PUSH - Directed by Matt Sconce

My first real review:

First shot, contrasting colors (blue vs orange) Awesome.

The dialogue throughout sounds great. Kudos to the sound guy or gal.

I didn't really buy the performance from the male lead (enoch)

The bad guy busting in and expressionlessly killing everyone is fu#king awesome. Bad ass, really.

Gun sounds in the parking ramp I didn't like so much. Sounded fake.

Steadicam=rules.

The chucking the gun kick thing blew me away. I was like hell yeah, that dude's all that and a bag of chips.

Didn't like the CGI doors. Sorry. Worst part of the story for me.

When Enoch pushes the button I actually said out loud "hell yeah"

I think there should be a gun sound at the end when Enoch kills the baddy, Just me though.

Female lead was great.

Score rocked.

overall very impressive.

thanks,
-Joe
 
Alright, up to PUSH. Been looking forward to this puppy. Lets see what she has to offer.

Rolling and reviewing:

I liked the light scheme of the first shot. The contrast was nice. Now to see where that yellow and blue come into play later. I like the score so far. And very nice rack focus around 1:15. Nailed it.

And again very nice shot then the company came in. I like the infinite white you got going to. Very nice. Everything is always marked with an 'x'. haha.

Very interesting concept thus far, just entered the third minute. I love the location you have. Entering the park. Very nice running shot. And the composite was well done with the guns firing. YES! 4:00 loved the move there. The equals so kickass. Sound design was good. But the CGI door part brought the whole production down in my opinion. I wish that wasn't there. And the press of button was kinda lame.

But the ending was pretty good. The fall was very realistic. And it was good.

I actually really enjoyed the film. What is this button? Am I sensing a sequel?

Great film mate.
 
I always have admired the joy you have for film making; it is contagious. the action sequence in the garage is where the film really shines. Nice work with the shoot out and the gun kick is really well executed.

The story was a bit convoluted at times. There is no sense of where he goes once he receives the head shot or who the person is that he will meet 5 years down the line. I also presume he already knows what the button is because that is what the antagonist is looking to steal from him, yet it already exists, the bad guys have it and he must get to it to push it to save his wife?

I felt the pacing could have bee a little quicker, particularly the shots of him against the wall. I was craving quicker cuts to match the tone of the music and maybe a little hand held to give it more urgency. Also, better establishing the time dynamic earlier would give us a sense of urgency in these beginning moments. It seems like a lost opportunity since we don't realize he is up against time until it is explained half way through.

The VFX's were nicely used in the film and it is great to see another film maker use of the Red. Congrats on getting the film done for the fest.
 
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bosindy said:
I always have admired the joy you have for film making; it is contagious. the action sequence in the garage is where the film really shines. Nice work with the shoot out and the gun kick is really well executed.
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Thanks! I try and try. Sometimes I almost die in the process....but after some nourishment and sleep, I am usually good to go. I love this process called filmmaking.


Thank you all for your comments and criticisms! Each one of you that comments helps me grow as a filmmaker. Thanks and keep wtachin!:engel017::thumbsup:
 
I am really enjoying the fest. Thanks for the kind positive comments on my stabilized camera work for PUSH. It is a wonderful film with magnificient action sequences. :D
 
Who am I to say anything but... AWESOME!!!!
I knew this one was going to be good right from the get-go. The gun kick...well...kicks ass! (there's no other way to put it) Sound & Score was top-notch, as was the acting.

If I'm allowed to say anything, it would be that the button room wasn't quite right.

Congratulations and you should all be very proud of the work you've done here.
 
To clarify for Bosindy- SPOILERS!!!! SPOILERS!!!!SPOILERS!!!!SPOILERS!!!!SPOILERS!!!!SPOILERS!!!!SPOILERS!!!!SPOILERS!!!!

bosindy said:
The story was a bit convoluted at times. There is no sense of where he goes once he receives the head shot or who the person is that he will meet 5 years down the line. I also presume he already knows what the button is because that is what the antagonist is looking to steal from him, yet it already exists, the bad guys have it and he must get to it to push it to save his wife?
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When he is about to be shot in the head, he is pulled to the future. The man in the whie room is his top employee in his company which is based upon the Button, which is what his project in the past leads to. He finds the building and room while still in the future, allowing him to travel back and save his wife.

Hope that helps clarify. Thanks for the insightful comments. :beer:
 
Another shot of the RED ONE on the camera stabilizer...
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msconce said:
To clarify for Bosindy- SPOILERS!!!! SPOILERS!!!!SPOILERS!!!!SPOILERS!!!!SPOILERS!!!!SPOILERS!!!!SPOILERS!!!!SPOILERS!!!!



When he is about to be shot in the head, he is pulled to the future. The man in the whie room is his top employee in his company which is based upon the Button, which is what his project in the past leads to. He finds the building and room while still in the future, allowing him to travel back and save his wife.

Hope that helps clarify. Thanks for the insightful comments. :beer:
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Wait, I'm confused.

He travels forward into the future when he's about to be shot? Wouldn't he be dead then? Because being whisked away to the future just before dying would mean in the future your dead.

Is there something I'm missing?
 
I agree this film Rocks, and Gary (not Sconce) said it was brilliant! I wouldn't say sequel, I would say feature film. You needed another 84 minutes to tell the rest of the story!!! AND of course to have some more killer action scenes! Gary (not Sconce) also said it would be a great spoiler trailer. While the CG could have used a bit more work, for the amount of time you were working on the CG, it looks awesome. It's TIME to start writing the feature script!!!
 
