blog Christmas Fire v2

[EDIT: REMOVED Silent Night Link 9/1/22]


here is current version of the film if anyone wants to provide feedback

The significant change are:
1) Opening scene recut with new music
2) Improved gun sounds
2) Prayer/Grace at kitchen completely removed
3) Improved shotgun fight sequence
4) Removed girl crying after her mom died, moved that footage to the flashback later on
5) Dramatically improved color grading for foster home hand-to-hand combat scene
6) Added a transition from yippie-ki-yay bathroom to the courthouse
7) Dramatically improved the big shootout finale at the end of the film
8) Added screaming when the woman is set on fire at the end
9) Every actor now given a spotlight in the end credits over traphouse version of Jingle Bells
10) Removed about 15% of the total runtime from the prior version
 
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I like the new edit of the shoot out but yeah, I think take out Silent Night. It doesn't quite work although I get what you're going for.
 
The song could work like this, more emotional version, works better as background, the single instrument represents being alone.

 
I agree with what's above.

not much to add, but I think those alternate harmonies in the song specifically are stealing focus from your scene. People are so used to hearing it with the regular chords, that changing it up really calls a lot of attention to itself. Great idea though. I think it's possible that the right mix of that song could work there.
 
mlesemann said:
Yeah. I listened to it easily a half dozen times before saying it doesn't work but it doesn't completely not work. If that makes any sense?
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yeah kind of what i was thinking -- something is just a little off i can't put my finger on.
I was hoping someone would know what that was, and i could change it, and then it would work lol.

IT says remove the lyrics, maybe thats it, but i liked the vocals lol thats why i wanted it.
Oh well, maybe it doesn't even matter. i think sometimes its just as simple as music not matching a scene and there doesn't have to be a specific reason why
 
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Maybe the issue is the transition - or non-transition - to the next scene?
I like the connection between the toaster ornament & the actual toaster. But maybe it would work better with a harsh sound - not literally a train wreck but that's the idea - at beginning of the next scene? Basically, I love the shoot out as it is now but not the beginning of the next scene.

I know that's un-helpfully vague but it's all I've got :)
 
mlesemann said:
Maybe the issue is the transition - or non-transition - to the next scene?
I like the connection between the toaster ornament & the actual toaster. But maybe it would work better with a harsh sound - not literally a train wreck but that's the idea - at beginning of the next scene? Basically, I love the shoot out as it is now but not the beginning of the next scene.

I know that's un-helpfully vague but it's all I've got :)
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It was interesting to read and think about, but just gonna go back to the old music for that scene.
BTW there is a pretty silly meta joke in there - her parents are toast 😄
 
I think it's an improvement. You're really leaning into the christmas side of it.

I think something that really caught my attention was the overhand slap at 8:34. A lot of people go with the standard issue horizontal slap, but this vertical forehead slap feels, you know, bespoke.

I think the actors will appreciate the visual credits. Good work!
 
sfoster said:
There was a composite error in the opening scene, re-rendering now lol



What do you mean by that? cause the of the jingle bells song in the end credits?
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Yeah, that moves the mix slider a bit, between "an action movie with a christmas theme" and "a christmas movie with an action theme"

Not in a bad way though.
 
Here is the full movie - in particular the opening scene and the final shootout are both waaaay better.
And the gun sounds, oh my god, the gun sounds are finally good. music to my ears.

Nobody told me the special sauce but i finally figured it out for myself.
and i put my face in the end credits lol

[edit: removed link]

It was hard to put all that time and effort into something that was already released last year, but I'm really happy with the improvements.
I believe I've addressed every complaint and shortcoming from v1 2021

Nate North said:
Yeah, that moves the mix slider a bit, between "an action movie with a christmas theme" and "a christmas movie with an action theme"

Not in a bad way though.
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I also added a 'Merry Christmas' as soon as the movie ends.
It's all kind of ironic bc i've never been a christian a day in my life 😄

That's cool though, I was definitely aiming for Christmas movie so that people can rewatch it every year!
thanks for taking the time to watch & give feedback
 
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Correct me if im wrong but the scene with the girl crying after her parents die.. not really doing anything right?

I took the crying out of that scene and i put it in the flashback later on when she remembers her dead parents.
much more effective there.

the other really big change is that i fixed the color grading at the foster home, idk wtf i was thinking but it looked like shit before
its so much better now. might be the last really big significant change

i think the other child actors will be really happy with how much better their scene looks
some of this work has been grueling but i think i've addressed every single complaint and short coming that i heard from test audiences (aka 2021 lol)

 
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mlesemann said:
Yup, definitely.


I like that much better too. I knew something was bothering me but I wasn't sure what :)
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I tried to film entirely with practical lighting at that location and ended up with a really flat image.
i had to rotoscope each individual person to fix it lol. short scene and magic mask did most of the work for me automagically.
 
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Updated the thumbnail.. might need someone to photoshop out the stupid writing and stuff on the bottom of my prop guns, i forgot to take black paint to that before filming.


Oh well it still looks great IMO.
Shows a fun little action narrative, close up of the lead, and a nice font.
 
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