Rusalka

Hah, Sarah. I figured you cut the water scene, because that water has to be freaking freezing!!!

Sprocketboys comments were great. I think the monsterous features should be subtle. She couldn't be too repulsive or it might work against her. So web toes or something would add a nice touch. I do agree with you on not going 'the full Lawrie' or what others might call showing the whole monster. While going 'the full Lawrie' works for other shorts it would've been out of place in this beautiful piece.
 
Yep!!! Awe the full Lawrie wouldnt be so much showing the whole monster (i love the subtle expression of the Rusalka so me and Sarah were on the same page there...

Its a simple relationship, she say i do hehehe! (Keeps us on the same page teehee.) But yep this is Sarah's movie and i very much sought to express her vision.

There's suggestions here and there about the edit that ill see if i can remedy here and there.

The full Lawrie (in style) is a bit like Empire really, bombastic, melodramatic, visual - normally violent, sexual, theatrical etc. I like Ken Russell as a director for example, Guy Maddin etc.

Thing is - you get bored producing your own writing and interpretations and i can't suggest enough to any indy director, that really, your writing probably sucks compared to the writers here on the forum willing to collaborate hehehe.

Sarah as an artist, has a unique perspective that has actually made me excited about the shorts ive been making (rather than my more neurotic endevours with my own ideas.)


"the full Lawrie'! LOVE IT!!!!
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Incidentally though, this will be evident in the visuals for Black Hare when its completed and posted! (Another Sarah script too!)
 
Chris_Keaton said:
Hah, Sarah. I figured you cut the water scene, because that water has to be freaking freezing!!!

Sprocketboys comments were great. I think the monsterous features should be subtle. She couldn't be too repulsive or it might work against her. So web toes or something would add a nice touch. I do agree with you on not going 'the full Lawrie' or what others might call showing the whole monster. While going 'the full Lawrie' works for other shorts it would've been out of place in this beautiful piece.
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Hey Chris - thanks for stoppin by again! Gonna check out your offerings this evening - looking forward to it.

But nah I woulda dunked her if I really wanted to!

Full Lawrie - hehe - in fact I hear you've gone the whole Lawrie, Mr. Keaton! Tis a beautiful thing...

(Insert your own lude connotations here)
 
I think you had a good story, Sarah, much like the Kelpie legend. My problem with is was in the execution. The opening seemed awfully soft on the focus. And I found the music grating rather than a complement to the film.

I thought Rusalka was too theatrical but perhaps that was what you were shooting for.

I never believed that Laura had been sufficiently beguiled to find herself on the verge of joining Rusalka in the deep. Perhaps, it's because the stakes didn't seem high enough. "It's nothing. I've just had a difficult day." That may have been a bit subtle with little to follow it up to get the point across. Of course the lines: "They hurt you because you let them. You are beautiful, you know. You deserve happiness...love even." give some more depth but far from enticing her to the deep, they would seem to give her hope.

Then again, I may have missed your whole point. :undecided
 
Well done, I enjoyed this and you managed to conjure up a wonderful, mysterious atmosphere. I think jasonthewho's comments really nailed it. Apart from that, Rusalka's position and movements lying back on the rock around 3.30 felt rather awkward. Loved the location - was that Ireland or Scotland?
 
Blaine said:
I thought Rusalka was too theatrical but perhaps that was what you were shooting for.

I never believed that Laura had been sufficiently beguiled to find herself on the verge of joining Rusalka in the deep. Perhaps, it's because the stakes didn't seem high enough. "It's nothing. I've just had a difficult day." That may have been a bit subtle with little to follow it up to get the point across. Of course the lines: "They hurt you because you let them. You are beautiful, you know. You deserve happiness...love even." give some more depth but far from enticing her to the deep, they would seem to give her hope.

Then again, I may have missed your whole point. :undecided
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Hi Blaine - thanks for the comments. Actually it was my intention for the Rusalka to give Laura hope - but a false hope and one dependent on her going with Rusalka. It's all part of the game for her to own Laura and control her. But also when Laura looks at Rusalka and smiles in the end - that is supposed to imply a sort of spell having been placed on her above and beyond natural, rational persuasion - I think it's enough but I do get your point!

