Pieces of April

Chris Sorensen · November 13th, 2003, 12:45 AM

I don't disagree that with Peter Hedges' script and those actors, or Tadpole with Sigourney Weaver, they could have gotten a little more $ for higher quality video. But I think with IFC and InDigEnt, it's almost a proof of concept; that stars will act in, and audiences will go see, little DV movies. Kind of a democratization of filmmaking. And they've been successful at it. As someone who's planning to shoot a film on DV because I probably won't have higher quality options, I'm happy they're making the format more acceptable/commonplace.

Rick Spilman · March 30th, 2004, 02:19 AM

I watched Pieces of April with my wife. I grimaced at the scenes where it screamed DV and she didn't notice. The script and the acting is far more important than the format. Patricia Calrkson deserved the Academy Award nomination. I absolutely love her acting.

Some of the worst shots were, in my opinion, due to lack of experience in shooting with DV, having a low budget ($300 K is the number I have read) and being in a hurry. The dreadful scene coming out of the Holland tunnel might have been improved just by gelling the passenger side window of the car so it wasn't so painfully blown out. Or not. Either way, it lasted relatively few seconds.

What I do find interesting about DV productions is the intimacy that DV ultimately requires. Filmmakers are learning to avoid wide shots and stick to the medium shots and closeups. Works well for small character driven movies. Not recommened for remakes of John Ford westerns.

Looking at the InDigEnt site I see that they are shooting one new movie, Pizza, with a Panisonic DVX100 and another is getting started with a Panisconc 24p HD. With luck technology will solve some of the worst problems with digital filmmaking while still letting independents tell their stories on film.

November 13th, 2003, 12:45 AM	#16
Chris Sorensen Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: New York, NY Posts: 61	I don't disagree that with Peter Hedges' script and those actors, or Tadpole with Sigourney Weaver, they could have gotten a little more $ for higher quality video. But I think with IFC and InDigEnt, it's almost a proof of concept; that stars will act in, and audiences will go see, little DV movies. Kind of a democratization of filmmaking. And they've been successful at it. As someone who's planning to shoot a film on DV because I probably won't have higher quality options, I'm happy they're making the format more acceptable/commonplace.

March 30th, 2004, 02:19 AM	#17
Rick Spilman Major Player Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Jersey City, NJ Posts: 366	I watched Pieces of April with my wife. I grimaced at the scenes where it screamed DV and she didn't notice. The script and the acting is far more important than the format. Patricia Calrkson deserved the Academy Award nomination. I absolutely love her acting. Some of the worst shots were, in my opinion, due to lack of experience in shooting with DV, having a low budget ($300 K is the number I have read) and being in a hurry. The dreadful scene coming out of the Holland tunnel might have been improved just by gelling the passenger side window of the car so it wasn't so painfully blown out. Or not. Either way, it lasted relatively few seconds. What I do find interesting about DV productions is the intimacy that DV ultimately requires. Filmmakers are learning to avoid wide shots and stick to the medium shots and closeups. Works well for small character driven movies. Not recommened for remakes of John Ford westerns. Looking at the InDigEnt site I see that they are shooting one new movie, Pizza, with a Panisonic DVX100 and another is getting started with a Panisconc 24p HD. With luck technology will solve some of the worst problems with digital filmmaking while still letting independents tell their stories on film.