"Losing It" (a DVX-100A short)

Re: "Losing It" (a DVX-100A short)

Here's my opinion (which has already been voiced on this one)..

(i) The camera is too shaky - regardless of what look you were trying to give, it didn't pay off.

(ii) I felt like I was thrown in a lake with arms to swim. I really didn't get what was going on here. Every story has a start, a middle and an end, yours had a middle. From what I gathered, the kid was transferring some funds and was pissed with his dad(?).

Don't take this criticism too harshly as the editing was nice and the overall product was pretty good. I just think that the camera work totally let down your final product.

The actors weren't that bad at all, so props to them. Also, did you change any camera settings between the office(?) and house looks, there was definately a different feel from the two different scenes.

Good job apart from the shaky hand.
 
Re: "Losing It" (a DVX-100A short)

In my opinion, the scenario was good and perfectly understandable (quite a lot simpler than, e.g., The Usual Suspects, which is an all-time favourite of mine). The only part that might have needed some clarification was the jobs of the two people who were trying to stop the transfer. While the movie was rolling, I assumed they were some bank security types, and at the end it became obvious they were indeed. I personally would have established it earlier.

The acting was OK, although I would have liked to sense a little more tension, and more spontaneity in the delivery of some lines.

What really didn't cut it was the setting and the costumes : for a family who has 40 million dollars in the bank, the kitchen didn't look like what I'd have expected, and the father character, at the very least, deserved to be dressed in a dark power suit, with impeccable shirt and tie... Also, someone having all their money (THAT kind of money) on just one bank account hurt the suspension of my disbelief... ;)

The gun : I agree, it was superfluous. Nobody seemed to believe in it, anyway. The son didn't look like he'd use it, and the father and (step ?)mother didn't look like they feared it might be used against them.

The shaky camera, in my opinion, didn't add anything. Perhaps because it was overused, perhaps because (as I said before) there was not enough tension, or sense of urgency, emanating from the characters, so the camera movements seemed somehow "out of place".
 
Re: "Losing It" (a DVX-100A short)

To me, the story's lack of clarity stems from the lack of explanation for the kid's motivation in transferring the money and the source of his seeming antagonism toward his parents. Without giving the audience a clear understanding of why this kid is doing what he's doing, his actions lack dramatic resonance.

Technically, the inspiration of 24 was very clear, which was your intention, and you did it well. To take the 24 look further, lighting could have been more low-key, with darker darks and some blowing out of highlights. Editing could have been a little tighter; a slightly quicker pace could have helped improve the dad's performance, which IMHO, wasn't entirely convincing. The lead kid was good.

Good job on finishing in 8 days. :) I haven't had such a quick turnaround since shooting projects in high school. Don't know if I could do it.
 
Re: "Losing It" (a DVX-100A short)

You did say that you hadn't really fleshed out the story enough, so here are a few things to think about, story-wise --

The kid didn't really take the money, so I guess we're supposed to assume that everything's hunky-dory with him . . . but he DID commit about five other crimes in the process, and I just don't buy it.

How do the bank guys know this kid is doing the transfer? That's what's most confusing for me. Why are they watching this particular account? Has he done them before? Are they looking for him?

What did his dad do to him that was so bad? If we want to sympathize with him, which apparently you want us to, since he didn't actually take the money, we need to know a little more.

And maybe someday, maybe even someday soon, someone will post a film which doesn't have a GUN in it . . .
 
Re: "Losing It" (a DVX-100A short)

someone will post a film which doesn't have a GUN in it . . .


Well that's no fun! :P :D ;D
 
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