Bill... you've done it again! You rogue! Even the music's back! You've made sequels worth watching again. Plus, the whole thing looked very pro. Excellent.

Hi Everybody,

OK, I promise that I didn't pay Dylan to pick a theme that made a sequel easy. I've already asked him to not make the theme for DVC7 "Garlic". :)

My one request: please watch my DVC5 entry, "Love Bites", before watching my DVC6 entry, "Sun Burns". Without watching Love Bites, you probably won't have the foggiest idea what's going on. You can find Love Bites at
http://www.wrgardner.com/film/LoveBites

We shot this on the first Saturday of the competition on a Sony Z1U. We managed to sneak in one dolly shot using the very nice dolly we got from MikeT after DVC5, though we didn't really do it justice. I promise to use it better (and the new indicam steadicam-thingy I got recently but didn't use here) next time.

As always, constructive criticism and unconstructive praise is greatly appreciated.

You can also find more info on the film at the following link, in case you're interested.
http://www.wrgardner.com/film/SunBurns

Cheers, everybody!
Bill
PS: Thanks, Hugh, for the kind words, and for getting up early enough to start this thread off. :)

This series is getting a life of its own. Great sequel. I love you two main characters, they go together like Abbot and Costello. Great chemistry.

Wow, Looked 100% better quality wise. Not that the first one didn't look good, but what an improvement. Great sequel too. I have to say I was a little disapointed in only seeing one dolly shot, you being the owner of a new dolly and all. Audio was top notch, props to the audio person. Extremely well put together, and in only 1 week. Amazing.

I must say this is a big leap in quality from episode one which I enjoyed throughly when it was first released. Funny the things you don't notice until you put together something better. Very nice job.

This would be a contender on Channel 101.

What a great idea! I sort of had a feeling he was being scammed once he left the house. The jump from his childhood to the present was not smooth for me, I thought it was another character at first. (I have not seen the first episode.) Other then that, it was great. Nice picture quality too.

Ack! How do you compete with this??? Fantastic job, Bill!! Quite possibly another winner. I'm a big fan of the "Love Bites" series. Can't wait till the next DVC. Hmmm....think the theme will be "Resurrection?"

The jump from his childhood to the present was not smooth for me, I thought it was another character at first. (I have not seen the first episode.)

Hi Justin,

Yeah, this was supposed to be another character (the shoplifting kid from Love Bites). I'm sure that this was mighty confusing given that you hadn't seen the first movie! :)

And thanks everybody for the kind words so far.

Unlike last time, I'm going to try to watch everybody else's in one showing when they're all posted, so don't treat my lack of feedback on the other threads as a lack of interest.

Bill

Unlike Justin, I didn't see it coming. Loved the idea of that kind of vampire slayer! Good thinking!!

As Hugh said, you've done it again. You've got the "movie formula" down pat, and you pull it off with great style. Niiiiice. :)

Bill,
way to go. Looking good. I wish I had a knack to write humor. Some day ask me about the script for Shakes the Clown. Eeech.

Anyway, I liked the prop work. Simple things like good props, especially when you have to make them yourself, that gets me believing. I don't need fancy 3D effect work from Maya, just give me a good story, the right characterisation and some props.

I liked the turning red and "dust" effects. It wasn't overdone and worked well. Too many folks go overboard on effects. This was good.

Keep after it. I encourage you, and the other in the contest to make sure you post these where other people can see them. Make a web site, get them on Google or something. There is a ton of BAD video on Google. We need the good stuff.

Sean

Hey Will thanks for clearing that up.

Second time around and I think a better video than the first. Excellent quality on the shoot. The camera work was also done really well. With the music, it oriented me immediately (I did see the first one). The story was great.

I missed the point about the young boy being the same one as in the store the last time, I also took it as a childhood shot; I guess I forgot about the boy in the first one, because that makes a lot of sense.

A very professional job.

I enjoyed Love Bites but this one had a better ending IMO. The vampire slaying was a nice touch. Good work as always.

Well, it looks like I've got this contest in the bag. The bag of failure, that is. Another great entry, Bill!

There were two things that bothered me, however. First is the scene when the salesman shows up--both characters smile and stick their heads forward the same way, and it looks kind of funny (I know the whole thing was supposed to be funny, but this seemed unintentionally so). I think a smile by itself would suffice, and though I imagine I'd think different if I were wearing the teeth, I don't think the smiles needed to be as big as they were. Kind of makes them look like dim-witted hillbilly vampires posing for school pictures, to be honest.

