Simon Höfer
Veteran
Great work you've got there! Man, that was really tense. Love the hit with the board, even though it was a little bit over the top.
Well done!
Well done!
Timefest entry "Survival"
- Thread starter majikfraug
- Start date
pauly_the_hitman
Veteran
I am so blown away by everyones comments. Thank you so much. We usually only get critiqued by family and friends who aren't film makers and it means a lot to get real honest feedback and ideas for improvement. It is very hard to get anyone else to be subjective and not just say oh it's the best film I have ever seen, and leave it at that so, keep it coming please. I love this place DVXuser.com members are the best.
Thanks,
Pauly
Thanks,
Pauly
Barry_Green
Moderator
This is in my top 5.
Mark Harris
Pain in the ass
I added a link to you in my sig. I usually do that in fests to films I think people should check out. Nice work.
Rakesh Jacob
Veteran
Brilliant job man!!!
Easily in the top 3 for me.
If you were one of the "cool kids" you'd probably have over a thousand replys by now LOL
Easily in the top 3 for me.
If you were one of the "cool kids" you'd probably have over a thousand replys by now LOL
Arrik
Well-known member
Sup fellas,
Great job. I was impressed. People keep asking about the running scene. Please share, if you will, what you used/did to achieve this.
Great talent for being all in the family. You should be proud. I too, liked the close ups. The composition of some of those shots through the holes in the wall were awesome. Like another said, usually it may look too intentional and not add anything to the story or feeling but i thought it definitely added to the environment and a great way to introduce the victim..... And, it just looked damn cool.
I liked the transition to night during the running sequence.
I agree with other posters that the ending left me hanging just a little. I wanted to know what happened to the girl. I didnt really have any connection to the VW owner nor did I care that he got caught. I havent seen many yet but you certainly surprised me with this one. Congrats.
*EDIT* oh yeah, and dont become friends with Mark Johnson. You cant trust a person with THAT many online friends.
Great job. I was impressed. People keep asking about the running scene. Please share, if you will, what you used/did to achieve this.
Great talent for being all in the family. You should be proud. I too, liked the close ups. The composition of some of those shots through the holes in the wall were awesome. Like another said, usually it may look too intentional and not add anything to the story or feeling but i thought it definitely added to the environment and a great way to introduce the victim..... And, it just looked damn cool.
I liked the transition to night during the running sequence.
I agree with other posters that the ending left me hanging just a little. I wanted to know what happened to the girl. I didnt really have any connection to the VW owner nor did I care that he got caught. I havent seen many yet but you certainly surprised me with this one. Congrats.
*EDIT* oh yeah, and dont become friends with Mark Johnson. You cant trust a person with THAT many online friends.
Last edited:
majikfraug
Well-known member
Ok, so here is the antagonist/camera/editor/sound designer/1st AD/voice-over, etc. responding to your comments:
I've been gone all weekend with my wife for our second anniversary ("yes" that's her in Survival and "no", no ropes were involved this weekend) and when we left, we only had a couple posts on this thread and they were mostly about the poster. Imagine our surprise when we got back this morning!
First off, thank you all for your support and comments. That's one of the main things we were hoping to get out of this contest and it's great to read all of your responses. Thanks for taking the time to write them.
I'll try to answer the main questions I've been reading and if I miss any, let me know and I'll get them next time. Maybe.
Tech stuff first: Shot on two DVX-100B's and One DVX-100A. All stock, no adapters no extra lenses, no Firestores... Lighting consisted of a huge ball of gas and fire 1AU away, a reflector, one Maglight with the top popped off and the headlights of a VW bus (an incredibly slow one it would seem, more on that later). No live sound. That was all Foley (with a cheap mic we had on hand) or from sound libraries. Music was actual recordings of the cuckoo clock, and also some other music boxes from the freesound project. Budget was about $25 and was used for a thrift store costume, some rope, some water and some pizza.
Now the fun stuff:
1. Why music box music?
Because it seemed natural. It's inherently creepy. Some of it was directly from the cuckoo clock used in the film, so it was actually almost an accident from recording natural sound. Once you hear it live on location, in the middle of an abandoned house in the desert (that actually was that clean, believe it or not) we realized we had our soundtrack right there and scrapped the idea of recording a different score. Love it or hate it.
