WARNING: May Contain Nudity! at DVinfo.net

Dylan Couper · May 28th, 2004, 11:22 PM

Yes, this video may contain some slight female nudity. Please don't hold that against it.

It is a 2-3 minute long B&W short film called Fade that I made a few weeks ago. It is a bit of an experiment visually, so I'm looking for feedback on my photography more than anything else if possible.

It's the story of a woman who died and is haunting her old house until one day her husband brings a new lover home to replace her.

It isn't a final edit, but is very close. I still have some minor changes to make (like the contrast). The music is a temporary piece until I find someone to score it for me. It will likely end up with a classical piece instead of the heavy industrial music that is on it now.

http://www.pyroglyphfilms.com/gallery/video/FadeNIN.mov
Give it a minute to come up or so, once you click it. Quicktime format.

Thanks for watching.

Rob Belics · May 29th, 2004, 08:48 AM

Excellent Dylan! I don't remember what I said about your last project but this was festival worthy. (Maybe even sponge worthy).

I didn't think the music was quite 'on' for the visual mood but, of course, the words of the song fit well.

Loved the fact that you used black and white. The house and the sky were overexposed. You might consider b&w filters (red) to darken the sky.

Enjoyed it. Keep up the good work!

PS: Didn't see any nudity. What a ripoff. That was the only reason I watched! :)

Dylan Couper · May 29th, 2004, 12:58 PM

Thanks Rob!
Good point about the filters, I didn't even think about it, since this was my first B&W project. Next time!

The nudity is very brief, wait for the ghost to walk down the stairs and you might get a quick flash.

K. Forman · May 29th, 2004, 01:05 PM

"The nudity is very brief, wait for the ghost to walk down the stairs and you might get a quick flash."

That's really reaching, Dylan... I'll never know when to believe you again ;)

I thought the b/w gave it a nice texture, especially with the ghosting effect.

Alex Taylor · May 31st, 2004, 04:35 PM

Damn, bandwidth limit exceeded!

Joe Carney · May 31st, 2004, 07:21 PM

dylan certainly knows how to generate interest in his projects, hehehehe.

Dylan Couper · May 31st, 2004, 11:40 PM

<<<-- Originally posted by Joe Carney : dylan certainly knows how to generate interest in his projects, hehehehe. -->>>

My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard... :)

My video apparently got lots of hits and put me over my 2gb limit. Thanks to quick action by my pimp webmaster, it's back up and running now though.

Peter Sieben · June 1st, 2004, 12:10 AM

Hi Dylan,

Good to see the video is back online so that I could watch it. It looks good, B&W suits the movie very well. Good location and photography.
And it doesn't need nudity ;-)

You could consider making this more dark or moody, the shots could have that. Make it more ghost-like by using different sound and other music. To give it a combination feeling of after-life and remembering good moments. Storywise the ending could have been brought further.

....Just my 2 cents....

Best,
Peter

Linda Schodowsky · June 1st, 2004, 07:18 PM

Hi Dylan...

I really, really liked your film! The B & W definitely added to it. The overexposed house and sky kind of add to the feel of the film... giving it a lonely, washed out, faded feeling. However, other filters you can use that are less dramatic as red, are yellow and orange.

You said you needed to make minor changes in the contrast. I guess I can see some shots looking washed out here and there... but again, I think it adds alot to the mood of the film and hope you don't adjust too much. The lighting, to me, gives me the feeling of emptiness and loneliness which is probably how the ghost feels.

The music... I like it. But classical... what composer do you have in mind?

Also... what camera did you use and what did you use to edit it?

Oh.... by the way.... yes, I saw the "shot"!

Dylan Couper · June 2nd, 2004, 01:24 AM

Hey!
Thanks for the feedback (especially the praise!).

About the nudity, I was going to put in my first post that it was actually completely unintentional when I shot it, but I figured no one would believe me (although it IS true!) so I didn't bother. :)

The changes in contrast I have to make are minor. The overall look won't change.

It was shot on a Canon XL1 using the 3x lens and edited on Vegas 4.

I'm currently recutting it to Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, which is the music I had in mind for it when I first came up with the concept. Hopefully I'll have a preview of the final version by this weekend.

Peter, I know what you mean about the ending. In retrospect, I wish I had worked on it more, or done a bit more with it. Oh well. Live and learn. I shot it 2000 miles from here, so I can't quite go back and do a few extra shots. :)

Michael Gibbons · June 2nd, 2004, 08:29 AM

Good job. I especially liked the editing, and just to be contrary, I thought the music you used really worked pretty well.
looked and looked and looked again, also saw no nudity.
The quality of the piece made up for the lack of skin, though.
I would be very intersted in seing more of your work.
Michael

Dan Holly · June 2nd, 2004, 07:04 PM

Dylan,
I say leave it the way it is minus the score.....
It rocked IMO.