Second is the framing of the conversation they have once inside; Mr. Funnyaccent (I like the way it sounds, where's that guy from?) has more nose room than our protagonist, and I feel like I should be able to see the side of the vampire's head in those shots. A tighter shot of the salesman, or a wider shot of the vampire, might have made things feel more balanced in my mind.

Other than that, I really enjoyed it! The kid getting bundled up in the middle of summer (did he get scale for that? Looked awful toasty...), the newspaper puns--who doesn't love a good pun?--the salesman's accent, as I mentioned, and topping it all off, the noise Jay makes when he dies. Starts as your typical vampire hiss, then moves on to something else entirely. Loved it. I'd love to see who else is on the hunter's list, by the way.

One technical note, I have the latest Quicktime 7 installed, but encountered some oddities during playback of the "Good Quality" Quicktime version of the film (http://www.wrgardner.com/film/SunBurns/SB.640x360.mov); the file starts just after the "o" in "okay" at the beginning of the teacher's line. Then, at the end, there's some sort of noise in the radio announcers' voices. I've reviewed the film a couple of times, it's in the same spot every time. Is it me?

Wow, very nicely done again Bill. I didn't see any music credits. Did you compose that as well?

The only thing I can think of that I would've changed, is the addition of an establishing shot at the beginning. As Robert mentioned, it does seem like the movie starts in mid-sentence (the "o" in okay was cut off?).

Also, Robert, I don't think the noise is a flaw in Quicktime. I'm pretty sure that was done intentionally to signify a change in radio stations (although it isn't something you would expect to hear in a modern car like the Mini, so maybe that's why it didn't register for you right away).

Oh, I get it now, thanks Eric! I've never heard noise like that in any kind of radio, that's why it didn't click for me. It's so sudden, loud and sharp in the film, it just didn't seem to fit. And it sounds exactly (and I do mean exactly) like the kind of noise I hear when some kind of electronic equipment isn't plugged in correctly, or when I rotate the mini plug on a pair of headphones. That sound effect says "weak electrical connection" or "encoding error" to me, I'm sorry to say.

First is the scene when the salesman shows up--both characters smile and stick their heads forward the same way, and it looks kind of funny (I know the whole thing was supposed to be funny, but this seemed unintentionally so). I think a smile by itself would suffice, and though I imagine I'd think different if I were wearing the teeth, I don't think the smiles needed to be as big as they were. Kind of makes them look like dim-witted hillbilly vampires posing for school pictures, to be honest.
Yeah, my thinking was Jay was trying to scare him away if he wasn't a vampire. Also, I needed to make sure the audience had time to see the fangs. But your point is certainly well taken. :)

Second is the framing of the conversation they have once inside; Mr. Funnyaccent (I like the way it sounds, where's that guy from?)
Iceland. And he thinks the rest of us have funny accents. :) He actually has a voiceover in the upcoming 20th Century Fox Viking movie Pathfinder.

...has more nose room than our protagonist, and I feel like I should be able to see the side of the vampire's head in those shots. A tighter shot of the salesman, or a wider shot of the vampire, might have made things feel more balanced in my mind.
Really good feedback! Thanks much!

One technical note, I have the latest Quicktime 7 installed, but encountered some oddities during playback of the "Good Quality" Quicktime version of the film (http://www.wrgardner.com/film/SunBurns/SB.640x360.mov); the file starts just after the "o" in "okay" at the beginning of the teacher's line.
Hmm. On my computer it starts right before the "o" in "okay" but perhaps different computers have slightly different issues with initial syncing of video and audio? Just a guess... I will grant you that it starts a little abruptly. I would have liked to have started that scene a bit more gradually (perhaps with a fade in from black), but I took the 3 minute rule strictly. Perhaps I should have made mine 3 seconds longer and started with a fade in.

Then, at the end, there's some sort of noise in the radio announcers' voices. I've reviewed the film a couple of times, it's in the same spot every time. Is it me?
Yes, as Eric says, it was intended to be the sound of the radio tuning from station to station... If only there was more time to refine this! :)

Thanks again, guys. This is exactly the kind of detailed criticism that I appreciate and find helpful.
Bill

Bill, on the QT issues. When I kick files out of my Avid to be encoded, I always add at least 15 frames of black and leave at least 15 frames of black at the tail due to this and any encoding scheme. They should lay down an initial "I" frame but I think sometimes the encoders can go a full 15 (or more) frames before locking in. It's a safe way to make sure you get all the real bits.

