"The Rooster" - by J. Van Auken

Well, for anyone who's curious, The Rooster was submitted today to the following film festivals across the US and Canada:

Great Lakes Video Competition
Angelus Film Festival
Chicago International film festival
Heartland film festival
New York City short film festival
RedRock film festival
New Filmmakers film festival
Small town film festival
Souther California independent film festival
Starz* Denver film festival
The Student Shorts film festival
V.S.M. inc film festival
Woodstock Film Festival
Telluride Film Festival

Thanks to everyone who's watched and commented
 
I absolutely loved this film and it's going to do well at the festivals. You're done an awesome job on your story and your visuals and I just wanna say thanks for taking giving us a chance to watch this film come to life. Definitely a must watch for TimeFest. :beer:
 
I loved this film. I wish it were competing, because I think it would get my top vote. I'm not sure, Hans, but are you the producer, and someone else wrote and directed? Anyhow, it's the most mature, thoughtful, emotionally truthful and sure-handed film of the fest for me so far. It feels like the work of a real filmmaker...or at least a real filmmaker in the making because it's still missing a beat or two in the story for my liking, and there are a couple other bits that could be cut down (like the young soldier's walk up to the first door is really really drawn out, without effect). I want to know more about who was behind it all because it was just so impressive.

Oh, and I'll be most interested in the behind the scenes.
 
For the record, my name is J. Van Auken. I wrote and Photographed the film, just in case people are confused.
I thank you very very much for the praise
 
Your bio on your home page says you are 19. Is this still, uh, accurate? Your bio also states you've been a professional photographer for 5 years, so...maybe you'r just packing a lot into your teen years (I for one was passed out on a nightclub floor for my 19th year).

If you're 19 and you're writing and shooting films like this, well, I think you'll be very successful if you want it. Even if you're not 19, I think this film bodes well for your career.
 
Live fast, die young. You'll be rich by 30. And holding hands with River Phoenix by 35.

Looking very forward to your next film.

p.s. Who did direct Rooster, if you shot and wrote it?
 
Joe Price directed the actors. I'm crap with directing scenes and performances, but this guy's amazing, so we tag teamed the project and this was the product.

You can see the very prototypical stage of my next film on my website (feel free to click the button about investing)
 
Just watched it and enjoyed this! Though I gotta say it was weird to never see any combat after your poster of gun toting and helmet wearing and then there was none of that in the actual piece.

Well shot, and I especially loved the scene with the boy in the grass field smoking, really, really incredible!!

Get your film into compete next time!
 
I'll be the first to admit that the poster was misleading somewhat, but, as the story developed, combat became less feasable, and frankly less important to the story. Instead of the fighting being the thing that he fears, its the blackness, and while he might think that it was caused by the violence, the audience knows otherwise, so I think it's fitting that we only get a piece of it with the audio.
 
This was an impressive film. It sucked me completely in and took me on my emotional side. Fortunately you didn't cut it to six minutes - I think that this one needs more or less this ten minutes which you used. I was also impressed that the old man seemed really the younger man when he was younger. So you choose very well the two actors. The only thing is that I am not really sure how credible is the situation where the doctor (actress) went out of the room and started to cry. There are so many people with the alzheimer illness, that the doctors have an certain routine with it. However - very well done. I enjoyed it a lot of. Thank you for doing this film.

Susanne
 
Susanne G. said:
This was an impressive film. It sucked me completely in and took me on my emotional side. Fortunately you didn't cut it to six minutes - I think that this one needs more or less this ten minutes which you used. I was also impressed that the old man seemed really the younger man when he was younger. So you choose very well the two actors. The only thing is that I am not really sure how credible is the situation where the doctor (actress) went out of the room and started to cry. There are so many people with the alzheimer illness, that the doctors have an certain routine with it. However - very well done. I enjoyed it a lot of. Thank you for doing this film.

Susanne
Click to expand...
I was going to post but Susanne summed it up for me. The part with the doctor pulled me right out of it.
I work with doctors every day, we specialize in cancer patients. Mostly men, but we do come across young adults, even children with terminal cancer.
They never walk out the door and cry.

I know many of them personally. They are professionals.
Possibly at home after a rough day. Who knows?

Maybe if you made it clear that this was her first day or something... maybe. Even that would be a stretch.

Aside from that, I loved it!
I saw your last entry and this is miles apart. The direction was also excellent, as was the story.
I did expect some action so your poster kind of threw me.

Keep at it! Can't wait to see the next one.

Cheers,

Mike
 
She cried because she had to personally condemn him by not letting him go. If she released him, he MIGHT have a shot at finding his girl, but he's be a huge danger to himself. By locking him up, she damned him to darkness for the rest of his life. Basically took everything from him with the turn of a key. I'd cry.
 
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