Welcome to our community

Be a part of something great, join today!

Log in
  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

2 minute narrative "Even for a Moment"

Josh Negrin

Josh Negrin

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 5, 2008
Messages
301
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Los Angeles
Website
www.jnfilms.com
thought you guys might like this. It's under 2 minutes, and it's really the first time, as a filmmaker, I've shot something where every shot has a meaning, yet it's very much open to interpretation. I'll stop myself there, for fear of sounding like a pompous artist. Which, I'm not. As I usually make movies where stuff blows up or a car chase ensues.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdG8mt3Tv08
 
Some really nice shots in there Josh.

You gave me two minutes to emotionally attach myself to the character and it worked.

I think the guy vanishing might be a little too much for me (maybe its just because i've seen it more than once). The two wick candle was a very superb touch, and to be honest all you needed. Ambiguity and imagination are key to little films like this.

Excellent!
 
Beautifully done looks great and the disappearing effect at the end looked seamless, well done.

Story though came across as a bit vague seeing as the character seamed to be dealing with a loss and nothing more. There was hardly a change if at all in her and I really wanted her to end up at least wiser or more mature rather than what seamed like an undefined state of being at the end.
Still for 2 minutes kept my interest and it certainly looked great.
 
wow thanks a lot everyone.

Great note, Tim. I actually did try a cut where the male actor isn't in there, but it didn't necessarily tell the story I wanted to tell. As much as I wanted to make it about the audience's own interpretation (some have said it's about love, others about loss, etc.) without the guy, I wasn't able to convey anything that the girl was going through. I do love that you said "might be a little too much for me" though, because that tells me that maybe it would, after all, work for some people without having that shot in there.

Great note also, Nir. If it was, to me at least, about overcoming, I would 100% agree with you and all of what you described would definitely be in there.

Jonathan, the music comes from composer Cliff Martinez.
 
Josh Negrin said:
wow thanks a lot everyone.

Great note, Tim. I actually did try a cut where the male actor isn't in there, but it didn't necessarily tell the story I wanted to tell. As much as I wanted to make it about the audience's own interpretation (some have said it's about love, others about loss, etc.) without the guy, I wasn't able to convey anything that the girl was going through. I do love that you said "might be a little too much for me" though, because that tells me that maybe it would, after all, work for some people without having that shot in there.

Great note also, Nir. If it was, to me at least, about overcoming, I would 100% agree with you and all of what you described would definitely be in there.

Jonathan, the music comes from composer Cliff Martinez.
Click to expand...

I don't necessarily disagree with Nir, however too often films (especially shorts) do force a growth or change. I think that empathy and identifying with someone is all we need sometimes. Having a portal into a time within someones life and to witness the emotional termoil is reaffirming of our humanity. I do have an affinity for mood pieces and love exploring emotional conflict.

I understand what you mean about having/not having the guy in there. We are emotionally critical and expectant as viewers. We are in tune (and this goes for average film viewers too) with the cinematic devices we use and the way we tell a story. Its sometimes difficult to see it from outside yourself, and as I am sure you are more than aware, filmmakers all to often over compensate with the mentality "just in case they didn't get it"...99% of the time they will get it and more.

To me the candle at the beginning/end speaks volumes (in the way I am choosing to read the story) and the soulfulness that was put into the pace and tone of the shots is drenched in emotional texture. The fact that she is driving in a car (the destination for me is irrelevant) but she is going on a journey, she is being propelled forward, going through a tunnel, the enveloping light at the end. Like you said before every shot is chosen and every shot has a reason. I think a character going through an obvious change is too forceful. She is changing, growing, learning. Controlling her destiny.

Maybe my issue isn't the fact that he is disappearing, more the way he is disappearing. The difference between a chemical film dissolve and video transition have a different quality don't they. Film loses the lighter values first and then the darks. It is a more organic transition. Digital, unless manipulated in such a fashion will just evenly dissolve.

http://www.videocopilot.net/preset/film_fade_transition/
 
very well written Tim. Especially the third paragraph. Thank you very much. As for the video copilot link, please repost that, as it isn't working for me.

thanks again
 
Tim Hole said:
I don't necessarily disagree with Nir, however too often films (especially shorts) do force a growth or change. I think that empathy and identifying with someone is all we need sometimes. Having a portal into a time within someones life and to witness the emotional termoil is reaffirming of our humanity. I do have an affinity for mood pieces and love exploring emotional conflict.

I understand what you mean about having/not having the guy in there. We are emotionally critical and expectant as viewers. We are in tune (and this goes for average film viewers too) with the cinematic devices we use and the way we tell a story. Its sometimes difficult to see it from outside yourself, and as I am sure you are more than aware, filmmakers all to often over compensate with the mentality "just in case they didn't get it"...99% of the time they will get it and more.

To me the candle at the beginning/end speaks volumes (in the way I am choosing to read the story) and the soulfulness that was put into the pace and tone of the shots is drenched in emotional texture. The fact that she is driving in a car (the destination for me is irrelevant) but she is going on a journey, she is being propelled forward, going through a tunnel, the enveloping light at the end. Like you said before every shot is chosen and every shot has a reason. I think a character going through an obvious change is too forceful. She is changing, growing, learning. Controlling her destiny.

Maybe my issue isn't the fact that he is disappearing, more the way he is disappearing. The difference between a chemical film dissolve and video transition have a different quality don't they. Film loses the lighter values first and then the darks. It is a more organic transition. Digital, unless manipulated in such a fashion will just evenly dissolve.

http://www.videocopilot.net/preset/film_fade_transition/
Click to expand...

I agree with this very much. For me, I was a little disappointed when the male character showed up and disappeared. I could feel that something was missing and she was going through a change, but when I SAW what the change was, it took away the mysterious longing of the piece. Also, losing a loved one is kind of the first thing I thought of, and it's a little disappointing when your first guess is right, if that makes any sense.

I think it's hard for people to watch shorts a lot of the time because we have the same expectations for longer narrative pieces. We expect a beginning, middle and end. But a lot of times I think a short's strength is in capturing one moment or one feeling, without resolution or too much explaining.
 
Hey Josh,

I like the piece alot.

I agree with Tim that the character fading out of the picture is a little heavy handed. In part I think because you had to switch to a locked off two shot to achieve the effect, it's kind of a stylistic departure from the rest of the piece. Doing something "in camera" with clever blocking for example would suit my own tastes better.

Cheers,
IBloom
 
Very nicely shot. Communicated emotion in such a short piece.

Do agree with the fading male character/heavy handed. Actually, when you went back to the candle, I expected 1 flame to go out, and communicate the loss. Just my brain working (or perhaps not:) )

But great job overall!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top