"Sneak": A Psychological Thriller from mentatDUKE Futuristic Pictures

I loved this film. I thought your actors were great. The cinematography was excellent. Th story was good as well and ********SPOILER************* I never saw the twist coming!!! I was cheering for the blind dude and then I was like...."crap!"

Only thing is I could not see what he kit the guy with to get him off of him. it was off frame. Awesome job!
 
Thank you for the nice words about the acting. Jake, Sam, and I all believed in this project from the beginning. Layi's script was so intriguing that I was determined to get this role. Once I understood Layi's passion for filmmaking, I decided I would give everything to make this project a success. He is a tremendous director and DP. It was a real pleasure being a part of this.
 
One of the good ones definitely. And this is because of the story! Very genuine writing and you managed to transfer the concept to the movie succesfully without giving any hints about the twist. The cinematography was there, nice and clean as the editing. This one had good sound also, no problem whatsoever there. You could have avoided a few things though. The 911 guy for example...nice for you to try and give us a glimpse of that but it wasnt realistic and most of the time you see women at the dispatch centre so you could have put a girl there...and some kind of uniform as well...the dude looked like an IT guy...:) During the fight I was quite distracted by that 'psycho' sound...I thought this could have been avoided and it would have worked without it. Very well thought out and played out fight scenes!!!!
And the final scene with the girl was nice!!! But you over did it with her ropes and stuff....it was like a blind guy had tied her down!!! And I dont get it...he had the yellow rope...why need the silk scarf as well for her hands??

Good one !!!!
 
Wow. Thanks for the feedback guys. That includes you too, Greg.
msconce, i'm glad the story was able to manipluate you like that. I'm very pleased to hear that. BTW, he ***SPOLIER*** splashed him with hot tea and beat him with a fireplace poker ***SPOLIER***


Versus, I agree with pretty much all of your criticisms. My first choice for the operator was actually a female, but I had other plans for her.

Regarding the scarves, the blind guy is very thorough. Better safe than sorry. And yes, a blind person tied the knots. :)

I'm making my way through all the films and will post a review of everyone's film on Sunday or so.

Thanks again.
 
Review | POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT! I watch the movies first time around strictly for enjoyment, second and third for review.
Got to check out SNEAK just now. I thought you were going to work the little sig picture of the word Sneak into the title! That woudl'vebeen craay. Let me go on to the review. Script - Roundabout story for the freaking WIN. I didn't see horror, I'm sorry to say, but I saw a completely rounded short story that felt like it was fit into the correct format. I think the fight could've been shorter, and I'm wondering just how long the script was. Otherwise, dude, I didn't see the twist coming and I think it was good. The only thing that it could benefit from was knowing that there was a girl there but then I dunno how that plays out. It was probably just fine as it was.

Direction - I think your stand-out scene was the dolly shot at the end. When your blind lead sits on the staircase and the cops are there. That was probably the best one, to me. The rest of it was fine, just saying that this stood out the most to me. Your fight coverage seemed a little contorted. I didn't really see what I wanted to see. I also think I would've loved to see the dude get it in the face with the fireplace poker instead of having to assume that he got his, but it worked anyway.

Acting -I honestly don't know how blind people act, but he seemed blind to me. Your tough guy was a tough guy alright, beating up on a blind dude and I had to wonder "is this dude for real?". THen I find out why he's owning the blind guy later on. He really got his ass beat, though. I have to say (this may tie in with the script) that the girl should've been unconcious. This stands out as a flaw because the cops have just come (as the editing tells us) and now she's screaming. Why didn't she scream when she heard the sirens?

Cine/Lighting - I think the compression took some of your color out, dude. It was all really flat for some reason. I also think I saw some unnatural shadows going on in the kitchen during the fight. I'm not sure where the light source was and I can't pinpoint on a third skim through, but it seemed off. I might be wrong, though.

Editing - Not so savvy in this category. I can really only comment if I see something incorrect and I think it was all fine.

