OK, thought I would jump the gun and throw the ol' feedback thread up, as suggested, because I may not be watching the forums like a hawk for when mine hits the street. Feel free to flail away.

remember, this is a pure experimental thing for me. I have no idea how anyone else will react as the imagery used means something to me as it is taken from short scenes of my life. Yes, most of it was shot for DVC5 but some is older material interspersed here and there. It is a memory after all of a dream.

Good lucj trying to understand it all. I don't think anyone can really, including myself. I threw the scenes together so they could start to tell a story but left it wide open. You can literally make your own story out of the segments, especially if you re-arrange them.

Sean

As a quick follow up. I have been using the following gear:

Camera: Sony PDX-10 in 16:9, DVCam
Tripod: Bogen/Manfrotto BN3211 sticks
Head: Bogen/Manfrotto 501
Wide Angle Lens: Century .65 HR
Matte Box: Cinetactics MatteBlox
LCD Display shade: Hoodman
Lighting: Natural, shop lights (Including flourescent daylight work lights)
Mics: Azden 100LT UHF kit
Tape: Sony DVCam (various lengths)
Editing Hardware: HP zv5340 Laptop with 3.4GHz AMD 64 CPU, 768Meg RAM, nVidia dual card (built in), 100GB HD (built in)
Editing Software: Avid Xpress Pro HD 5.2.3

That's it.

Sean:

I really liked it. I'm not big on "art" pieces, but the music and the images worked well together to evoke some a feeling that I wanted to know more about your characters and what was going on. CInematography was great.

i think this is my favorite of your works to date. but then, i like art pieces! i like things that are suggestive and imagistic and don't have to bonk you over the head. i thought this was very beautiful and subtle. the statue images gave it that frozen-in-time look. it's very haunting and lyrical. you have a real talent for setting images to music...it's the only DVC entry so far that i have viewed more than once....

Interesting art piece. Nicely edited. Don't know if I understand it, but then I don't know if I'm supposed to. :)

Interesting to note that a bunch of us went after the same "mirror with different reflection" trick, but it seems like everybody so far has a different take on it (which is good).

Bill
PS: This is another one that I recommend listening to with headphones: cool stereo audio effects.

I picked up some "haunting" vibes from this, like the others, but I must say I'm not a fan of the music. It seems...I don't know, too dramatic. Like it's trying too hard to be dark and depressing. I think this would benefit from a more subtly eerie soundtrack. But then, everyone's idea of "dark" is different, and what I would do in your situation might come off as cheesy to anyone else, so who knows?

Very pretty, though, and your mirror effect was smooth as silk, didn't notice the split, well done. I get the sense I could make some sort of story out of them eventually, perhaps after a few more views. Good job!

Hi Sean!

Dude! Dude? Dood? Dang... :)

Well done! I must give props to the OG.

Best wishes~
Bradley

It was alright for a visual piece, but other than that I just couldn't get into it. I just didn't get it, or what was trying to be said. Or where the reflections fit in. There are a bunch of different shots, but nothing that I could see that could really connect them or 'reflect' off each other. But that's just me.

I still thing OG means Old Guy. Waiting to hear what Lorinda has to say too.

On the mirror effect. Nobody has mentioned this specifically but, if you watch as I walk in to the first mirror scene, the second shot in the piece, my reflection and I walk in at the same time...Interesting... and then, I move before the reflection does. The second to last shot, in the mirror again, the reflection moves out of frame first.

I thank you all for your kindness. I mentioned somewhere else that you can take it as it is, or, as there are no real time refrences in this piece, you can rearrange each shot and actually make your own story out of it.

I look at it like a murder mystery. I give clues and lets the rest go it's own way.

On the music, I was tooling through my favorite web site, unsignedbandweb.com and came across this piece on the Thursday evening before the contest expired. I was so impressed I got up and started shooting. That's how it works for me. Music is a huge inspiration to me.

If you want to see the work I am doing on a larger musical project, hit the web site.

Thanks again everyone,

Sean

Tyler,
It's a memory, reflection, of bits of dreams. There are the literal mirror images for the obvious connection to reflections as well in 3 places. I used the main streets of Columbus, Ohio, in fact you can almost make out the capitol building in one shot, as the location stuff.