Sean

My thought process as I watched was
1) bill you're killing me. 2) we can't let him win twice in a row. 3) but that was really good.

I haven't watched Love Bites recently, but did know immediately who the kid was. Well, as soon as he showed his fangs anyway. Another good story well executed.

Smile,
Kris

I remember liking the first installment well enough but this is definitely a more evolved piece. The look is better, the angles, the tight story. Very nicely done. I'm impressed you were able to shoot the kid in front of what was essentially a huge mirror without seeing any reflections!


-j

Very clever indeed. I must say I enjoyed viewing your first 'vampire' film as well. Great work on the 'sequel', it was most enjoyable.

Jim

cute!

but does this mean that the series is now officially over?? or will you find a way to bring him back to life? what happens when the undead are slain? i'm "dying" to find out. heh.

Great job Bill, loved it! How do you do your encoding, it is great! Send me the settings you use, or the dolly will self-destruct! :)

Look very much forward to the next!

Mike

What can I say? This is very well-executed. I especially appreciate how well you composed the first scene -- the editing is excellent -- a montage of images that are on screen just long enough for people to see the details of what's going on without even noticing that you're cutting. Your use of cutaway shots is great -- definitely something that I horribly neglected in my short, for instance.

The story is short and sweet. Three minutes isn't much time to work with. However, I think that the most talented filmmakers find a way to trim away all the fat to create a lean and effective short. Sometimes it works to their advantage, and I think this happened with your sequel -- it trumps "Love Bites" in my opinion.

I do have two questions, if you don't mind! The walls in the living room and bathroom scenes are very light. I've never really done any lighting before -- but from what little I've tried, I noticed that it's difficult to properly light the subjects without blowing out the background. Did you use natural light?

Also, for the shot where the guy in the cap looks down at the heap of clothes, I'm assuming you artificially blurred the footage when the camera tilted?

Nicely done! I'd have to say this is the most professional short I've yet seen for DVC (past and present).

Bill,

You sure can tell a story. Love Bites was GREAT and as many have noted, your D.P. skills seem to have improved with this one. I, for one, don't have a problem with you winning twice in a row. However, if you win three in a row, you will have to stop making these amateur films and start work immediately on a feature.

On second thought, if you win two in a row, you should go make a feature.

Strike that -- strike that-- you should withdraw now. Yeah, that's right. Withdraw now and turn PRO immediately and leave the prize package to the rest of us amateurs.

Am I wrong in assuming that you are working on your feature length script?

Dick

Thanks again everybody for the responses!

I didn't see any music credits. Did you compose that as well?
It's essentially the same music as in the first film. I pulled it together using various loops from Adobe Audition's Loopology that came with Adobe Video Collection. I also time-stretched some of the stuff to match with the length of the video sections I wanted to fill in.

cute!
but does this mean that the series is now officially over??
Gosh, I hope so. Though see my response to Dick below...

How do you do your encoding, it is great! Send me the settings you use, or the dolly will self-destruct! :)

When the dolly started beeping, I figured I needed to respond to this. :)
For QuickTime, I'm using QuicktimePro (yeah, I shelled out the $25) and I go from an HD version to the smaller versions using Export option with the H.264 codec set to the 85 quality setting (I think).
For WMVs, I take my HD Cineform AVI into After Effects and then render out using Windows Media with a bitrate around 2Mbps (for 640x360) or 1 Mbps (for 480x270) with square pixels, keyframe every 2 seconds and image quality set to high. Send me an email if you want more info or if any of this is confusing.

I do have two questions, if you don't mind! The walls in the living room and bathroom scenes are very light. I've never really done any lighting before -- but from what little I've tried, I noticed that it's difficult to properly light the subjects without blowing out the background. Did you use natural light?
The living room scene was next to a large set of sliding glass doors on the left providing primary key light, with some fill provided from the right with a few blue-gelled Lowel lights. The wall itself is tan, which helps it not blow out as much as a white wall would.

The bathroom scene was natural lights over the mirror (which are pretty bright) plus a light right behind the camera providing some fill on the back of the actor's head. It was tricky to place the camera and light in the scene without them showing up in the mirrors! You'll notice that the mirrored wall cabinet is opened slightly, which created a small spot where the camera and light could sit. Again, the walls themselves are yellow which helps them not blow out as much as a white wall would. Also, I hung a towel outside the small window in the bathroom to prevent the window from blowing out.

