On the lot

Brian Mitchell Warshawsky · March 10th, 2007, 11:32 PM

Fellow Vegans,

If anyone has a chance to offer feedback, I have a short film which has finally gone live on the On The Lot short film competition.

Shot with a DVX100, and edited entirely in Vegas, the short is comprised entirely from scenes from a full length feature currently in post production.

http://films.thelot.com/films/23105

The compression - especially on the audio end - seems to have taken its toll - even causing a sync problem.

Any thoughts? Before you grade to harshly, feel free to see what the other entries are like.

Thanks!

Brian

George David · March 11th, 2007, 04:03 AM

Brian,

Great job. I like the pleasantville B&W stuff you did and the red bow tie was beautiful. The kids calling him a loser was very funny. Another shot I really like is when the patient w/ a weird haircut was getting beat up and the doctor was running away from the house - that was cool.

The only thing I have a problem with is during the therapy session dialogue when the doctor's framing was a little off. It may have been better if he was mostly on the left side of the frame as he was looking right. But maybe that was intentional by the DP?

Great job - I really enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing.

Brian Mitchell Warshawsky · March 11th, 2007, 08:28 AM

On the haircut...

Thanks for not thinking that was a bad bald cap. It is indeed a real haircut, and a cautionary tale on why you have to supervise everything. While I was off shooting a rooftop scene, the actor who agreed to have his head shaved, was supposed to have it cut to look like his hair was receding in a creepy way, with a bad comb over. Instead, he was butchered, and his bald dome looked fake.

Of course, its good to have someone who is completely shameless. He also provided the Rear View underwear shot visible at the end of the film. Oddly enough, I had not expected him to be in such good physical shape, or that final shot could have been even funnier.

Great point on the framing!

A few of the shots were out of place simply because this was the only way to take scenes from a full length film, and chop them down into a somewhat cohesive 5 minute short.

Brian Mitchell Warshawsky · March 12th, 2007, 03:11 PM

George Wrote:

>>>>>>The only thing I have a problem with is during the therapy session dialogue when the doctor's framing was a little off.>>>>

I just received feedback from a top DP, who pointed out the exact same thing.

By chance, are you also either a DP or work in a similar capacity?

Brian

Donald Blake · March 12th, 2007, 03:36 PM

Hey Brian, love the short you made!

I'm new to all this, i just started video editing on Vegas 7 (i love it!) now i found this place, it's cool to know you can still have advice for free these days... i was wondering what where the fx used in Vegas to achieve that black and white and only one color look? i know it's a simple question but i'm only a beginer at this! thanks in advance!

Jeff Harper · March 12th, 2007, 04:18 PM

Way cool....I love your short....VERY entertaining...I don't care for the Dctr's Jacket and Cap....they seem inappropriate and don't fit...but I can see how they are being used to help make him less distinguishable from the hapless patient who gets beat up due to mistaken identity.

I loved it. Keep up the good work.

Brian Mitchell Warshawsky · March 12th, 2007, 04:28 PM

Donald,

Thank you for the kind words.

>>>>>>it's cool to know you can still have advice for free these days>>>>

To quote a Jeremy Irons character: "You have no idea".

In the world of DV, most of what I know I learned here on this board (I'm an old film guy).

For the effects, there is a veritable treasure chest of veggies, effects, articles, media, and more offered by the multi-media gods at vasst.com.

http://www.vasst.com

Its like you open your arms, and amazing treasures fall to earth. Register for a free account. (No, I'm not affiliated with VASST).

Also not to be missed are Edward Troxel's excellent newsletters: http://www.jetdv.com/vegas/forum/index.php Archives are available online.

Having lived in the dark ages, I've discovered that most new filmmakers fail to comprehend and appreciate the truly revolutionary power within their grasp when they wield a digital video camera. Anyone planning a production should take care not to impose any unnecessary limits on what they can do.

Here is a link to the full trailer of my film, if you are curious:
http://www.yousendit.com/download/T2...QzcwVWswTVE9PQ

Welcome aboard!

Brian

Brian Mitchell Warshawsky · March 12th, 2007, 04:38 PM

Jeff wrote:

>>>I don't care for the Dctr's Jacket and Cap>>>

TOO FUNNY!

These actually belong to the actor - as does the rest of the psychologist's limited wardrobe.

This is after all, a zero budget feature. (wear what ya got!)

That's actually how he dresses - at least until his car gets blown up in the film, and we had a continuity challenge by keeping him away from the jacket which was supposed to be in the car when it blows up.

BMW

David Jasany · March 13th, 2007, 06:00 AM

Brian,

I thoroughly enjoyed your short. I first watched it for technique, but I was immediately drawn into the story instead. Besides the visuals, I also liked the soundtrack when Ms. Bugatti first appeared.

