Thanks mate! I look forward to seeing more of your work too :)
 
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For the record, I'm shocked this film didn't make the next round. I'm away on holidays and don't have the time to follow the thread closely. Did you at least place in the top 10?

MAH
 
As for the technical comments. Yes, it was a little rough in spots but visually it was far more creative than most films this fest. At times I really felt like I was watching an epic film, not an independent short.

Obviously a filmmaking site tends to vote more towards the technical side of things. This is nothing new.

Congratulations on a job well done. Don't let it get you down.
 
No Problem Lawrie,

I think we're all protective of our work, especially after you've just made it; but I too would rather know the honest gut reaction which may help me further down the line.

As I say this was certainly interesting and I'll remember it.

I'll hopefully enter the next fest, if so feel free to blunt yourself out ;-)

all the best.
 
Geez man i wouldnt blunt myself out - hehe, its about helping each other, giving feedback is a big challenge too you know. You have to be wary of your prejudices, insecurities and speaking in qualifying certainties as if you know, (or the opposite even of panicing because you think you know) less than the film your discussing. Making films and giving feedback are almost equal challenges hehe! It is easier to throw around an emotional/gut reaction, and while thats what foucs groups exist for, we can learn a lot more (ourselves) from other peoples films by looking deeper too. My feedback is already written, short essays of the competing films, my gut reactions would take just a second to express.

Thanks Michael - and awee shucks/cheers, but honestly thank you for that, and i will be posting a revised version of the film in the user films section too, which is the version ill submit to some regional minor film fests to see if it gets any play.

I shot, edited, all of it myself in 2 and a half weeks, I've stretched myself and its taught me more about my capabilities, as have the films everyone else has made for them - we're all learning something - and thats good!
 
Just remember, just because a review for this film is positive doesn't mean it's not honest.
I thought this film was brilliant and it received one of my highest ratings handed out.

Different strokes for different folks.

Cheers,

MAH
 
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