LOOK AT ME - Sprocketboy

Will Clegg said:
Great film! It really looks and sounds great, and the story was spot on. The only thing I didn't like was the boyfriend's acting... He was a little too OTT for me. But it was a small part and didn't really distract too much. This is one of the best I have seen in the fest - congrats!
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I'm flattered to hear that my little film is one of the "best in the fest." Thanks!

Imaginate said:
I enjoyed watching this character spiral downward. I loved the world that you created for her... so pristine and clean... it reminded me of the movie Gattica. Really cool tracking shot in the kitchen. The sound design was great. I didnt buy the scene of her putting crazy glue in her mouth... the first time i watched it I wasnt sure if she did it by accident or on purpose? To do it by accident seemed unresonable to do it on purpose seemed idiotic... If she had been tripping on some drug and totally out of it... then I could have gone along with it and watched in horror as she did it and then pass out.

This was really fun to watch and also shows your filmmaking talent. Great job

Garnet
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Truth be told, we had many more shots planned for the drinking and the drugs, but ran out of time. If you notice in the final scene, the empty pill bottles and liquor bottles on the bed side table, represent a night of inebriation. On top of it all, she IS the village idiot, happy all the time and not a care in the world. She doesn't even know what is happening in the world.

I'm glad you enjoyed it and many thanks for the compliments.

Blaine said:
This was a fun watch. Superficial California girl? Who would have thought. I loved the Krazy Glue. Nice touch.

It sounded and looked good. The guy reading Vanity Fair, a riot.

It's always nice to see a short that's a complete story. That along with some good acting and you've created something that people will want to watch.

Good job.
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You are the first person to catch the Vanity Fair mag. You have an eye for detail, Blaine.

I'm glad you appreciated me taking a more traditional approach to filmmaking. I'm firm believer of a story that goes full circle and I wouldn't have directed this film unless the writers had that structure in place.

Thank you so much for your comments and appreciation.
 
Great film, loved the changes in pacing and tone as the story progressed.

When I first watched it I thought, wow, that must have been an expensive film to make! Very impressed not just with your filmmaking but with your abilty to get free or cheap all sorts of wonderful assets that made the film as polished as it is: the mind-blowingly fabulous house/set, the genuine braces on and off (nice having orthodontists as producers!), and access to some really sweet equipment.

Missy: terrific actor, fitting overall look for the character* and she plays it really well, both when she is so thrilled about her new teeth and when she is distraught at the end. Especially love her when the panic is really starting to set in - "Do you remember me? You took of my braces YESterday??"
Boyfriend: wow, what a big head! I bet that's not really allegorical, but the size contrast when they were together was a little jarring.

Details: Love the calendar with all the goofy entries and curly-girly writing. Fruit in kitchen stacked in fancy square minimalist glassware. (Your credits don't mention a separate art direction or set dresser type position so I guess that was all you too?)

I didn't quite get that it was superglue when she was applying it - I guess that was just too Krazy for me to leap to. Assumed it was some sort of whitener product or something. Not sure if it's better for that to be more obvious, or better for it to kind of percolate through till we see the effects at the end.

Loved the transition after her phone calls where she fades out and camera stays on phone, then shifts over to her with the cake. Beautiful.

Tre's breakup phone call didn't really work for me. The concept I could buy, that he'd be annoyed with her whiny complaints, but "you don't have to worry about me anymore, you certainly won't be seeing me again"... just seemed too blah. The lines are to blame there more than the acting, I think.

* My one minor quibble, and I don't think I've seen it mentioned in the thread, is that Missy's canines (when she gets the braces off) are noticeably crooked. Her teeth in front are perfect, and I wouldn't notice the ones further back ordinarily at all - it's just in the context of admiring the new perfect mouth that they were a bit out of place. The actress was awesome in every respect, though, so I don't think you could have possibly cast it any better!

Overall, I thought this was great film, definitely a keeper.
 
rrraven said:
Great film, loved the changes in pacing and tone as the story progressed.

