"The Light Once Captured"

Spoiler-y review:

What I liked: Good audio for the most part throughout the first half or so. The BG audio was subtle, but there, and that really sounded good. Holy crap, amazing sets! I'm looking forward to going back through this thread to see more info on that. I really like the shot of him on the beach, and the one under the water. How'd you get the underwater shot?

What I didn't like as much: Intro audio in right ear only. Title text is not centered for seemingly no reason. I wasn't huge on how low the shot was of the main guy while shopping for the cameras. It didn't match with the opposite shot, and I didn't understand why you used that low of an angle. The audio changed in the midst of the sub scene. It really took me out of it.

This was a great piece and didn't end at ALL like I thought it was going to. The cast, the sets, all very nice. Congrats on this.
 
Love the sub! Location, location, location! Neat story. When I first started watching I was thinking, "How on earth are they going to get to the sub?" The difference in the color between the garage sale/beginning and the sub distracted me. It was almost too bright to too dark. I understand that it is a bright sunny day to hundreds of feet beneath the surface of the ocean but this is filmmaking and it may have helped to cheat that a bit. I really enjoyed the wake up from the waves on the beach to the blackout on the concrete. Overall great work!
 
Hawk Teflon said:
Spoiler-y review:

What I liked: Good audio for the most part throughout the first half or so. The BG audio was subtle, but there, and that really sounded good. Holy crap, amazing sets! I'm looking forward to going back through this thread to see more info on that. I really like the shot of him on the beach, and the one under the water. How'd you get the underwater shot?

What I didn't like as much: Intro audio in right ear only. Title text is not centered for seemingly no reason. I wasn't huge on how low the shot was of the main guy while shopping for the cameras. It didn't match with the opposite shot, and I didn't understand why you used that low of an angle. The audio changed in the midst of the sub scene. It really took me out of it.

This was a great piece and didn't end at ALL like I thought it was going to. The cast, the sets, all very nice. Congrats on this.
Click to expand...

Hawk,

Thanks for checking our film out! So the underwater shot...hehe...what a noghtmare that ended up being. The first shoot we did Eric was in scuba underwater and the plan was to have Kevin our actor drop the camera so it sank down past the camera. The guys are out there for awhile and Eric comes up and says "did you drop it?". Kevin informs him that he dropped it minutes ago...so the camera is on the bottom of the ocean. It's only like 12 feet deep but all eel grass and that stuff can hide a boat in only 12 feet of water :) Then we look at the footage and its not that great...too short...crap! So eric and I go back out there another day and my gopro housing floods!!
In the end I took part of the original 1080 30p shot from the gopro and twixtored it down to about 20% speed....

The text not centered was because of the fade in and animation I did...need a bit of separation and that was where I left it...didnt need to though.
As far as the angles for the garage scene....I probaly went a little to low. Wanted kevin to feel a bit almighty...like he (thought) he knew what he was talking about...and then when it changes to the sub he is on the ground basically reversed. Probably a bit much but I am still trying to learn all of these subtle uses of the camera.

The sub audio was very problematic for us...I think Eric has touched on it somewhere in here...

Thnaks again Hawk for the review



Zach Olson said:
Love the sub! Location, location, location! Neat story. When I first started watching I was thinking, "How on earth are they going to get to the sub?" The difference in the color between the garage sale/beginning and the sub distracted me. It was almost too bright to too dark. I understand that it is a bright sunny day to hundreds of feet beneath the surface of the ocean but this is filmmaking and it may have helped to cheat that a bit. I really enjoyed the wake up from the waves on the beach to the blackout on the concrete. Overall great work!
Click to expand...

Thanks Zach!

I was really hoping that everyone could hang on with me through the garage sale to get to the Sub...thanks for sticking it out :)
The difference in light and dark was equal parts natural and equal parts me making sure that the contrast was apparant... The sub was actually fairly bright so I could have kept it brighter. I did a grade with everything a bit brighter and more aturated but it just didnt feel right.
I dont' think anyone caught it but the scene where he is laying on the beach and the camera cranes down and rotates is actually reversed :)
seems to work cause everyone likes it. My original idea and how i tried to shoot it was having a transition occur halfway through the rotation. But without some serious motion control crane action and more math than I was prepared to use...it just didnt work. So the end result was to reverse the beach shot and the transition as the crane comes up again...

Thnaks for the comments!
 
The housing used for the GoPro was the Dive housing they are now selling and the camera was the Hero2 to be specific.

Holding your breath underwater (to avoid bubbles) while on Scuba is an extremely unnatural feeling as your specifically training not to due this because it can cause lung over expansion if your not careful. This added to the challenge of the underwater shot the first time.

After working those issues out, bad o-rings and saltwater made it a challenge the second time.:crybaby:
 
I was not too crazy about the opening shot on top of the car. I dunno, it's just looked weird to me. Once he pulled into the garage sale, you even made a typical garage sale look "real."

I like the surprise of the camera click and the transport to the submarine and then all I can say, Ryan is...

(BLEEPING) OUTRAGEOUS!!!!

This was so well told, well acted and the location the BEST since I've been a member of DVXuser. I've always complained that filmmakers used homes, backyards, or parks for locations, but here you went an extra mile and marathon! The costumes were dead on. The urgency felt "real." I felt he was trapped. I was THROWN into your story.

When the body floated in the water, the music, the mood, on the spot crazy dude!

This did NOT feel like a short film, it felt like a mini-movie. Good job, Ryan. This totally rocked! And be sure to thank the grandmas, they made that garage sale believable as did the older gentleman. Good job all around (well, except for the opening, but I think that's just preference).
 
Thanks Charli!

I was really hoping you would chime in here :) We havnt talked since my first go at this short film thing...real job had kept me away from trying anything until this fest...and yes I went for it as hard as I could.

Had so much help with this on all aspects. I will pass along your well acted comment to the cast...that consited of : A Lawyer, A Fireman, A process server, Ex-Navy EOD Diver, a Finacial advisor, A professional Poker player, and Im not really sure what Larry does :)

Thanks again....lets chat soon
 
Ryan, miss talking to you too. Tighten this up a bit and throw out to some film festivals. Try to get it in the Malibu Film Festival, think it would do just fine in about any fest.

I've been out of work since end of April so I haven't been on much at all. I just happen to catch this fest yesterday and am looking at the films today. You did an amazing job in making make-believe look and feel real! I'll pm you soon as I finish with all the films, but so far you are my top fav!
 
I definitely think you have a ton of talent. I really liked it especially the line "Jesus, this is a freaking suicide." You have a tense scene but since I can't read anything else I don't what specifics to say. My only advice would be that if this is supposed to be a climax build it up more in the previous pages. Suspense isn't so much about the challenge or event but about the build up to it. For example two characters are sitting at a table a bombs under the table neither character knows the suspense comes from the bomb not going off but you always expecting it will. I hope that helped I'd love to read more.
 
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