Also, for the shot where the guy in the cap looks down at the heap of clothes, I'm assuming you artificially blurred the footage when the camera tilted?
:) Two things here: First, I accelerated the frame rate of the camera moving down. The original was much slower. With the accelerated rate in Premiere Pro, I let it blend the frames which creates a blurred effect. Second, when we exposed for the actor's head, the sidewalk blew out. But when we exposed for the sidewalk, the actor was too dark. So I used the actor from one take panning down to the sidewalk with his legs in another take. The transition occurs during the tilt down: if you look closely you can see that his body doesn't quite line up perfectly... :)

One other small note: In the initial scene where the Teacher is putting the sunglasses on the boy vampire, she puts the sunglasses inside the skimask from one angle, but when we switched to the other angle she put the sunglasses on outside the skimask. To prevent a major continuity problem, I had to go into After Effects and modify it with some careful masking to make it look like the glasses are inside the skimask in both takes! :)

Withdraw now and turn PRO immediately and leave the prize package to the rest of us amateurs.

Am I wrong in assuming that you are working on your feature length script?
Dick, you're too kind. Remember, these are the first two films I've ever made! But yes, the thought of a feature length version of this series has crossed my mind... :) We can all dream, right?

Thanks again, everybody!
Bill

This one was really funny and well done. Simple, yet smart.

How did you do the effect at the end when he is exposed to the sunlight?

Very well done, I'll have to go take a look at the original now. :)

How did you do the effect at the end when he is exposed to the sunlight?
I started by masking off his exposed skin areas in After Effects (and his hat in a separate mask). Then, first cranked up the red color only in the skin areas to simulate the initial subburn. Third, as the actor fell to the ground, I duplicated the exposed skin masks and blurred one while applying a particle explosion effect to the other, resulting in both particles of flesh (the particles) with a melting effect (the blur) combined. Fourth, I needed to generate a fake "back of the shirt by the collar" since that wasn't in the original video, so I had to copy other parts of the shirt and paste them into place appropriately. Finally, to make it look a bit more realistic and not just like an actor falling down, I changed the position trajectory of the hat to make it fall more rapidly and off to the side a bit, to look like his head really melted out from under it.

And yes, it was a lot of work for a few seconds of screen time. :) Thanks for asking.

Bill

Very cool! I really need to start using AE more. I have no idea how to mask and alter parts of a clip. Sounds like fun... :)

Mike

holy cow that sounds like a lot of bloody work. hahaha.

looked good.

And yes, it was a lot of work for a few seconds of screen time. :) Thanks for asking.

Bill

It was great Bill, and well worth the time and effort you put into it!

I spent nearly days finding and fixing up the little box I used for my treasure chest. It was just a plain wood box from Michael's, then I had to stain it a couple of coats, put all of the strips on it, (they were lengths of aluminum that I had to custom cut , drill, and nail on), paint all of the aluminum strips, put the latch on it, make a fake lock, put the chain on it, and paint the skull and cross bones on the top. All for a few seconds on screen. Anyone want to buy a treasure chest? :)

Again, great job Bill and keep it up.

Mike

I spent nearly days finding and fixing up the little box I used for my treasure chest. It was just a plain wood box from Michael's, then I had to stain it a couple of coats, put all of the strips on it, (they were lengths of aluminum that I had to custom cut , drill, and nail on), paint all of the aluminum strips, put the latch on it, make a fake lock, put the chain on it, and paint the skull and cross bones on the top. All for a few seconds on screen. Anyone want to buy a treasure chest? :)
And the chest did look very good, Mike! Nice job with that! I think you should bury it on the beach with a note in it to contact you to get the treasure, and see if anybody ever finds it!

On the subject of props, we did of course need to create a "Shadow Lotion" bottle (actually 4, though only 1 ever made it on screen), a "Vampire Slaying" book, some more drinkable fake blood (mmm, mmm good), and round up a bunch of sets of fangs. One of our leads dropped a fang and lost it, so we had to scramble to get a replacement fang at the last minute...

None of this compares with the work put into the treasure chest, though. :)

Bill

None of this compares with the work put into the treasure chest, though. :)

Bill

Sounds like it to me! I'm looking forward to your next installment.

Mike