Dave

Brian Mitchell Warshawsky · March 13th, 2007, 08:33 AM

David,

Thank you. The music sound track has 30 different tracks!

While I concede that this film will not have one of the 50 or 100 best music sound tracks ever, I'm thinking that somewhere in the top 200 is possible!

Incidentally, the vocalist on the track "I Just Want To Be With You Tonight" is one of the vigilantes demonstrating her soccer skills on the face of the wrong guy - at the end of the sequence.

BMW

George David · March 13th, 2007, 10:00 AM

Brian,

I just saw your initials BMW - how cool it that? To answer your question, I've DP'ed shorts, documentaries, a commercial and a feature film I'm doing now. But for some reason, I still can't call myself a DP. Same goes for the title "Director" even though I've directed a few. I'm not sure why that is so. Maybe it's because I'm a weird musician first and foremost. You can check out some of my work by right-clicking on my name and visiting the web site.

Regards and keep up the good work. You're a great storyteller/filmmaker!!!

George

Brian Mitchell Warshawsky · March 13th, 2007, 09:39 PM

Hey George,

Those are some incredible looking JVC HD images in your demo reels. There was one shot in particular, a night scene with a trail which was just beautiful. Producing work of that caliber can open the door to a number of intriguing possibilities.

I had hoped to see more but unfortunately, many of the links were broken.

Per your gear, am I correct that you edit in Vegas for the Cineform codec and use FCP for the titles?

The use of Wurman is a major coop.

Brian

George David · March 16th, 2007, 12:50 PM

Brian, sorry about the late reply. Thanks for checking out the footage. I love the JVC cameras. I have a lot of samples and I definitely need to fix the links.

I edit mostly in Vegas for quick projects and FCP on shorts and the feature I'm working on. Why FCP? I've no idea because Vegas is the only editor that can respond to the speed of creative thought for me. Maybe I've been brainwashed that for films, FCP or Avid is it. That said, I use Livetype (HDTV 720 setting) for all my fonts on Vegas projects. I only use native m2t in Vegas for editing and Apple HDV720 in FCP.

Alex Wurman is awesome - it was a treat to hear him speak at a Sundance documentary event last summer.

March 10th, 2007, 11:32 PM	#1
Brian Mitchell Warshawsky Major Player Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Bay Area Posts: 216	On the lot - a Vegas entry Fellow Vegans, If anyone has a chance to offer feedback, I have a short film which has finally gone live on the On The Lot short film competition. Shot with a DVX100, and edited entirely in Vegas, the short is comprised entirely from scenes from a full length feature currently in post production. http://films.thelot.com/films/23105 The compression - especially on the audio end - seems to have taken its toll - even causing a sync problem. Any thoughts? Before you grade to harshly, feel free to see what the other entries are like. Thanks! Brian

March 11th, 2007, 04:03 AM	#2
George David Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Utah Posts: 150	Brian, Great job. I like the pleasantville B&W stuff you did and the red bow tie was beautiful. The kids calling him a loser was very funny. Another shot I really like is when the patient w/ a weird haircut was getting beat up and the doctor was running away from the house - that was cool. The only thing I have a problem with is during the therapy session dialogue when the doctor's framing was a little off. It may have been better if he was mostly on the left side of the frame as he was looking right. But maybe that was intentional by the DP? Great job - I really enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing.

March 11th, 2007, 08:28 AM	#3
Brian Mitchell Warshawsky Major Player Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Bay Area Posts: 216	On the haircut... Thanks for not thinking that was a bad bald cap. It is indeed a real haircut, and a cautionary tale on why you have to supervise everything. While I was off shooting a rooftop scene, the actor who agreed to have his head shaved, was supposed to have it cut to look like his hair was receding in a creepy way, with a bad comb over. Instead, he was butchered, and his bald dome looked fake. Of course, its good to have someone who is completely shameless. He also provided the Rear View underwear shot visible at the end of the film. Oddly enough, I had not expected him to be in such good physical shape, or that final shot could have been even funnier. Great point on the framing! A few of the shots were out of place simply because this was the only way to take scenes from a full length film, and chop them down into a somewhat cohesive 5 minute short.

March 12th, 2007, 03:11 PM	#4
Brian Mitchell Warshawsky Major Player Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Bay Area Posts: 216	George Wrote: >>>>>>The only thing I have a problem with is during the therapy session dialogue when the doctor's framing was a little off.>>>> I just received feedback from a top DP, who pointed out the exact same thing. By chance, are you also either a DP or work in a similar capacity? Brian

March 12th, 2007, 03:36 PM	#5
Donald Blake Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Montreal, Canada Posts: 142	Hey Brian, love the short you made! I'm new to all this, i just started video editing on Vegas 7 (i love it!) now i found this place, it's cool to know you can still have advice for free these days... i was wondering what where the fx used in Vegas to achieve that black and white and only one color look? i know it's a simple question but i'm only a beginer at this! thanks in advance!

