Feedback for "Alone For the Holidays"
 

Gee, I never had a feedback thread before! I will appreciate any and all comments. It is my first entry to actually get finished. I want to thank my dear friend Lorinda for helping me and keeping me focused.

Thanks for viewing.

Mike

For that motion controlled shot, did you just push the dolley? Or did you have it hooked up to a motor to pull it evenly? That was really cool.

Overall, the short was decent. I just thought that you over-used the dissolve, so that I think made it (for me any ways) less powerful then it could have been and lost my focus on the pain of the widowed husband.

Thanks for your comments. Yes, I do over use the dissolve, and I am trying to work on it. I have to work much harder. Rookie!

As far as the dolly goes, try this link!

http://treasurecoastvideo.com/dolly%20film.wmv

I made the motor assembly to pull it from things I had around the house. Specifically a motor out of an old weed wacker, two coffee can lids, a piece of wood, a fishing line spool, and a rubber band. Hey, It worked great! I built the dolly a couple of weeks ago too.

Thanks----Mike

Good idea, story arc, and great shot composition. Like Tyler, I really think the dissolve is overused, in times where a straight cut would have been less noticeable. It really hurts the movie, but at least, it's something you can easily fix if you wanted to improve it. There seemed to be a weird sound distortion over the whole thing, like noise reduction pushed too far.

Amazing dolly rig, it's so smooth!

Weed whacker motor eh? Good idea. The triggers usually are variable speed for the motors so that helps get a speed you can work with substituting a variable resistor for the switch so you can set it and keep it set.

The tracking shot was very nice.

Sean McHenry

Thanks! I think the noise is my fish tank and all. My hearing is not that good anymore, and could not hear it until it was all done, and in post.

The funny thing is that for the dolly shot, I unplugged everything I could find, the refrigerator, fish tank and all. Then, after the shoot, I realized that I was not going to use any sound during the dolly shot at all. And, to top if off, I forgot to plug my refrigerator back in until the next day and almost lost all of my food! :)

Thanks again. Damn, wish I could recut real quick and take out the dissolves, too late. I hope that you enjoyed it otherwise.

Mike

I actually liked the way the dissolves were used. For me, it enhanced the mood of the movie. It sorta portrays what we all feel when we lose a loved one, foggy, confused, dazed, etc. Maybe I'm in the minority, but the dissolves did not take anything away from the movie for me.

I believe that was a Rusty Wallace tee you had on? If so you are a man of good judgement :-)

Good job!

.

Sheila,

Some of the dissolves were meant to imply time passing, but did not work that well. I had a five day growth of beard for most of the shoot, but with the gray hair you can't even see it. I even experimented with adding some color, shoe polish, but that did not work either.

As for the t-shirt, "Rusty all the way!" Saw his last race a few weeks ago, and was sad and glad. Sorry to see him go, but wanted him to retire before getting hurt. I want to listen to him in the announcer’s booth for years to come. No better guy for the job. So you know how old I am, I saw him a couple of times on a dirt track in Missouri in the late 70s. Damn I'm old! Now I will root for Carl Edwards, a gentleman!

Thanks for your kind comments.

Mike

Speaking of shots, did you notice the shot of me walking into the bedroom to change? I did that by hanging a light off of the handle of the tripod head, and letting it float down to a soft stop, using available items! That 503 is very smooth.

Picture: http://treasurecoastvideo.com/light.JPG

Also, a still picture of the dolly mover from close, some have wanted more! Like I said, thrown together with parts from around the house.

http://treasurecoastvideo.com/dolly%20mover.JPG

Mike

Well I did enjoy your short movie a lot. Among the cream of the crop for DVC4 (at least so far). I really like your shot composition, and the image has nice colours. The dissolves aren't a HUGE deal, I just think it would have been a bit better with less of them.

I shot a scene at my place last week and forgot to turn the fridge back on too! If I shoot at someone else's place, I put my car keys inside the fridge: it's a little trick to remember to turn it back on! But when shooting at home, it doesn't work :(

Keys!
 

That is a good Idea! Another funny note, I forgot to turn the frig off for the rest of the shoot! Maybe I was afraid that I would forget it again. Way too much money invested in audio equipment, and I use the on camera mic!!!! I will learn by next time.

Thanks

I think every one has said what I would have, but congratulations this was well done. I liked it and was very interested the whole time. Your two previous entries weren't really stories but this one felt like your best to me. Good work.

This is quite an accomplishment, Mike. Sure, your camera work (gotta love that dolly you built!) was effective and the lighting was good, but for an audience, what really stands out is the story and your acting. Most people don’t know that you are, by nature, a light-hearted, upbeat guy. You had to find that character and pull him out just for this movie. I am so impressed.

Great job, my friend!!!

Sweet dolly rig, I must build one!

Feedback
 

Honestly a very nice acting, in my opinion, but perhaps you could play more with the lighting. I particulary like the composition of the scene where you enter the house wearing a suit and you get reflected in that "small, portable" tv in the left :)