short film teaser trailer

[mattias]

Which are you planning?

filmstock in luton is the only one i know for sure. my film "sisten i är en skit" won one of the audience awards there last year. i've heard of brief encounters, and i'll probably send it there too. most festivals take place during september to november it seems.

/matt

[ericMartinJarvies]

nice footage!

lacking storyline. the teaser does not have a progressive flow leading to a climatic point. the first scene shows the lead lady looking distressed. the second scene shows the lead lady talking to some guy. the third scene shows the lead lady running to hug the co-star lady, like she is upset and needs consulting. the fouth scene shows the co-star kissing some guy and they both look at something. the fifth scene jumps back to what appeared to be happening in the second scene, lead lady talking to some guy. sixth scene shows the lead lady once again looking upset. the seventh scene shows the lead lady looking upset(as usual), and the co-star lady looking happy(as usual).

there is no story in this teaser, just nice filming ... and it IS nice footage mattias, something certainly worth being proud of.

do you have an english version of the screenplay you could post for us to read? did you write it or just dop it?

the lead lady is over acting, and the co-star lady is under acting. does these gals have previous experience in front of a camera? if so, do you have footage of them in something else you could post here? if they pull it off in their previous work, then the problem here deals more so with the direction ... even with a poorly written screenplay, a good dop and director can at least make the story beleivable, even if the story sucks.

if you merely acted as DOP, then at least you did your job right(camera/technical). the actual director did not really accomplish anything in my opinon/review.

how many scenes in this movie do you have to work with as it relates to editing? do you have establishing, coverage, head shots for each scene?

personaly, i have found with my own filmmaking discovery process/journey, that it is best to practice/concentrate on creating the shortest story possible that has a hook, line and sink. mastering these then allows you to establish a healthy base, for which you can start creating more complex stories.

i am in the process of trying to complete the build out of a new home i recently sold, and perhaps i will be completed by the 15th of jan., at which point i will be able to edit a handful of shorts i have shot this past year. trial and error sequence. emotional rollercoaster sequence. battle/conflict sequence. emotionally cold, breaking down and warming up sequence. contridiction sequence. enlightenment sequence. humility sequence. denial sequence. i thinks that it. naturally, there are many many more human instances that play out well, and i intend on filming them when time permits. i acted in all of these myself, using tripod and remote. so admittedly the acting is not to par(i'm not an actor), but the story, direction, and photography seem to be in order. i had thought last year i was going to jump into making my movie and go happily into the sunset ... the technical aspects of filmmaking(getting good usable footage, like the footage you have for example), as well as the architectual aspects are items that simply cannot be ignored. they require understanding and lots of practice. looking a someone taking a shower, dropping the soap, bumping his head, slipping and falling down, etc., is at least interesting ... becuase you can follow what is going to happen(guess), and relate to what is happening, assuming it is actually happening ... or seemingly happening. if it is too contribed/acted, then the viewer cannot help but deduct how fake it is, and then make notice of how poorly the acting is, and so on. keeping it seemingly real is the KEY goal in filmmaking. and keeping it moving ... having a heartbeat that keeps pace with the action ... when thigns are calm, so is the cutting and timing of the scenes .... when action occures, so speeds up the cuts and timing of the scenes. practice telling simple little stories with cause and effect ... make these interesting to watch ... even if they are only 10 seconds long. for to watch something that is more then a few moments long that is of no interest to watch ... is something no one will watch ;)

eric

[ericMartinJarvies]

nice footage!

lacking storyline. the teaser does not have a progressive flow leading to a climatic point. the first scene shows the lead lady looking distressed. the second scene shows the lead lady talking to some guy. the third scene shows the lead lady running to hug the co-star lady, like she is upset and needs consulting. the fouth scene shows the co-star kissing some guy and they both look at something. the fifth scene jumps back to what appeared to be happening in the second scene, lead lady talking to some guy. sixth scene shows the lead lady once again looking upset. the seventh scene shows the lead lady looking upset(as usual), and the co-star lady looking happy(as usual).

