Our Films / Our Scripts

[chaddoli]

This is a proposed Sticky thread.

I can only assume that many members of this board are amateur, student or professional filmmakers. Given that we all have relatively similar tastes in cinema, or at least similar knowledge, I would be interested to see films BY members of this board. Would other people be interested in this? Part of being an artist is to seek out the opinions of your peers, so I can only imagine discussion on this board of our own films would prove valuable (although most likely with some nastiness and defensiveness thrown in).

If anyone is interested in having their films looked at by members of the board, you could post a link here (again, I'm not sure how this will go over - maybe no one will post and maybe no one will watch). I know that I am working on a short film right now that will be done in a few weeks that I would like to post it here for comment, but I didn't want to start this thread for purely selfish reasons.

I guess to keep this from becoming a clusterfuck of YouTube videos and "this thing me and my friends made in high school," I would say a firm ground rule should be that this is serious work that the poster should consider to be of some interest or quality, or at least that the poster cares about the film's quality.

EDIT: by "serious" I don't mean not funny

I'm not sure if something like this has been done before on this (or other) boards. I'm not trying to turn this place into an alternative YouTube, but I, for one, would enjoy having my film ridiculed by some people with excellent taste.

[Cinesimilitude]

INDEX OF SUBMITTED WORKS.

Stephen Grobe (SncDthMnky)
Stage 1: Streets of Rage. - A test shoot of a video game done with real people and MS Paint effects.
Stage 2: House of the Damned. - A New level (of embarrassment).
Fone Buth. - The result of someone telling me I couldn't make a short from scratch in one 80 minute class.

Dave Jesteadt (davebert) and Jeff Sisson
Whale-balls. - "Captain Ishmael Ahab, Whale Squad."
Dinner With Dave and Monica. - A simple error leads to anger, drama and really bad Rammstein. Later re-shot with 16mm and real actors.
Sliders. - A winter storm brings unexpected opportunities.

John Kotsalos (exte)
Jim in the Box. - In the future , an oil worker lives in a lonely module, the only companionship he has is that of his deteriorating robot, Jim.

Jason Laray Keener (Jason)
All Angels Have Rat Tails
The Man with Apple-Shaped Boxing Gloves
MySpace containing these and everything else[/quote]

Casey Pegram (Oedipax)
Untitled. - This one owes a lot to Koyaanisqatsi.
Reflections. - His ongoing obsession with water...
The Discovery. - His first real attempt at something halfway-narrative, although that aspect of this short has more often frustrated/confused people.

Miles Sprietsma (Miless)
Bulb. - An experimental Super-8 film.
Insects, Art & I. - A short documentary about the creation of an art piece.
Plexi. - An early music video made for an electronic music class.
Process. - A systematic series of mechanized or chemical operations that are performed in order to produce or manufacture something and as a natural or involuntary series of changes. The chemical operations performed are those to create a drug, and the series of changes are a direct cause of the first, withdrawal.

[che-etienne]

Love the thread, Chadd. Maybe I'll actually pull up all the misc. footage from my year-off and try to make something of quality out of it. This provides a good motivation.

[miless]

Well, I'll be the brave soul to put up some content here...

Here's an experimental Super-8 film from a while ago entitled Bulb.

Here's a short documentary about the creation of an art piece entitled Insects, Art & I (this one was accepted into the NW Film and Video Festival two years back), and here is an early music video I made for an electronic music class, it's called Plexi.

I'm actually working on a 16mm film right now, and will be done within the next week (I have just a little sound to record)... I've been working on the story for this upcoming film for about 5 years (although it surely doesn't show... as I have condensed it down to almost nothing)

I look forward to seeing the works created by others.

[Cinesimilitude]

Chaddoli or I could do this, but I think we should have a directory of links in the first or second post, since I think discussion of these projects is going to become quite unwieldy.

Miless, I liked your stuff, I have to ask, was your stuff all shot in B+W(including your upcoming 16mm project)? or were they converted to b+w after because B+W seems to make up a bit for the lack of good equipment? I find myself wanting to convert all my DV experiments into B+W for the latter reason, and I just wanted to know if you came to the same conclusion.

[miless]

Chaddoli or I could do this, but I think we should have a directory of links in the first or second post, since I think discussion of these projects is going to become quite unwieldy.

Miless, I liked your stuff, I have to ask, was your stuff all shot in B+W(including your upcoming 16mm project)? or were they converted to b+w after because B+W seems to make up a bit for the lack of good equipment? I find myself wanting to convert all my DV experiments into B+W for the latter reason, and I just wanted to know if you came to the same conclusion.

my first two (Plexi and Insects) were shot on DV and converted to B&W (in the parts not in color)... Bulb was shot on Super-8 in both B&W and color (and I did not change any color footage to B&W)

My current project (a 16mm film entitled Process) was shot on Kodak Vision 2 500T negative film stock (500 speed tungsten balanced film... it's the same film stock used in Children of Men as well as numerous other recent films) and I kept it in color (it has some really rich, beautiful colors... not to mention slightly blue hued due to my shooting with natural light)

as far as converting DV to B&W... it's really the only way I shoot Digital, as the colors always look a bit gross to me.

so we both did come to the same conclusion.