2. How did he catch up with the van?
Partly, it just didn't seem necessary to show a guy running through the desert trying to stay in front of the van. Not that interesting, really hard to light, takes away from the flow of the story, etc. But in retrospect, perhaps we should have taken the extra effort to show it. Don't know what we could have cut, though, to fit it in coherently and still be under 6 minutes. Live and learn. Thanks for pointing that out everyone
3. What happened to the girl?
That one was left intentionally ambivalent. That's all I can say
4. Did the kidnapper intend for her to escape?
I think so, but that wasn't part of the original story. We all had our different takes on why our characters acted the way they did, and we all like open endings.
Hope that helps you understand our processes without taking away too much. It's great to be a part of this community and we are all thankful for the time you take to watch and comment.
Oh, by the way, Kevin is heading to film school this fall, so he'll be the first of us to attend. I see the value of film school, but I've always leaned towards the Robert Rodriguez philosophy on that.
Thanks DVXusers.
-Jeremiah Rounds
I've been gone all weekend with my wife for our second anniversary ("yes" that's her in Survival and "no", no ropes were involved this weekend) and when we left, we only had a couple posts on this thread and they were mostly about the poster. Imagine our surprise when we got back this morning!
First off, thank you all for your support and comments. That's one of the main things we were hoping to get out of this contest and it's great to read all of your responses. Thanks for taking the time to write them.
I'll try to answer the main questions I've been reading and if I miss any, let me know and I'll get them next time. Maybe.
Tech stuff first: Shot on two DVX-100B's and One DVX-100A. All stock, no adapters no extra lenses, no Firestores... Lighting consisted of a huge ball of gas and fire 1AU away, a reflector, one Maglight with the top popped off and the headlights of a VW bus (an incredibly slow one it would seem, more on that later). No live sound. That was all Foley (with a cheap mic we had on hand) or from sound libraries. Music was actual recordings of the cuckoo clock, and also some other music boxes from the freesound project. Budget was about $25 and was used for a thrift store costume, some rope, some water and some pizza.
Now the fun stuff:
1. Why music box music?
Because it seemed natural. It's inherently creepy. Some of it was directly from the cuckoo clock used in the film, so it was actually almost an accident from recording natural sound. Once you hear it live on location, in the middle of an abandoned house in the desert (that actually was that clean, believe it or not) we realized we had our soundtrack right there and scrapped the idea of recording a different score. Love it or hate it.
2. How did he catch up with the van?
Partly, it just didn't seem necessary to show a guy running through the desert trying to stay in front of the van. Not that interesting, really hard to light, takes away from the flow of the story, etc. But in retrospect, perhaps we should have taken the extra effort to show it. Don't know what we could have cut, though, to fit it in coherently and still be under 6 minutes. Live and learn. Thanks for pointing that out everyone
3. What happened to the girl?
That one was left intentionally ambivalent. That's all I can say
4. Did the kidnapper intend for her to escape?
I think so, but that wasn't part of the original story. We all had our different takes on why our characters acted the way they did, and we all like open endings.
Hope that helps you understand our processes without taking away too much. It's great to be a part of this community and we are all thankful for the time you take to watch and comment.
Oh, by the way, Kevin is heading to film school this fall, so he'll be the first of us to attend. I see the value of film school, but I've always leaned towards the Robert Rodriguez philosophy on that.
Thanks DVXusers.
-Jeremiah Rounds
majikfraug
Well-known member
Ok, re-reading and re-posting:
The running scenes were shot from the very same VW van featured in the film...
We all loved seeing me get hit in the face too In fact when we were watching the "dailies" we watched each angle of the hit about twenty times a piece, so glad you guys dig it too.
And I will be posting on others' films, but we don't have internet out in Lucerne Valley, so it may take a while (in fact we're sweating in a hot car outside of a coffee shop in Apple Valley using their free internet right now).
And "Good job everybody, and lots of love," from my wife, Lisa.
The running scenes were shot from the very same VW van featured in the film...
We all loved seeing me get hit in the face too
In fact when we were watching the "dailies" we watched each angle of the hit about twenty times a piece, so glad you guys dig it too.And I will be posting on others' films, but we don't have internet out in Lucerne Valley, so it may take a while (in fact we're sweating in a hot car outside of a coffee shop in Apple Valley using their free internet right now).
And "Good job everybody, and lots of love," from my wife, Lisa.
pauly_the_hitman
Veteran
pauly_the_hitman
Veteran
Ok, re-reading and re-posting:
The running scenes were shot from the very same VW van featured in the film...
We all loved seeing me get hit in the face too
And I will be posting on others' films, but we don't have internet out in Lucerne Valley, so it may take a while (in fact we're sweating in a hot car outside of a coffee shop in Apple Valley using their free internet right now).