there is no story in this teaser, just nice filming ... and it IS nice footage mattias, something certainly worth being proud of. when you take and show in the fifth scene what was already shown in the 2nd scene, you have defeated any form of advance of the storyline/teaser. i would remove that. if you do not have enough coverage to tell the story, and cannot shot more film, then use an analogy, like a praying mantice eating her mate(stock footage pbs type of stuff, and naturally, i do not know what the storyline is, so i make mention to a praying mantice to compare a woman scorned to her man/mate). advance your story ... hook em, line em in, and pull em into the boat!! if you must use a scene that happened earlier in the story, then use it as a reminder, daydream, memory, etc., give reason for it's recall in that later part of the movie. if you post the screenplay for us to read, as well as your shot list, i would be happy to give you my take on how i would cut it together(as i am sure others would like to do the same!!). i am really curious how many scenes you have to work with, and how many usable takes per scene, and if you have applicable coverage shots, establishing shots, etc. for each change of sceneroy/environment, etc.

do you have an english version of the screenplay you could post for us to read? did you write it or just dop it?

the lead lady is over acting, and the co-star lady is under acting. does these gals have previous experience in front of a camera? if so, do you have footage of them in something else you could post here? if they pull it off in their previous work, then the problem here deals more so with the direction ... even with a poorly written screenplay, a good dop and director can at least make the story beleivable, even if the story sucks.

if you merely acted as DOP, then at least you did your job right(camera/technical). the actual director did not really accomplish anything in my opinon/review.

how many scenes in this movie do you have to work with as it relates to editing? do you have establishing, coverage, head shots for each scene?

personaly, i have found with my own filmmaking discovery process/journey, that it is best to practice/concentrate on creating the shortest story possible that has a hook, line and sink. mastering these then allows you to establish a healthy base, for which you can start creating more complex stories.

i am in the process of trying to complete the build out of a new home i recently sold, and perhaps i will be completed by the 15th of jan., at which point i will be able to edit a handful of shorts i have shot this past year. trial and error sequence. emotional rollercoaster sequence. battle/conflict sequence. emotionally cold, breaking down and warming up sequence. contridiction sequence. enlightenment sequence. humility sequence. denial sequence. i thinks that it. naturally, there are many many more human instances that play out well, and i intend on filming them when time permits. i acted in all of these myself, using tripod and remote. so admittedly the acting is not to par(i'm not an actor), but the story, direction, and photography seem to be in order. i had thought last year i was going to jump into making my movie and go happily into the sunset ... the technical aspects of filmmaking(getting good usable footage, like the footage you have for example), as well as the architectual aspects are items that simply cannot be ignored. they require understanding and lots of practice. looking a someone taking a shower, dropping the soap, bumping his head, slipping and falling down, etc., is at least interesting ... becuase you can follow what is going to happen(guess), and relate to what is happening, assuming it is actually happening ... or seemingly happening. if it is too contribed/acted, then the viewer cannot help but deduct how fake it is, and then make notice of how poorly the acting is, and so on. keeping it seemingly real is the KEY goal in filmmaking. and keeping it moving ... having a heartbeat that keeps pace with the action ... when thigns are calm, so is the cutting and timing of the scenes .... when action occures, so speeds up the cuts and timing of the scenes. practice telling simple little stories with cause and effect ... make these interesting to watch ... even if they are only 10 seconds long. for to watch something that is more then a few moments long that is of no interest to watch ... is something no one will watch ;)

none the less, good footage once again. i have found i do not like messing behoind the camera ... i like directing and acting better. however, i am forced ot act as dop/camera operator in my own filming as i have no one else who knows what they are doing. i would REALLY like to shot more films, but in order to do so i need a dop. if you are going to be in LA in the near future, and have a week or two to blow, you could come to cabo and we could make a couple of short films ... i have some interesting scripts i've written, which involve one and two princiapls ... very story driven, with little dialoge and lots of visual expression. i have 30 people working for me building homes, and so i can literally make up my sets in no time(i built a large stage/studio this last year). i have lots lighting, and plenty of pro great. again, i do NOT want ot be a DOP, i have figured this much out. i do like getting behind the camera, but i do NOT like having to be responsible for it, and i HATE changing film unless they are daylight spools in my little filmos/eyemos

eric

[mattias]

there is no story in this teaser, just nice filming...

