SHORT: The Appointment - a mother's choice

[Brandon Rice]

Take a look at the new short film we just finished. This is my first try at a few things. We raised the budget on Kickstarter, shot on a sound stage/set, and also used the Blackmagic Pocket Camera. Hope you enjoy!

A couple technical notes. We shot the entire film (aside from the last shot) on 3 Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Cameras, with Rokinon prime lenses. We edited the film in Final Cut Pro X, and color was done in DaVinci Resolve.

From the launch of the Kickstarter campaign, to the film premiering online, it was 3 1/2 months. I didn't realize how consuming the Kickstarter campaign would be.

 

[stefanhuberfilms]

great job! i enjoyed it!

any BTS things to share? how did you remove the camera from the mirror?

 

[Brandon Rice]

Posted some little Behind the Scene tidbits above.

The reflection was fine because we shot at an angle

 

[charliemcdanger]

Woo-ee. You're gonna polarize people with this one.

In any case, I think the interrogator would ideally be more on the calm/clinical side, mirroring the detachment of a doctor. His enthusiasm and rhetoric ("parasite," "enemy") betray the politics of the film. I gather that you in fact take your opponents in this debate to be evil (and that perhaps this guy is supposed to represent a selfish lover/father?), but that sort of caricature makes a less compelling villain.

It's going to be hard to separate people's aesthetic reactions from their politics (including my own), but to me it is unapologetically a message piece. The visuals and acting I'd say are generally good and the twist did hit me correctly. Thanks for posting and congrats on finishing the project.

 

[Brandon Rice]

Woo-ee. You're gonna polarize people with this one.

In any case, I think the interrogator would ideally be more on the calm/clinical side, mirroring the detachment of a doctor. His enthusiasm and rhetoric ("parasite," "enemy") betrays the politics of the film. I gather that you in fact take your opponents in this debate to be evil (and that perhaps this guy is supposed to represent a selfish lover/father?), but that sort of caricature makes a less compelling villain.

It's going to be hard to separate people's aesthetic reactions from their politics (including my own), but to me it is unapologetically a message piece. The visuals and acting I'd say are generally good and the twist did hit me correctly. Thanks for posting and congrats on finishing the project.

Thank you for watching the film. I also appreciate the critique. We tried to build up the doctor/interrogator character, where at first he's siding with her, and luring her into this thinking and then toward the end is more desperate to convince her of this "fact" he's trying to state. Maybe in the end it didn't work, but that was the idea and direction I had given on set.

I do realize it will be polarizing and in the end, yes it's a message piece. But I hope that it's done in a way that is at least artistically excellent and more personal than pieces I've seen done on this topic in the past. That was the goal.

 

[Tolin]

The writing and dramaturgy did not at all lend itself to the slow pacing and I found it extremely hard to watch because of that. I'm glad I forced myself to finish it though because as I suspected the plot and idea behind it was very clever indeed.
I think it'll do well in film festivals where people can't close a tab or change channels.

 

[alex1]

Very nice overall and the idea worked really well. I would be proud if it were mine.

I know you didn't ask for feedback in your post but if you want me to message you with some let me know.

 

[Brandon Rice]

Thank you! Sent you a PM!