New SG35 short at DVinfo.net

Marco van Belle · August 19th, 2006, 09:49 AM

Hello all,

After more than six months as a lurker here on DVinfo I'd like to offer up my first short film.

I've got a lot to learn, but this site has already given me an immense amount of help and ideas. I've been inspired by people's work and guided by their experience and wisdom.

I'd really appreciate it if as many of you as possible can visit the film's website and view it. If you can offer any feedback or impressions please do so (ideally here on this thread, rather than by the email via the site).

www.gameovershort.com

(go to the 'download' section and right click to save to desktop - you can also left click and it will take up to 2 minutes to load fully)

All the best,

Marco

Lloyd Choi · August 19th, 2006, 10:00 PM

beautifully shot.

Very relevant short to kids these days... just not kids actually, to anyone addicted to video games.

Paul Cascio · August 20th, 2006, 02:12 PM

Very impressed with both the production values and the storytelling. I too have an SG35 an was wondering which camera and lens you used. Actors were great too.

My only other comment is that I would have left out the "Great shot. great shot." at the end. Wasn't necessary, more dramatic without it.

Marco van Belle · August 21st, 2006, 02:24 AM

Thanks for watching the film and for your comments Lloyd / Paul,

Paul, to answer your question re: camera etc. We borrowed a Z1 and I bought a selection of Nikon fit lenses from ebay. The budget was very tight so the glass wasn't the best. We had a 50mm prime, a 40-85mm zoom, but my favourite shots were actually on an M42 135 prime that cost me UK£15. (I bought a cheap adaptor to attach the threaded M42 fit to the Nikon mount on the SG35)

I've thought about you point re: the 'good shot' thing at the end. To be honest, that was something i concieved early on and never really assessed again. I just did it as part of the overall assembly of the soundtrack. I'll watch it again a few times and see if it jars for me with hindsight.

More views please!

Marco

Jeff Cottrone · August 21st, 2006, 12:17 PM

Marco, this is very impressive. It's hitting on all cylinders: lighting, camera work, editing, sound, music, acting, pacing...

Actually, the thing I like the most is the way the sound interweaves and comes in and out appropriately, effectively expressing his POV. And the visual move into the gun barrel/out his eye. Cool.

Oh and I left out the most important part: storytelling. It echoes with a social commentary of today's video game influences on young minds.

But I agree with the "good shot" comment above. It would be a much more dramatic ending with a moment of silence, then the soundtrack/credits kicking in.

Jason Dirks · August 21st, 2006, 08:13 PM

Marco,

Looks amazing. I'm really blown away with what you were able to accomplish with the SG35 lens and all the set-up's are very interesting yet logical . . . it didn't come across like you were just trying to throw a bunch of "money shots" together. It had a great cohesiveness.

Two spots I'd offer some constructive feedback on though.
1. For such a beautifully shot film, the titles/credits really don't do it justice. And I'm not talking about the font, but what titler in FCP did you use? Did you use Boris? I think the font style makes sense for your subject matter, but it came through pretty fuzzy and jaggy. Usually, Boris is pretty good about this so I'd be curious if that's what you used. Give any thought to using LiveType?

2. What sort of compression did you use on your QT file? Since this isn't a really long video I was kind of surprised to see what looked like some interlacing artifacts.

All in all, though, loved it. Looks great. Lit and shot beautifully.

Jason

Marco van Belle · August 22nd, 2006, 01:25 AM

Jeff / Jason,

Thanks very much for your feedback guys, its much appreciated.

Jeff - I'm glad you like the storytelling (so easy to overlook when you're striving to make things look high-end - I was worried I might have) and the audio mix.

Jason - I'm relieved your criticism is restricted to the titles and the encoding! But titles are very important, and to be honest when it came to getting things done in the timeframe we had I was forced to de-prioritise them. So I did them myself with FCP's generic text function. The encoding was done by my colleague using Sorenson. It's not my field I'm afraid, but after several seamless tests it is this version of the encoding that is exhibiting some of the artifacting you're seeing for the first time. He's away but I'll get him to look into it next week.

Cheers,
Marco

Dylan Pank · August 22nd, 2006, 07:42 AM

Good work. I think the lighting deserves special mention. Whether the lighting you did was based on available light on set (very little of the latter I'll guess, knowing the Z1/FX1) it worked really well, motivated, yet adding mood and texture. It gave a sense of darkness (literally and metophorically), yet was clear not underexposed.

