Slicster
"Disciples of the Gun" by 8th Day Labour - Reviewed on June 30th, 2006

I like that you used sound loops, but for future use, try mixing it up a little. Set your mood, use them to build tension or emphasize moments.

But you can also go in with post production and use cuts to make up for lack of visual effects. We also work on a miniscule budget, so I am quite used to not having such resources as Skywalker Ranch or Pixar animation. But you can make up for that. Think about how you can fool the eyes and mind into THINKING someone was shot instead of expecting us to just take for granted. In a play is one thing, but on film, you have to deliver more.

Finally, what is WITH that totally f'ed up picture? The monochrome screen was a nice touch, but if that is what completely destroyed your footage, you are better off not using it. It really detracted from the quality of your end product.

Dialogue was pretty good in places. Action was decent, adn shots were ok. I do like that you used sound to your advantage (instead of having some guy stand behind the camera saying POW!). Overall, I say you did ok for your second try. Concentrate harder on getting your sound levels even, think harder about using your editing to tell your visual story effectively, and find out WHAT HAPPENED to your screen. Other than, solid production.

Slicster
"Disciples of the Gun" by Pocket Aces Productions - Reviewed on June 30th, 2006

Problem #1 - TIME LIMITS, DAMN IT!

Lighting is not bad, but a suggestion would be to use blue gells to achieve a dark look instead of not using lights. A photographer taught me to a little trick about enhancing your shadows instead or creating big black spaces. Interesting concept.
Your dialogue seems to rattle on and on a bit. Sure, it's funny (slightly... in spots), but you have a time limit to adhere to, here. You would do better to get in and lay down a solid story in as few words as possible and use your camera to say the rest. "I wish I could walk off camera"? "This could be a very big plot device"? Its' one thing if you come in near to tiem limit, but that AND more than 4 minutes over time? Sure, it is s little funny the FIRST time, but repeatedly it is just weak and silly.

All-in-all, you have a pretty good production, but really need to think harder about cutting scenes and adhereing to a time limit. This absolutely should have NOT been that long, and you would have done well to stick to a plot and build it stronger in place of lame jokes.

Slicster
"The Godfather IV: Beer, Blood and Bar Mitzvah" by White Smoke Films - Reviewed on July 5th, 2006

Truthfully, I can't even get to the end of this. I have seen some bad stuff in my life, but this resets the bar on how bad a single film can get. You have no actual story, your shots are not tailored at all, and your lighting is nothing short of shameful. In a word, crap. I'm surprised Justin even allowed this clip on his site. Compared to this, the other 3 films were masterpieces.

Slicster
"Family" by Ground Floor Films - Reviewed on July 10th, 2006

Hmm, I guess her choice wasn't so impossible after all, eh?

Anyway, there were some continuity problems and the action REALLY dragged here. For instance, I figure he cut his finger, or burned it, or a rat bit it, or something, but NO idea what. For a second, I wondered if he faked an injury so he could stab her with an icepick. Think about what your audience sees, and expect them to "figure it out" as little as you can. What family? Why did they want her to kill her brother? It seemed her brother was a bumbling oaf, so what purpose could that have served?
Truth is, your entry showed some promise, but needs a little more work. It technically could fit the genre' here, but left to my own, I wouldn't think it does. Two things could have really saved you here and made a decent entry fantastic.

(1) MUSIC!! It's more than catchy sounds, it carries the emotion of your production. Set your mood and let the music accent the changes or emphasize the action when appropriate. Do a google search for sound effects and loops, then use that with good audio quality and you will be blown away with the difference it can make.

(2) Flashbacks/Voice-Overs/video overlays, etc...
Use these sparingly, if at all, but if you use them, get the most bang for your buck with them. Why was she shooting him? A voice-over could have told this story. Did he kill her ex-lover? Video Overlay to tell this perhaps? Remember the movie (if you even know of it), Superman I and II? The flashback in that one was only 1 word, "Forbidden". Be that as it may, that one word told the whole story. These effects can pull you out of the action, so be VERY careful how you use them. Still, they can give you a great way to tell a story while keeping the tension high. For instance, what if while she was holding the gun to his head, you hear the voice of ther "Godfather" telling her why she has to kill him? Then, she decides not to kill him, then we flash outside and BANG!!

Did she kill him? I guess we don't ACTUALLY know, do we?