Across the rails - New Short Film directly from Costa Rica
 

Hi, i just wanted you to check out my new short film. Its a DVX-100AE + Redrock M2 + Canon FD lenses. It was a final for a course at my film school.

Its 4 min and about 27 MBs on QT H264.

Why don't you check it out?

http://www.carambafilms.com/across.mov

I want to present it to a film festival here so any comments are welcome.

hope you like it

-Fede Lang

Will be uploading a smaller version in the new hours.

a spanish version is in youtube if you like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDjbbJ6G8co

It only has one dialogue so I bet you can understand it.

Hi Federico. It's a cool idea. One thing, is Carlos Saborio related to Clive Owen? Distant cousins? He looks like Clive Owen's little brother : )

Not even close. Althought he is a really great 3D animator and he made the drawings of the girl, right there on the set. He's really good, but Clive Owen.. nah.

As promissed, smaller versions. Just click your conection speed:

Dial up: http://www.carambafilms.com/across100.mov

Cable/ DSL 256Kbps: http://www.carambafilms.com/across300.mov

Cable/ DSL 512 or more: www.carambafilms.com/across.mov

Please comment on it back here.

Thanks

-Fede Lang

I just watched it and I liked it a lot. I really enjoyed the moment and the mood you created.

Good luck

Thank you Bruce, it's good you liked it. Did you find any errors or things you didn't like?? I really want to find weak spots to make it better...

Great job Fredrico!!! The lighting was very good, which set the mood briliantly. Also the audio was good obviously you did sound design ? Shot compositions were also very good, and both the actors didn't try and over do it.

Job well done Man! Most short film by indies suck, but yours stands out. I like the little surprise at the end when he see her after he thinks she's left.

Once again great job!!!

Well Thanks. Well I did the Editing and the Sound Design as well as the composition and recording of the music. I'm kind of a One-man band during postproduction. I really apreciate your comment, makes me feel really good since I'm just a student. Thanks :D

My main page www.carambafilms.com is having some bandwith problem since a lot of people have accessed it in the few days (Thank god!!) so I'm placing a Mirror location for the files. You can still access the videos at:

http://www.carambafilms.com/across.mov for full quality

http://www.carambafilms.com/across300.mov for Cable/ DSL

http://www.carambafilms.com/across.mov for Dial-Up


and I'll be placing the mirror links in the few next hours.

Thanks

-Fede Lang

I just uploaded the videos to Gigasize. Click the link and then confirm in the top right corner of the page, then just follow the flow.

For Cable or DSL
http://www.gigasize.com/get.php/309975/across300.mov

For Full Quality:
http://www.gigasize.com/get.php/309902/across.mov

Sorry for the problems.

Thanks

-Fede Lang

... Is the short film so bad that no one posts about it....???

Please I need you to wreck it before I send it to the festival, deadline is Feb 9th... please have no mercy

No, it's not bad at all. It is beautifully shot, well edited, and has pretty good sound.
The story is cute as well...

Good luck.

Very well done!
Shooting, editing & acting.
Good CC.

Some minor quirks (if you don't mind - and as you ask)

1
You should encode it @ original framerate. The stuttering anoyed me a bit.

2.
You should leave the first shot from the left where the shadow of the girl comes in, or only use that. (yep. can see how that could be difficult, that's why I suggest to bin it). Unnessesary cut. When we see the shadow, the cat is out of the bag, so the second cut becomes annoying. Cut on her footsteps/voice instead - as you've done.

3.
If you used a soft-filter on the whole thing, you should take that down a tad.

4.
IMHO the train could go on for a little shorter - but, then again - that could destroy the overall pacing. I'd check it, though...

5.
I'd take down the red/cyan saturation a tad overall.

But:
Really liked it!
Good luck @ the festivals.


Gunleik

Thank you very much!! That was the kind of reply I was specting!!

I'll check on those things right away!! :D :D

Only too happy when my posts are not considered offensive -;)

Cheers

Good work.

Gunleik

Wonderful film Federico! I really liked it. the music was nice too. And boy, you got one talented artist there! he did a wonderful job on the picture of her.

Also, another comment I have for you is; you did a great job with DoF! It looked very cinematic!

Good film, thanks for sharing! You should try and enter it in a local film contest. I think you could win!

Keep up the great work! I can't wait to hear more from you!
~Gabriel

I haven't got much to add to what others said on the technical side of it. Just to say that it was nice to see a simple story told well. A lot of student filmmakers (me included) sometimes try to put too much in a short film, when simple is best.

Thanks to everyone for replying!! My objetive is to keep filming better and better stuff everyday and you guys are helping me out. Thanks!

I as well give your short very high marks. Good job.
As for your request for criticisms I can offer a few. The garbage can shot. Was this just a device to use DOF or was there some reasoning to focus the viewers attention on a garbage can? Secondly, the nest doodle. Why a nest, and why so many shots of him doodling it? It seemed far over emphasized and long. Especially if it didn't have a meaning that I was missing. I would have suggested short, fast, random doodles, that would represent lack of focus and direction. That is until he spots her, and his new doodle becomes important to him.

Been gone for some days.. sorry.

Well you're absolutly right, the garbage can shot is there because I needed to change the point of view since I had a HUGE continuity error, needed to draw atention out for awhile.

As for the nest, it is long on purpose since I want you to get a bit bored just before the girl comes in. That way she comes in stronger.

This short was shot at my filmschool and we only had 12hours to shoot the whole thing so I took some decitions that weren't the best. But anyway.. just trying to get better and better...

KEEP POSTING!!

Just some good news.

Yesterday, a National Price was obtained by "Across the Rails" on Production Design here in Costa Rica.

I thank you guys very much for all the support you gave me on this forum!!

Really thanks a lot

-Fede Lang

Hey Federico,

Just watched your Film. Great stuff.

I was down in Costa Rica for a month from Jan/Feb with my H1. I was hanging out with the surfers and mono congo. I wondered if there was much of a film scene in SJ. It looks like there is.

I look forward to more stuff from you.

Pura Vida!

I'm working now on my next short film.. still on script writing.. but soon :D. Keep posting about this one... make it look bad, I NEED HARD CRITICS!! :D :D

I definitely liked the piece. The shots are great! One thing I did notice was that a light made it's way into the garbage can shot (fourth shot in). I could make out the stand as well. Other than that, keep up the good work. I can't wait to see your next one!

Is it just me or did that pencil drop seem a little off, sound wise?

Yep, like 7 frames or so, it was a problem transfering to h264

I liked it, sound was good, as was camera and lighting.

You have a really great use of depth of field, did you use a close up lense to get it?

Good thing you like it.. working on a new proyect right now..

Check out my new trailer, new short, new stuff:

youtube:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=8uC9Sy6NkFQ

high quality:
http://www.carambafilms.com/trailereng.mov