I don't Know that I saw the film as attacking video game addiction, more commenting on a lack of communication between generations, and how childred relate more to virtual reality fantasies rather than the real world (I guess I'm speaking as a teacher and a new father, but one who has played A LOT of videogames in his time) and I thought the final "Great Shot" worked well, rather chilling as it's the voice that the child WILL listen to.

I agree about the titles. It's worth finding a talented graphic designer to come up with a nice opening sequence to hook people in.

Greg Girardin · August 22nd, 2006, 09:25 PM

Very well done.

I'm a video newbie, but it looked and 'felt' very professional to me.

I hope to be where you're at in a year or two.

Howard Bull · August 26th, 2006, 08:23 AM

This had me captivated from start to end. The whole production is excellent and I cannot fault any aspect of it. The lighting, sound, plot, acting etc etc was absolutely superb. I don't really pay attention to the technical side of it and I know a good film when I see it.

I am gutted........I have a HDV-FX1 and some idea's.....I can now see that I have a long way to go. The bar has been raised!

Make sure that you use this production to the full. Make sure that you go to Atom films and the BBC short film website with this film. Your talent should not be squandered!

I get the feeling that you are being a little self-effacing in your description of your experience as a film maker. Nobody makes a film of this quality straight off!

Way to go mate and the best of luck!

Howard Bull

Marco van Belle · August 26th, 2006, 12:51 PM

Hey Howard,

Great to see a post from Ireland. Despite my Dutch sounding name, I'm actually a Dubliner with some funny ancestry (although based in the UK now).

You're far too flattering though. Thanks very much for the ego boost.

I'm really, really pleased you enjoyed the film. It's great to hear from someone who just 'enjoyed the ride' so to speak. As regards my experience, this really was a directorial debut as regards anything fictional. My day job is as a Video Journalist for a major British broadcasting corporation, so I do shoot and edit news stories on a daily basis. I'm sure this has given me several advantages.

Believe me, you can attain everything I did and more. Just use every thread of this forum for all its worth and then go for it no holds barred.

Any links to your work? Let me know what the scene in NI is like.

Marco

Marco van Belle · August 27th, 2006, 03:44 AM

Also - Dylan / Greg,

Thanks very much for your feedback aswell.

Dylan - the lighting does indeed deserve singling out. I imagined it, but had absolutely nothing to do with realising it on set. That was all down to my very talented lighting designer who was working with a very limited kit. A big old 2k (it was a very warm set) and a trio of redheads. The shoot was a day and a half - and it wasn't an 18 hour day either because we adhered to all the guidelines for working with children - so he really did pull out all the stops.

Shaughan Flynn · August 29th, 2006, 09:33 PM

Stunning work, Marco. Just stunning.

Paul Cascio · August 30th, 2006, 05:17 AM

Hi Marco,

Would you mind describing the steps you took to setup the SG35? How did you determing how much to zoom in on the ground glass. I have one too and was curious.

Thanks

Marco van Belle · August 30th, 2006, 03:34 PM

Shaughan - thanks very much for watching the film, and for your extremely kind comments. I've been trying to watch Aquarium here at home but my confounded new internet security software won't let me. I'll try at work tomorrow.

Paul - my setup for the SG35 is pretty bog-standard. After screwing in the macro I mate it to the SG and then point the cam at something bright or a light surface and focus on the pitted surface of the disk. I've found i can do this on the onboard lcd (Z1) but having a monitor is better. Then the lens goes on, the SG powers up, and off I go. Sorry, I've only really stated the obvious here. I'm not entirely sure what you were hoping to hear.

Marco

August 19th, 2006, 09:49 AM	#1
Marco van Belle Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 58	New SG35 short Hello all, After more than six months as a lurker here on DVinfo I'd like to offer up my first short film. I've got a lot to learn, but this site has already given me an immense amount of help and ideas. I've been inspired by people's work and guided by their experience and wisdom. I'd really appreciate it if as many of you as possible can visit the film's website and view it. If you can offer any feedback or impressions please do so (ideally here on this thread, rather than by the email via the site). www.gameovershort.com (go to the 'download' section and right click to save to desktop - you can also left click and it will take up to 2 minutes to load fully) All the best, Marco __________________ If you're gonna do it...be a total control freak and do it 150% right. Then, if you screw up, it's still gonna rock.

