What do you do if you feel your entry stink? Do you still finish it or do you hide it away? Do you throw tons of effects, sounds and music to make it a little bit better or?

Unless it is so bad that it is embarrassing, I might stop and keep some of the footage if wanted later for something else. Most of the time I stick with it though.

Well.. it's more "what was I thinking" embarassing... but since all the shots are done I am going to cut it together and give you guys/girls a good laugh. I have done worse in my life... I guess it would be an E for Effort ;)

Wait until you compress it down to a small 320X240 window. Then it will really stink.

This is why I really liked the 4 week DVC5. It gave me a little time to catch myself. with the one weeker, you're out there butt naked with nothing to cover you up.

You've probably noticed that the pros aren't posting much right now. This is to mess with your mind.

I would keep going at it. that's what I did, right up until the deadline. I just kept cutting and moving and cutting. Initially what was the biggest piece of DV junk turned out OK.

With the exception of a few, we all stink....

Ha ha ha.. nice points... and I am sure that my mother will love it anyway! ;)

Nah, your mom won't like it either. She'll say she does, but she won't.

Nah, your mom won't like it either. She'll say she does, but she won't.
Ouch.. that really breaks my heart...

You Sad Sacks* are killin’ me! :) If I had anything shot yet I’d ask to pull up a chair and commiserate with you for a bit, but I’m still in the thinking stage over here and need to get busy.

Hang in there, boys…your movies will be great!

*for all the young'ns: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sad_Sack :)

Well.. it's more "what was I thinking" embarassing... but since all the shots are done I am going to cut it together and give you guys/girls a good laugh. I have done worse in my life... I guess it would be an E for Effort ;)
The theme is "The Sun," right? and not "The Moon???" oh...not that kind of embarrassing, huh?

I like the stoic approach; I'll say mine stinks and when it does, I won't be dissapointed. AKA the "I meant to do that".

I can't even see mine right now. After shooting all day in the sun, I think burned my retina's out.

Progress so far:

Sat: thought of an idea, not sure if it sucks yet but I had to go with it. Clock is ticking.

Sun: Shot all day, I think I lost 5 lbs in sweat. My arms hurt from lugging the gear around.

Monday: Composed the music, so far it's the only thing i'm happy with.

Tues: put together a rough cut, yep my idea sucks. but got some good shots of an idea that was a little too grand to shoot in one week. So now the dilema. Do I try to rethink my idea and make the footage work? Or do I take a day off work and shoot some more footage to try and realise my first idea? Or do I go with what I have? hmmmm. I'm a Sad Sack.

On the thing about your mom liking it...

You would be surprised to find out what memories mothers keep hanging around to embarass you with. Years after you were sure you threw that copy of that 5th grade poem you wrote about blue cows, it will resurface in some Christmas card she has made and sends to everyone you know - along with that cute picture of you in the bathtub with your cousin Sally when you were both 2 years old. Yeah, that one.

They only do it because their parents did it to them. Don't blame them, just wait for your own kids to grow up so you can do it to them too.

And yes, I do have a killer idea. Now to find a few ripe cucumbers, an old garage opener, a squirell with only 3 legs and a copy of the 1812 Overature...

Where did I put those peanuts? Here little 3 legged squirells...

Sean

Nah, your mom won't like it either. She'll say she does, but she won't.

Speak for yourself there, buddy; I suppose I'm blessed, in a way, but my mom most certainly will not say she likes it if she doesn't. Tact is not one of her strong points, and she speaks her mind, as does my dad (though in a more careful, diplomatic way). Good that the only two people I see regularly are able to be so honest, I guess.

As for the movie stinking, well, I'm sure some will (mine included), but I say do it anyway. Get the bad things out of you to make room for the good stuff. Consider the Digital Video Challenge the leech through which your blood supply is rid of toxins. "DVC: sucking you dry since 2005"

I kid, of course, I had a wonderful time last contest, and I'm starting to enjoy myself now. Took a couple days to get into the swing of things, but it's starting to come together. It's going to be a seriously tight schedule, however, requiring some careful planning the likes of which I've never even attempted before, so be prepared for my feedback thread to contain a lengthy, detailed report of all the things I had to do to get this movie made.