As for the theatricality - yep I didn't want her performance to be too naturalistic - I think a little melodrama suits the story and the character. But I see how we could have gone a different way too - just chose not to :)


Horncastle said:
Well done, I enjoyed this and you managed to conjure up a wonderful, mysterious atmosphere. I think jasonthewho's comments really nailed it. Apart from that, Rusalka's position and movements lying back on the rock around 3.30 felt rather awkward. Loved the location - was that Ireland or Scotland?
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Glad you liked the atmosphere Horncastle! Fair points all! And it was Scotland - pretty innit? Just a local park.
 
I thought this film was interesting. It was nicely shot with great locations and the actors did a good job. I'm sure i've seen the actress playing rusalka before on tv - she looks/sounds very familiar.
The only bits I had a problem with were (as already mentioned) the strange postures on the rock and the fact that I kept expecting something to happen - I realise it was a moody rather than action piece but it seemed to keep the story hanging for too long.
Great work :)
 
Nice job! I'm always a little affraid to comment on Lawrie's productions...cause he will rip me... and use really big words that I have to look-up...and I just don't have time for that these days. (HeeHee)

I like this film. Beautifully written, Beautiful opening, beautiful music, beautiful cast....so where is the monster again? (I know... wiseass) I do realize Rusalka is a bad girl, but is she REALLY a monster?

[insert Lawrie's tirade here]

I mean really, if she's a monster, I could have just edited a few home movies with my ex in them and have gotten the same result.:shocked:

Now I felt that it would have been nice to see Laura in a bit more pain. I didn't believe she was anywhere near killing herself. Maybe if in the opening we she her sitting alone, sobbing...a tear rolling from the eye...something to indicate how much pain she was in. We've all had bad days, that's not reason enough to take your life.

Other than that...wouldn't change a thing....expect for maybe adding that monobrow to Rusalka!:Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)

Great job & congrats to the cast, the crew and all involved in this production.
Looking forward to your next film Sarah.
 
Don't worry Zaza your perfectly safe!!

This is a 100% Sarah Daly administered arty project, i was just her '*****-gimp' filming monkey hehe, working to help craft ideas on the technical elements (with creativity lent of course to things like cinematography / other bits like that.) Obviously im a massive admirer of her work and really (personally) liked this film, but on the technical criticism for things i was more responsible for, im listening and appreciate the feedback.

So Sarah will be able to comment!!!

However... if you ever say anything like that to me in my movies thread Zaza... then my god... i'll be so angry... so mad... we'll both be crying.
 
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With the lore this would have been a great opprotunity to use body painting to actually make Rusalka into a scaly water nymph and fulfill the monster requirement for the fest. The artsy aspect to this film seemed to serve as a stumbling block to the eerieness you could have created with this piece; they can be mixed together effectively, instead it came off to me as obscure and innefective. I think this has great potential, it just needs a little more time and consideration. Great idea using lore as your subject!
 
Hi Sarah, great to see a fellow MPrs film.

I had a hard time with this one. Let me start with the likes:
I loved the look of the forrest. I thought the dialog was masterfully recorded
for outdoor work, might even be ADR in post it's so clean. The actors seemed
strong, esp imogen. As far as the story, I couldn't really understand what was going on,
I had a hard time believing that walking through the forrest someone would let
a stranger touch them, but though, well, the tree lady must have had her
under her spell? The tree lady did not seem like a monster to me, but a forrest
spirit of some kind, unless we are to believe that imogen committed suicide by walking into
the ocean because the tree lady told her to? Lots of unanswered questions...

Back to likes: gorgeous soundtrack with lots of wonderful textures. Great mystical
mood and strong emotional reaction shots.

Good luck, and good work!
 
Oh, Sarah! My favorite human. Way cool to see you in the show.


Ethereal and fluid. Your monster was 'posed' a little too much, and the desperation of the 'victim' wasn't really there - but then again, when we are sad, we are vulnerable, and we don't really need to be suicidal to grasp at illusions of a better place. From that POV, it worked.

