hybridtheory and x_pac_84 - "DEAD INSIDE"

thanks alot msconce!
I loved the look of your film, I'll be sure to get you a little review soon. Thanks again for viewing.
 
Lingothree said:
The ending kind of fell flat, too. What happens next? It felt like you had to chop a couple minutes of the end, or didn't know quite how to wrap it all up.

Good work. Glad to see a zombie flick!
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Zombie movie was a nice change. I enjoyed the film, though felt some of the shots could have benefited from more editing. The shot of them playing a game on the floor comes to mind. Also, I had a difficult time connecting with the female character. She didn't seem very scared about what was happening. I would be interested in seeing a longer version, as it felt like it ended rather abruptly. I thought the lightling was especially good and loved the flashlight in the dark scene. I really was anticipating something scary when that happened and you came through. Overall, nice work and I look forward to seeing more from you.
 
Dead Inside


Script
Hey, not bad, one thing I would suggest is a VO or something, setting the story up a bit more. Why are there zombies walking around? What caused this event to happen? Might just add another element to your film.

Acting
Surprisingly good, I really believed both of your characters, the guy was headstrong and the girl was argumentative but trusting.

Cinematography
Nice, nice. The lighting didn’t draw attention to itself, which worked for the film, and your camera movement was wicked awesome. I LOVED the shot when the camera was moving toward the guy and he was firing at the zombie. Nice!

Editing
I think some of your editing could be tightened up a bit. I do have to watch this and understand it’s a part of a much longer film, in which case the pace would be right on.

Score
Great! Flowed right along in the film, never bothered me or stuck out.

Overall Impressions
Dude, you made a zombie movie that I like! There are VERY few… I am NOT a zombie film fan at all. Anyway, nice work, and I REALLY want to see the full cut of this thing!
 
Hey hybridtheory, great job on your flick! It was well-lit and very clean looking. I felt that the camera work was the strength in this film. I liked the dolly shot backing through the doorway upstairs!

I felt that the story could have been told a bit better in the very beginning. Like when the two of them are on the couch in front of the blinded windows, I could almost hear a newscast or inner thought being played to "set-up" what was going on. Just an opinion.

Loved the opening with action! Even if it is sick, gross action! :)

The downstairs scenes seemed well-executed and worked. I would like to have seen a bit more of "her freaking out and causing them to nearly die but he saves her and she calms down" routine! :) I guess I just wanted something other than another, "why do we have to stay down here" routine.

I thought that the ending was sudden and incomplete. It felt like the reel of film ended and we had to load the second reel. That really is my one complaint. Everything else that I've mentioned is only suggestions, but the ending was a sticking point for me. I guess that the little lift of the door/step was a sign that more were on their way? But in a zombie movie, I know that there are more on the way... there always is! :)

If I got the ending messed up, I wouldn't mind clarifiaction.

I really thought that you put together a nice package! It felt solid and well directed.

Thank you for the film!!!

And congrats!

Ted
 
You know a zombie movie was just what I needed at the time I saw this!

I havent read any of the other reviews at all, but my only issue with this was the end, or lack of one. I didnt get what was under the stairs or why it was significant - but in all honesty that could be my brain failing at this hour....

So the good was that it was a very atmospheric and punchy short which I throughly enjoyed. it's down in my top 10.
 
hey, thanks everyone for the reviews and the suggestions.

Brandon, thanks for the editing tip, you haven't been the first, when i was editing, I really felt that it was faster and faster because i was cutting more and more to get it under the 6 min cut line. So, I was a little hesistant to cut it down more.

Ted and Darkline,
Again, i really hate to make the excuse that "there's 25 more minutes of film around this segment of the film" but there is, we weren't specifically making this film for dvxuser's 6 min cut. This was the only 6 min that made any sense together, and as you can see, was more of a montage in the beginning of the film.

So to explain the ending, the rubber tub underneath the stairs was the same one that they stuffed the zombie in around midway through the film. He's ... not dead (well completely dead).

We set out to make a film that was well paced and entertaining throughout, trying desperately not to confuse anyone!

Again, thanks to everyone for the reviews, it really helps us in our filmmaking process.
 
Glad to hear that this is actually part of something bigger. I felt like I stumbled in on reel 3 and then after 6 minutes, the projector broke.

I like the whole Night of Living Dead thing for a 6-minute cut of the film. I think Shyamalan should have done this more with Signs.

Good acting and camera work.

I reserve the right to review further when I see the whole darned thing.


John G.
 
well, albeit brief, we appreciate the words cinealma. Stay tuned for the big show.

I started to cut the big guy last night. I would really like to have it done by the 31st, so we can debut it before halloween.

Any more comments/criticism on the look/editing/sound would be appreciated, it helps me in post!

Thanks again people.

(ps, if anyone wants to help score the rest of this beast, let me know.)
 
hybridtheory said:
(ps, if anyone wants to help score the rest of this beast, let me know.)
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*sheepishly raises his hand while sitting in the far corner*

I take it you were not too happy with the current score? :crybaby:

/j
 
EDGEN DON'T DO THAT TO ME BRA! I LOVED YOUR SCORE!

We would love to have you on for the 30 min cut, i just distinctly remembering you telling me that 6 min was one thing/no prob, 30 minutes was something completely different. Didn't want to stetch you too far/wear out my welcome.

Wait, is that someone in the corner ... sheepishly raising their hand?

EDGEN, I CALL ON YOU BROTHER.
 
Ha A Zombie short ...way to go !

Not sure why the Zombies are there but who cares .
Always like a Zombie short !!!!!

