The Expendables
Genre: AnyRules: You know that AMAZING ACTION movie coming out? Called "The Expendables"? We want your take on the TITLE of the movie; what else or who else is expendable? No action allowed.
Reviews for: Procoverage Studio, "Salvatore's Last Smoke"
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There are 9 reviews of this film, have you added yours yet?
There are 9 reviews of this film, have you added yours yet?
Here's my short review - I'm awaiting a download link of your video to post my video review!
Audio isn't great - odd that you redubbed some of the lines and not others. Really hard to make out some stuff, even with headphones. I like your characters, I love the ending of the film, a lot of fun.
The only two redubbed lines were "Thank you, honey," and the spiel where the girl tells the detective what's up as she's walking in. Your complaints about the audio volume are exactly why I redubbed the entire thing last month, but this month, I decided to give the on-site audio a whirl. The reason only those two lines were redubbed were because they were completely inaudible in the on-site audio.
Good shot selection throughout but try being more careful when editing and while shooting to keep a nice flow from shot to shot. At times, you skip a position of the camera and it becomes jumpy. For example, don’t go from a long shot of a character to immediately going to a medium shot unless it’s vital to do it that way. In the scene with the doctor, you jump a lot with the shot selection as though you didn’t storyboard or have any idea how and what you would be shooting. The blood splatter was a nice effect in the beginning. Your lighting was impressive at times but you don’t keep continuity of it especially in the scene where the girl first confronts the detective. The acting isn’t all that great and it’s hard to stay invested in the characters even for the short amount of time that the movie runs. The sound quality wasn’t all that great and I’m very confused why you continued to have some dialogue that was supposed to be delivered by an on screen character, actually be edited in after shooting. Did you forget some lines while in production? I’m not much of a fan of zooming for any reason in a film. Leave camera zooms for the television shows. Instead, use tracking shots or steadicam, both types add tension or excitement to a scene too, only in better fashion (in my opinion anyways). I like the drunken detective aspect of your film, try using more close ups of him to get across his depressed, alcoholic nature rather then mostly medium shots – close ups can be used to show great emotion in a character.Eh, dissolves – stay away from them. Just cut between shots when staying in 1 scene – you use a dissolve when the girl brings the detective tea and this makes us assume time has gone by when really, not much has (as the characters are still in the same spot as prior). Instead, maybe cut to the girl saying sure, and then cutting back to the detective investigating and saying a simple line, and then cutting back to a medium shot of the girl bringing tea. This would work slightly better.
We lucked out last month, but this month, I learned the hard way that we should have checked continuity between shots better. There were a lot of instances where I was forced to change shots of somebody looking one way to them looking a completely different direction. Becca was real good at squashing continuity bugs last time around. We were also more rushed with shooting this time since we could only get together one day as opposed to two last time around. As for acting, I've said it before that I can't go and hire Christian Bale. Friends are all I have to work with and just the fact they got in front of the camera in the spotlight deserves commendation.
As for zooming, you don't say zooming or handheld shots suck to a 24 fan. "Leave (insert method here) for TV shows" is the worst advice you can give an aspiring filmmaker. How can you be as good as a TV show if you don't practice their methods? As for dissolves, they were only used to show passage of time. I do like the technique you mentioned for the tea scene.
I apologize for sounding like such a dick ha but my point was made obviously...24 uses those zooms very nicely as it is a digital television show but movies usually stay away from the zooms (not saying you shouldn't ever use zooms in filmmaking but personally, I think movies should stay away from them unless it's completely necessary) - I hope you don't think I'm just some jerk though who hated your movie as I really enjoyed it and think you have a lot of talent when it comes to the short films you make - keep it up!
Nah man, I don't think you're a jerk. I always take critiques seriously from people like you who have good quality work to back them up. I've got good things to say when the review show goes up.
**also, for story critique...why would the girl (who ends up being the killer) go through all the trouble of going to a private investigator when the cops stopped poking around the case? Wouldn't she lay low and not go to another detective?
The detective has a bad history of messing up cases, which he states in the office scene, and he's obviously a drunk. She goes to him to hopefully throw the cops off her trail. When she realizes he's gotten something right, for once, and he's on to her, well, you saw what happened.
yes, but she says "the cops have already STOPPED looking for the killer" - so why would she as the killer ask another law enforcer to stick around with the case when the cops have already stopped - if the cops stopped, then she's free and clear from anyone ever discovering the truth
she's lying man.
I guess that shuts that debate down...
Nice film. Just some audio issues, but not so much that it distracted me. Very porno music at the beginning. Lol. I love your actor for the doctor. He was making me laugh a lot.
You'll love him in the next movie then.
Hey Bryan, great job. Nice effect in the beginning. Looked like the actors head was blown off but then you cut to a close up and he didn't really have any blood or scratches on him. I went back and saw a little blood on his bottom lip. The effect made it look like a more damaging gun shot. The blocking between the doctor and detective looks a little unnatural. I like the shot of the detective first walking in. He has a great facial expression, great choice on camera angle for that. Nice closing credits and quick ending. Nice muzzle flash.
Those chunks flying from his head weren't guts. They were supposed to be chunks of cigar.
But it came from the back of his head?
Negative. If I showed you the raw coverage, you'd see he's blowing chunks of brown paper from the front with his mouth.
My mistake.
Oh noez, MURDER! Whoa, whose the hottie?! Girl ain't bad, either. Ah, that joke never gets old. Cool costumes! Damn, this detective is a bad ass. Where do I buy this groovin soundtrack?
I've gotten most of my music from the Newgrounds.com audio portal. A good place to pick up some great music by unknowns.
Awesome!!! This movie was really fun to watch! You hit all the expectations of film noir: Great soundtrack, the muse, the overworked detective, the darks (noir), and the twist. I liked the story. We all enjoyed watching it.
really good film. one of the best ones for sure. it was your classic detective film. the only problem i had was that when the guy got shot his brains splattered all over the wall and then you show the front of his face and he has not exit wound...........or even a cut for that matter! but that aside it was awesome.
I already said that wasn't his brain chunks you saw flying. That was the cigar exploding. If I'm showing the front of his face, how are you going to even see an exit wound?
my apologizes. i didnt really read anything. i just saw the video and decided to comment. Even with you telling me its a cigar i still dont see it. It looks as if the person was shot in the back of the head and his brains flew out the front and splattered on the wall. All in all i liked it. but whats the point of this website if you dont get critiqued right?
"Predatory Partner"
by Random Axe Entertainment
Genre: Any
| Group | Votes |
|---|---|
| Random Axe Entertainment | 29 |
| Dreamatic Productions | 27 |
| EvilGenius | 21 |
| Dark White films | 20 |
| Pier 7b Productions | 17 |
| Sprankle Studios | 13 |
Predatory Partner
by Random Axe Entertainment
When a young man won't sell his shares to his partner, she finds another way to get it.
2,190 views16 reviews29 votes
Smack Talk!
"Woo Hoo! Thank you to all of you who voted for our film. We are really excited as well as surprised by the win. With all the obstacles we faced in this fight we feared it wouldn't be as greatly acceptedd as it turned out to be.
We are very happy that we were able to fight our way up, with your help, from Middleweights to this. We are looking forward to the coming fights and hope we can continue producing quality films for your entertainment. Thanks for the compitition and we hope you all keep bringing it.
Special Thank You's: Audra - for helping on such short notice. Everyone who said we needed to be bumped up a weight class. Jake- For overseeing the whole operation in Justin's absence.
"That's a Wrap".
Random Axe Entertainment "
RandomAxeMedford, OR
Due August 1
01:00 max
