My first Sci-Fi short (4min): "Reflections" - Within the Water Lies Death...and Life

[Timofey Yuriev]

http://www.yuriev.tv/creations_reflections.html

Based on couple of fascinated stories...
Let me know if you like it! ;)

And if you have more stories about people coming back after being drowned, please send it to me.

Synopsis:

We are all made of water, it brings us life. It can also bring death. Every so often, someone dies in the ocean, rivers, lakes…and sometimes, they return. They appear to those who knew them, only for a short time, then disappear again. They do not speak, they observe. No one knows why they return, whether it is to feel, to see, to experience, to live again, or whether they just became a part of the greater living entity, the water itself. All we know is that these events have been occurring for a long time.

Shot with Sony HC1, edited in Premiere, AE and Photoshop.

Timofey Yuriev

[Alex Sprinkle]

What did I just watch?

While I have no clue where this is going (though I understand the prem.), I liked the colorization a lot. How much of that was done in post? What filters did you use? I'd love to see some fottage before it was edited for comparison.

[Timofey Yuriev]

Hi Alex,

once in the while people, that died in the water, come back to visit us... - this is the story of all human kind created by water... we belong to it, we exist together and ocean is our creator...

Alex, i did not use a lot of post, some magic bullet and some color correction.

Originally Posted by Alex Sprinkle

What did I just watch?

While I have no clue where this is going (though I understand the prem.), I liked the colorization a lot. How much of that was done in post? What filters did you use? I'd love to see some fottage before it was edited for comparison.

[Matthew Nayman]

Where was this filmed?

[Timofey Yuriev]

Matthew, in NY and Russia:

1. Fire Island, New York, USA
2. Ust-Ilimsk, Russia (Siberia)

Originally Posted by Matthew Nayman

Where was this filmed?

[Alex Sprinkle]

People that died in water ... come back to visit us? Oh. I was unaware.

[Brian Duke]

Here are my thoughts:

I wouldn't really call it a short since it plays more like a trailer or abstract fantasy. It doesn't feel like a Sci-Fi either cause there just doesn't seem to be enough elements there to make it a futuristic film or "science fiction" if you will. There is no really beginning middle or end. It seems to be random abstract images put together with in-out dissolves, which I think you are probably over using. Looks good and the effects were nice, but I lost interest quickly unfortunately as there were really nothing to follow.

I would use less in-out dissolves, or maybe not at all. Straight cuts will give in more of a narrative feel. Then I would use a narrator if you are trying to advocate people coming from water and dying in the same. make it crisp and clear. I.e. it may work better as a educational short, since there are really no characters, at least now. The voice delays and echoes just makes it too dreamy. if you want to establish something in the future, create a location with props and/or a art department that to give us some feel of something modern or out-of-this-world. It almost looked the opening dream sequence in Minority Report, but the problem is you wouldn't have a whole movie like that, at least not in my opinion. Unless you are just trying to make an abstract piece of art, then you can make anything.

The premise just seems like an idea without a story. Merge this idea with a story like they did in Minority Report. I.e. the idea was that people could foresee murders, but that's not a story. That's an idea. The story is Tom Cruise is accused of murdering someone and he has to proclaim and prove his innocence.

I could go on, but I hope that his may help tightening it up a bit.

Duke

[Timofey Yuriev]

Brian, what you provided is a lot of great constructive criticism - I like it. If you feel like giving me more tips, please do.
I don't know if we can call it "abstract fantasy" - there are two stories and at the end I used facts + fantasy. What genre do you think it can be? Experimental?

Thank you Brian!

Originally Posted by Brian Duke

Here are my thoughts:

I wouldn't really call it a short since it plays more like a trailer or abstract fantasy. It doesn't feel like a Sci-Fi either cause there just doesn't seem to be enough elements there to make it a futuristic film or "science fiction" if you will. There is no really beginning middle or end. It seems to be random abstract images put together with in-out dissolves, which I think you are probably over using. Looks good and the effects were nice, but I lost interest quickly unfortunately as there were really nothing to follow.