What if it stinks? Be proud. If it only stinks, that means it'll be way better than mine!

The theme is "The Sun," right? and not "The Moon???" oh...not that kind of embarrassing, huh?

What do you mean? All that light shining off of the moon is from the Sun!

Stink or not, turn in a movie, and stay off of the WALL!

I have not shot a thing! Lorinda-----Help!

Mike

I'm just playin' around. Of coarse all mom's will love it. It's the one person I can count on to sit through the whole thing with a smile on her face. At least I think it's a smile, or she could be squinting to see the 320X240 size movie.

OK, on the sucky meter for my short, I think it came up from the bottom a few notches today. I chopped and moved and had meetings with my counsel. It's changed once again. 3 min isn't a lot of time to get too complex on the story, at least for a writing hack like myself. Lots of players hit the cutting room floor. I really hate doing that cause it feels like I've just cooked a big juicey steak and then cut half of it off and toss it in the trash.

lesson 254: Shooting isn't like eating steak.

Here is where i've hit a crossroads, I'm asking here cause my counsel isn't talking to me right now. (my dog). Do I try to spell it out, or leave it vague? I wan't everyone to get my dooky story but I don't want to rub their nose in it either. It's a story that needs explaining cause my shots are a little too abstract. (well the cool shots are abstract, the others suck). Is anyone else having this problem?

Never spoon feed the audience. I speak from long years as a television and movie viewer. I detest stories that give you everything from begining to end. Where's the fun? Maybe that's why I like a good psychological thriller or horror flic. There are more bad horror films than any other genre I think.

Just because there is some guy eating some glop that's supposed to be the brains of his dead previously best friend doesn't make it good. Lofty effects don't make it good. More and more fake blood don't make it good.

A story that lets people think makes a good movie. In a horror film, which has more impact, seeing somebody in cheesy makeup putting a fake axe into the back of some manequin - or - closeup of the villian as he raises the axe, it begins to fall, you see the victims eyes in extreme close up. The eyes open extra wide on the victim, you hear a thud and the eyes slowly close.

I personally am tired of fake bloody scenes. I can imagine a better scene in my head if you stage it so I have to put myself in the place of the victim.

So anyway, never give the audience everything. My two dollars. (adjusted for inflation, up from the 2 cents I had as a kid during the Kennedy eras)

Sean

More and more fake blood don't make it good.


Fake blood got me through DVC5... :)

Bill

Drinking it doesn't count.

Ah yes, but proper usage of fake blood is another story.

In the short I just shot, I did an interview with everyone involved and put it all on the DVDs. One of the actresses is a working media professional talent and she says, on why she wanted to work on my little story, there are only three genres in Cincinnati, nudity, horror and vampires. She wanted to do something with a level of depth to it.

While you can fit all that into one film, that doesn't speak well for the originality of the indie film folks in our fair city to the south of Cow-lumbus. I will admit, while I am on the dark side of the road, I won't do a-typical horror. It's been done to death, like Rocky movies.

Sean

If it stinks, then that just means you learnt what doesn't work.
so the more crap you make the more you learn! :)

I posted my film, and it was quite literally inspired by this thread. I hope noone takes offense.....

So I still think my movie stinks in selection of shots, recording technique and performance of the actor (e g me :) ). But I decided to complete it anyway and it's pretty funny... well, if you have my bisarre humour... I am looking forward to see if anyone gets what I was thinking of. :)

With the entries closed, I can now confide that the title of my film is "Why My Movie About the Sun Stinks". Thanks to all in this thread for the inspiration.

Chris! lovely idea, looking forward to see it.

hahaha, that's good. Is a Mom in the short?

hahaha, that's good. Is a Mom in the short?

Just the wife and grandkids....

If it stinks it just means the dog will eat it.

Mine really stank until I sprayed it with some febreeze, now it just sits there staring at me like it's pissed or something.


Ohh were you all talking about the movies? ok ok mine stinks too!

ha ha ha.. you guys are all funny.. maybe we should have a DVC stinker award.. ;) but that might not be nice...