When I first watched it I thought, wow, that must have been an expensive film to make! Very impressed not just with your filmmaking but with your abilty to get free or cheap all sorts of wonderful assets that made the film as polished as it is: the mind-blowingly fabulous house/set, the genuine braces on and off (nice having orthodontists as producers!), and access to some really sweet equipment.
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Not expensive at all. A lot of people pitched in. Thanks for mentioning the braces. That was created professionally and perfectly. I'm sure the budget for braces on Ugly Betty would buy you a new Beamer. :)

rrraven said:
Details: Love the calendar with all the goofy entries and curly-girly writing. Fruit in kitchen stacked in fancy square minimalist glassware. (Your credits don't mention a separate art direction or set dresser type position so I guess that was all you too?)
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I'm sure most of the entries here involve people who wear multiple hats. Pretty much Blaine (Producer) and I did most of the set decorating in between camera setups. He is responsible for the calender and I arranged the rooms and counter spaces to be very minimal. Those glasses with fruit were a last minute change I made.

rrraven said:
My one minor quibble, and I don't think I've seen it mentioned in the thread, is that Missy's canines (when she gets the braces off) are noticeably crooked. Her teeth in front are perfect, and I wouldn't notice the ones further back ordinarily at all - it's just in the context of admiring the new perfect mouth that they were a bit out of place. The actress was awesome in every respect, though, so I don't think you could have possibly cast it any better!

Overall, I thought this was great film, definitely a keeper.
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Thank you so much for your detailed comments. I enjoy getting them and learn quite a bit about how people tick when they watch this kind of film. As for Missy's canines, we could have cast an actress with perfect teeth, but no one could out perform the actress we ended up getting. In reality, people with really good teeth in the first place don't need an ortho, and the ones that do, leave with better teeth, but not a 100% better. Here is a quick shot behind Missy before seeing her in the chair in the ortho clinic. Check out the before and after on the right side of the screen. We didn't skip on the details.

04 MissyTeeth.jpg
 
That was sweet. Is that your house?? that place is amazing! I wanna live there haha.

Great photography and sound. Location was great. The ending was like whaaaaaat?? in a good way of course haha. nicely done sir.
 
Nick_Lee said:
That was sweet. Is that your house?? that place is amazing! I wanna live there haha.

Great photography and sound. Location was great. The ending was like whaaaaaat?? in a good way of course haha. nicely done sir.
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My house? Are you kidding? Maybe in 3 life times I can save up for it. I always appreciate a compliment. :)
 
pros:

super nice Set Design!
Cinematography, framing, lighting also were fantastic.

cons:

the super-glue felt unfitting... i know it's a movie but come on.

and, like Zak stated, the ending also felt like a different movie.
too short of a format for a sudden transition.

AND, did anyone catch the director call "action" at 3:41 ??
 
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that was really really good. Glued to my seat for that one. Technical stuff was perfect (honestly I wasn't paying much attention to it because the movie was groovin' so well). everyone in that movie had... such... perfect... teeth! I love perfect teeth.

SPOILER:
man did you really have to end it like that? lol it was unnerving! Such a light flick and then you have to make it all yucky with the blood and eerie timpani strikes! She was so gorgeous... with such beautiful teeth and then you ruin her! hah just messin'. But seriously, I thought it was either gonna stay light or go psychotic horror at the very end when she was screaming kinda horror-esque with her mouth glued. Due to the blood and utter pain that it looked like she was feeling, it landed in some weird spot between the two that just really unnerved me. Dunno if that was your goal.

Anyhow still great. Rated very highly from me.
 
cuz I like to see Barbie Dolls suffer. plus she was a bit of a *****... a ***** with a pleasant side, but that was just a veneer...
 
orchidsofwrath said:
that was really really good. Glued to my seat for that one. Technical stuff was perfect (honestly I wasn't paying much attention to it because the movie was groovin' so well). everyone in that movie had... such... perfect... teeth! I love perfect teeth.

SPOILER:
man did you really have to end it like that? (EDITED) ...it landed in some weird spot between the two that just really unnerved me. Dunno if that was your goal.

Anyhow still great. Rated very highly from me.
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I'm sure Missy will appreciate the fact that you like perfect teeth. She might give you a call after she gets her teeth fixed for the 2nd time. This time the repair work might take a little longer. :Drogar-Love(DBG):

Unnerving you is my goal. I'm glad it worked. It did require a little suspension of belief and going for the ride. That ending is like taking a steep drop on a roller coaster. Everyone's reaction will be different and it seems to be working more often than not.

Thanks, Daniel. I appreciate your support. And stop bickering with this Puck guy, he's a Barbie Doll hater. What's not to like? :)
 
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