[exte]

Well, talk about putting your balls in a vice and hoping for the best... Here it goes. My actor uploaded this, not me, so it's not perfectly transferred. Regardless, be gentle.

EDIT: A cleaner version has been uploaded here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRGZ-zG19eI

[Oedipax]

Well, talk about putting your balls in a vice and hoping for the best... Here it goes. My actor uploaded this, not me, so it's not perfectly transferred. Regardless, be gentle.

I enjoyed it, it was a nice mood piece. The sound design works very well in creating atmosphere. Kudos as well for casting someone who didn't scream "student film" from the first frame on. Did you shoot on film? The image had a pleasing 'softness' to it that is harder to come by on DV, and there was some nice use of shallow depth of field.

I guess my main criticism would be that not much seems to happen, but as I said, effective as a more contemplative mood piece. And it's much worse when people try to pack in too much. The pacing overall was pretty good.

I guess I'll throw up a few things as well. These are in Quicktime 7 H.264 format, so you might need to update your player in order for this to work (but let's hope not, since that means you probably won't bother!).

Untitled (3:54)
It's pretty obvious that this one owes a lot to Koyaanisqatsi.

Reflections (3:56)
My ongoing obsession with water...

The Discovery (16:17)
My first real attempt at something halfway-narrative, although that aspect of this short has more often frustrated/confused people. I plan to do better next time, but I still like this one a lot.

[Subbuteo]

Miless, I would never imagined a member on here with a passion for entomology; my passion and work. I liked the Insect short piece, thanks for having the balls to post!

Oedipax, 'The Discovery' really liked you're use of music/sound particularly the driving sequences

[Cinesimilitude]

I guess I'll throw up a few things as well.

You obviously have some good equipment, the colors and depth of field are great. I liked the first two projects and while the third kept my attention, I just don't understand it and no interpretations came to mind. good job.

[chaddoli]

Chaddoli or I could do this, but I think we should have a directory of links in the first or second post, since I think discussion of these projects is going to become quite unwieldy.

I agree. If you feel inclined, please go for it because I think it would be very useful. Perhaps list each film under its director so things stay organized.

Thanks.

PS: Glad to see a response to this. I haven't had time to watch any but will soon.

[exte]

Here's a question, and by no means am I trying to be pretentious: When people were in film school, or I guess any time in your lives as a filmmaker, did you dream movies at night? Literally? When I finally arrived at film school I was 21, and still had to wait a semester to really use a camera. When that time came, however, I was so into it I was literally dreaming movies and film credits at night. I haven't dreamt like that since, and of course none of it made any sense. I couldn't read any of the credits. But there it was, the conclusion, and the proceeding credits. I've told this to friends and they give me that half expression like I'm lying... Anyone? I'm serious.

Speaking of suggestions, would it be terrible to ask the filmmakers what equipment was used for the film, and if it was their own/school's/rented? Also, locations used? "Presskit, or it didn't happen."

[chaddoli]

RE: Jim in the Box

I enjoyed this, particularly the acting, camerawork and art direction. I appreciate what you were trying to do with the pacing, and it half-works, but it still felt a little long to me. I think this film would benefit from a tightening. Good work.

RE: Untitled

Some beautiful shots. Very impressive, especially given your digital (HD?) equipment and location (your house? is that Naples, FL? I thought I recognized it). It ain't quite Reggio, but it is a very admirable attempt at a difficult "genre" - Nice.

[exte]

RE: Jim in the Box

I enjoyed this, particularly the acting, camerawork and art direction. I appreciate what you were trying to do with the pacing, and it half-works, but it still felt a little long to me. I think this film would benefit from a tightening. Good work.

Thanks Chaddoli. I agree with you about the editing, but it was hard to pare it down even more. Which is why I think it would be beneficial if in film school, you're required to have an editor on your films. Of course, that could lead to all sorts of conflict, but I've always seen it as a positive. BTW, it would be hilarious to put "half-works" on the poster!

[Len]

Great thread!

...I can't wait to post my upcoming Michael Mann -ripoff/homage here for slaughtering.

(I wasn't being sarcastic on this thread being great, I truly think this is a great idea and I'd love it if forum regulars started giving good and honest critique on the films posted here)

[Cinesimilitude]

this is exciting stuff. I updated my second post to create a directory. If any directors would care to have the description of the project changed, feel free to PM me or post it here.

[Gordon]

Sylvester (2001, Kevin Molony) was created by someone here. It's a wonderful film, beautifully shot in 2.35:1 black and white with touches of color in places and a very well executed Lone Star-esque time-shift effect. It was shot in Poland. The guy doesn't seem to be active on the boards right now, so I won't say who he is - though he is a fellow Scotsman. He generously lent me a DVD of the film last year and I was very impressed.

