DVC 6 Feedback

Andrew Hood · August 23rd, 2006, 09:02 PM

Posting a little early as I'll be away skiing (despite a depressing winter) this weekend.

Well here's another whacky one. Moreso this time because we decided to do a musical, for the hell of it. It was written the first night, and the other ideas (my ideas) were too difficult for the time and resources. Maybe I'll get around to one of them, for the experience, later.

It still needed last minute replacement audio like our DVC 5 entry, so there's some distortion, but you live and learn. Half the time was spent editing and doing effects. Nothing like figuring stuff out as you go... like I think we can do that in post?!

Anyway, hopefully you get something out of it. I was aiming for a cartoony feel with some of the effects, and sequences. See what you think.

Lorinda Norton · August 24th, 2006, 11:33 AM

I LOVED IT!!! Andrew, you just made my day. Non-stop smiling, uproarious laughter over here...oh man, this is the best musical I think I've ever seen. :D

I saved it to my hard drive, because I have a feeling I'll be watching this whenever I need cheered up. Oh heck, I'll be watching it over and over anyway! As a matter of fact, I think I'll head back there right now...

FABULOUS!!!

Dennis Khaye · August 24th, 2006, 12:10 PM

I must concur, that was really funny. Nice job you guys.

Hugh DiMauro · August 24th, 2006, 02:07 PM

Who wrote the words to that song? He’s on his way to comic stardom! I laughed my arse off on that one! The entire thing was an absolute hoot! From start to finish I laughed. I laughed. I laughed. The most original I’ve seen in awhile. Excellent!

Michael Fossenkemper · August 24th, 2006, 05:18 PM

Pretty funny. I had no idea what to expect. Very original idea. I loved it.

Dick Mays · August 24th, 2006, 06:05 PM

This one made me smile, because I completely identify with the sleeper. The Sun needs to come up slowly, and QUIETLY. No singing Suns.

It's bad enough when the Sun sings to you, but the Moon? Way out of line there. I loved that the sleeper's response was singing as well.

As the first MUSICAL, I'd like to see some dancing girls. Think "Springtime for Hitler." Hey, thanks a good idea. Scratch that last comment. I'm saving the goosesteping chorus line for my next film.

The neat things about this contest is watching the unique takes people have with the same theme. This is probably one of the most original, that directly addresses the theme.

Jay Silver · August 24th, 2006, 10:47 PM

I applaud your bravery! I can't imagine doing a musical and certainly not in a week. I think you pulled it off nicely. My only suggestion would be pushing the sleeper reactions even more to the extreme: sliding down between the wall and the bed, rolling himself up like a jelly roll in the blankets - anything to get away from that shrill ball of gas!

-j

Dennis Khaye · August 25th, 2006, 12:00 AM

Don't take this wrong but two things stick out after watching it a few times. The shot of just the rippling creek seems really out of place. Can you replace that with something else that has the singer/dancer/frolicking guy in it?

I have no idea what that big black thing is he uses to shoot something at the sun? Maybe a close up of him loading a pelet or what ever ammo it takes. And add a quick cut of him taking aim with it.

The sound doesn't match but maybe that's part of it's charm. I'll echo Dick's comment that you guys really did a nice concept for the theme of the contest.

Thumbs up.

John Brickner Jr · August 25th, 2006, 04:00 AM

The singing sun was freaking hillarious. Had a Joesph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat thing going. The only things I can complain about is that the audio for the sleeper seemed a bit overloaded I guess is the word. Like the levels were too high and the audio is a bit muffled. Also, i'll mirror what Dennis else said about the object used to shoot at the sun. But it got the point across. The ending was great too.

Robert Martens · August 25th, 2006, 05:14 AM

Brilliant! I laughed like crazy, the sun in your film did an amazing job of singing, it seemed so natural. Not so much for the sleeper, but I liked them both anyway. I don't envy you the task of rerecording the singing voice for the sleeper, and you did an admirable job under the circumstances. It's in sync, and that's hard enough when you've only got ten days to work with. How you pulled off a musical in this kind of time limit is a mystery to me, but damned if you didn't do it.

