SHORT: My new film 'Storm' and the Behind The Scenes

High marks on the acting and BTS vid. The following comments are critical, but as a disclaimer your film is cooler than anything I've done so far, so high five.

I have mixed feelings on the long take. Typically long takes impress because they demonstrate a choreography of moving actors, moving sets, moving camera, plus the actors not flubbing lines. Three of those elements are foregone here. So I'd ask, does the continuity of dialogue/acting justify the long take? On the one hand, it's a credit to the actors that they can nail it for nine minutes straight. On the other, they are robbed of any nuanced emotion that you might get in a close shot.

Then is the framing so magical that it dictates the edit? Here I'd say it's decent but not overwhelming. If you're going to buck the asymmetry trend, why not make it properly symmetrical? The right side is slightly larger, and less interesting due to the crushed shadows. It feels like wasted space. My move would be slightly tighter and symmetrical, and I think this shot also lends itself nicely to 2.35-1 crop.

Story. I don't entirely get it. Was Red intended to die here all along? If yes, why all the foreplay...if no, why is Blue so cool about it after the fact? Blue's walking off and then pausing in front of the camera feels more staged than the rest of the otherwise solid actor movement.

Nice job...I only comment because I enjoyed the film.
 
Hey thanks for all the feedback. Also check my other film 'Not what, but who'. That also has a behind the scenes and all my other work is at www.chriscory.co.uk.

Him walking up to the camera was showing his hand shaking, though that did not come across as well as i wanted it to.
The space was wide as I wanted the location to be bearing down on them. I like symmetry though I like that its slightly off makes it more imperfect.

I wanted it to be one long take, so there was nothing to hide behind, death in films mostly is hidden behind cuts and effects, without it, it just seems so cold, everything is the same though slightly different after the fact, scary stuff.
It was written that Blue always knew he was going to shoot Red, thats why they were there. Red thinks its another job. Blue cant quite do it because of the history so he stalls. It takes Red's agression at the end for Blue to ride off that and shoot him, half action, half reaction. Though its all interpretation.

I looked at a tighter crop, in the end I preferred having more space, it was much colder.

Thanks for all your thoughts, I really appreciate it.
Chris :)
 
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