A Straight 8 Reject

[Andersens Tears]

Hi all, please could you have a look at my straight 8 film 'Pillion' -

http://youtu.be/2OjVAT_agoQ?hd=1

I made it for the straight 8 2012 event but it was rejected by them and never got screened. I was hoping that someone might like to watch it and perhaps give some feedback!

Thanks!

[marc]

What emulsion did you use?

[Andersens Tears]

What emulsion did you use?

Hi Marc, it was 200t.

[marc]

Was that Vision3?

Can't imagine why they would turn it down unless they were looking for juicier plots!

[CHAS]

I just watched it. I thought it was really well done. This is where you edit in-camera, right? Lots of different angles and cuts, no noticeable errors. Good little story, narration, music is fine. The bar must be set quite high if it was rejected.

If I could predict how film programmers think I would be a very happy man, indeed. "Westsider" got rejected by so many "underground" and "super-8 friendly" fests. You can't predict anything.

[grainy]

Rejection sucks, hell I just got one today myself.
The thing is, people that program festivals are generally not creative or they would make their own films. So what do they have to work with? Some have good taste, and others just plow along on their ability to organize and boss others around, and only know about the art what other people tell them or what they think the zeitgeist is.
If you're dealing with the festival circuit, that's just the reality of it.
Sorry about the rejection! Keep shooting!
G

[CHAS]

Rejection sucks, hell I just got one today myself.
The thing is, people that program festivals are generally not creative or they would make their own films

Some of them are bitter former filmmakers. Some start fests just to guarantee their own films or their friend's films will show. This has been blasted about on the internet all over. Then there are many totally honest fests that are just inundated with so many films!

Anyway, Anderson's Tears, re Straight 8, sorry you got rejected!

[Andersens Tears]

Was that Vision3?

Indeed it was Vision 3 200T - strangely the youtube compression has made it look darker.

Can't imagine why they would turn it down unless they were looking for juicier plots!

Well I think the main problem is that they don't seem to like straight films with a plot. Judging by the films that were accepted this year, and this is my own personal opinion, you need to make something that is more 'Wacky' or 'Arty Farty' that has litte plot. I seem to have chosen to make the wrong type of film for this event.

[Andersens Tears]

I just watched it. I thought it was really well done. Lots of different angles and cuts, no noticeable errors. Good little story, narration, music is fine.

Chas, thanks for watching and taking the time to leave some feedback. In all honesty, for me that is worth much more than having the film screened at the straight 8 event anyway.

This is where you edit in-camera, right?

Yes, that's correct - you get one roll of film and have to shoot your film in sequence - all one takes - no editing - you then send your exposed film off to be developed. Whilst you do that you make a sountrack for it. You then don't get to see the film until the screening that's only if your film is selected

The bar must be set quite high if it was rejected.

Thanks, but I think the problem is I made the wrong type of film for the event. I made a straight narative. They seem to only like wacky arty farty stuff without plot. Which is odd when they advise they what they want is something with a story. Even so, maybe I just didn't do a good enough job! I only had one day to shoot and had no crew, perhaps the peformances suffered as I was caught up in all the aspects of the prouction and did not have the time to spend with the actors to help hone the performances. I guess it could have been better with a crew to back me up and more time, but you work with the resources you have!

If I could predict how film programmers think I would be a very happy man, indeed. "Westsider" got rejected by so many "underground" and "super-8 friendly" fests. You can't predict anything.

You maganed to get it screened in though I hope? You just have to run the gaunlet of wether they personally like the type of film you submitted or not - it is very subjective.

[Andersens Tears]

Rejection sucks, hell I just got one today myself.
The thing is, people that program festivals are generally not creative or they would make their own films. So what do they have to work with? Some have good taste, and others just plow along on their ability to organize and boss others around, and only know about the art what other people tell them or what they think the zeitgeist is.
If you're dealing with the festival circuit, that's just the reality of it.

It does, but the best thing is to take it on the chin and move on.
Sorry to hear about your rejection too.

Sorry about the rejection! Keep shooting!
G

Thanks! I will! You too!