That black thing is what I think is best described as an "air cannon"; pull back the elastic part, let go, and it sends a blast of air at someone. Most I've seen claim to work up to twenty feet away, and they're apparently great for messing with friends and coworkers. I agree it could be a bit confusing, however, as most people have never seen the things.

I'd get rid of the creek shot as well. Seems out of place since the character's not in it. Maybe if he were dancing along the bank, but not just the water by itself. And I don't like the shot of him searching under the chess pieces; the character, as best I can tell, is genuinely annoyed by the sun, and is earnestly searching for a way to get rid of it. He knows what this thing looks like, and I think the "looking in wacky places" gag is inappropriate for such a scenario.

Sean McHenry · August 25th, 2006, 10:47 PM

Wow. That's not the Pirates of Penzance, that's actually a good thing.

So, a musical eh? Well, you are the first ever to go to an all out musical. Congrats on a fresh approach.

I too liked it. I can only echo what the others have said about the sound levels. Other than that, cool sun effect. You did that just right. Too much and you loose details in what's left of the face, too little and you loose the effect. Good job.

I hate musicals in general. Well, hate is a strong term. I dislaike musicals. Yes, even Music Man and Sound of Music. (Secretly I like the singing Nuns - not sure why)

Good job with a very original idea. What's next, Puppets.... wait a minute. Forget I brought that up.

Sean

Bruce Broussard · August 26th, 2006, 07:55 PM

That was really funny. I had toyed with the idea of a musical for this entry, but I can't sing (now to think about it, I can't really act either). Brave effort, and I think you pulled it off. I was really so distracted by the frollicking in the stream bit, it seemed to match the really annoying sun song. I think it made it really funny. I am not sure how I would feel about watching 30 minutes of it, but for a 3 minute short, I think it worked.

Andrew Hood · August 28th, 2006, 07:06 AM

Thanks for the feedback guys. Good to know we did something right this time.

The audio was partly my fault. That is, the person who you see on screen (not me) didn't have clean audio recorded. I was doing last minute replacement audio, and having a bad day vocally - very hoarse. MP3 player in one ear - mic, mixer and laptop at arms length. I forgot to tweak levels, and the distortion you can hear is because I tried to use Premiere to alter the pitch. Should have used Cool Edit, it works fine. I didn't have time to do 50 takes and get one perfect. Goes on the todo list for the special edition. But for the record, that's not me screaming, that was unaltered.

The stream that interrupts the dream sequence flow; can't remember what tragic train of logic was bouncing through my sleep deprived head when I 'finished' that sequence. I was aiming for a tranquil interlude, but like with most communication, the message rarely is received the way you intend. It does disrupt the continuity though... the things you see in hindsight.

Well we hoped people would laugh, even just a little. There's definitely no plans for a 30 minute version, though. That might overstay it's welcome for most people. The good thing with the competition is the ability to experiment, and learn what works, or doesn't. Definitely had more fun this time round.

You know you're hooked when you can't stop wondering what DVC7 will entail for us, when the time comes.

Lorinda Norton · August 28th, 2006, 11:19 PM

Hmm, that creek scene didn't bother me a bit. The one that still cracks me up is the look on the guy's face when he "silences" the sun. It's such a relief for the viewer too, which is why it's so darn funny.

I'm glad you're hooked, Andrew. Can't wait to see what you do next.

August 23rd, 2006, 09:02 PM	#1
Andrew Hood Major Player Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Latrobe Valley, Vic Posts: 320	DVC 6 Feedback - Brand New Day Posting a little early as I'll be away skiing (despite a depressing winter) this weekend. Well here's another whacky one. Moreso this time because we decided to do a musical, for the hell of it. It was written the first night, and the other ideas (my ideas) were too difficult for the time and resources. Maybe I'll get around to one of them, for the experience, later. It still needed last minute replacement audio like our DVC 5 entry, so there's some distortion, but you live and learn. Half the time was spent editing and doing effects. Nothing like figuring stuff out as you go... like I think we can do that in post?! Anyway, hopefully you get something out of it. I was aiming for a cartoony feel with some of the effects, and sequences. See what you think.