August 20th, 2006, 02:12 PM	#3
Paul Cascio Trustee Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Bristol, CT (Home of EPSN) Posts: 1,192	Nice job Very impressed with both the production values and the storytelling. I too have an SG35 an was wondering which camera and lens you used. Actors were great too. My only other comment is that I would have left out the "Great shot. great shot." at the end. Wasn't necessary, more dramatic without it. __________________ Paul Cascio www.pictureframingschool.com

August 21st, 2006, 02:24 AM	#4
Marco van Belle Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 58	Thanks Thanks for watching the film and for your comments Lloyd / Paul, Paul, to answer your question re: camera etc. We borrowed a Z1 and I bought a selection of Nikon fit lenses from ebay. The budget was very tight so the glass wasn't the best. We had a 50mm prime, a 40-85mm zoom, but my favourite shots were actually on an M42 135 prime that cost me UK£15. (I bought a cheap adaptor to attach the threaded M42 fit to the Nikon mount on the SG35) I've thought about you point re: the 'good shot' thing at the end. To be honest, that was something i concieved early on and never really assessed again. I just did it as part of the overall assembly of the soundtrack. I'll watch it again a few times and see if it jars for me with hindsight. More views please! Marco __________________ If you're gonna do it...be a total control freak and do it 150% right. Then, if you screw up, it's still gonna rock.

August 22nd, 2006, 01:25 AM	#7
Marco van Belle Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 58	Titles and artifacts Jeff / Jason, Thanks very much for your feedback guys, its much appreciated. Jeff - I'm glad you like the storytelling (so easy to overlook when you're striving to make things look high-end - I was worried I might have) and the audio mix. Jason - I'm relieved your criticism is restricted to the titles and the encoding! But titles are very important, and to be honest when it came to getting things done in the timeframe we had I was forced to de-prioritise them. So I did them myself with FCP's generic text function. The encoding was done by my colleague using Sorenson. It's not my field I'm afraid, but after several seamless tests it is this version of the encoding that is exhibiting some of the artifacting you're seeing for the first time. He's away but I'll get him to look into it next week. Cheers, Marco __________________ If you're gonna do it...be a total control freak and do it 150% right. Then, if you screw up, it's still gonna rock.

August 22nd, 2006, 09:25 PM	#9
Greg Girardin Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nashua, New Hampshire Posts: 25	Very well done. I'm a video newbie, but it looked and 'felt' very professional to me. I hope to be where you're at in a year or two. __________________ http://www.facebook.com/gregorygirardin

August 19th, 2006, 10:00 PM	#2
Lloyd Choi Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Toronto Posts: 106	beautifully shot. Very relevant short to kids these days... just not kids actually, to anyone addicted to video games.

August 21st, 2006, 12:17 PM	#5
Jeff Cottrone Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 100	Marco, this is very impressive. It's hitting on all cylinders: lighting, camera work, editing, sound, music, acting, pacing... Actually, the thing I like the most is the way the sound interweaves and comes in and out appropriately, effectively expressing his POV. And the visual move into the gun barrel/out his eye. Cool. Oh and I left out the most important part: storytelling. It echoes with a social commentary of today's video game influences on young minds. But I agree with the "good shot" comment above. It would be a much more dramatic ending with a moment of silence, then the soundtrack/credits kicking in.

August 21st, 2006, 08:13 PM	#6
Jason Dirks Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 27	Marco, Looks amazing. I'm really blown away with what you were able to accomplish with the SG35 lens and all the set-up's are very interesting yet logical . . . it didn't come across like you were just trying to throw a bunch of "money shots" together. It had a great cohesiveness. Two spots I'd offer some constructive feedback on though. 1. For such a beautifully shot film, the titles/credits really don't do it justice. And I'm not talking about the font, but what titler in FCP did you use? Did you use Boris? I think the font style makes sense for your subject matter, but it came through pretty fuzzy and jaggy. Usually, Boris is pretty good about this so I'd be curious if that's what you used. Give any thought to using LiveType? 2. What sort of compression did you use on your QT file? Since this isn't a really long video I was kind of surprised to see what looked like some interlacing artifacts. All in all, though, loved it. Looks great. Lit and shot beautifully. Jason

