Hey all. Fun to be back in one of these challenges.

This film shot with the Canon 5D, and experimenting with Technicolor Cinestyle picture style.

When theme was announced, I new I wanted to do a narrative type film, so I came up with this story line that included an instructional video.

Chris, good cinematic look for the footage crushing the black. The background score and the audio have nice levels and add to the drama. Great acting with the unusual twist at the end that we expect from your films.

Wotcha, Chris. I think the main thing that struck me was the lighting - specifically, the lighting of the main shot (the guy actually building the bomb). That was like something out of an old painting (towards the Rembrandt end of the scale). The deep shadows were very effective, I thought. With the sunken eyes, straggly long hair etc... there really was something of the 15th century about the whole thing! Very atmospheric, I thought.

I agree with George about the bomb shot - it was very striking indeed. Although I also like the two agents looming out of the blackness. It somehow seemed to fit with their characters.

Chris, I need to take lessons from you on lighting and shooting in low light. WOW! Beautiful images. I really liked the first shot in the homeland security scene. Made me feel like I was in a theater! Very nice, all the way around.

Oh and, thank you for giving away the ending when you did. It made the last scenes quite satisfying. :)

I second the kudos for the lighting! It was a bit slow, but well plotted and very well executed. That room where the bomb was being made really looked pretty dank!

I need drive up to Sacto and to get some DP tips from ya!

I third the kudos on the lightning, perfectly done!
I also enjoyed the story much, you kept the suspense and it was entertaining. Hollywood points to you!
Both indoor sets were great and believable, I liked the sideways motion in the homeland security office.

What sort of stood out was that the person instructing was a woman. Women don't fit such roles in traditional/religious societies and men/fighters would take no orders or instructions from them.
But I guess it's a good, albeit legally wrong, plan to take out Americans with no Islamist background who want to play terrorist.

Chris,

How did you do your dissolving logo? I ‘ve got to learn how to do fancy titles like that. In addition to crushing the blacks, did you do any color correction? Looks like a green hue to things, giving it creepy, conspiratorial feeling.

I liked your dramatic lighting, and the dolly move on the keyboard. Was that a slider?
Very pretty agent. I can see wiring up a bomb for her. Theoretically speaking. Your lighting and camera moves just keep getting better and better.

I thought it was very creative to take the instructional video theme and create a dramatic story. Your instructional video was a video in a video. But I thought the story could use more of a twist. I kind of knew it was going in the first twenty seconds. Something about that gal didn’t seem right. Connecting the red wire last? When jumping a car, I connect the red wire first. And, what’s with using the cell phone to test the bomb? Didn’t he watch the Hurt Locker? Nothing good could come of that.

Something about a pretty women deceiving a man, leading to his destruction, bothered me. We shouldn’t make stories like that. Ought to be a law or something against it. ;)

As others have already said, superb lighting. Really superb. I enjoyed this a lot and it made me wonder if governments really have teams that do such things.

When the lady is giving the directions, did you shot, edit, and then play it back or was it composited on the screen?

Jeremy, that was shot right off the laptop screen, played back from Media player, as I recall.

Dick, thanks for comments. Did color correction in First Light. Green tinge showed up in process of shoot, I think be cause some light was bouncing off a canvas green screen hanging above out of frame. This was in my garage where I have hung a green screen from time to time. I didn't notice it in shoot but it seemed to be okay, so didn't try to remove it. Opening shot at Homeland Security was on a regular PVC pipe dolly at our studio set. I had the slider handy too, but in this case actually easier to lay the dolly track quickly.

Andris- I was actually purposely trying to keep this terrorist group generic. Using a female for faux "instruction" then, didn't feel so wrong.

Jay- That dank place was my garage, but my wife will agree with you. The bomb box was a case to a paint sprayer. Holler any time you are up here. We have a group of dedicated film makers, and have managed to get into a large building owed by a friend, and have construct our own Cyclorama green sceen... 24 ft on one wing, 16 on nother, and 16 ft high. Just beginning to have some fun with it. The Homeland Security shot was shot on a separate set we had set up in the building. Nice to have room for that stuff.

Bill, George, Henry, and Lorinda, thanks for the kind comments.