[Andersens Tears]

Some start fests just to guarantee their own films or their friend's films will show. This has been blasted about on the internet all over. Then there are many totally honest fests that are just inundated with so many films!!

Yes, I think both of these are true.

Anyway, Anderson's Tears, re Straight 8, sorry you got rejected!

Thanks again for giving me the feedback! I appreciate it!

[CHAS]

This is where you edit in-camera, right?

Yes, that's correct - you get one roll of film and have to shoot your film in sequence - all one takes - no editing - you then send your exposed film off to be developed. Whilst you do that you make a sountrack for it. You then don't get to see the film until the screening that's only if your film is selected

We have/had something similar here called "Flicker." It was big about ten years ago and there were chapters all over the US but it seems to have died down considerably. In LA they do it once a year only. It used to be every month or every other month. There were all types of films, experimental, narrative, even a few docs.

Thanks, but I think the problem is I made the wrong type of film for the event. I made a straight narative. They seem to only like wacky arty farty stuff without plot. Which is odd when they advise they what they want is something with a story. Even so, maybe I just didn't do a good enough job! I only had one day to shoot and had no crew, perhaps the peformances suffered as I was caught up in all the aspects of the prouction and did not have the time to spend with the actors to help hone the performances. I guess it could have been better with a crew to back me up and more time, but you work with the resources you have!

For some reason a lot of programmers of Super-8 seem to want that type of stuff. They like lines on the film, scratches, out-of-focus, camera falling type of stuff. Narrative films are heresy! What are you trying to be -- Michael Bay?! Shame on you! They worship Brakhage and if one aspires to be anything more than this then, hey, that's your problem. If you are into making a decent narrative film with good focus, script, acting, etc., they seem to think, why on earth would you shoot Super-8? My colorist actually told me to stop shooting S8 if I was going to try and make good narrative films. My first film, "Ennui" was technically a mess but it made it into many more fests than "Westsider" -- which I sweated blood over and had a gaffer do pro lights and everything. "Ennui" was black and white, 18 fps, unintentional water damage on some of the film, used a Bolex 650 W bulb for all lights, but had a cute 'artsy/punk' chick in it so lots of fanboys loved it!

You maganed to get it screened in though I hope? You just have to run the gaunlet of wether they personally like the type of film you submitted or not - it is very subjective.

Yeah, I got Westsider screened. 9 fests -- out of 90 submissions! 10% return. Not so good...For "Ennui" I submitted to maybe 45 fests and go into about 15 or 16...much better percentage. You never know...

[woods01]

Its an accomplishment to get 9 screenings of an independent film but submitting to 90 festivals seems like self abuse! There is only a handful of major festivals that can break film so apart from the local festivals you can attend (and exploit the filmmaker pass) and the odd super 8 niche festival, I feel that most small festivals aren't worth the time and money to submit.

As for Andersens film, its quite impressively edited in camera, well shot and the sound syncs up very very nicely. Its a well crafted little film, however, I didn't find the story all that engaging. Its not the film is bad is just missing that "je ne sais quoi" that brings a film up to another level. But the craft behind the film is very good and suggests that you are maturing as a filmmaker that can deliver quality work with every roll.

[Andersens Tears]

[

You maganed to get it screened in though I hope? You just have to run the gaunlet of wether they personally like the type of film you submitted or not - it is very subjective.

Yeah, I got Westsider screened. 9 fests -- out of 90 submissions! 10% return. Not so good...For "Ennui" I submitted to maybe 45 fests and go into about 15 or 16...much better percentage. You never know...

I'm glad you managed to get it screened somewhere! Someone got to see it and that's great!

[Andersens Tears]

As for Andersens film, its quite impressively edited in camera, well shot and the sound syncs up very very nicely. Its a well crafted little film, however, I didn't find the story all that engaging. Its not the film is bad is just missing that "je ne sais quoi" that brings a film up to another level. But the craft behind the film is very good and suggests that you are maturing as a filmmaker that can deliver quality work with every roll.

Thanks for watching and leaving honest feedback - that's what counts for me! I agree it wasn't quite good enough. You have to take it 'on the chin' pick yourself up and move on!