March 12th, 2007, 04:18 PM	#6
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	Way cool....I love your short....VERY entertaining...I don't care for the Dctr's Jacket and Cap....they seem inappropriate and don't fit...but I can see how they are being used to help make him less distinguishable from the hapless patient who gets beat up due to mistaken identity. I loved it. Keep up the good work.

March 12th, 2007, 04:28 PM	#7
Brian Mitchell Warshawsky Major Player Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Bay Area Posts: 216	Donald, Thank you for the kind words. >>>>>>it's cool to know you can still have advice for free these days>>>> To quote a Jeremy Irons character: "You have no idea". In the world of DV, most of what I know I learned here on this board (I'm an old film guy). For the effects, there is a veritable treasure chest of veggies, effects, articles, media, and more offered by the multi-media gods at vasst.com. http://www.vasst.com Its like you open your arms, and amazing treasures fall to earth. Register for a free account. (No, I'm not affiliated with VASST). Also not to be missed are Edward Troxel's excellent newsletters: http://www.jetdv.com/vegas/forum/index.php Archives are available online. Having lived in the dark ages, I've discovered that most new filmmakers fail to comprehend and appreciate the truly revolutionary power within their grasp when they wield a digital video camera. Anyone planning a production should take care not to impose any unnecessary limits on what they can do. Here is a link to the full trailer of my film, if you are curious: http://www.yousendit.com/download/T2...QzcwVWswTVE9PQ Welcome aboard! Brian

March 12th, 2007, 04:38 PM	#8
Brian Mitchell Warshawsky Major Player Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Bay Area Posts: 216	Jeff wrote: >>>I don't care for the Dctr's Jacket and Cap>>> TOO FUNNY! These actually belong to the actor - as does the rest of the psychologist's limited wardrobe. This is after all, a zero budget feature. (wear what ya got!) That's actually how he dresses - at least until his car gets blown up in the film, and we had a continuity challenge by keeping him away from the jacket which was supposed to be in the car when it blows up. BMW

March 13th, 2007, 06:00 AM	#9
David Jasany Major Player Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: North Carolina Posts: 313	Brian, I thoroughly enjoyed your short. I first watched it for technique, but I was immediately drawn into the story instead. Besides the visuals, I also liked the soundtrack when Ms. Bugatti first appeared. Dave

March 13th, 2007, 08:33 AM	#10
Brian Mitchell Warshawsky Major Player Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Bay Area Posts: 216	David, Thank you. The music sound track has 30 different tracks! While I concede that this film will not have one of the 50 or 100 best music sound tracks ever, I'm thinking that somewhere in the top 200 is possible! Incidentally, the vocalist on the track "I Just Want To Be With You Tonight" is one of the vigilantes demonstrating her soccer skills on the face of the wrong guy - at the end of the sequence. BMW

March 13th, 2007, 10:00 AM	#11
George David Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Utah Posts: 150	Brian, I just saw your initials BMW - how cool it that? To answer your question, I've DP'ed shorts, documentaries, a commercial and a feature film I'm doing now. But for some reason, I still can't call myself a DP. Same goes for the title "Director" even though I've directed a few. I'm not sure why that is so. Maybe it's because I'm a weird musician first and foremost. You can check out some of my work by right-clicking on my name and visiting the web site. Regards and keep up the good work. You're a great storyteller/filmmaker!!! George

March 13th, 2007, 09:39 PM	#12
Brian Mitchell Warshawsky Major Player Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Bay Area Posts: 216	Hey George, Those are some incredible looking JVC HD images in your demo reels. There was one shot in particular, a night scene with a trail which was just beautiful. Producing work of that caliber can open the door to a number of intriguing possibilities. I had hoped to see more but unfortunately, many of the links were broken. Per your gear, am I correct that you edit in Vegas for the Cineform codec and use FCP for the titles? The use of Wurman is a major coop. Brian

March 16th, 2007, 12:50 PM	#13
George David Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Utah Posts: 150	Brian, sorry about the late reply. Thanks for checking out the footage. I love the JVC cameras. I have a lot of samples and I definitely need to fix the links. I edit mostly in Vegas for quick projects and FCP on shorts and the feature I'm working on. Why FCP? I've no idea because Vegas is the only editor that can respond to the speed of creative thought for me. Maybe I've been brainwashed that for films, FCP or Avid is it. That said, I use Livetype (HDTV 720 setting) for all my fonts on Vegas projects. I only use native m2t in Vegas for editing and Apple HDV720 in FCP. Alex Wurman is awesome - it was a treat to hear him speak at a Sundance documentary event last summer.