DVC 22 - The Man In The Mirror - Mat Thompson

[Mat Thompson]

Hi guys

Well this film was the third of three scripts I wrote for the challenge. The other two proved just to hard to logistically put together. I'm pleased in the end we got to this one because it was fun to make and the cast and crew were great and worked hard on the hottest day of the year to pull it through.

We shot everything in one day, which was a push. Our final scene (the outdoor scene) ended up pushed and I think could have been stronger, needing a couple of extra shots. Hey ho, those are the breaks, I'm still pleased we managed to pull together a fairly tight looking piece in one day.

I had great fun writing and making this piece. Thanks to cast and crew and DVi for hosting such a great challenge!

Fire away !

DV Challenge 22 - The Man In The Mirror on Vimeo

[Ruth Happel]

Hi Mat,

We have both gone in very different directions than typical UWOL films, that is for sure!

I really like the way this is filmed, the man in the mirror is a great effect, very convincing. You had a good variety of shots, great acting, and the 5 minutes didn't really cramp your story.

The ending was really convincing, and a nice twist on the story.

[Dick Mays]

Mat,

There is a deep truth to your film. Trying to change yourself to please a woman is not a winning strategy. Have to be who you want to be, and find the one that wants you for who you are. Nice engaging story, and nice work with the mirror. Good pacing throughout.

[Andrew Bove]

@DickMays Yes, sir! Trying to change yourself to please anyone is never a winning strategy!

I like the opening shot from the feet up to the face, nice camerawork and good introduction to the film. Did you handhold that? Smooth camera moves overall.

One little critique, I think a number of the shots could have used a little more light on the guy's face. For example, the shots in the bathroom have a bright shower stall that kept drawing my attention (this was the case for both angles, the guy, and the man in the mirror. The actors face was so expressive, we'd want all the attention right on his face.

The man in the mirror was funny, a likeable character!

Nice special effects too, well done, I enjoyed it!

[Simon Wood]

Nice effects (the use of the dual characters in the mirror) - that worked really well in fact.

Good story, and well acted by the lead. He did manage to encompass two different characters through his facial expressions and body language very effectively.

Enjoyable short, with good production value all round. I can't fault it at all.

Nice conclusion too!

[Mark Hartopp]

Mat, this is great, love the opening and the guy kind of reminds me of.....me. I loved it. really good production, nice one Mat.

[Joseph Tran]

Hey Mat,

I echo everyone's comments here -- a really nice and entertaining storyline to watch! Really cool effect with the mirror and how you used that has a driving force in the story. A great job by your actors, especially your lead -- we're on his side right from the start.

And kudos to you and your cast & crew for getting this shot in one day -- I don't think I would've been able do that!

I would've liked to see more of a change in your lead character. With such a strong female character in the beginning, I don't think she'd have a problem getting him to change just his hairstyle. Perhaps he changes something about his life, his habits, his work? I dunno -- it's all pretty subjective. I've also been told that the whole "guy wakes up to an alarm, gets up, brushes his teeth" thing is a cliche in the indie film world. I haven't always agreed with this thought, and it certainly does work on this story... so, YMMV on this thought.

All in all, congrats on a great piece!

[Adam Snow]

Always impressed with your work sir.

I thought your film was well shot and executed. The alarm clock sound was certainly rather irritating, but I can't think of many people who love it. I never felt like the film was every really dragging along and it had a nice pacing which was helped by the wonderful soundtrack you put together. And the ending had a very straightforward and positive message that wrapped up the story very nicely.

A minor comment: the shot in the bedroom where the girlfriend was leaving (camera was at the foot of the bed with both of them in frame) I felt was a bit flat looking and I wonder if tweeking that a bit and possibly brightening up the main character (ie making his shirt more saturated) would have been nice, as he was still himself yet he seemed very muted in the shot.

Anyway, well done!

[Mitchell Stookey]

Nice work Mat, this, like many people have said before, was very strongly put together. A lot of good composition, camera movement, special effects and acting. I love the shot over his shoulder while he watches his girlfriend leave and look back up at him. It reveals so much information in one simple shot, great storytelling!

I do think that perhaps too much time was spent in front of the mirror. I know that it symbolically represented who he was and felt he was, but it would have been nice to have a different way to express his changing or lack of changing than repeating his morning routine only. For example, when he is walking in the field at the end before he meets his new girlfriend, he seems to be thinking about himself in the mirror. If we had other interactions to draw on, it would have been nice to cut back to those.

Also, I am not sure about where you live so maybe this is just a culture difference, but it seemed a little bizarre that he met a girl in what appears to be a farmer's field? Were those sheep in the background? It wasn't a big deal at all, but I did think "Oh that's an interesting place to meet someone!"

Those are the only little thoughts I had about your film, but I enjoyed it and I thought you did a really good job!

[Chris Barcellos]

Cute story line, and nice real characters. i did a talk to myself in the mirror movie about 4 years ago, so I kind of know how your shooting had to go. Great job.

[Toni Dolce]

Mat,

This was really cool and I was left questioning how you did the mirror effect. I think you said you filmed this is a short amount of time, but I would have guessed it would have taken you longer than a day.

The production quality was top-notch and I think that the only thing I would have liked were higher stakes for the change. However, the hair was a good way to show the audience a difference and the actor did a great job in that!

Walking away from your movie I was keen on learning your double mirror technique, so thanks so much for putting that in! |

Toni

[Frank Moody]

I like this film it reminds me of a film we did not that long ago. Well done nice work

your lighting and camera work looked good!

thank you

Frank Moody

[Andris Krastins]

Well, this was loads of fun to watch! Amazing that you did it all in one day. Great story sync with the soundtrack.

A little more light would have helped to make the overall look better though.

[Andrew Bove]

Originally Posted by Mitchell Stookey

Also, I am not sure about where you live so maybe this is just a culture difference, but it seemed a little bizarre that he met a girl in what appears to be a farmer's field? Were those sheep in the background? It wasn't a big deal at all, but I did think "Oh that's an interesting place to meet someone!"

I don't know any couples either who first met each other in a field, never mind with sheep watching nearby! One of the best thing about watching these films is the little peek we get into different parts of the world.