August 22nd, 2006, 07:42 AM	#8
Dylan Pank Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Portsmouth, UK Posts: 611	Good work. I think the lighting deserves special mention. Whether the lighting you did was based on available light on set (very little of the latter I'll guess, knowing the Z1/FX1) it worked really well, motivated, yet adding mood and texture. It gave a sense of darkness (literally and metophorically), yet was clear not underexposed. I don't Know that I saw the film as attacking video game addiction, more commenting on a lack of communication between generations, and how childred relate more to virtual reality fantasies rather than the real world (I guess I'm speaking as a teacher and a new father, but one who has played A LOT of videogames in his time) and I thought the final "Great Shot" worked well, rather chilling as it's the voice that the child WILL listen to. I agree about the titles. It's worth finding a talented graphic designer to come up with a nice opening sequence to hook people in.

August 26th, 2006, 08:23 AM	#10
Howard Bull New Boot Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Northern Ireland Posts: 6	This had me captivated from start to end. The whole production is excellent and I cannot fault any aspect of it. The lighting, sound, plot, acting etc etc was absolutely superb. I don't really pay attention to the technical side of it and I know a good film when I see it. I am gutted........I have a HDV-FX1 and some idea's.....I can now see that I have a long way to go. The bar has been raised! Make sure that you use this production to the full. Make sure that you go to Atom films and the BBC short film website with this film. Your talent should not be squandered! I get the feeling that you are being a little self-effacing in your description of your experience as a film maker. Nobody makes a film of this quality straight off! Way to go mate and the best of luck! Howard Bull

August 26th, 2006, 12:51 PM	#11
Marco van Belle Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 58	Irish! Hey Howard, Great to see a post from Ireland. Despite my Dutch sounding name, I'm actually a Dubliner with some funny ancestry (although based in the UK now). You're far too flattering though. Thanks very much for the ego boost. I'm really, really pleased you enjoyed the film. It's great to hear from someone who just 'enjoyed the ride' so to speak. As regards my experience, this really was a directorial debut as regards anything fictional. My day job is as a Video Journalist for a major British broadcasting corporation, so I do shoot and edit news stories on a daily basis. I'm sure this has given me several advantages. Believe me, you can attain everything I did and more. Just use every thread of this forum for all its worth and then go for it no holds barred. Any links to your work? Let me know what the scene in NI is like. Marco __________________ If you're gonna do it...be a total control freak and do it 150% right. Then, if you screw up, it's still gonna rock.

August 27th, 2006, 03:44 AM	#12
Marco van Belle Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 58	Lighting Also - Dylan / Greg, Thanks very much for your feedback aswell. Dylan - the lighting does indeed deserve singling out. I imagined it, but had absolutely nothing to do with realising it on set. That was all down to my very talented lighting designer who was working with a very limited kit. A big old 2k (it was a very warm set) and a trio of redheads. The shoot was a day and a half - and it wasn't an 18 hour day either because we adhered to all the guidelines for working with children - so he really did pull out all the stops. __________________ If you're gonna do it...be a total control freak and do it 150% right. Then, if you screw up, it's still gonna rock.

August 29th, 2006, 09:33 PM	#13
Shaughan Flynn Major Player Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 272	Stunning work, Marco. Just stunning. __________________ B-Scene Films

August 30th, 2006, 05:17 AM	#14
Paul Cascio Trustee Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Bristol, CT (Home of EPSN) Posts: 1,192	Re: SG35 Hi Marco, Would you mind describing the steps you took to setup the SG35? How did you determing how much to zoom in on the ground glass. I have one too and was curious. Thanks __________________ Paul Cascio www.pictureframingschool.com

August 30th, 2006, 03:34 PM	#15
Marco van Belle Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 58	SG35 setup Shaughan - thanks very much for watching the film, and for your extremely kind comments. I've been trying to watch Aquarium here at home but my confounded new internet security software won't let me. I'll try at work tomorrow. Paul - my setup for the SG35 is pretty bog-standard. After screwing in the macro I mate it to the SG and then point the cam at something bright or a light surface and focus on the pitted surface of the disk. I've found i can do this on the onboard lcd (Z1) but having a monitor is better. Then the lens goes on, the SG powers up, and off I go. Sorry, I've only really stated the obvious here. I'm not entirely sure what you were hoping to hear. Marco __________________ If you're gonna do it...be a total control freak and do it 150% right. Then, if you screw up, it's still gonna rock.