Sound - I really didn't like the score/soundtrack at all. It felt like a really old movie. Which isn't a good description but I can't put my finger on it. It didn't feel good to me. I heard a lot of the action, which is cool. I think the score really threw me off here.

Special Effects/Art Direction/Wardrobe - Bloody faced man looked like he got himself really cracked one good time. The appearance of blood right after on the blind guy's face was a nice addition. I dunno what was up wtih the lego blocks, nor did I know what was up with the Star Wars addition. I'm sure there was a reason of course. I think the knot tying was accurate. I would IMAGINE that a blind person ties knots this way? LoL I really dunno. The bandaging on the blind' guys head looked like he'd tooken a good beating. Righto.


Scariest Moments - When the guy started choking the blind fella. THat was just mean.

Overall consensus - I think that the story was neat. It's the best part of this short. Blind guy keeps girl hostage, boyfriend comes to save her and gets straight hoodwinked. Coool mang. I think that your file must've gotten an incorrect compression treatment, or maybe my monitor SUCKS. I dunno, but it seemed to lack color. Otherwise, nice entry dude. Thanks for Exhbiting.!
 
Thanks for the detailed feedback Kholi. I'll try to be just as specific when I do my write-ups later today.

Glad you liked the story. :)
 
Great film here! I love the twist! Very nicely done!!!

I loved the camera work. The establishing shot of the blind man in shadow was awesome!!! The cinematograhpy and editing looked top notch. My one concern is the exterior night shot was so grainy and noisy. I honestly don't know how to overcome that except with a lot of lights, but then you need someone very good to keep the night shot that you got. (I think that I would have opted for the grain over bright scene too, just to let you know! :) )

Love the dolly work that you did. Especially the one across the top of the toys.

The music was well done for the most part. I like the simplicity of the haunting theme.

The fight scenes could have been a bit better in my opinion. For example, I would rather see some water hitting the intruders face when he gets a face-full. Also, the intruder suddenly appears bloody after the phone call. It took a second watch to see that he was actually hit with something. And I didn't quite buy the intruder getting knocked out from landing on the toys. Maybe a c/u of his head hitting hard or something. (minor point - just being picky)

The Police were fantastic! Wow! So believable. As well as the other actors. I thought that they all did a great job!!! KUDOS!

The blind guy smelling the record was a beautiful touch! I can see that direction was a strong point in this film.

Love, love, love the twist at the end.

A well done movie!

Congrats!!!

Ted
 
TheaterGuy. Thanks for the feedback. It means a lot coming from the one-man wrecking crew himself. :)

I'm glad you liked the cops. I was able to get real cops and paramedics to participate. They added so much to the dialogue using real terms and the real apathy officers exhibit when seeing stuff like this so often.

Glad you noticed the record sniff too.

I really loved the actors. They put so much into the project. Heck they have actual bruises to show for it!

Thanks again for the feedback. I want to check out your BTS for I.D. Is it in the I.D. thread?
 
mentatDUKE said:
TheaterGuy. Thanks for the feedback. It means a lot coming from the one-man wrecking crew himself. :)

I'm glad you liked the cops. I was able to get real cops and paramedics to participate. They added so much to the dialogue using real terms and the real apathy officers exhibit when seeing stuff like this so often.

Glad you noticed the record sniff too.

I really loved the actors. They put so much into the project. Heck they have actual bruises to show for it!

Thanks again for the feedback. I want to check out your BTS for I.D. Is it in the I.D. thread?
Click to expand...
Hey man, no problem! Please click on my banner to visit my thread. The journey begins there! Top of my first page has links to the photos and stuff in my thread. Also, the first page of my thread has a few photos.

Enjoy! And thanks for your film. Great Job!

Ted
 
My review

My review

Layi:

It was really tough to watch Sneak at the wrap party because there was so many interruptions and a lot of noise. But, I have now had the opportunity to view Sneak several times online. At first, it was hard to be objective because I was there during the shoot. But, after several viewings, I think I can now compare it fairly to the other films I've seen.

