This is a ten minute film. The download is ~100mb WMV. Let me know what your impressions are of the film and maybe let me know what you think is happening. It is sort of an experiment in the limits of how much to show and or tell the audience. I know I know - throw people a bone, but just sit back and have fun...it's just entertainment - with a little bit of social commentary ;).

Planet Earth: Our Response

www.distropolis.com/PEOR.wmv

This has been cross posted at dvxuser.com

Hmmm. I'm surprised no one has commented yet. I thought this was fantastic. I saw a piece that was done in a similar sci-fi vein with vintage 16MM footage and well blended CGI at a film festival last year and have been wanting to do something with found footage ever since. This is certainly inspiring. Excellent job, Arman.

I came up with the idea like ten years ago, when I was collecting 16mm educational films. I waited and waited and finally computers got to a point where I could afford to do what I wanted to. It's great. Thank you computer.

What was the premise of the film you saw before?

There was no clear story or premise. It was more of a series of self-contained vignettes with a sci-fi type theme. I don't remember any one particular vignette in detail but I can give you an idea of how they more or less went:
1950's 16mm footage of a girl opening a hat box and instead of a hat being there, a crazy looking alien creature would come out and settle on top of her head. She goes to a mirror and lovingly admires the creature.
Of course in the untouched footage she would be adoring the hat but he made it look like the alien creature.
The Northwestern Film Forum here in Seattle has a MASSIVE supply of vintage 16mm, 35mm film sitting in a room waiting to be explored.
All of it cleared for use without license if I remember correctly.
If you're ever up this way you should give it a look see.
Once again, great work! Consider me a fan.

My friend Brandon did his first feature for the NW Film Forum a few years back. I hardly ever get to see him anymore.

I hear the NW Film Forum does fund movies ... I should look into that.

You have any movies posted Eric?

The NWFF is a great resource for sure. That's cool your friend used them for his film. I think that they do have some kind of a grant for filmmakers.
As far as a movie goes I do have a clip from a recently completed short I did.

www.vimeo.com/233301

Also, checked out your site. Very cool. I think I'm going to pick up
your DVD to support the cause (lol)

My website for my short is up but people using Windows without IE 7 for a browser or Quicktime have problems so enter at your own risk. (Works beautifully on Macs, however).

www.themourner.com

Reminds me of the TV Show 'Lost' and the initiation films.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JZItP_xrA8

I VJ with things like this got lots of my own s8 footage and 16mm. Nice work, nice asthetic.

So I just went back to my little hometown of Palouse Washington and my film won the local film festival there! It was a lot of fun.

I did get comments that the film was hard to hear so I am re editing the audio right now.

Also - It's got over 2 million views over at crackle.com! Very strange. I think there must be some robot crawler in love with my film.

Thanks for the Lost comment - I like that show! (at least the first two seasons)

Arman, awesome news! I have to go back and do some sound stuff on my second short right now. It's driving my wife crazy as she thinks I "over-tweak" things. Smart woman... she's probably right. Also, thanks for the extras with the DVD. Loved your 8mm shorts! The Long Winter, Humanidad Aterrorizado and Ring! Ring! were my favorites.

My father showed me that same exact movie when I was a kid back in the 70s and I don't understand it any better now than I did then. He said it was important that I watch it and understand it but it seems kinda pointless.

What movie do you mean exactly, Marcus? These short films I'm talking about were only recently made in the last few years.

It looks the same to me. He said he got it from someone at work. My father was a little odd to say the least. I just remember that he said this stuff was important and that the people that owned the remote control car thing were going to be angry. I don't see why it's such a big deal.

Thanks Eric -

I'm out of town right now ... glad you liked the stuff.

Uhhhh ... Marcus, what are you referring to?