'Fire, Ice and Sky' Documentary at DVinfo.net

Darrell Varga · October 20th, 2012, 12:25 PM

Please check out the trailer for my documentary shot on the road from the melting icebergs off the coast of Newfoundland, the ruins of communism in Budapest, an abandoned amusement park in Berlin, the Up-Helly-a Fire Festival in Shetlands, Carhenge in Nebraska and with many more places and stories along the way.

Not sure how to embed the video here, hope this works:

Chris Barcellos · October 20th, 2012, 02:16 PM

To me, this trailer is too long. You should be able to give a sense of your documentary in 30 seconds or less. I have no idea what you film is about because it would take me 2 minutes or more to try to figure it out. And then, I am not sure I would know what it would be about.

I hope this criticism is taken in the spirit it is intended.

Darrell Varga · October 20th, 2012, 10:57 PM

I want this film to be about exploring ideas and images--it is not about any one thing, but more a process of seeing and thinking. I hope it can be viewed in that context, I don't think the 30 second rule for trailers needs to be cast in stone. if anything, we should be mixing it up, 2 minutes is not that long...

thanks for taking the time to view this.

Chuck Spaulding · October 21st, 2012, 05:10 PM

I'm not sure what this is about either.

You seem to skirt the issues of politics, science, art and environmentalism but with no real point. It might be really interesting but if you have to explain what the trailer is about, and the trailer is supposed to explain what the documentary is about I'd say that the trailer is ineffective.

Even if the documentary is complex the trailer would probably be more effective if you pick one theme or message that it promotes that would hopefully get the viewer excited about learning more.

I agree, I don't think that it has to be 30 seconds, but if its going to be longer it needs to be more to the point, I don't want to get to the end and still wonder what its about.

I like a lot of the imagery and this is totally a first impression, I'm sure I'd get more out of it if I watched it again.

Good luck.

Alan Melville · October 28th, 2012, 03:13 AM

Hi Darrell,

I think you could have knocked 30 to 45 seconds off of it OR you could have matched the audio with better, no more relevent, footage.

I suspect you're looking from this at a different angle, for want of a better expresion, a little left field, and that's fine, as a matter of fact it creates a balance with mainstream, but the fact remains that one will be a lot more successful if ones trailers excites a broad audience.

Success, of course, can be a personal measure. :)

Good luck.

Al

BTW, I often question "Time"

October 20th, 2012, 12:25 PM	#1
Darrell Varga New Boot Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Posts: 12	'Fire, Ice and Sky' Documentary Please check out the trailer for my documentary shot on the road from the melting icebergs off the coast of Newfoundland, the ruins of communism in Budapest, an abandoned amusement park in Berlin, the Up-Helly-a Fire Festival in Shetlands, Carhenge in Nebraska and with many more places and stories along the way. Not sure how to embed the video here, hope this works: "Fire, Ice and Sky" trailer on Vimeo

October 20th, 2012, 02:16 PM	#2
Chris Barcellos Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Elk Grove CA Posts: 6,838	Re: 'Fire, Ice and Sky' Documentary To me, this trailer is too long. You should be able to give a sense of your documentary in 30 seconds or less. I have no idea what you film is about because it would take me 2 minutes or more to try to figure it out. And then, I am not sure I would know what it would be about. I hope this criticism is taken in the spirit it is intended. __________________ Chris J. Barcellos

October 20th, 2012, 10:57 PM	#3
Darrell Varga New Boot Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Posts: 12	Re: 'Fire, Ice and Sky' Documentary I want this film to be about exploring ideas and images--it is not about any one thing, but more a process of seeing and thinking. I hope it can be viewed in that context, I don't think the 30 second rule for trailers needs to be cast in stone. if anything, we should be mixing it up, 2 minutes is not that long... thanks for taking the time to view this.

October 21st, 2012, 05:10 PM	#4
Chuck Spaulding Trustee Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Thousand Oaks Posts: 1,104	Re: 'Fire, Ice and Sky' Documentary I'm not sure what this is about either. You seem to skirt the issues of politics, science, art and environmentalism but with no real point. It might be really interesting but if you have to explain what the trailer is about, and the trailer is supposed to explain what the documentary is about I'd say that the trailer is ineffective. Even if the documentary is complex the trailer would probably be more effective if you pick one theme or message that it promotes that would hopefully get the viewer excited about learning more. I agree, I don't think that it has to be 30 seconds, but if its going to be longer it needs to be more to the point, I don't want to get to the end and still wonder what its about. I like a lot of the imagery and this is totally a first impression, I'm sure I'd get more out of it if I watched it again. Good luck.

October 28th, 2012, 03:13 AM	#5
Alan Melville Major Player Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: No Fixed Address :) Western Australia Posts: 275	Re: 'Fire, Ice and Sky' Documentary Hi Darrell, I think you could have knocked 30 to 45 seconds off of it OR you could have matched the audio with better, no more relevent, footage. I suspect you're looking from this at a different angle, for want of a better expresion, a little left field, and that's fine, as a matter of fact it creates a balance with mainstream, but the fact remains that one will be a lot more successful if ones trailers excites a broad audience. Success, of course, can be a personal measure. :) Good luck. Al BTW, I often question "Time"