Spare Parts...

P!body. I am glad you enjoy my inanimate perversions. I will be sure to send you a link to my latest film when it is finished. I don't really want to reveal too many details....but it involves a toaster...and has tentatively been titled "Hot Lovin'"
 
Cute short. The ending was kind of abrupt, though. I really liked the robot - I'm glad that you made him seen human (and incorporated that into the story) and also didn't use any cheesy, half-assed CGI effects. At times, I felt like I was watching a stage play, though, due to the really long static shots. It would've been great if you threw in a few more shots (at times, this was less of a problem and you had a cool reality tv show look to things). Good job.
 
This may be the short so far I've found funniest. It was very clever and your actors did a really good job with the material. I think my biggest complaint is some things I felt were set up but weren't quite finished. The driving to the woods, for instance, I immediatley associated with the "setting the dog free in the woods" phenomenon, but I don't think the connection ever punch-lined. Similarly, when the robot just gets out and runs... I kind of expected to find out where he was going. And, obviously, the abruptness of the end. Even the title hinted at the possibility of the robot malfuncitoning due to left-over parts during assembly. But, for the most part, these were simply slightly jarrign missed opportunities, not real harm. Really fun stuff.
 
Thanks guys. I’m glad you guys thought it was funny.

Conrad: I’m wondering what specifically you meant when you said there were
long static shots? Or I supposed when were those shots? I watched it again and I really couldn’t find what you were looking for. Thanks for watching. And I agree with you if your not going to do good CG, use no CG. To me Sci Fi doesn’t mean CGI effects- it means fun or interesting story that may or may not reflect some off the current social ills in a way that is transposed to an environment that allows the viewer to few said events as a statement on life in the present. Or at least it’s a lot of fun. Thanks again.

Z B: I’m really glad you enjoyed it. But to address your comment- I have an issue writing things in a scale way beyond the scope of the film. Meaning that my 6 minute film started as a 6 minute idea and them bloomed into a 15 min film idea which I then cut down before shooting into a 10 min idea- then shot it and attempted to cram it into 6 mins. SO there are several missing bits, a missing ending, several un-accomplished set up an so forth. I really wish had another couple of minutes to deliver on those things. Thanks again.
 
P!body said:
Conrad: I’m wondering what specifically you meant when you said there were
long static shots? Or I supposed when were those shots? I watched it again and I really couldn’t find what you were looking for.
Click to expand...


I watched again, and this is what I saw. Times listed are approximate:

:10 2 shot over the shoulder @ bkfst: shot felt a little too long before a cut was made back to the woman's face.

:?? shot of him with credit card bill: I felt like you could have cut (or moved camera) to close-ups or one-shots of their faces several times throughout that scene, but it was all one shot of the two of them.

1:38 at computer - again, a little long on the shot of the man. Could have cut to some reaction shots of the wife.

2:30 at computer - again, too long, could have incorporated some close-ups or one-shots.

It's totally possible that you were going for some sort of feeling by keeping with one extended shot rather than making multiple cuts in these scenes (so I'm not saying I'm right, of course) - it just felt to me that it would have been a little more visually engaging to break things up a bit more.

Overall, I still love your short. My short's director and I were laughing as we watched it again. I liked what you did with the overall style of editing and with the whip pans between actors - the first time I watched it, it felt like reality TV but now I'm seeing that it looks a lot like the style of Arrested Development. It lends well to the light-hearted yet tragic tenor of the movie.
 
Thanks man. I see what you mean now. For whatever reason, I thought you were referring to a lockdown tripod shot in the film- and I thought back and I don't remember using a tripod of any of the shots used in the film.

But I see what you were saying longer shots without cutting to coverage. I think those particular shots were chosen for the purpose of showing longer and sometimes purposely awkward moments that played [to me] better in one shot.

But again thanks for taking the time to comment on the film. It's really good to hear from everyone and get some constructive feedback. Thanks again.
 
Although the talking echoed I felt as though the robot was just ruse to get across to people to seek counselling. Although I did think it was good. It just came across as too human for a scifest film.
 
Spare Parts...

I thought you set the right tone for a
nice little comedy. There were several
chucklers throughout. Congrats on that.

My favorite aspects were the premise itself
and the music. The music worked quite well
with the feel of the short.

My least favorite aspect was the lack of
payoffs. You set yourself up for a couple of
real zingers that never quite played out.
The first one that comes to mind was the
"piracy" shtick about the personality that
the lead character ripped...I thought that
had the makings of a Mel Brooks-inspired
gag (especially when it is shown that the
robot was becoming overly horny.) I was
waiting to learn just whose personality was
uploaded.

