'Negative Image' - Darkline Entertainment

Definitely a thriller by all definitions in every dictionary. I didn't understand the motivation of the 'ghost' I also didn't really understand what the story was about from start to finish. Entrapment such as "Phantom" are easier to do to make that thriller moment scream at you. You had some nice FX with the leaves and I can see the work you put into it. My beef, I want more story, less effects, give me more! Still one of the actual thrillers on the fest.
 
Yep this is true - i wonder though if thats maybe something we get more of in the 10 min+ version of the short film.

I mean this film made me jump in my chair, made me go oooh at the cinematography and the damn well awesome freaking effects - and built a great mood, slick acting etc - all stuff i've said already. It's such a genre piece - of PURE ENTERTAINMENT which i put in caps as thats the obvious priority here over story that it serves its task well. That does make it a little superficial (arent a few of the best thrillers and horrors anyway.)

So not to sound like im nit picking but in terms of story content, perhaps something that would be great - is that we should know more about the motivation of the ghost is, what the background of the scary location is etc. I can imagine this as a basis for why the character visits the location, that at this freaky place a total freaky dude died and nobody goes there kinda thing (cos its so damned freaky etc.)

Now im not lecturing because my film personally makes story a secondary priority for some of the other things I want to talk about/inflict on the audience, i think your film does this too towards entertainment.

And it works :) - but I don't think it would work in a longer film unless we got to know more. So i think Charli's comments are definately highlighting an area that could benefit from more attention.
 
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wow this stands head & shoulders above the rest in this fest - & thats no slight on many other good films - but this one was the only one that really took me on a ride, & yes a little thrill here & there
you have great talent, this works better for me on so many other levels than 'broadcast', i do think a feature is the next obvious step, with more than one actor....
also great to see the 550d used to its strengths, given me a warm glow & inspired me to get mine out & film some more.....fantastic
 
Thanks guys, but yeh, it really was my intention to not explain the ghost. I worked hard at the script so I did not have to do that. Changing things from the specific to the general. It started as a haunted house but I changed that to an asylum so the question of who the ghost is, becomes mute. Lots of people die in asylums. Bad stuff happens. I changed him from a journalist to a paranormal one to give him a motivation to continue taking photos. He wants to capture this thing on film.

The ghost and everything that happen to the man is more of a product of what he experiences in the asylum. The blowing leaves, the flies, the music box. All haunt him. His obsession to regain the front page could be seen as his own manifestatoin of the ghost. His work is literally comsuming him and the ghost is representing that. It comes out from his work to get him, biting him in the butt. But also there is no evidence left to give you a concrete answer.

The other interpretation is the ghost is real and is simply just after him because he took the music box. Similar to the short story by M James 'Whistle and I'll come to you'.

Basically David is betrayed by his own ethos 'the negative is the only truth'.

With broadcast it was left very open, but here there are 2 possible outcomes here. Imagination, or real. The script was built to let both of these options viable and to present the audience with the possibility of either; at the same time allowing the charcter to get to his ironic destiny (front cover) by obsession.

So if you're looking for explainationof the ghost -then either I have led you down the wrong path or you're just looking at this with a very different eye to me. I would actually hate to make that film. sorry.. I know not everyone likes that, but it's the kind of story I like and am drawn too. I like that you dont have the cube explained to you in 'cube', and the story becomes more about the motivations of the people inside it. They are my favourite kind of movies. Picnic at Hanging Rock is another.

Here the character is a product of his own downfall, he could just stop developing photographs, but he can't. He makes the events worse himself through his desire.
 
Hey man! I've probably watched your film like 4 more times since we last spoke. It's pretty fantastic. I showed it to my girlfriend, and she literally jumped out of her seat when the hands reach out from the camera at the photographer. Just goes to show how effective the film is at setting the tone and building suspense. Nicely done.

Many have already given you notes on its similarity to Broadcast, the motive of your antagonist, the significance of the music box, etc. These are distinctive choices on your part and, as far as I'm concerned, the reasons for your choices aren't as important to me as the effect they have on the film. Bottom line, they make the film good! I'm also just happy that choices were made. I get the impression from a lot of films in these fests that many of the necessary components of film making are overlooked or left at the whim of what was available to filmmaker. This includes casting "actors" who are friends, using one's home as a "location," etc.

Everything in your film, from the location to the attention that's given to the developing/printing process of the film, helps to provide an authenticity to the film that's unseen in most of the other films in this fest. Bravo!
 
I forgot...

One thing I would like to ding you with...

The opening shots... The blue lighting feels very flat to me. Compared to the rest of the film, with it's rich colors, texture and depth, it feels a little amateur. :)
 
!!!