It is very much just a collection of images. I admit that. It was sort of my point in the experiment.

In defense of your position, you could easily argue there is no point. If you let the images affect you, you sort of find a point.

There is a scene in the movie Pi where the mentor of the lead mentions that if you are looking for a number, any number, like 132, you will find there are 132 steps from your front door to the bus stop or 132 M&Ms in a bag or 132 sesame seeds on a hamburger bun, etc. If you have something to look for, you might find it. If you have nothing you are looking for, perhaps there is nothing there at all.

That's all there is to it. So I agree with you in that if you have nothing you see in the images or the music, you will find nothing there. Don't take me wrong. If you don't find anything there, maybe you are simply a more well adjusted person than I am in that you don't see or think of the dark nature of things like I do. That can be a very good thing. Nothing at all wrong with your view. Made me think even more actually.

Sean

I have three things to say...

1) What the Hell was that??!?!??

2) It was interesting. Very watchable. Good pictures. Boots, knife...

3) Music was disturbing. But that's added to the mood.

Okay, Maybe I'll come back and watch this one again and add more. Give me another chance to see that foxy dancing daughter again.

Sorry, I'm an OG too. I would have thought Tyler would have at least liked that part.

Liked it. It really felt like a dream with a lot of fragments that could be related but you just can't put them together logically -- that's the way it feels right after you wake up. I thought the visuals were cool, esp. the window. It's cool the way you feel like it's leading up to something but then you realize it really didn't go anywhere -- a lot of times that's disappointing but here you say "yeah, that's really like a dream".

The darn thing hangs at 3:35! Like at bad dream!!

Nice images, Sean! Hopefully, I'll be able to watch it in its entirety, but here are my initial thoughts:

You have the most bizarre dreams. Try eating a chocolate chip cookie and drinking a glass of cold milk before you go to bed at night. Seriously, the title played a big part in helping me get into this movie.

Getting a jump start on the big music video are ya? Dark, eerie, creaking doors--I was expecting Goth!

Love the mirror work in the bathroom. That was so cool! (I kind of expected Santa Claus there at first. LOL!)

The gun: I showed you mine, you showed me yours... ;)

Great idea using your daughter's sunny, glowing, contemplative face then cutting to the CU of the statue. I really liked that part, as well as your circle around the statue. Actually, really nice camera work throughout!!

More later. Still waiting for it to finish...

Lorinda, not sure what the trouble is viewing it but you can download it from here:
http://www.surgetechservices.com/smchenry/DVC5.wmv

I am going to start a thread about using http://video.google.com for us to post our videos. It was very easy and they had it up and running in 48 hours. I have 3 of my videos there. I will say for some reason this one encoded the best and the other 2 are a bit choppy playing back. I thought I sent them exactly the same file types but I may not have. You send them any of a variety of files and they convert them to Flash video for you. Very nice.

Let me know what you think after seeing the whole thing. The statues are all from different local cemetaries. Greenlawn Cemetary herein Columbus, Ohio is actually online. You can google them. They actually encourage a photo contest of sorts for best pictures taken in the cemetary. When I get done with the musical drama I'll be sure to post links to it. Should be shooting the end of next month. The cast is itching to shoot and so am I. Thanks for the compliments so far. On the gun, mine's bigger...

Sean

lol Sean- My Gun is the BIGGEST! (44mag)

eh...eh..eh...

I watched it several times (I have watched all of them several times).

I guess I like art pieces. I didn't know that until I read some of the other posts. Sean, I agree, music is very inspiring and can really enhace and even make a picture. The story was communicated pretty well and techinically it was excellent.

20 guage with pistol grip. That "cha chunk" sound is all I need to feel better in the dark waiting for the burglars to peek around the corner.

Mind you, I don't spend too many nights sitting in the dark with the thing in my hands. In fact, there is quite a layer of dust on the beast as it has been propped up in the corner of the closet for about 2 years.

Security in knowing it's there I suppose. It is cable locked through the breech. Doesn't make for easy quick access however.

S.