Delicious set, damn good looking monster (and just for Zaza's entertainment - she can spank me anytime).

There is wonderful chemistry with you and the man behind the camera.

aw
 
Hi Sarah,

This was a very romantic work. It feels so good to see that someone created a myth. I loved when the Rusalka was sitting in the tree. The whole opening has a good rythym together with the music. In the middle of the film, the music changed and this disturbed the film. The actress of the Rusalka also was a bit rigid or overacted - I can't really describe what it was exactly, but the film lost the fluid rythym from the beginning. The scene when the Rusalka laid on the flat rock - here she did to many times the same movement. On the other hand the girl did a really good job - she convinced me. I hope to see more in the future from you. This forum needs more films like yours :).

Susanne
 
TMerry said:
I had a hard time believing that walking through the forrest someone would let
a stranger touch them, but though, well, the tree lady must have had her
under her spell? The tree lady did not seem like a monster to me, but a forrest
spirit of some kind, unless we are to believe that imogen committed suicide by walking into
the ocean because the tree lady told her to? Lots of unanswered questions...
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Hey TMerry! Thanks for the balanced review :) In my mind the Rusalka is a monster in the same way a siren or banshee would be considered one. And as I see it Laura doesn't think she's committing suicide but going to join Rusalka, who she is entranced by.

But, of course, there's room for interpretation! Glad you liked the sound and location and thanks for watching and giving your impression.

alex whitmer said:
Oh, Sarah! My favorite human. Way cool to see you in the show.


Ethereal and fluid. Your monster was 'posed' a little too much, and the desperation of the 'victim' wasn't really there - but then again, when we are sad, we are vulnerable, and we don't really need to be suicidal to grasp at illusions of a better place. From that POV, it worked.

Delicious set, damn good looking monster (and just for Zaza's entertainment - she can spank me anytime).

There is wonderful chemistry with you and the man behind the camera.

aw
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Ah bless you Alex! In a lot of ways we have you to thank! So glad you liked the attempt anyway - obviously your opinion means a lot to me. I will arrange the spanking to show my gratitude :)

ZazaCast said:
Now I felt that it would have been nice to see Laura in a bit more pain. I didn't believe she was anywhere near killing herself. Maybe if in the opening we she her sitting alone, sobbing...a tear rolling from the eye...something to indicate how much pain she was in. We've all had bad days, that's not reason enough to take your life.
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I hear you Zaza! I didn't want to be too blatant on this front - as she has only just met this stranger I think she'd underplay her sadness - try to hide it - but Rusalka sees through this. Often when people are deeply unhappy, you'd never know it. I do think that Laura shows just enough for us to believe that she feels lonely and in pain, but I get your point.

ZazaCast said:
Great job & congrats to the cast, the crew and all involved in this production.
Looking forward to your next film Sarah.
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Thanks so much Zaza! Always appreciate your humour round here - it's just a shame your ex wasn't available to play the lead :)
 
Susanne G. said:
Hi Sarah,

This was a very romantic work. It feels so good to see that someone created a myth. I loved when the Rusalka was sitting in the tree. The whole opening has a good rythym together with the music. In the middle of the film, the music changed and this disturbed the film. The actress of the Rusalka also was a bit rigid or overacted - I can't really describe what it was exactly, but the film lost the fluid rythym from the beginning. The scene when the Rusalka laid on the flat rock - here she did to many times the same movement. On the other hand the girl did a really good job - she convinced me. I hope to see more in the future from you. This forum needs more films like yours :).

Susanne
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Thank you so much Susanne! Glad you liked the fact that we did something a bit different - you make good points too and I'm always listening. It's all about taking stock and improving every time.
 
After stewing over the viewing for a few minutes, I came to the conclusion that this film is definitely a surrealist bent on a classic folklore. I was really swept up with the warm, diffused quality of the cinematography/grading. It was very appealing and works on a story-telling level as well as a transcendence of the medium, pulling the viewer in just like the Rusalka may be doing to the protagonist.

I wasn't very familiar with the tale before the film, but after some reading, I must say that this seems to be a very accurate portrayal of the interpretations of the Rusalka I've come across.