Ian
 
*shew.. *

*puts hand down*

OK, I didn't know if were upset or not. If anything, the 6 minute piece was pushing in terms of ALL the other projects I signed on for before the fest deadline, so at that time, I was like.. No way could I do an extended cut like that along with everything else i had on my plate :)

Hopefully with this, the deadline wno't be so jammed packed. I really liked working on this project and would like to see it develop further. Plus.. after seeing the final version, i'm sure I can wrap some of sections off better (instead of you doing a fade out envelope) :)

cheers to zombies!!
/j
 
thanks for the enthusiasm arielman!

god, this is turning into a "wait and see" kind of thread ... as in, you have to wait and see the long version to know the origin of the zombies. (There would be absolutely NO surprise in the long cut if i told you now).
 
Edgen said:
*shew.. *

*puts hand down*

OK, I didn't know if were upset or not. If anything, the 6 minute piece was pushing in terms of ALL the other projects I signed on for before the fest deadline, so at that time, I was like.. No way could I do an extended cut like that along with everything else i had on my plate :)

Hopefully with this, the deadline wno't be so jammed packed. I really liked working on this project and would like to see it develop further. Plus.. after seeing the final version, i'm sure I can wrap some of sections off better (instead of you doing a fade out envelope) :)

cheers to zombies!!
/j
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that kicks ass dude, lol about the fade. I will definitely be getting you something now, gives me a timeline to work on as well, which gets my ass in gear. So, again, thanks for your talent on the short, we look forward to more!!!
 
Wow, you've done a very straight up Zombie flick. It's actually kind of rare in this fest.

I thought this was a lot of fun. I liked the acting. And I liked that your script focused on the two people in this situation. That's where the drama lies. If I had a critique, it would be that I think there could be more of a pre-condition on those two characters, maybe something more specifc about their relationship. Like he KEEPS saying they are safe. But he KEEPS being wrong. It might add a little more life if he had been doing this since they met and she's fed up with his stubbornness. Obviously, I'm not saying do that, but it might help bring these characters just a hair more to life to add in some of that kind of specificity.

The other thing i liked was that you seemed very good at varying pace, and BUILDING moments. That's one thing that's been lacking in some, and in fact is the thing I wanted to focus on most in the editing of mine this time. I thought you did a great job of it.

As for where the zombies come from...er, there's not much difference in my book between explaining it with some bogus satellite back from Venus and not explaining it at all. So that didn't bother me.

The end...there has been a lot of complaining about shorts in this fest lacking an end. Eh. I thought yours was a little weak maybe, but I wouldn't mind ANOTHER choice that shows us that we just saw a moment in time and now it's moving on. Or, if you wanted to get stronger with it, this could be it for them. You could move the story to the point where there is no way for them to get away - like maybe becasue that Jackass boyfriend KEEPS saying: "They can't see us..."

At first, I thought the cinematography a little flat. But I came around to just thinking that was a choice - like you were going for a very "real" look. You bastid, the use of the flashlights in the basement - again, very straight up horror technique, but used very well. I knew one of those bastards was coming, but I jumped anyway. :)

Anyway, nice job on a straight-up horror short.
 
desperatecomfort said:
Wow, you've done a very straight up Zombie flick. It's actually kind of rare in this fest.
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We figured we'd be the only ones ... YES!

I think there could be more of a pre-condition on those two characters, maybe something more specifc about their relationship. Like he KEEPS saying they are safe. But he KEEPS being wrong.
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Man, you've got the 30 min version storyline down, you good guessing bastid. lol.

As for where the zombies come from...er, there's not much difference in my book between explaining it with some bogus satellite back from Venus and not explaining it at all. So that didn't bother me.
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they come from somewhere, i promise!

At first, I thought the cinematography a little flat. But I came around to just thinking that was a choice - like you were going for a very "real" look. You bastid, the use of the flashlights in the basement - again, very straight up horror technique, but used very well. I knew one of those bastards was coming, but I jumped anyway. :)
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It's funny, we keep setting up these elaborate shots and color schemes, only to find out that they blend so well they don't draw attention to themselves, which can be good and bad. I guess we'll have to try even crazier things next time.

Anyway, nice job on a straight-up horror short.
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thanks for watching and the extensive review! :beer:
 
nice squibs and bullet effects you should have stayed on the gun dolly more than intercutting, it would have been more effective. fun to watch but lacked in story. good fx though... good job.
 
alright! somebody mentioned the blood effects, thanks alot! My cousin has a lot of "hobbies" including amatuer fireworks, weaponry, etc. So I called him up and he hooked us up, took two takes but we got him to explode pretty well.

How do you mean "stay on the gun dolly"? As in longer shots?
 
like you had a dolly shot that go towards the guy shooting but it cuts back to the zombie getting hit. it stayed dollying in on the guy shooting till he was done to out of focus on hand i think it would have been a stronger cut. overall good fx!
 
Acting: Solid enough.
Script: It’s hard to expand on the zombie theme, I liked how you centralized it.
Direction: Some nice ideas.
Music: Wanted to hear the voice a little better. Edgen good job as usual.
Editing: Some really nice ideas, like holding the blackouts.
Lighting: Started out a little flat in places then basement shot’s were ace.
Loved: First tracking shot. The blood spurt (boy I like it over the-top, reminded me straight away of ‘Braindead’, shooting behind the girl at the zombie, love that squint, third tracking shot, knocking the nails in (nice man), the focus pulls, torch shots, (tried that myself didn’t look anyway near as nice),
Hated: First shaking shots, (I understand why you used them though), second shaky shot ,(guess it’s just me!), the maggot ear (too many maggots for me, maybe would have like to see an ECU too), the ending (wanted a tad more but I did like the bump)
Overall: Feels like this should be expanded into a film. You had some nice ideas going on. I think with a solid script you could do something really tasty.Top job!

J.P.
 
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