I would use less in-out dissolves, or maybe not at all. Straight cuts will give in more of a narrative feel. Then I would use a narrator if you are trying to advocate people coming from water and dying in the same. make it crisp and clear. I.e. it may work better as a educational short, since there are really no characters, at least now. The voice delays and echoes just makes it too dreamy. if you want to establish something in the future, create a location with props and/or a art department that to give us some feel of something modern or out-of-this-world. It almost looked the opening dream sequence in Minority Report, but the problem is you wouldn't have a whole movie like that, at least not in my opinion. Unless you are just trying to make an abstract piece of art, then you can make anything.

The premise just seems like an idea without a story. Merge this idea with a story like they did in Minority Report. I.e. the idea was that people could foresee murders, but that's not a story. That's an idea. The story is Tom Cruise is accused of murdering someone and he has to proclaim and prove his innocence.

I could go on, but I hope that his may help tightening it up a bit.

Duke

[Brian Duke]

Originally Posted by Timofey Yuriev

What genre do you think it can be? Experimental?

Its definetely experimental, which there is nothing wrong with doing. I do them myself, but regardless of the genre, it should be clear what is going on, unless, like I stated earlier, you just want something abstract, i.e. nothing makes common sense, like some paintings, performance artists, music etc. Not everything has to make sense, but you will have a wider audience if you do, rather than a small.

Ask yourself a few questions with some tests:

1. What do I want the audience to get out of it?

2. How do I accomplish that?

3. Screen the film and find out if majority of viewers got that.

There was a small piece in Adaptation (Kaufman) about the beginning of the earth with a narrator, which was supposed to be the opening of the book. The idea was executed with images and a voice over to support the same. It was clear. Although that isn't a movie (story) it certainly made sense. Show images of water, life in there, fish bacteria etc, and then espouse your hypothesis thereon. If the story is about a relationship and someone dying, then you need to make that clear. It just isn't clear now, at least to me. Decide what you want to do and its easier to help and comment. Right now, I don't know how to help cause I still don't know what you are trying to do.

In other words, if I just shot a bunch of homeless people in the street what would I be trying to tell? That people are living in the street? Is that a story? No. Its just images of people in the street. A story would be someone losing their job, losing their family and ending up in the street where they have to try to survive, and showing the conflicts they now have to deal with. Then following them in thier journey and showing that there are thousands of others like that. Homelss people images can SUPPORT the story, but alone they don't CREATE a story. Hope that makes sense. Again, if you are not trying to tell a story it makes no difference either way.

Duke

[Timofey Yuriev]

Thank you Duke. In this example i tried to be more poetic and abstract. I did not want to build the story, just something mysterious that could make people think. There are a lot of strange things happening in the world, and trying to investigate it may make a story. "Reflections" was my exploration in the world of cinema - first little bird. More will follow. And Duke, I only hope I will meet more people like you are .

Thank you again, Duke! :)

Originally Posted by Brian Duke

Its definetely experimental, which there is nothing wrong with doing. I do them myself, but regardless of the genre, it should be clear what is going on, unless, like I stated earlier, you just want something abstract, i.e. nothing makes common sense, like some paintings, performance artists, music etc. Not everything has to make sense, but you will have a wider audience if you do, rather than a small.

Ask yourself a few questions with some tests:

1. What do I want the audience to get out of it?

2. How do I accomplish that?

3. Screen the film and find out if majority of viewers got that.

There was a small piece in Adaptation (Kaufman) about the beginning of the earth with a narrator, which was supposed to be the opening of the book. The idea was executed with images and a voice over to support the same. It was clear. Although that isn't a movie (story) it certainly made sense. Show images of water, life in there, fish bacteria etc, and then espouse your hypothesis thereon. If the story is about a relationship and someone dying, then you need to make that clear. It just isn't clear now, at least to me. Decide what you want to do and its easier to help and comment. Right now, I don't know how to help cause I still don't know what you are trying to do.

In other words, if I just shot a bunch of homeless people in the street what would I be trying to tell? That people are living in the street? Is that a story? No. Its just images of people in the street. A story would be someone losing their job, losing their family and ending up in the street where they have to try to survive, and showing the conflicts they now have to deal with. Then following them in thier journey and showing that there are thousands of others like that. Homelss people images can SUPPORT the story, but alone they don't CREATE a story. Hope that makes sense. Again, if you are not trying to tell a story it makes no difference either way.

Duke