archived-videos My first crime film (short film)

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faabbii

During the holiday I made a new movie with some friends of mine. It's a crime movie about a guy who lost some money from a gangster. It's a short movie (8 minutes). I directed, edited and wrote the movie. It is called 'Capo'. I made some subtitles, because I'm from Holland.

Tell me what you think ;).
 
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Alright mate I can really see that you have put a lot of hard work into the film , however .

The scene where the guy got shot in the hand is incredibly cheesy and uneralistic . The punches were horrible as well and really didn't worked for me . You have to work much harder on the sound .

The acting was not good either , same goes for the casting choice overall . They are way too young for their roles .

I couldn't follow the story very much , plus there are a lot of static shots which are just way too long .

I wish you luck with your upcoming projects I am sure your next one will be much better.

Cheers .
 
Strange opening credits. Why did you abbreviate all of the actor's first names?

Like RED ROBOT said, the actors are much too young for the character's they are playing. Hire older actors, or have the actors in the film play character's that fit their age.

There are some over/underexposed shots. Remember to always light your scenes, and set your exposure/aperture/ISO.

The punch was... :no:. Faster editing, sound effects, and planned choreography.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWwlxaqvFtc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKq911kcqLY

Again, like RED ROBOT said, too many static shots. You need moving shots to add tension and excitement. You can buy a cheap rig, like the Spider Steady, or get more DIY and make a spider steady.

Spider Steady and Review:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBiRDXoGsCs
http://www.amazon.com/foldable-Shoulder-Spider-Steady-Camera/dp/B00932XZQ2

DIY Fig Rig

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qT72hoYxESI

The audio was poor. Get a better mic, use it properly, and clean it up in post.
Too long, too slow. Simplifications to the story, more editing, and moving shots and music (to add more excitement).

Some of the music you used is very recognizable. Incompetech.com? Yep. Get a composer. There are many composers willing to work for free/little. I've seen a couple on IndieTalk.

I didn't think the ending was very effective. I felt like there needed to be something more.

NOW ON TO WHAT'S GOOD!

A bit hard to follow, but the story isn't bad.
There were some well lit/graded scenes.
That bowling ball thing made my cringe.
Some nice wide shots.
I thought you had just grabbed a picture of a shell by a gun. I'm glad that the shell had something to do with the story.

Also, I'm glad you added the subtitles. I struggled with it on first viewing. :lol:

Good job! I hope to see more from you in the future.
 
Thanks again for your feedback :)! I can really use these tutorials. I'll probably buy or make a rig this year. It is very usefull. Thanks!
 
Short films allow you to experience production, think about your craft, find your voice and get an understanding of the technical aspects of putting a movie together in a small condensed dose. Once you have a short film, you aren’t just talking on the promise that you will be great at directing, you actually have evidence. It gives you a chance to be seen and judged as you can enter your film in one of the MANY short film festivals around the world...
 
RED ROBOT said:
Alright mate I can really see that you have put a lot of hard work into the film , however .

The scene where the guy got shot in the hand is incredibly cheesy and uneralistic . The punches were horrible as well and really didn't worked for me . You have to work much harder on the sound .

The acting was not good either , same goes for the casting choice overall . They are way too young for their roles .

I couldn't follow the story very much , plus there are a lot of static shots which are just way too long .

I wish you luck with your upcoming projects I am sure your next one will be much better.

Cheers .
Click to expand...

Are you sure the actors are too young for their roles. The movies City of God, and Menace II Society had gangsters that were in their teens and younger even. There are gangs where I live that are youth under 18. I thought gang dramas are suitable for younsters but maybe not?
 
harmonica44 said:
Are you sure the actors are too young for their roles. The movies City of God, and Menace II Society had gangsters that were in their teens and younger even. There are gangs where I live that are youth under 18. I thought gang dramas are suitable for younsters but maybe not?
Click to expand...

It depends on the kind of gangsters, what their jobs and goals are, and where those gangsters are located.

Both Goodfellas and City of God have gangsters in them.

But imagine Goodfellas with actors around the age of the kids in City of God. :lol:
 
That's true. I actually am typically more fascinated by kid gangsters in movies. It's just more dramatic in a movie to see a kid gun down people than an adult do it. With good depth and context of the story of course. Not just for shock value only. But of course in this particular short film, perhaps older people may have been more suitable.
 
harmonica44 said:
That's true. I actually am typically more fascinated by kid gangsters in movies. It's just more dramatic in a movie to see a kid gun down people than an adult do it. With good depth and context of the story of course. Not just for shock value only. But of course in this particular short film, perhaps older people may have been more suitable.
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I agree. Have you seen the film "Blood Diamond"? Highly recommend it.
 
If you're shooting with Alexa and your footage looks incredibly dark and cinematic , your actors are properly dressed and you have great set design - yes .

If you're shooting handheld with DSLR and your actors are wearing boring tshirts . No .

You can't compare big budget movies with low budget movies . The way you make them and the way you can realistically pull off the film is different .
 
ChimpPhobiaFilms said:
You're welcome!

I hope to see your next film :)
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I also made a horrorfilm once. Maybe I will put some subtitles under it in the next few weeks. It´s hard to make a movie now, because I´m not doing a filmeducation. I´m studying Communication at the moment.I made all my movies in spare time.
 
filoco said:
Short films allow you to experience production, think about your craft, find your voice and get an understanding of the technical aspects of putting a movie together in a small condensed dose. Once you have a short film, you aren’t just talking on the promise that you will be great at directing, you actually have evidence. It gives you a chance to be seen and judged as you can enter your film in one of the MANY short film festivals around the world...
Click to expand...

You´re right. But I don´t think I´m a good director.
 
RED ROBOT said:
If you're shooting with Alexa and your footage looks incredibly dark and cinematic , your actors are properly dressed and you have great set design - yes .

If you're shooting handheld with DSLR and your actors are wearing boring tshirts . No .

You can't compare big budget movies with low budget movies . The way you make them and the way you can realistically pull off the film is different .
Click to expand...

I was recommending a film that I thought would appeal to H44.
 
ChimpPhobiaFilms said:
I agree. Have you seen the film "Blood Diamond"? Highly recommend it.
Click to expand...

Yep I'v seen Blood Diamond, and like it. Thanks for the recommendation. I did found some of the scenarios with the kids though to be a little far fetched and a bit 'Hollywood' compared to what they could have done, without giving away spoilers, but it was overall a very good movie.
 
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