This one had me going throughout! Gorgeous use of mood, very understated effects, but very clear! The only problem I had was with seeing the "monster" at the end - it was creepier to me with only suggestion rather that showing it.

Kudos!!
 
ade4all - thanks a lot man. The 550d was perfect for this short. I went to places I couldn't have taken a Red; also its much easier to do a one-man job with a canon too. In all honesty for shor tfilm I dont think you really need 4K aquasition. I would shoot a feature with Red, but I'm happy with DSLR/equivalent for short form work.

Mike :I am an amateur! lol.

But yup the office was the best we could get and I was reallly upset with the whole bland purpleish wall. It wasnt what was in my head for sure....I dont so mind the side profile contrasty shots (that was just a propped up blind between two light stands and a light shone at the camera. But thanks for the detailed review. I think it's very valid that people are looking for explanations, I do the same too. I hope this time I've provided enough and people are drawing one of the two conclusions in a satisfactory way. So very interesting.

Elsmama - Thanks very much and really interesting to hear about the monster. With Broadcast I was more vague, with this more concrete. I think either way I'll please some and dissappoint others. I certainly see your point and I think this would probably be a different answer from each viewer. It was certinaly one of the more difficult choices I had in the writing, and also how I represented it.
 
Tim Joy said:
Flying:
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come on you can't get in that. Even my captive umpa lumpas would struggle.
 
Wow! This is a hit. I loved it. It got me stuck in totally. I don't think the VO was needed at all. And there really wasn't a need to see more than a shadow at the end. Great job. Did you guys feel safe in that building? This didn't help my belief that music boxes are creepy in any way. Great Job, yes I said that twice. Easily one of my few favorites.
 
Chris_Keaton said:
Did you guys feel safe in that building?
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erm, NO. lol. We were ok in that we limited ourselves to the obviously sturdy parts. But there were rooms that literally had the floors eaten away by nature. Amazing sight, scary to walk on!

Thanks for the comments Chris!
 
I've been a bit busy so I only got to watch a few of the entries tonight, but yours was one of them. At the end of it I just said to myself 'holy $%^ that was f%^#ing awesome!'. I figure that about sums up my review of your short. Excellent job man. Not that I'm an accomplished movie critic or anything, but I can't think of a single negative thing (pun intended) about your short. If you make a feature I'd pay to see it.

PS. My wife yelled "Argggh! He's got a leaf-man!" :)
 
Just... awesome. so impressive. i have to watch again before i give a full review but, Darkline, you really nocked this out of the park!
 
Darkline, truly great film.

"Ahh, f***, there's number one" I think was what I said after I watched it.

I feel so conflicted. :)
 
You really did your thing on this film. I think as indie filmmakers that sometimes we don't pay enough attention to detail. You did that so well here. There was nothing in this film that said it's a film. Everything just seemed so real as we watched this guy's story unfold. Your cinematography was very intentional, simple, but yet provocative and compelling and your actor, although he didn't have to speak, did an excellent job. People sometimes don't understand how hard it is to act without having to say a word. You have to emote through your facial expressions and body language and that's not easy. Everything you did was pretty stellar on a professional level. I liked this one better than your last one I think. I also look forward to you using more actors and/or making a feature. Good luck!
 
lawriejaffa said:
... I don't think it would work in a longer film unless we got to know more. So i think Charli's comments are definately highlighting an area that could benefit from more attention.
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This I do agree with. You would at least need to know what had previously happened at the Asylum for David to be going to take pictures. That is documented on his assignment sheet but I didn't show it. For a feature you'd need to have at least the ghosts motivations explained.

I've been sketching ideas for a feature based on an entity similar to this. A goal of mine is not to link the ghost to an individual or demon, because I think it loses some of it's creepyness once you understand it fully. I've been trying to find a method where I can make a ghost story without one of the tried and trusted endings (ghost revenge, revelation or redemption). I may have found a way to make it work, but I'm still fleshing out the rules of this entity as they are quite complex. The one in Negative Image could be explained this way but it's not essential for a short. I think the ghost being a visual metaphor for his work taking over him, is probably enough for 6 mins.
 
Personally I find the wealth of ideas in horror short fiction especially the classics to be refreshing in terms of ideas (especially compared to what seems used in films normally) - the short stories of M R James, Henry James and H P Lovecraft are among my favourites in particular.

I think a feature would be awesome, i mean you should surely have a producer working with your or interested in your work?!
 
I do believe this makes a great short that will play well on the film fest circuit, so don't sit on it. Go get your name out there.
 
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