And "Good job everybody, and lots of love," from my wife, Lisa.
So get your asses over here and use the Internet and enjoy the A/C. I already tried to call you but your message picked up. The new camera will be arriving today so come on over would you...
conrad_johnson
Well-known member
This was a surprise, what a good movie.
The feel and camera work was great! It felt hot, dusty and unpleasant.
The music and VO were cool, but I could have used less. The images told all of the story so less vo could have worked.
You impress me.
Thanks,
-Joe
The feel and camera work was great! It felt hot, dusty and unpleasant.
The music and VO were cool, but I could have used less. The images told all of the story so less vo could have worked.
You impress me.
Thanks,
-Joe
Wow, what a good short.
The shot composition was outstanding!
The location, the feel, the grit.....and I liked the coo-coo clock, very nice touch.
I wasn't a big fan of the VO, but did understand that it was needed to sell the 'time' requirement.
I went back and read the comments in this thread and agree with most that the guy shouldn't have caught up with the van (unless you showed the van travel less distance). Actually, that didn't bother me as much as abandoning the female character (leaning more towards a "loose end" than "open ended"). The SURVIVAL filmmaker(s) have stated that the original story would need more than 6 min.
So do it.
You guys made an outstanding short. You should do your story justice and finish it.
I know I could watch more. I've only seen about 1/2 of the Timefest films now and your film is hovering near the top of my list...despite a couple (fairly minor) story flaws.
Again, Great job guys.
The shot composition was outstanding!
The location, the feel, the grit.....and I liked the coo-coo clock, very nice touch.
I wasn't a big fan of the VO, but did understand that it was needed to sell the 'time' requirement.
I went back and read the comments in this thread and agree with most that the guy shouldn't have caught up with the van (unless you showed the van travel less distance). Actually, that didn't bother me as much as abandoning the female character (leaning more towards a "loose end" than "open ended"). The SURVIVAL filmmaker(s) have stated that the original story would need more than 6 min.
So do it.
You guys made an outstanding short. You should do your story justice and finish it.
I know I could watch more. I've only seen about 1/2 of the Timefest films now and your film is hovering near the top of my list...despite a couple (fairly minor) story flaws.
Again, Great job guys.
Horncastle
Well-known member
An excellent film this one. Much has been said already, but to add my thoughts:
I really liked the cuckoo clock out in this shack in the desert. It added a very mad feeling. I also liked the use of the cuckoo clock music and the VO worked very well - the repeated "How long does it take.." gave a good structure and rhythm to the film.
Leaving things open is fine with me (whether he kicked the glass towards the girl, what happened to her at the end).
As with others, I do have a bit of a problem with the ending though. It really does seem that he drives quite a distance before stopping. This however, is a pretty minor problem: the film still works exceptionally well.
I really liked the cuckoo clock out in this shack in the desert. It added a very mad feeling. I also liked the use of the cuckoo clock music and the VO worked very well - the repeated "How long does it take.." gave a good structure and rhythm to the film.
Leaving things open is fine with me (whether he kicked the glass towards the girl, what happened to her at the end).
As with others, I do have a bit of a problem with the ending though. It really does seem that he drives quite a distance before stopping. This however, is a pretty minor problem: the film still works exceptionally well.
sfoster
Well-known member
I loved the realism in this. I am also a huge fan of the camera work! I liked the almost voyeuristic feeling of the camera peeking through the cracks of the building making you want to rescue the poor girl. I think I would have added a little more interaction between the girl and the madman just to make you hurt for her a little more, but I thought it was well done. I would have liked to see a shot of the girl in the last scene too, like they're tied up together just to drive another nail in the coffin!
pauly_the_hitman
Veteran
Thanks I am glad you enjoyed it.
Danielleus
Well-known member
Hey guys (sorry about being late. You're an S. And I'll tell you what, I broke rank just to watch this piece so I can show some love.),
Let me start off by saying that a team up between Fat Monster films and the crew from Survival is totally unfair. It would be wicked and wonderful work to see, but unfair. I hate you guys for living so close to each other.
You guys should team up on something. I'd watch it. With envious hate. But in a constructive way.
That said I loved the look of this film. First DVXfest entry, huh? I CANnot wait to see what else you guys product. This is high quality stuff here. I really enjoyed the whole thing.
Guy getting hit in the head bit? AWESOME. Really enjoyed that. You guys pulled it off really well.