August 24th, 2006, 11:33 AM	#2
Lorinda Norton Wrangler Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Southwest Idaho, USA Posts: 3,066	I LOVED IT!!! Andrew, you just made my day. Non-stop smiling, uproarious laughter over here...oh man, this is the best musical I think I've ever seen. :D I saved it to my hard drive, because I have a feeling I'll be watching this whenever I need cheered up. Oh heck, I'll be watching it over and over anyway! As a matter of fact, I think I'll head back there right now... FABULOUS!!! __________________ Lorinda

August 24th, 2006, 02:07 PM	#4
Hugh DiMauro Trustee Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Central Florida Posts: 1,207	Who wrote the words to that song? He’s on his way to comic stardom! I laughed my arse off on that one! The entire thing was an absolute hoot! From start to finish I laughed. I laughed. I laughed. The most original I’ve seen in awhile. Excellent! __________________ Interesting, if true. And interesting anyway.

August 25th, 2006, 10:47 PM	#11
Sean McHenry Trustee Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Hilliard, Ohio Posts: 1,193	Wow. That's not the Pirates of Penzance, that's actually a good thing. So, a musical eh? Well, you are the first ever to go to an all out musical. Congrats on a fresh approach. I too liked it. I can only echo what the others have said about the sound levels. Other than that, cool sun effect. You did that just right. Too much and you loose details in what's left of the face, too little and you loose the effect. Good job. I hate musicals in general. Well, hate is a strong term. I dislaike musicals. Yes, even Music Man and Sound of Music. (Secretly I like the singing Nuns - not sure why) Good job with a very original idea. What's next, Puppets.... wait a minute. Forget I brought that up. Sean __________________ ‘I don’t know what I’m doing, and I’m shooting on D.V.’ - my hero - David Lynch http://www.DeepBlueEdit.com

August 28th, 2006, 11:19 PM	#14
Lorinda Norton Wrangler Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Southwest Idaho, USA Posts: 3,066	Hmm, that creek scene didn't bother me a bit. The one that still cracks me up is the look on the guy's face when he "silences" the sun. It's such a relief for the viewer too, which is why it's so darn funny. I'm glad you're hooked, Andrew. Can't wait to see what you do next. __________________ Lorinda

August 24th, 2006, 12:10 PM	#3
Dennis Khaye Major Player Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Grand Rapids, MI Posts: 255	I must concur, that was really funny. Nice job you guys.

August 24th, 2006, 05:18 PM	#5
Michael Fossenkemper Major Player Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: NYC, weeee. Posts: 417	Pretty funny. I had no idea what to expect. Very original idea. I loved it.

August 24th, 2006, 06:05 PM	#6
Dick Mays Major Player Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 690	This one made me smile, because I completely identify with the sleeper. The Sun needs to come up slowly, and QUIETLY. No singing Suns. It's bad enough when the Sun sings to you, but the Moon? Way out of line there. I loved that the sleeper's response was singing as well. As the first MUSICAL, I'd like to see some dancing girls. Think "Springtime for Hitler." Hey, thanks a good idea. Scratch that last comment. I'm saving the goosesteping chorus line for my next film. The neat things about this contest is watching the unique takes people have with the same theme. This is probably one of the most original, that directly addresses the theme.