Again, I think you had a fresh approach to
the Artificial Intelligence story.

I look forward to seeing more of your unique
comedic style.

Cheers:beer:
 
iSTy said:
It [the robot character] just came across as too human for a scifest film.
Click to expand...


TOO HUMAN !?!?!? What if I told you that the actor was actually.... a robot.
[extended beat]
Just kidding. Yeah I was trying to show that the technology for creating lifelike humanoid robots does exists in the world of this film. I wasn't trying to make him seem to overtly robotic. Just the fact that “he is a robot” was supposed to play off the several nuanced bits the actor had during the film. Thanks for your comment.

And

CallaghanFilms: Thanks for commenting. You are absolutely right about the lack of payoffs. I had to really put this one on the chopping block before and after shooting in order to get it down to the 6 minute edit. There were a lot of missed opportunities for some great gags and bits that I simply didn’t have time for in the cut.

Out of curiosity, whose pirated personality did you think the robot had? A celebrity or public personality perhaps?
I was only really planning for it to be a socially inept “Rico Suave” type character. But I would love to hear your interpretation.

Thanks again, guys keep it coming.
 
P!body said:
...Out of curiosity, whose pirated personality did you think the robot had? A celebrity or public personality perhaps?
Click to expand...
I don't know...I guess I would have gone for:

"Warren Beatty."

"Warren Beatty?! You Uploaded Warren Beatty into our robot?!"

"Honey...you know Heaven Can Wait is my favorite film."

...or some such nonesense.

:beer:
 
Last edited:
P!body said:
TOO HUMAN !?!?!? What if I told you that the actor was actually.... a robot.
[extended beat]
Just kidding. Yeah I was trying to show that the technology for creating lifelike humanoid robots does exists in the world of this film. I wasn't trying to make him seem to overtly robotic. Just the fact that “he is a robot” was supposed to play off the several nuanced bits the actor had during the film. Thanks for your comment.

Thanks again, guys keep it coming.
Click to expand...

I suppose I did mean the robot but whilst writing I did mean film as a whole.
 
Too human, indeed. I'll go a step further and say that you, p!body, should have been disqualified. Disqualified and berated. Now that the fest is over I can say what I really want to say. Isty, you're onto something.

j/k, robots are so sci-fi, it's not funny.
 
Last edited:
My thoughts are not-well-thought-out, maybe gobblygook, but not-well-thought-out.:Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)
 
I thought, and correct me if I'm wrong, "humanity" was a major component, if not the essence- of science fiction.

Robots trying to be more human, what truly separates man and machine? Is there a thin line of humanity that oddly enough escapes some humans, but is or can be instinctively instilled or programmed into a robot? A paradox that centers around the idea of humanity.

Aliens invading our planet, taking over, and humans looking inwardly to themselves as a collective race in order to find the courage to fight back against all odds. Sounds like some triumph of the human spirit to me.

The past, the present, and the future are only settings in science fiction. It is really a way to displace current society into a timeframe that is out of the audience’s field of reference. It’s much easier for an audience to perceive the current social issues when given a setting that distances them [the audience] from the story. And these so-called social issues are what? Oh yes, based on human nature. I think I’m beginning to make my point.

I don’t really know what your perceptions of Sci-Fi are “Itsy” or what you were trying to say about my film. But I’d be glad to hear you clarify it.

What I think you are saying is “Spare Parts, the whole film, is too human for a SciFest Film.

The statement itself perplexes me, but I take that as a compliment, I guess.

Please take this opportunity to clarify your statement.
 
isty, 90 posts, 10 more to go.

I don't like being mean when someone is being jokey. I'm not mad at you.... you're just not the kinda person I enjoy reading.
 
P!body says: "What I think you are saying is “Spare Parts, the whole film, is too human for a SciFest Film."

You're right.

wcs says: " I don't like being mean when someone is being jokey. I'm not mad at you.... you're just not the kinda person I enjoy reading."

I don't mind if you are 'mad at me'... simple solution. Don't read :)
 
Oh dear, no more help with upping my posts then
icon12.gif
 
iSTy said:
P!body says: "What I think you are saying is “Spare Parts, the whole film, is too human for a SciFest Film."
You're right.
Click to expand...

Define too human. Thanks.


P.S. Hey guys thanks for the passive-aggressive flame war on my film's thread. Appreciate it.
 
Last edited:
My definition of what I meant by 'too human' is that I didnt feel the story had any scifi to it.
To me it was about two people having a 'tiff' and the robot is there to help them. instead of a counsellor.
The robot replaced the counsellor.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top