The technical stuff here is all top-notch. Sound (I didn't like the rope sawing sound. Sue me), music, cinematography (actually, the hand-held stuff in the cabin didn't work for me. Pulled me out of the high quality tracing and static shots), acting. I really liked all of your technical bits.
Which brings me to the story. Story? I would have liked a little more. Sure, we've seen those movies where the killer kidnaps/tortures people with no apparent reason, but I expect more from such a talented group.
Reading the poster, I understand that you were going for that "this is a game for this guy. But it's sooo far from a game for these people." But I only got that from the poster. I just didn't feel that in the movie. The kidnapper just seemed rather ineffectual. It didn't seem like a "game" to him any more than it did to her. Sure, he treats the whole thing nonchalantly, and sure, he posits some interesting things regarding what the victim might be thinking. But I don't think it comes off as a game.
Okay, the glass bit is interesting. But still, a little unwarrented. But it's so hard to tell that it seems ambiguous.
Overall though, I thought this was a really good film with strong elements. Get those story elements worked out and you guys are a force to be reckoned with. But boy won't this force be fun to watch.
Really enjoyed it. Can't wait to see more.
Let me start off by saying that a team up between Fat Monster films and the crew from Survival is totally unfair. It would be wicked and wonderful work to see, but unfair. I hate you guys for living so close to each other.
You guys should team up on something. I'd watch it. With envious hate. But in a constructive way.
That said I loved the look of this film. First DVXfest entry, huh? I CANnot wait to see what else you guys product. This is high quality stuff here. I really enjoyed the whole thing.
Guy getting hit in the head bit? AWESOME. Really enjoyed that. You guys pulled it off really well.
The technical stuff here is all top-notch. Sound (I didn't like the rope sawing sound. Sue me), music, cinematography (actually, the hand-held stuff in the cabin didn't work for me. Pulled me out of the high quality tracing and static shots), acting. I really liked all of your technical bits.
Which brings me to the story. Story? I would have liked a little more. Sure, we've seen those movies where the killer kidnaps/tortures people with no apparent reason, but I expect more from such a talented group.
Reading the poster, I understand that you were going for that "this is a game for this guy. But it's sooo far from a game for these people." But I only got that from the poster. I just didn't feel that in the movie. The kidnapper just seemed rather ineffectual. It didn't seem like a "game" to him any more than it did to her. Sure, he treats the whole thing nonchalantly, and sure, he posits some interesting things regarding what the victim might be thinking. But I don't think it comes off as a game.
Okay, the glass bit is interesting. But still, a little unwarrented. But it's so hard to tell that it seems ambiguous.
Overall though, I thought this was a really good film with strong elements. Get those story elements worked out and you guys are a force to be reckoned with. But boy won't this force be fun to watch.
Really enjoyed it. Can't wait to see more.
hazelwould
Well-known member
Hey Kevin,
I watched and enjoyed Survival. I liked the style of filming, the location, and the music (pretty creative). Although I would have related the music box to something in the film, just so it seems a bit more relevant. Also, another thing I noticed was it seemed like you were shooting with different types of cameras (DVX, Handycam, etc). I know if you filmed in different frame rates there will be a noticeable difference here, but it was noticeable when he was trying to intimidate the girl in the beginning.
Overall, it held my attention, and I really enjoyed it. Keep up the good work. And having just completed my first short I understand the "working your tail off" thing, and wanting more feedback.
Take care,
Aaron G.
I watched and enjoyed Survival. I liked the style of filming, the location, and the music (pretty creative). Although I would have related the music box to something in the film, just so it seems a bit more relevant. Also, another thing I noticed was it seemed like you were shooting with different types of cameras (DVX, Handycam, etc). I know if you filmed in different frame rates there will be a noticeable difference here, but it was noticeable when he was trying to intimidate the girl in the beginning.
Overall, it held my attention, and I really enjoyed it. Keep up the good work. And having just completed my first short I understand the "working your tail off" thing, and wanting more feedback.
Take care,
Aaron G.
jasonthewho
Veteran
Loved it! I like how you just showed us everything. No need for dialogue.
Simple story, but when you tell it this well, I'll go with it.
Great acting, shooting, and sound.
The one thing that threw me is that we have no idea what happened to the girl. She's who the audience roots for, so her fate is important to us. Even if she's dead... Although that would be sad, I would want to know.
Simple story, but when you tell it this well, I'll go with it.
Great acting, shooting, and sound.
The one thing that threw me is that we have no idea what happened to the girl. She's who the audience roots for, so her fate is important to us. Even if she's dead... Although that would be sad, I would want to know.