yeah, it's a teaser. :-)

and it IS nice footage mattias

thanks, i'm taking your feedback with me for cutting the real trailer.

do you have an english version of the screenplay you could post for us to read? did you write it or just dop it?

i'm sorry to say i didn't shoot it, although as a director i selected the shots and hired the dp. i did wite the script though, but it's only available in swedish. the film is finished though (except for online and mix), so if anyone thinks they can do a great job in cutting trailer (for free) i can send a dvd and see what you can come up with.

the lead lady is over acting, and the co-star lady is under acting. does these gals have previous experience in front of a camera?

not at all. they're great, although i admit the teaser doesn't quite show it. the one thing i know i'm pretty good at when it comes to directing is getting natural and believable performances. i made lots of mistakes of course, which i will not specify on a public forum, :-) but the work with the actors came out pretty solid. they're both pretty well known tv and feature film actors by the way.

even with a poorly written screenplay, a good dop and director can at least make the story beleivable, even if the story sucks.

i diasgree. even if you can make it believable, if the story sucks it will suck. a bad director can wreck a great script though.

it is best to practice/concentrate on creating the shortest story possible

well, i did that for five years. this is my third "real" short film, and i've also made dozens of commercials and music videos. ;-)

/matt

[mathis]

even with a poorly written screenplay, a good dop and director can at least make the story beleivable, even if the story sucks.

i diasgree. even if you can make it believable, if the story sucks it will suck. a bad director can wreck a great script though.

Completely agreed. Narrative film is first of all about a good script. Then there is a long time nothing, and then comes all these nice disciplines like dop and the like.

Funny post by Eric, b.t.w.

[MovieStuff]

personaly, i have found with my own filmmaking discovery process/journey, that it is best to practice/concentrate on creating the shortest story possible

LOL. You've got a great sense of humor, Eric, I'll give you that. While I certainly agree with your above advice, your typical use of run-on paragraphs to lesson Mattias in how to keep things brief and to the point seems a bit ironic, don't you think? ;)

Mattias, I thought it looked nice. Looking forward the finished piece, if possible.

Roger
http://www.moviestuff.tv

[mathis]

your typical use of run-on paragraphs to lesson Mattias in how to keep things brief and to the point seems a bit ironic, don't you think? ;)

Hehe, yes, that´s what I meant.

[ericMartinJarvies]

personaly, i have found with my own filmmaking discovery process/journey, that it is best to practice/concentrate on creating the shortest story possible

LOL. You've got a great sense of humor, Eric, I'll give you that. While I certainly agree with your above advice, your typical use of run-on paragraphs to lesson Mattias in how to keep things brief and to the point seems a bit ironic, don't you think? ;)

Mattias, I thought it looked nice. Looking forward the finished piece, if possible.

Roger
http://www.moviestuff.tv

yes, i may certainly seem ironic when looking at it on the surface level. but all of us here know good and well i seldom look at things in that simple a context. for the text i write in this field on this website using my keyboard attached via cable to my computer which is attached to a larger network of other computers connected with many forms of cables powered by electricity and governed by various coded systems MAY seem simple, becuase it works and is easy to do/use. but the underlying constructs are vast and mind boggling. the same things applies to most anything in life in my opinion. it just so happens i delve into those areas more often then not, and moreso then other people.

