prod log on "MBK"my first horror/thriller (serious attempt) at creating a film

I wanted to write a quick list covered what I learned while setting out on this voyage haha.

-Knowing what I know now, I would have eaten the cash and shot in HD and upgraded the canon to the H1 or to a HVX200 that way I had better quality as my base and a far better image to work from.

-shoot with far more stablilty..more tripods, more dollies (handmade if need be) and steadycams...I threw out a great deal of footage because of too much movement within the frame.

-don't start off with an action/FX scene on day 2..never having done much shooting that cost me time in the end of having to reshoot most that.

-pay more attention to speed and pacing overall...I could think about per scene but without thinking about all the scenes together, I had the main character moving at a varying speed that needed more contrast.

-use the lighting kit more...I had it on hand most days of shooting but even many of the day shots completely outdoor would have benefitted from it.

-take more time with each shot and let them roll out...(i had a tendency of knowing what I wanted and then cutting everyone off right after) I would have gotten better results by letting them warm up more to the scenes...

-move and track more in each shot....I think my background in comics hurt me in a way..I would frame things out and stay static, intead of moving with the subjects.

-spend more time rehearsing with the cast...and give them time by themselves..it was only toward the end of the project that I would give them info and feedback to start and then let them find there own way into the character and motives...

-stay short..if you write out 10 pages shoot a ten minute film, not a 37 minute one!

there's plenty more I will add things as them come to me...

So in the end 465.00 total cost (not bad I don't think LOL)

And once again, I can't wait to get started on another script!
 
I uploaded the first 21 minutes (out of 27) of the film (I am still tweaking the ending segment) and wanted to get some feedback.

I have a question as well...in order to fit within the vimeo 500 meg count I rendered out a MOV file..the sound ended up suffering greatly...really tinty. Any way to avoid that soudn hit?
http://www.vimeo.com/6809589

Also this is not the final sound mix
Golden Climax Twins (of the film Session 9) are writing all the final music and cleaning up the sound.
thanks for taking a look
 
tbroadwater said:
I uploaded the first 21 minutes (out of 27) of the film (I am still tweaking the ending segment) and wanted to get some feedback.

I have a question as well...in order to fit within the vimeo 500 meg count I rendered out a MOV file..the sound ended up suffering greatly...really tinty. Any way to avoid that soudn hit?
http://www.vimeo.com/6809589

Also this is not the final sound mix
Golden Climax Twins (of the film Session 9) are writing all the final music and cleaning up the sound.
thanks for taking a look
Click to expand...


Well if it let's you upload h.264s then you should be able to have a 2000kbps video stream with 192kbps ACC audio (which sounds good for internet) you could also amp this up to 256kbs and to my calcs, a 27 minute video should only be about 450MB. But I assume that vimeo re-converts you video to something else when you upload but I don't know. And 2000kbps for video is almost impossible to stream without a powerful internet connection. So I bet the audio is you main problem since vimeo may re-compress it. So start with good video (1000kbps would look good) and maybe leave you audio uncompressed so that when vimeo compresses it, it is coming from the source not another compressed audio file.

Again I don't know how vimeo works but this is how other sites tend to do things. Anyone feel free to chime in if I'm wrong on something.
 
thanks filmbuff, i believe I had it set to 2 or 3 but will double check tonight when I return home...I can play around with the settings enough to meet the requirement and 27mins....
 
I am going to look at cranking out these addtional scenes in the next couple of weeks..
3 additional scenes (short ones) to insert in that may have a greater impact overall!!!

inserted when Jacob looks into the window of the shop and begins falling apart:
cut to middle aged woman being forced face down into the water struggling and lashing about...only the hand holding her down is shown

inserted when the 2nd attack happens on the trail:
woman turning to face camera screaming before she drowns (meant to be there mother!) he was sure she wasn't coming back and this is why!!!

inserted somewhere toward end..after final phone call
shot of enlistment officer giving Jacob the news that he is unable to enter the marines because of the results of the psych evaluation!

Insert at end in right after dirt from shovel:
Jimmy cowering in corner screaming at Jacob as he comes down on him (with a blunt weapon in hand and a frenzied look on his face...
 
here are the scenes written out roughly I will be shooting over the next week:
this should make more sense I hope
　
Addtional scenes:
MY BROTHER'S KEEPER
SCENE 1
STREAM EXTERIOR (laurel park)
A wide stream on the outskirt of a farm.
Scene starts with middle aged woman being kicked in the back and falling down at the banks of the stream. A man's hand grabs her by the back of the head and trusts her into the water. Hand holds head down as woman struggles, flailing arms and legs.
break-
Woman breaks free of the grip and turns on her back, facing the attacker (she is the mother)...garbled cries are heard from the screaming mouth before she is thrust down by the neck a final time....
　
SCENE 2
RECRUITMENT OFFICE INTERIOR ???
An army recruitment center. Dimly lit from a small desk lamp and rear window. A middle aged man, decorated in military medals standing with his back to the camera-facing the window.
His hands are at his side, he raises them, crossing his arms as he begins speaking.
RECRUIMENT OFFICER
I'm afraid we have some bad news. Although you tested high in both mathematics and logic, we ran into a problem. The test results from your psychological evaluation prevent you from enlisting.
I'm sorry Mr. Moors...the Untied States Army cannot allow you entry into our program.
He turns away from the window facing the camera.
RECRUITMENT OFFICER
It's obvlious you need help Jacob.
　
　
　
SCENE 3
BASEMENT INTERIOR
Jimmy is lying on the floor of the farmhouse in the basement level. He is sweaty and confused, with a look of terror on his face. A hand reaches down grabbing him by the collar and dragging him across the floor toward the back corner of the room.
JIMMY
Why are you doing this? (whimpering)
Stop it Jacob...stop!
JACOB
It's for the best Jimmy...He won't hurt you anymore
(tears running down his face)
You'll be with mom now...just like you wanted.
I'ts time for me to go away
Jacob raises his hand above him delivering the killing blow.

In my head, Jacob is still doing this out of want to protect his brother...although twisted in it's morality, he sees Jimmy as needing to be with his mother -since he will be going away for a long time....


In the end I don't think the audience will know who killed the Mother...The father or Jacob? Or does it matter?
 
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