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watch Phantasmagoria

Here's a very recent project I've been working on for months. It's a very mumblecore-ish experimental horror film with loads of ambiguity... I figured I really like leaving my movies up to the viewer's own discretion for the most part. But it'd be really cool if you guys could check it out. It has cinematography in the way that I filmed two other shorts, Interlope and Anomaly, and you guys seemed to really enjoy those. I'm hoping you'll like it!

So, Without further adieu, Phantasmagoria

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3lL0ISb6Rs
 
Best you've done so far.

The blacks looked a bit too bright and washed out at times. You could've shorted "Written by Edw.." and "Directed by Ed..." to "Written and Directed". Or even, "Written, Directed, and Edited". Also, in the first outside scene, there's no sound besides the music and dialogue... which is odd. Some VERY subtle footstep sounds and traffic sounds might have helped develop the atmosphere. Some shots were incredibly dark and hard to make out when they shouldn't have been. I also felt you could have pushed the intensity of some scenes further. I think the frustration and confusion of the character wasn't fully captured... and if it was, this could have been an amazing film. Also... that zoom in the diner (?) was poor looking. The camera's presence was unfortunately obvious in a couple of scenes. Some scenes also felt a bit repetitive or long as well.

I like the pacing of the film. We are allowed to kind of ease into the film, there are thrown on a roller coaster of jump scares and uncomfortable moments. The cinematography is noticeable better than your other films, and it's beginning to show the development of your style. There's heavy use of closeups and emphasis on incredibly shallow focus to help draw our eye to certain things on the screen, and to obscure other things. The handheld was a bit extreme at times, but still nicely done. The grading is well done as well, one thing slightly lacking from the other things you've done. And one thing I like about this horror short, it's that it's not heavily sinister and cramming in how "CREEPY!" and "EVIL!" everything is, but rather letting the events unfold and allowing the audience to decipher and make something of it. It's subtle and it's smart. Now one thing I did like was the horror sequences in broad daylight. Much like Night of the Living Dead, you take what should be a safe place (large spacey area in broad daylight), then create an unease and tension, with a couple of jumpy moments to establish that no place is safe or normal, and that we can't feel comfortable for the rest of the film. The sudden transition from scene to scene is just great, throwing us around through the broken fragments of this character's mind, then finishing with a solemn and open ended conclusion, tying everything up well.

Overall, I think your films are incredibly well put together. They're cohesive and you're developing a unique style. My main problems with the film (and your films in general), are that there are small flaws that keep them from being truly great, and interrupt from the generally well done story.

Keep up the good work, and keep on improving. I'm telling you, each one gets better and better.
 
Best you've done so far.

The blacks looked a bit too bright and washed out at times. You could've shorted "Written by Edw.." and "Directed by Ed..." to "Written and Directed". Or even, "Written, Directed, and Edited". Also, in the first outside scene, there's no sound besides the music and dialogue... which is odd. Some VERY subtle footstep sounds and traffic sounds might have helped develop the atmosphere. Some shots were incredibly dark and hard to make out when they shouldn't have been. I also felt you could have pushed the intensity of some scenes further. I think the frustration and confusion of the character wasn't fully captured... and if it was, this could have been an amazing film. Also... that zoom in the diner (?) was poor looking. The camera's presence was unfortunately obvious in a couple of scenes. Some scenes also felt a bit repetitive or long as well.

I like the pacing of the film. We are allowed to kind of ease into the film, there are thrown on a roller coaster of jump scares and uncomfortable moments. The cinematography is noticeable better than your other films, and it's beginning to show the development of your style. There's heavy use of closeups and emphasis on incredibly shallow focus to help draw our eye to certain things on the screen, and to obscure other things. The handheld was a bit extreme at times, but still nicely done. The grading is well done as well, one thing slightly lacking from the other things you've done. And one thing I like about this horror short, it's that it's not heavily sinister and cramming in how "CREEPY!" and "EVIL!" everything is, but rather letting the events unfold and allowing the audience to decipher and make something of it. It's subtle and it's smart. Now one thing I did like was the horror sequences in broad daylight. Much like Night of the Living Dead, you take what should be a safe place (large spacey area in broad daylight), then create an unease and tension, with a couple of jumpy moments to establish that no place is safe or normal, and that we can't feel comfortable for the rest of the film. The sudden transition from scene to scene is just great, throwing us around through the broken fragments of this character's mind, then finishing with a solemn and open ended conclusion, tying everything up well.

Overall, I think your films are incredibly well put together. They're cohesive and you're developing a unique style. My main problems with the film (and your films in general), are that there are small flaws that keep them from being truly great, and interrupt from the generally well done story.

Keep up the good work, and keep on improving. I'm telling you, each one gets better and better.

My man, I swear, you have got the best criticism and it's awesome that you've stuck with me watching all my videos for so long. I can agree with the criticism you give because they're also the flaws I found with it as well.. It's easy to notice your own flaws and other peoples, but it's really hard to fix them when you try to get down to it. But thank you again. All the means so much.
 
You're welcome! I like giving feedback, and you're right, it's generally harder to fix than to point out flaws. To tell you the truth, the flaws in your videos are starting to become less and less prominent, and I think your ambition to take on a larger project resulted in more flaws (5-15 minute films are often easier to make and more focused) since you were tackling something on a much larger and more complex scale. But that's not something to be worried about, or to be disappointed about. You've improved more than anything, and the film didn't disappoint.
 
You're welcome! I like giving feedback, and you're right, it's generally harder to fix than to point out flaws. To tell you the truth, the flaws in your videos are starting to become less and less prominent, and I think your ambition to take on a larger project resulted in more flaws (5-15 minute films are often easier to make and more focused) since you were tackling something on a much larger and more complex scale. But that's not something to be worried about, or to be disappointed about. You've improved more than anything, and the film didn't disappoint.

Thanks again! (:
 
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