but clearly i am in understanding of the differances between what is seemingly simple(a finished product, in front of me, ready for use or viewing or interaction), and what is knowingly difficult(what it took to make the product sitting in front of me). so knowing the differance is somehting i have not yet lost contact with ;)

usually, my final products are very simple, and are seemingly rudimentary and obvious. but in truth, they are complex, and the labor to bring them to fruition, and the mass blob of happenings/constructs that without would not be possible, are what i am mainly interested in in my own life. behind the scenes, literaly. the actual curtain call is merely the complex made simple, and delivered on a silver platter for others to appreciate/use/view/whatever.

with films, the purpose of them is to allow the viewer to be submersed into the world(s) of other people(s). to make this happen is not easy ... but to watch it happening is one of the easiest things a human can do. but to make this so, the filmmaker must indeed invest alot of everything on all fronts to the project, and in doing so, the film becomes a complex matrix, of which the end user has no desire to know, and therefore all the efforts that it took to make it should be invisable to the viewer.

people that have not yet mastered on the handful of arts associated with filmmaking, do not yet understand this. for example, the art of properly exposing film. for as many rolls as it takes one to learn how to use a camera and lens and lighting correctly, so shall it also take the same amount of scripts to make a good story, or the same amount of takes to make a good scene, or the same amount of cuts to make a good edit. practice practice practice. filmmaking has primary elements that are no easy task in masterings, they include:

equipment/technical
story telling/script/screenplay
direction/assembly/instruction/scheduling
finance/marketing/sales/distribution/legal
special effects of various types
audio, music, dialoge, sound effects, etc.

many many aspects to a seemingly simple short film

and what brings us more GROWTH then anything is the response we get from those we have shown our product/film.

perhaps mattias did not get enough coverage. perhaps his story was told incorrectly visually speaking. perhaps the script is weak in relation to what the viewing audience was in mind or expects. and so because mattias has posted here publically, he IS and will understand a great deal more about his craft as a result of getting of painful empty feeling in the bottom of his gut having to deal with any such aspects that are indeed not mastered correctly. but in this harsh reality, the pain will motivate mattias to make account for those ailments so that in his next film/offering, one/some/many/all of those issues have been addressed, and there is less fault in his film as through the eyes of the audience. when mattias gets to that point, he will be a successful filmmaker ... until then he is a learning filmmaker still making fundemental mistakes at the standards and protocols level of filmmaking. perhaps i will never be a good filmmaker becuase i always have too many differant projects going on at any one given time ... but this is not about me, this is about mattias and his film, and his filmmaking career ... so to lie to him or give him a break or to not point out faults or errors in his film would not allow him to recognize his weaknesses, and moreso ... understand his strengths. most of what mattias has to seemingly overcome is not related to him or his capacity as a thinking and doing human being, but rather, as a student dealing with fundimental mixing of the various chemicals in order to get the right potion/mix, with which he may place a speel on those who partake. this is the magic in all of us, it is merely a question of finding it, but first we much deal with learnign all the fundimentals that are required to even get us to such a point of reckoning/understanding.

eric

[reflex]

for the text i write in this field on this website using my keyboard attached via cable to my computer which is attached to a larger network of other computers connected with many forms of cables

You might want to shop for a keyboard with a couple of shift keys on it, IMHO.

[ericMartinJarvies]

personaly, i have found with my own filmmaking discovery process/journey, that it is best to practice/concentrate on creating the shortest story possible

LOL. You've got a great sense of humor
Roger
http://www.moviestuff.tv

actually ... i am a very intense human being roger ... and more often then not my focussed dialoge is mistaken as something it is not. as a person, i do not like to hurt other people, nor do i like to mislead them or act a certain way to satisfy them(unless i am acting, putting on a show for the sake of entertainment). if we were in a room together, or worked around one another, these would be obvious to everyone, and vica versa i'm sure. the text world online is brutal, becuase each of us is left to interpret for ourselves what the person who has wrote was not or did not convey for whatever reason. i am no better then any of you here on this forum ... but i am the berst i can be, which is better then trying to be like anyone else, or any of you. and so, this makes us unique people typing our expressions into words, void of visual and audable definition.

