• READ BEFORE POSTING!
    • If posting a video, please post HERE, unless it is a video as part of an advertisement and then post it in this section.
    • If replying to threads please remember this is the Promotion area and the person posting may not be open to feedback.

watch Is War A Game? Short film by Michael Rees

M

Michael Rees

Hello again people, I am back with another short film. You probably don't remember me so here it goes: My names Michael, I am a 16 year old aspiring filmmaker. I make short films. That's about it haha. Anyways, I recently completed a short and would love some feedback. We shot in about 3 hours, on the T2i. I would appreciate any feedback, whether it be good or bad. Thanks!

-Michael Rees

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY5yUbd9d-0
 
Not bad.

I'm sure that everyone will chime in with their own criticisms. I would have done some sound things differently, but that's what I do and I've got about 35 years more experience than you do. It could be a little shorter, and with some more planning and a bit more budget you could have done quite a bit more; I would have made some different choices.

But not bad, not bad at all. Spend three days on the next one.
 
Damn, this gave me the chills. I really liked it. The only complaint I have is the sound effects. They were really plain. Better sound makes all the difference!
 
Good work man. Didn't get to watch the whole thing or hear sound as to I'm at work, but from what I could see awesome job. You have an eye for it.
 
Really nice. Some small things I noticed:

The quick cuts at the very beginning just didn't work at all for me. I had no idea what was going on, and it felt like a mistake in editing. I'd hold those shots out quite a bit longer just before the kid starts play-fighting.

When he goes into the imaginary warzone, the color correction is very weird. I like the idea of changing the colors, but it could have been a nicer adjustment. Seems like you just boosted blues in the black range and maybe a bit in the mids, and I think I know what you MEANT by it, but it still looked off. Of course, good color correction is a very hard thing to do properly without detracting from the storyline too much... But if it were me, I would have shot the imaginary warzone sequence on a different, more overcast day, and brought out the fog machines for some rolling mist. Then shooting at maybe 45 fps, ala Saving Private Ryan. Combined with a very, very slight bluish or greenish tint, I think you would've been closer to the look you were trying to acheive.

I loved the slow-motion at the end. All very well composed shots. Did you use one lens for the entire shoot, or more than one?
 
Just watched the whole thing with sound. Awesome. My only gripe is that "Tidy Kitty" cat litter.

Is your dad a Colonel?
 
Hey guys, sorry for not responding right away. I'm glad that "some of you" liked it. And no, I know the Colonel.

Thanks for the comments though!
 
That was pretty well done! Felt very similar in tone to Where The Wild Things Are. As some people have said though, it could have definitely been shortened down - seeing as the main sort of "high point" of the film was the news about his father dying, I think it could have been cut down tremendously, because as is even though it's the peak of the film it's dragged on for longer than the rest of it. Perhaps cutting it down to having the boy arrive when the man is leaving, and he finds his mother crying at the door step. Or even having the news be cut down to a series of shots interspersed between shots of the boy riding home.

The title also doesn't seem to fit very well. Not a massive fan of questions or statements being used as titles. 'War Games' would have done nicely, or if you didn't want it reminding anyone at all of the actual film called 'War Games' then something more child-like would have been nice, as if from the perspective of the child, like "Playing Soldier".

It is a very nice piece of work though. What camera and lens did you use, and at what speed did you shoot? Looks very professional. I was planning on delaying my next shoot until I can buy a Canon 550d.
 
rayw said:
Since your response is open for interpretation I'm not exactly sure what I'm supposed to get from it, unlike the subject video which I got easily from the director's fine execution of a coherent idea.

AKA: Whut?
Click to expand...

sorry, ray, I didn't mean to quote you, I guess.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top