The dissolves worked perfect for what you did, and I think it really added to the "ghost" realism in a short piece like yours.

Keep pumping them out.

I'm working on the commercial from hell at the moment......ugg <;~)

Dylan Couper · June 3rd, 2004, 02:39 PM

Thanks guys!

UPDATE!!!!

Here is the newer version, set to different music, as well as a few changes in the footage.

I'd like feedback specificaly on the new music,
thanks!

http://www.pyroglyphfilms.com/galler...fadesonata.mov

Also, this version is a little more compressed than my last, so hopefully it doesn't use up all my bandwidth in 3 days.

Linda Schodowsky · June 3rd, 2004, 04:22 PM

Hi Dylan, here is my take...

For me, Moonlight Sonata sounds better if accompanied by strings and other instruments. Personally, I think another version of it would be better suited for your film.

However, the changes in the footage seemed to be in sync with the music. I also liked the "whooshing" sound you added when the ghost sees her husband with his new lover.

All in all... I liked it. I do have to say that I liked your old font for the titles, etc. better!

Rob Belics · June 3rd, 2004, 07:46 PM

Another example of why you should always go with your first thoughts. And why you can't edit by committee. And why movies get ruined by comment cards.

The music is tired. Making the cuts on the beat is predictable. I can't think of the term but the "whoosh" takes away from the scene. The end is, now, too long.

May 28th, 2004, 11:22 PM	#1
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	WARNING: May Contain Nudity! Yes, this video may contain some slight female nudity. Please don't hold that against it. It is a 2-3 minute long B&W short film called Fade that I made a few weeks ago. It is a bit of an experiment visually, so I'm looking for feedback on my photography more than anything else if possible. It's the story of a woman who died and is haunting her old house until one day her husband brings a new lover home to replace her. It isn't a final edit, but is very close. I still have some minor changes to make (like the contrast). The music is a temporary piece until I find someone to score it for me. It will likely end up with a classical piece instead of the heavy industrial music that is on it now. http://www.pyroglyphfilms.com/gallery/video/FadeNIN.mov Give it a minute to come up or so, once you click it. Quicktime format. Thanks for watching. __________________ Need to rent camera gear in Vancouver BC? Check me out at camerarentalsvancouver.com

May 29th, 2004, 12:58 PM	#3
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	Thanks Rob! Good point about the filters, I didn't even think about it, since this was my first B&W project. Next time! The nudity is very brief, wait for the ghost to walk down the stairs and you might get a quick flash. __________________ Need to rent camera gear in Vancouver BC? Check me out at camerarentalsvancouver.com

May 29th, 2004, 01:05 PM	#4
K. Forman Capt. Quirk Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Middle of the woods in Georgia Posts: 3,596	"The nudity is very brief, wait for the ghost to walk down the stairs and you might get a quick flash." That's really reaching, Dylan... I'll never know when to believe you again ;) I thought the b/w gave it a nice texture, especially with the ghosting effect. __________________ www.SmokeWagonLeather.us

May 31st, 2004, 04:35 PM	#5
Alex Taylor Major Player Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 390	Damn, bandwidth limit exceeded! __________________ alextaylor.org

May 31st, 2004, 11:40 PM	#7
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	<<<-- Originally posted by Joe Carney : dylan certainly knows how to generate interest in his projects, hehehehe. -->>> My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard... :) My video apparently got lots of hits and put me over my 2gb limit. Thanks to quick action by my pimp webmaster, it's back up and running now though. __________________ Need to rent camera gear in Vancouver BC? Check me out at camerarentalsvancouver.com

May 29th, 2004, 08:48 AM	#2
Rob Belics Major Player Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: St. Louis, MO Posts: 581	Excellent Dylan! I don't remember what I said about your last project but this was festival worthy. (Maybe even sponge worthy). I didn't think the music was quite 'on' for the visual mood but, of course, the words of the song fit well. Loved the fact that you used black and white. The house and the sky were overexposed. You might consider b&w filters (red) to darken the sky. Enjoyed it. Keep up the good work! PS: Didn't see any nudity. What a ripoff. That was the only reason I watched! :)

May 31st, 2004, 07:21 PM	#6
Joe Carney Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Centreville Va Posts: 1,828	dylan certainly knows how to generate interest in his projects, hehehehe.