In short, I think you have a winner. Your screenplay is in a completely different leauge than the others. Ok, it's more of a thriller than a horror. But, there is plenty of gore. The story is rich. It keeps you interested and makes you ask questions throughout. I'm not sure about the postcredit scene. Maybe you could do without it. Or, save it for the long version.

The cinematography is very interesting. I'd like to see some more detail to help explain the story. For example: the keys sliding under the stove, the blinded grabbing the cup of hot tea, and the blinded picking up the fireplace poker. Some of my favorite shots:
The shadow introduction of the blinded.
The tea pot reflection.
The rack focus revealing the intruder.
The pan revealing the blinded's hands keeping time to the music. (my favorite shot)
The dolly of the blinded walking past the lego structure.
The dolly of the blinded on the front steps. (Amanda's favorite)
​
The editing really works. Especially when the intruder enters the house while the blinded tries to explain what happened. And, revealing the captive while the blinded says, "I have a girl that helps me". It's almost so sick, that it makes me wonder if you're not a psychopath yourself :) That was a compliment!

The sound helps build tension and add strangeness to the blinded's character. Despite comments from others here, I thought the 911 operator was well done. I liked that is was just a hint to add realism and that his voice became thin and distorted when we returned to the blinded listening on the phone.

The score is excellent. The ragtime is just so weird in this setting. The Rhodes piano is perfect for creating tension and mystery.

Ok, how am I going to comment on the acting. Let me just say it was a lot better than some of the others I've seen.

Layi, I loved working with you on this project. You are a talented and visionary filmmaker. I know that, with practice, you will soon hone your craft to a professional level. I want to be involved with your future projects. Thanks.
 
Sneak... what can I say? Truely one of the better films I must admit. Actors were top notch. The blind guy was a true bad ass, in his part in the movie as well as in his acting (definitely going places). The intruder was awesome. Love to see him in more movies. The tied up girl has some lungs and can put out the decibles. The 911 operator... Such a short scene but I felt it was a nice touch (given it was me).

Greg, nice working with ya (and I hope we work again on something else). One Take Jake, the super structure will never be the same with out you. Sam....
I'm sure this movie would not have been finished if it wasn't for you (sorry that I took your original role:)).

I'll be giving Layi my comments over the phone or in person this weekend.
 
Hey guys. Thanks for the kind words and for reviewing the movie so critically. Much appreciated.

Josh, thanks for all the hard work in logistics and producing this thing. I still don't know how the heck we pulled it off.

Greg, it was REALLY great working with you on this project. I felt that the cast was essentially predestined. I can't imagine any other actors in your roles. I can't even imagine the movie being finished without all of your dedication and patience. It was truly a gift from on high.

We'll definitely all be working together in the future. That includes the entire cast and crew. You can count on it. Heck, I know where you live! :)

P.S. I promise I'm not a psychopath. (fingers crossed)
 
I suggest you work on a 10-minute version that includes some of the detail that's missing and the character vignettes. I would really like to have an uncompressed dvd of that version. You ought to think about submitting it to some festivals.
 
Thanks Brandon! My apologies to everyone for not posting reviews of their films yet. I PROMISE to do it this evening once I get home.
 
The contest. The winners will recieve actual props from the major motion picture!

Post your answer in this thread then PM me.

Questions:

1) Who are the two cast/crew members who dropped out of the production of Sneak at the last minute?
Prize: Bent Fireplace Poker (Greg went to town with it...)

2) What is the "superstructure"?
Prize: Ambulance Legos

3) Which one of the crew members made a cameo in the movie?
Prize: Michael Jackson's "Thriller" record that was accidentally stained with "blood".

4) BONUS question. Most creative answer wins. Answer as many times as you like. Who and/or what was the intruder?
Prize: The Blinded's mobility cane

Bonus Character Monologues:
These were originally intended as bonus features, but hey it's Christmas. Let's share... *SPOILERS!* Don't watch these until after you've watched "SNEAK"! Click below for the quicktime:
http://mentatduke.com/sneakchars.htm

Coming soon...
Marking Foley: The Sound Effects of "Sneak"

Enjoy!
 
"Sneak" Review Contest! AMAZON.COM GIFT CERTIFICATES!!!