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS!
conrad_johnson said:
Wait, I'm confused.

He travels forward into the future when he's about to be shot? Wouldn't he be dead then? Because being whisked away to the future just before dying would mean in the future your dead.

Is there something I'm missing?
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My take on it may not be the same as Matt's. Before Enoch is killed he is whisked away from his time line and into a 'white room' created by the device he is going to create. The room is actually created in the future but it is a static bubble in time that protects Enoch from dying. Since he was taken off the linear line in time, he was stopped from dying. For Enoch, his timeline is continuing and obviously he didn't get killed by the hit man. His future friend, the man in the white room, only gives Enoch the information that will allow him to live, save his wife, and then create the machine that is represented by the button. The white room man can only affect the future so much, which is why he is nebulous in his answers.

Quantum Mechanics says that there are an infinite number of alternate realities. In what is a massively cool paradox, Matt Sconce wrote a 'necessary time loop' into his script where the future interacts back with the past to save itself. :grin:
 
That's full of contradictions.

"Before Enoch is killed" Implies that Enoch will die.

"he was stopped from dying" Same thing.

"obviously he didn't get killed by the hit man" Enoch did not die.

"only gives Enoch the information that will allow him to live" Enoch dies.

I'm more confused than before. Maybe I should stop thinking about this. :)
 
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS!

conrad_johnson said:
I'm more confused than before. Maybe I should stop thinking about this. :)
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Hopefully this helps...but yes...paradoxes hurt brain cells. I know due to playing with them for 3 months..hehe

Gary Sconce said:
Quantum Mechanics says that there are an infinite number of alternate realities. In what is a massively cool paradox, Matt Sconce wrote a 'necessary time loop' into his script where the future interacts back with the past to save itself. :grin:
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That is EXACTLY it. The white room is a static timeless (Outside of time room) built by Enoch's company in the future. Once pulled into that room, he has the ability to change things if he can press the button. He only has until midnight and then the effects of the timeless room and static nature wear off. When that happens...Enoch would be dead in the future due to the shooting in the past.

Now, you can get into Paradoxes, which are tricky. How can Enoch have a company in the future when he was shot in the past. How can the man in white exist if Enoch was shot in the past. But you could also argue that Enoch was never shot in the past because he was pulled out of time and changed the past, thus never having the shooting occur. You could Argue that the white room was just part of Enochs life and that after that event he killed the majority of the company and that they were trying to stop him in the garage to change the past as well. Complicated but fun. I think PUSH plays nice with the paradox idea and allows a pretty viable and exciting take on a neccessary time loop. It does require you to fill in some blanks, but I like it when everything is not just out in the open. If you look at the clues in the dialogue, I think the story can be pieced together. I hope you all like the movie. :engel017:
 
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the story might be a little complicated for a short film but it warrants a second viewing. camerawork & lighting is really good and clean. the action scenes look great but then the CGI kinda took me out of it though.
 
Yeah it seems to be a consensus... the CGI sucked... sorry guys... just ran out of time... to much going on... needed so much MORE polish!
 
Mark T. Aro said:
Yeah it seems to be a consensus... the CGI sucked... sorry guys... just ran out of time... to much going on... needed so much MORE polish!
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Some people liked it, some didn't. I think it worked for the movie and I liked it. Polish would always be great but I am very appreciative for what you made in such a short time. We ran out of time for sure, but what we did get up there does its job. Thanks Mark T. Aro! :thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
wesley said:
the story might be a little complicated for a short film but it warrants a second viewing. camerawork & lighting is really good and clean. the action scenes look great but then the CGI kinda took me out of it though.
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Thanks for letting me know what you thought. I am glad it warrants a second viewing for you. Take care!:smile:
 
Wonderful job Matt and team. I am a big fan of the Matrix and therefore loved the feel of your piece as resonating in that regard. Anytime you have dudes with guns in black suits and ties ... I'm IN. I think it was BOSINDY who mentioned the joyful spirit inherent in your films and I want to second that observation. It is obvious how much fun you are all having and that makes all the difference in the world as it is clear how much a "labor of love" your project is.

I think Mark did a great job too. The film rocks.

Best of all, I got to see yours before I saw the guy in the white room show up in The Impossible Race! He's great in your film! Then to see him behind the table in the Impossible Race made me spit out my beer from laughing.
 
I thought the movie looked great and, more importantly to me, sounded great. I could quibble about some very minor things, but they would be exactly that… minor.

On second viewing, I really liked the sound of the guns during the big shooting scene. The reverberation was perfect for the location. I also like that he kept Enoch breathing heavy during the "chase" scene. It's stuff like that that really makes a film for me. Mike did a great job with the mix as well. My only complaint is that he used the same defribrillator sound that I used in one of my shorts. :-)
 
I wasn't fond of the first half very much. The acting was very stilted and sometimes a bit over-the-top (maybe you were going for that?). But WOW, that last action scene was wicked! I must say, that gun kick was priceless and made the film for me. I think the CGI needs to be tightened up overall, but of course you were limited with time and I'm sure you'll tighten it up after the fest.

Otherwise, an enjoyable film, even if I was confused what was really going on. But that last action scene made up for it all.

Great work!
 
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