June 1st, 2004, 12:10 AM	#8
Peter Sieben Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 345	Hi Dylan, Good to see the video is back online so that I could watch it. It looks good, B&W suits the movie very well. Good location and photography. And it doesn't need nudity ;-) You could consider making this more dark or moody, the shots could have that. Make it more ghost-like by using different sound and other music. To give it a combination feeling of after-life and remembering good moments. Storywise the ending could have been brought further. ....Just my 2 cents.... Best, Peter __________________ Peter / Orphic Film www.orphicfilm.nl and www.myspace.com/orphicfilm

June 1st, 2004, 07:18 PM	#9
Linda Schodowsky Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Berea, Ohio Posts: 139	Nudity - seeing that this forum is 85% guys, it doesn't surprise me! ;) Hi Dylan... I really, really liked your film! The B & W definitely added to it. The overexposed house and sky kind of add to the feel of the film... giving it a lonely, washed out, faded feeling. However, other filters you can use that are less dramatic as red, are yellow and orange. You said you needed to make minor changes in the contrast. I guess I can see some shots looking washed out here and there... but again, I think it adds alot to the mood of the film and hope you don't adjust too much. The lighting, to me, gives me the feeling of emptiness and loneliness which is probably how the ghost feels. The music... I like it. But classical... what composer do you have in mind? Also... what camera did you use and what did you use to edit it? Oh.... by the way.... yes, I saw the "shot"!

June 2nd, 2004, 01:24 AM	#10
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	Hey! Thanks for the feedback (especially the praise!). About the nudity, I was going to put in my first post that it was actually completely unintentional when I shot it, but I figured no one would believe me (although it IS true!) so I didn't bother. :) The changes in contrast I have to make are minor. The overall look won't change. It was shot on a Canon XL1 using the 3x lens and edited on Vegas 4. I'm currently recutting it to Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, which is the music I had in mind for it when I first came up with the concept. Hopefully I'll have a preview of the final version by this weekend. Peter, I know what you mean about the ending. In retrospect, I wish I had worked on it more, or done a bit more with it. Oh well. Live and learn. I shot it 2000 miles from here, so I can't quite go back and do a few extra shots. :) __________________ Need to rent camera gear in Vancouver BC? Check me out at camerarentalsvancouver.com

June 2nd, 2004, 08:29 AM	#11
Michael Gibbons Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Loveland, Colorado, USA Posts: 292	Good job. I especially liked the editing, and just to be contrary, I thought the music you used really worked pretty well. looked and looked and looked again, also saw no nudity. The quality of the piece made up for the lack of skin, though. I would be very intersted in seing more of your work. Michael __________________ " When some wild-eyed, eight foot tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head against a bar room wall, and looks you crooked in the eye, and he asks you if you've payed your dues, well, you just stare that big suker right back in the eye, and you remember what old Jack Burton always says at a time like that, 'Have you paid your dues, Jack? Yes sir, the check is in the mail."

June 2nd, 2004, 07:04 PM	#12
Dan Holly Major Player Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Anchorage, Alaska Posts: 336	input Dylan, I say leave it the way it is minus the score..... It rocked IMO. The dissolves worked perfect for what you did, and I think it really added to the "ghost" realism in a short piece like yours. Keep pumping them out. I'm working on the commercial from hell at the moment......ugg <;~) __________________ Dan Holly Anchorage, Alaska

June 3rd, 2004, 02:39 PM	#13
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	Thanks guys! UPDATE!!!! Here is the newer version, set to different music, as well as a few changes in the footage. I'd like feedback specificaly on the new music, thanks! http://www.pyroglyphfilms.com/galler...fadesonata.mov Also, this version is a little more compressed than my last, so hopefully it doesn't use up all my bandwidth in 3 days. __________________ Need to rent camera gear in Vancouver BC? Check me out at camerarentalsvancouver.com

June 3rd, 2004, 04:22 PM	#14
Linda Schodowsky Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Berea, Ohio Posts: 139	Hi Dylan, here is my take... For me, Moonlight Sonata sounds better if accompanied by strings and other instruments. Personally, I think another version of it would be better suited for your film. However, the changes in the footage seemed to be in sync with the music. I also liked the "whooshing" sound you added when the ghost sees her husband with his new lover. All in all... I liked it. I do have to say that I liked your old font for the titles, etc. better!

June 3rd, 2004, 07:46 PM	#15
Rob Belics Major Player Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: St. Louis, MO Posts: 581	Another example of why you should always go with your first thoughts. And why you can't edit by committee. And why movies get ruined by comment cards. The music is tired. Making the cuts on the beat is predictable. I can't think of the term but the "whoosh" takes away from the scene. The end is, now, too long.