August 24th, 2006, 10:47 PM	#7
Jay Silver Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Posts: 112	I applaud your bravery! I can't imagine doing a musical and certainly not in a week. I think you pulled it off nicely. My only suggestion would be pushing the sleeper reactions even more to the extreme: sliding down between the wall and the bed, rolling himself up like a jelly roll in the blankets - anything to get away from that shrill ball of gas! -j

August 25th, 2006, 12:00 AM	#8
Dennis Khaye Major Player Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Grand Rapids, MI Posts: 255	Don't take this wrong but two things stick out after watching it a few times. The shot of just the rippling creek seems really out of place. Can you replace that with something else that has the singer/dancer/frolicking guy in it? I have no idea what that big black thing is he uses to shoot something at the sun? Maybe a close up of him loading a pelet or what ever ammo it takes. And add a quick cut of him taking aim with it. The sound doesn't match but maybe that's part of it's charm. I'll echo Dick's comment that you guys really did a nice concept for the theme of the contest. Thumbs up.

August 25th, 2006, 04:00 AM	#9
John Brickner Jr Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Tiffin, Ohio Posts: 77	The singing sun was freaking hillarious. Had a Joesph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat thing going. The only things I can complain about is that the audio for the sleeper seemed a bit overloaded I guess is the word. Like the levels were too high and the audio is a bit muffled. Also, i'll mirror what Dennis else said about the object used to shoot at the sun. But it got the point across. The ending was great too.

August 25th, 2006, 05:14 AM	#10
Robert Martens Major Player Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 820	Brilliant! I laughed like crazy, the sun in your film did an amazing job of singing, it seemed so natural. Not so much for the sleeper, but I liked them both anyway. I don't envy you the task of rerecording the singing voice for the sleeper, and you did an admirable job under the circumstances. It's in sync, and that's hard enough when you've only got ten days to work with. How you pulled off a musical in this kind of time limit is a mystery to me, but damned if you didn't do it. That black thing is what I think is best described as an "air cannon"; pull back the elastic part, let go, and it sends a blast of air at someone. Most I've seen claim to work up to twenty feet away, and they're apparently great for messing with friends and coworkers. I agree it could be a bit confusing, however, as most people have never seen the things. I'd get rid of the creek shot as well. Seems out of place since the character's not in it. Maybe if he were dancing along the bank, but not just the water by itself. And I don't like the shot of him searching under the chess pieces; the character, as best I can tell, is genuinely annoyed by the sun, and is earnestly searching for a way to get rid of it. He knows what this thing looks like, and I think the "looking in wacky places" gag is inappropriate for such a scenario.

August 26th, 2006, 07:55 PM	#12
Bruce Broussard Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 132	That was really funny. I had toyed with the idea of a musical for this entry, but I can't sing (now to think about it, I can't really act either). Brave effort, and I think you pulled it off. I was really so distracted by the frollicking in the stream bit, it seemed to match the really annoying sun song. I think it made it really funny. I am not sure how I would feel about watching 30 minutes of it, but for a 3 minute short, I think it worked.

August 28th, 2006, 07:06 AM	#13
Andrew Hood Major Player Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Latrobe Valley, Vic Posts: 320	Thanks for the feedback guys. Good to know we did something right this time. The audio was partly my fault. That is, the person who you see on screen (not me) didn't have clean audio recorded. I was doing last minute replacement audio, and having a bad day vocally - very hoarse. MP3 player in one ear - mic, mixer and laptop at arms length. I forgot to tweak levels, and the distortion you can hear is because I tried to use Premiere to alter the pitch. Should have used Cool Edit, it works fine. I didn't have time to do 50 takes and get one perfect. Goes on the todo list for the special edition. But for the record, that's not me screaming, that was unaltered. The stream that interrupts the dream sequence flow; can't remember what tragic train of logic was bouncing through my sleep deprived head when I 'finished' that sequence. I was aiming for a tranquil interlude, but like with most communication, the message rarely is received the way you intend. It does disrupt the continuity though... the things you see in hindsight. Well we hoped people would laugh, even just a little. There's definitely no plans for a 30 minute version, though. That might overstay it's welcome for most people. The good thing with the competition is the ability to experiment, and learn what works, or doesn't. Definitely had more fun this time round. You know you're hooked when you can't stop wondering what DVC7 will entail for us, when the time comes.