The music felt very soothing and, at times, intoxicating. This definitely adds an extra element to the seductive qualities of the film and the Rusalka.

The acting was quite good throughout the film. I was impressed. The lead exhibited a melancholy easy to relate to as well as a certain kind of firm gentility. Odd description, yes, but I think it's there. The Rusalka was performed quite well, taking command of scenes and leaving the audience wondering where she's going with her dialogue and movements. I did feel that, at times, both actors lost a little control of their performances and let some of their naturalness slip. It only happened briefly and sporadically, but it was still there. Not a major problem by any stretch, but it's just something to keep an eye on.

There's an interesting thing that happens at about 1:07. My hunch is that the shot was merely underexposed, but the two shots before this one are wonderful static portraits of a light-drenched woods with soft colors and detail. Both of these images are tremendously soft in the darks and in the highlights, which is beautiful. Then, an almost disparate chord is struck in the next shot, which is dark and contrasty. The shot finds the film in a soft realm again. Unless this is an intentional contrast demonstrated by the melancholic lead walking into frame, I would try to tinker with it a bit just to keep things from popping out at viewers.

The sound was nice and crisp throughout and each element was mixed very well. The dialogue was clean. Sometimes I felt the sound of the waves crashing against the shore was just a little too apparent at times. But it's just a very mild thing and it only feels a little too loud around the 2:10ish mark. No big deal, really.

I had a little difficulty understanding the immediate turmoil that the lead was in. I felt there was a pregnancy involved, and when the Rusalka mentioned "they hurt you, because you let them," it made me think of a possible rape scenario. Rusalka seems to attempt to build the girl's self-esteem and lift her spirits while giving her a new identity to travel through life under. It feels like an ambivalent scenario in which one cannot genuinely ascertain the Rusalka's motives or ethos. Is she good or bad? Is she helping or hurting the protagonist? It's a highly interesting conversation and interaction between the two.

But, it could just be that she's merely hurt by cruel individuals roaming the planet in implicit ways. It's a perplexing tale of seduction and the nature of truths and lies. Really strong work and definitely one of the most intriguing pieces in the festival! :beer:
 
Yep i decided what the hell, i helped Sarah shoot and edit this but id love to give my own feedback on the film as i've had some pm's asking to describe some ideas behind its cinematography, and my interpretation of Sarah's vision. (which is just my opinion Sarah can discuss the actual story as the films author.)

Righto - in terms of cinematography.

Before Titles : I used a range of soft focus shots, to add a 'romantic' quality which when seperated by titles was acceptable to me (for the audience to re-adjust.) We see the Rusalka a spirit of trees and water in one with her landscape - as part of the landscape. Note shots of her arms in threes, evne forming part of branches, and scraping through water.

Only then do we see her face, tied from those elements - roll on titles.

The cinematogaphy of the approach is fairly standard, Nina was not really up a high tree but a smaller tree. Jon (Lawsuit boy) is quite correct the first shot of the character of the girl Laura entering the forest is a little too out of place with the rest of the style. I'll check on that.

The cinematogrpahy and grading wanted to express a warm and romantic style, soft colours - beautiful really. See the idea was that normally this might be expressed in a creepy forest... where the siren emerges. But meh... why be so obvious when the danger to our young girl can be expressed surounded by beauty. It looks heavenly, and the Rusalka appears like a friend, a savior in this paradise... but no, she is redefining the girl in her own image - from Laura - to Imogen, before leading her into the sea.

In terms of performance it lends itself to theatre as its artform, and think that comes across effectively in capturing scenes in wide, letting the actors work with it. Rather than breaking the moment between close up to close up *yawn*

Likewise with Jon again the source of Laura's unhappiness is subjective - open to interpretation. It is certainly exploited, and is possible that even the smallest issue is blown up and exploited to a point where Laura is taken over. I imagine that the slow walk around is when the magic as it were is 'weaved'.

The juxtaposition of the final kiss - and promise of happiness is flatly contrasted with immediate suicide.

A fine debut for Sarah, it was a pleasure and honour to work with this special voice and artist.
 
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