"Sneak" Review Contest! AMAZON.COM GIFT CERTIFICATES!!!

Pimpin' ain't easy. And neither is filmmaking.

Write a review for "Sneak" and post it in the official thread. Detailed feedback will be handsomely rewarded. Both POSITIVE and NEGATIVE reviews are winners!

1-49 words = a random emoticon
50-99 words = a smiley-face emoticon
100-200 words = Tomorrow's Sunrise
250-350 words = Good Vibes
400-500 words = World Peace
600-800 words = $10 Amazon.com Gift Certificate
2000+ words = $20 Amazon.com Gift Certificate

Winners so far:
TheatreGuy: $10 Amazon.com Gift Certificate
Kholi: $20 Amazon.com Gift Certificate
VersuS: $5 Amazon.com Gift Certificate
Raptor365: $5 Amazon.com Gift Certificate
Virum: $20 Amazon.com Gift Certificate
hybridtheory: $50 Amazon.com Gift Certificate
Mattykins: $50 Amazon.com Gift Certificate

You've got to play to win!
 
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Initial thoughts:

Color is a bit too dark, I was disappointed to see that it wasn't as bright and colorful as the promo pictures. I really liked that about the promo pics....the beautiful colors contrasting with the main character who is blind. Not too big a deal, but I would at least like a bit more contrast in the picture, it's a bit muddy. Having worked with the m2 adapter, I know how difficult the light loss can be. I dropped it in favor of colors for one feature I was filming. With the muted colors of the video I think the credit colors are a bit too bright. If the video matched the promo pictures it'd be fine, though.

Favorite shots: I love the shadow shot of the guy folding up the cane. Noir to the bones. The fan shot is really nice too. I like the reveal of the non blind guy too. The scene with the cops was cool, it felt like a real crime scene.

Camera work in general: Decent. Nothing really cool stood out, but there was nothing bad either. A few shots seemed a bit shaky, I don't know if that was intentional or not. It didn't detract except for maybe once or twice.

Soundtrack...Liked some of it, didn't like some of it. What I didn't like: It sounded a bit too synthesized when they are fighting and takes away from the scene in my opinion. What I DID like: Everything at the beginning and the flow into the record. Perfect choice of music. Also the “duuuuuuh” when the guy is revealed is nice. Don't like the “badadlll” after it though. Liked the end stuff too.

Sound: Sound quality could be a bit better, It was passable though. I had trouble picking out some of the words, a bit too soft. The soundtrack overpowered it just a tad. The punches could have used some better re-recorded sound effects I think. They sounded a bit weak.

Story: Maybe I'm stupid but I'm not sure I got it. Not completely unsure of how the non-blindguy plays into it. At first, we are led to believe that he's an intruder in the blind guy's home. The police can't identify this guy after he's been killed, and they tell the Blind Guy there was no sign of forced entry. We see him go through and unlocked window and start pounding on a door. You show us the key again(second time, so it's important?) And then we see the girl is a captive against her will, so we can gather the blind guy is the real bad guy and the other guy was trying to rescue her or something. But I don't get the significance of the key and no forced entry.

A couple of problems with the story was the blind guy seemed to see occasionally, like he seemed to reach for the cup a bit fast, but I hear the blind people really get a good grasp of spacial stuff, so maybe it's not unbelievable.

Acting: The cops were pretty good, reminded me of some cops I met when I was living in Oklahoma. The blind guy was good. I had a little trouble believing the fight scene, I'd think the non-blind guy would be able to whoop the blind guy a lot easier than that.

The editing seemed pretty good to me, the only thing that stood out was the coffee-in the eyes bit. I think it would have worked better if you cut to some coffee hitting and then him rubbing his eyes.

Overall: Loved the creativeness of the short. I don't think it quite delivered on the posters, but it was still quite good. I think the script could be fleshed out a bit more so that we can know exactly who the non-blind guy is, and maybe why the blind guy is keeping the girl prisoner. All in all, it was one of the more enjoyable shorts that I watched.
 
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