[Cinesimilitude]

Holy crap. he wrote the Screenplay for "The Emperor's New Clothes" with Ian Holm too... I'll have to check that film out now.

[che-etienne]

Re: Untitled.

I liked the photography a lot. I'm wondering what you shot it with, Oedipax. A good if somewhat conventional and slick mood piece. Thanks for this.

[Cinesimilitude]

I added 3 shorts by davebert (whale-balls is awesome.) and 3 shorts I did in High School which can only be described as "so bad they're good". If my work is the kind of stuff you wanted to avoid Chaddoli, let me know.

Here's a question, and by no means am I trying to be pretentious: When people were in film school, or I guess any time in your lives as a filmmaker, did you dream movies at night? Literally? When I finally arrived at film school I was 21, and still had to wait a semester to really use a camera. When that time came, however, I was so into it I was literally dreaming movies and film credits at night. I haven't dreamt like that since, and of course none of it made any sense. I couldn't read any of the credits. But there it was, the conclusion, and the proceeding credits. I've told this to friends and they give me that half expression like I'm lying... Anyone? I'm serious.

I have done this sort of thing since I was about 16, when i really got into working with video in high school. Recently my dreams have been dominated by women and video games (Halo 3 I dream of atleast once a week) but films still manage to pop up every couple nights. I write down as much as I can remember but It's often hard to recall any details.

[davebert]

I always feel weird seeing my stuff in this kind of context because its wholly theorized elsewhere (we used to have a 1-2 page paper that accompanied each film with details on exactly what aesthetics we were mocking), but of course it ultimately comes off as silliness because that's what its supposed to be.

Fun fact: "Dinner With Dave and Monica", besides featuring a really poorly thought out haircut and rushed translation of the general feeling of Vin Diesel's xXx, also features my future wife (Monica). It's like a TIME WARP.

I do constantly have future films on the brain, classy ones at that. However, they never seem to have a way of getting past the basic outline on the idea book. One I am currently actually starting to write in full script form is a romantic/black comedy based on the experiences behind the counter at the infamous Ki... ahem, "Mondo Video". Awful customers will be interwoven with wit and sparkle. I was going with Video Drones, and felt really clever, 'til I realized Trent Reznor beat me to the punch. Oh well.

[exte]

Sylvester (2001, Kevin Molony) was created by someone here. It's a wonderful film, beautifully shot in 2.35:1 black and white with touches of color in places and a very well executed Lone Star-esque time-shift effect. It was shot in Poland. The guy doesn't seem to be active on the boards right now, so I won't say who he is - though he is a fellow Scotsman. He generously lent me a DVD of the film last year and I was very impressed.

Can't you or Matt email him, and ask if he has it online, or if we can youtube it? It's not dire, but I'm loving this thread. =D> About this new thread: I gave up film for a year, last year, and this is a great way of pulling me back in. I bought a new dell recently, and it looks like I'll finally be able to edit DV at home. My footage from Greece will be first, and I cannot wait. Fucking A! BTW, I've thought about proposing this to the board or something similar but never had the sack. I'm glad someone did, though!

[Oedipax]

Speaking of suggestions, would it be terrible to ask the filmmakers what equipment was used for the film, and if it was their own/school's/rented? Also, locations used? "Presskit, or it didn't happen."

Not too much to ask at all, I don't think. While the movie itself is obviously the most important part, the details of what went into making it are also of interest, especially when done in a collective format such as this where we can compare notes...

The three I posted were all shot on standard MiniDV with my Panasonic DVX100A, which I suspect many forum filmmakers will be familiar with already. It was pretty revolutionary at the time of its release for being the first 'prosumer' grade camera to offer 24p recording (as opposed to something like the VariCam). It's got quite a following and has been used on a number of digital features that got picked up for distribution: Steven Soderbergh on K Street, Michael Winterbottom for 9 Songs and The Road to Guantanamo, Wim Wenders for Land of Plenty, Steve Buscemi for Lonesome Jim, etc. Probably the best use that I've seen so far (in terms of taking advantage of the camera's portability) is a documentary called Iraq in Fragments by James Longley.

'Untitled' and 'Reflections' were both shot around the house, and 'The Discovery' was shot in the rural areas north of Atlanta (for the woods and country sequences) and in Atlanta for the city sequences.

Good old Final Cut Pro for editing on an iMac.

[Macintosh]

Good old Final Cut Pro for editing on an iMac.

If yr editing, i suggest you upgrade to a Mac Book Pro. It's only the next logical step you should make.

[Cinesimilitude]

Dave, if you want to outline the films and either host them or send them to me, I can get links to them in the directory. that goes for anyone.

Oh, and as for my work...

the first two were shot with a crappy still camera that had an mpeg mode, and then edited frame by frame with ulead media studio pro.

the Fone Buth short was shot on sony Digital8, and edited on iMovie.