i have found that like the planets cycle, so do i. i have good times and bad times ... i have happier moments and sadder moments ... i have the harse reality of surviving in this world, financially and otherwise. so the only uniqness i have is myself ... everything else like work, money, etc. is common place, something we all may share, as evidenced here with filmmaking. but mind you, when i write my words i am doing so with a good intended nature/soul, and it has been years that i have wanted to wirte or say somethign about someone that is some way bad or vial or evil ... on occassion, when forced into a corner, either of my own short comings, or that of the one(s) pushing me into the corner, i may revert back to what i was conditioned and taught to do ... fight. this is a learned condition ... it is not inherent in me, nor is it part of my state of being. old habits die hard ... old conditions sometimes never die, but merely are contained/restrained.

eric

[teadub]

Back on topic . . .

I think the teaser looks nice. Very nice exposures. I also agree that the tracking shot towards the end is nice. You chose a good DP, is it the one you worked with on the previous short with? Or did you shoot that one yourself?
Isn't it against "the rules" to shoot CU against a plain white wall? If so, good job on breaking "the rules".

The font is totally bad, change it.

[mattias]

You chose a good DP, is it the one you worked with on the previous short with? Or did you shoot that one yourself?

this was the first time i worked with johan, but certainly not the last. he's great, though a bit expensive to hire. he's making his living as a dp and is established enough to not have to work for free.

Isn't it against "the rules" to shoot CU against a plain white wall? If so, good job on breaking "the rules".

thanks. :-)

the tracking shot was done using a volkswagen minivan, and at 33.333 fps to smooth out the bumps as well as making it a bit dreamy.

i probably won't change the font itself, it's one of the most beautiful serif font there is (scala), but i'll try some other way than an outline to make it stand out. it surely makes it look like it was done on an amiga or something.

/matt

[DzFX]

Darn, I cant view it either

I was sure I had all the codecs I ever needed! 8O

This reminds me someone once (from europe in fact) had referred this crude but (very compatable viewer) in order to view shared files. It worked when many others did not...The VLC Viewer. Its an open source project I believe...(but if others are having trouble they may want to try it)
Unfortunately I use WinDoze PC's I run into this prob a lot.

I have it at work but not home.
Or is this just a matter of current quicktime et. all?

[mattias]

perhaps mattias did not get enough coverage. perhaps his story was told incorrectly visually speaking. perhaps the script is weak in relation to what the viewing audience was in mind or expects. and so because mattias has posted here publically, he IS and will understand a great deal more about his craft as a result of getting of painful empty feeling in the bottom of his gut having to deal with any such aspects that are indeed not mastered correctly.

that's exactly how it is (even though you don't have to post a trailer publically to feel it, i'm not sure what you mean by that). you're constantly battling against your own shortcomings and the restraints of the budget, and you're always silently cursing yourself after a shoot for the decisions you made or didn't make. but you still have to cut together a good film, and you very often can. that feeling in the gut is natural even for the masters i think, and it's not because you or the film sucks but because you never get exactly the footage you had imagined. the next time you'll be getting closer, but new issues will arise that you didn't think of, so you'll get that same feeling anyway.

when mattias gets to that point, he will be a successful filmmaker ... until then he is a learning filmmaker still making fundemental mistakes at the standards and protocols level of filmmaking.

i'm a pretty successful filmmaker if i may say so myself, at least i get to work and my films get seen by broad audiences, but i'll also always be a learning filmmaker. that's part of the beauty of it. i will die learning.

/matt

[mattias]

Or is this just a matter of current quicktime et. all?

yes, version 6 and you're set. or you can download 3ivx if you have qt 4 or higher, which i recommend anyway since it gives you faster mpeg-4 encoding and slightly smoother playback.

/matt