I liked it, dark. I liked the mood you set. the music and the visuals went together well for me. i hate the google thing, it was a bit blotchy.
It did feel like a dream to me. kind of abstract but with a thread. I always admire those that push the limits and test the mind. I thought the shots were engaging and with some filters or arty post work could have been very spooky. You are on to something.

I really like it to be honest, comparing to DVC4. Nice music and mood that settles in, very well done. Really makes me watching it again, be right back! :)

Eeesh. Don't compare anything I have done with DVC4. The Christmas thing is one I may never claim. For some reason I wasn't too crazy about the delivery on that one myself. I suppose the concept was OK. Delivery wasn't up to my standards. It was shot in the dark to get the fireplace in it but I should have put at least a small diffused spot on me to pull me out of the murk. More dual shots would have been better and me as an actor, with a speaking role, what was I thinking? Old history.

Glad mostly everyone is liking it so far. I told everyone it was going to be different.

Sean McHenry

Sean:

You have the makings of a great film stylist. Use of music/image is great and I particularly love the fact that you didn't overuse your images. For example, some images you held on screen for a very short time. Some filmmakers are so proud of certain shots that they keep them on screen too long. You paced each shot well. Giving us a glimpse. Just enough time.

Cool dreams.

Ok Sean,

All goofing around aside (whose gun is bigger-the OG-Dude!), I thought I would put on my serious hat and give you a respectful post.

I really enjoyed the imagery in your film. Sepia toned seemingly dead trees wafting in the wind. The cold feel. Dead plants watered with gasoline. Sad and contemplative cherubs. Several nervous glances in a rearview mirror. A cut thumb. A gun and leather jacket. And a very interesting airplane wing (where did you get that?)

Yes- I noticed your mirror sequence right off. Very nice effect. In fact, the first one was my favorite.

I thought your choice of music worked very well. Plus, the added creaking door suggesting you are about to walk into a "strange room" was terrific.

Sometimes with art pieces, unlike Meryem, I bonk myself over the head grasping for meaning. Trying to make sense out of what it is I’m watching. For some films, I find myself doing this more than others.

Yes, I do have a dark side and do like to explore it at times. This film allowed me to do that in some way.

Best Wishes~
Bradley

The new link worked much better for me because I was able to save it first. Thank you.

Not enough attention has been given to your audio work. Were my ears playing tricks or were you panning those early effects (lightning, etc.)? It sounded very, very cool when I was able to listen at a better level today. (Don't want to wake up the house with that kind of music, ya know? :)

I think someone mentioned your image placement. I really, really liked the place in the music where the band is saying, "Wake up, wake up, It's just a dream" and only your reflection walks out of the bathroom. I've had dreams like that where I wanted to leave and only part of me did. You nailed that.

Watching it again I was able to get caught up in the dream--which may or may not be a good thing. ;) You did a really good job with this, Sean. Congratulations!!

While I would love to take even a small amount of credit for the soundtrack, I cannot. The audio was completly part of the muical piece. I wish I had done all that. I will pass on your comments to Rick Abbott. rick is in advertising in NY. He has worked on several high level commerical campaigns including a few of the M&Ms spots.

He enjoyed the piece as well. I will say again that the strength of my pieces is in deciphering the qualities in various musical works and looking for just the right thing to visually represent that sound or music. On previous DVChallenges I have used a mix of live sound and 2 or 3 other musical pieces from folks like KDream, Baranimo, Glitterstar, Ronni Raygun and others. Ricks stage name for his musical work is Celiac. All these folks can be contacted and their music listened to at unsignedbandweb.com.

The folks on that site are for the majority very eager to allow their music to be used by folks like us. They are not signed to any labels and hold all their own rights to their works. I have written dozens of people from the site and all but one said I could use what I wanted. They have also been happy with my use of their works. So much so that one of the musicians actually entered Frame 37 on my behalf in a small festival in Strasbourg, France. He sent me the poster from the showing. I had it printeds out and framed. It has a nice shot of my daughter on the poster and the title. The rest is in French, and quite cool.

Hope that helps. I take credit for mixes but if it belongs to someone else, I'll be upfront about it and even tell you who it is. It's in the credits too but I didn't add a thing to this soundtrack except the visuals. It's all in the timing and shot selection.

Sean McHenry