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Old November 20th, 2007, 09:03 PM   #16
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freaking sweet. hope you get some real investors who know talent when they see it.
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Old November 21st, 2007, 04:49 AM   #17
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Did you build the car frame also? If so...was this patched together from fairly random materials or are elements dedicated to that type of equipment (the suction pads frame for example).
Impressed with the trailer and the DIY kits - very inspiring Andy.
Good luck.
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Old November 21st, 2007, 06:38 AM   #18
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Thanks Alan kind of you to say, David the car mount was actually bought by one of the other guys in my company, it appears to be someone elses diy. It does the job, we used it heavily in our first feature called lottery.

Im glad the promo is going down well, you know what its like when you spend a lot of time editing something, you loose all objectivity. I hope it's as well recieved by distributors and possible investors. By the way does anyone know if there is a place for a promo like this at festivals?

cheers
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Last edited by Andy Graham; November 21st, 2007 at 07:53 AM.
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Old November 21st, 2007, 09:17 PM   #19
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That was really well done. All the camera movement looked really solid and professional. One thing about pitching it to get a finished movie, is that there is a lot of stuff out there on the web that's very similar (sort of military/horror theme). I can't get enough of an idea of the story to say "wow, I'll bet people will be knocking down the doors to make your movie" or "hmmm, maybe it'll fly" so all I can do is wish you best luck, but also make this suggestion: I really couldn't tell your camera movement from "professional" rigs, and you've already suggested that people should just build their own dolly or crane. This says to me that you're obviously very talented not just in filmmakiing but in building support gear. So what you could do is make a "how to" video on how to build the stuff, and even talk about camera movement and composition (you had lots of good shots, great dollies, LOVED the one from inside the building looking out through the broken windows), sell it as a DVD and recoup some expenses that you can use to drive your creativity forward. I'd buy a video on how to make your own crane if I thought it was worth it.
Have you heard of or seen that movie "Broken"? That's kind of what they did. Put togther a horror movie, but then made a DVD that goes into how they made the film (they go into a lot of detail). I could see that concept working for you. Nice job!
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Old November 22nd, 2007, 03:39 AM   #20
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Hey Andy,

That looked gorgeous, excellent composition and camera movements! Really impressive.

I do have to agree with Bert, there is a lot of competition in the military horror genre. It seemed 50% original 30% Dog Soliders and 20% 28 Days Later to me. But that was just from the trailer so I could be well out.

Also, I know this sounds like nit picking, and I know it is, but to make British Soliders look more realistic try and get hole of L85 Rifles, the SA80, or maybe just some H&K MP5's. I know it sounds stupid but there's just something I can't get to grips with, seeing a British solider running around with an M15A4/M4 carbine. The AK looked the part as they almost seem universal weapons in movies. Were they airsoft weapons you were using? If so, I understand how hard it can be to get your hands on a replica SA80 but it really would make the difference. I'm rambling now aren't I?

Either way, to summarize.

Incredibly professional look to everything.
Swap guns.
Be careful of competition in the genre.
Also, just noticed, the big guy shouldn't have been wearing an ear ring. Made it look like he wasn't quite as serious a solder as the others.
Loved the long tracking shot at the end!

Damn good job!

Well done Andy.
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Old November 22nd, 2007, 03:58 AM   #21
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I was also thinking along the same lines as Bert Andy...I'd be up for looking into such a video.
I'd no idea over the gun types though...that's some knowledge!
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Old November 22nd, 2007, 04:12 AM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by David Scattergood View Post
I'd no idea over the gun types though...that's some knowledge!
Misspent youth I think.
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Old November 22nd, 2007, 04:14 AM   #23
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Thanks for taking the time to watch it guys much appreciated. You are both right about the competition, i figured that if we can make a movie thats simple, well shot yet has a good story thats easy to follow we may have a chance of someone picking it up. People always like a bit of horror and mindless entertainment what i call "brain fodder", instead of makeing some incredibly complicaded story i decided to go old school 80's with the idea and make this movie in the same vein as predator and Alien, no fancy tricks or twists just a bunch of guys trying to survive the night. The concept is very dog soldiers however if you remove the soldier factor it changes things, we may still make it about civilians...and the actual script is a totally diffirent story, for example we're gong to have period flashbacks...victorian, ww2 etc

Dave i agree, im as picky as you when it comes to guns, i hate how the guy at the start isn't holding the gun correctly. The reason its not sa80's is because this site didn't have any http://www.modelguns.co.uk/ .Their guns are simply amazing for film, they are shell ejecting replicas that have all the real markings, since they are so expensive i bought one which is the one you see fired in the promo, and i had a few air soft AR15's lying around.The AK47 is real, its a deactivated model and it looks the business. BTW when filmming begins we are going to find american actors living in britan so ill just change the uniforms instead of the guns.

Here's a bit more of the story to put it in context, its a bunch of guys that break out a political prisoner (irish i guess, may make them eastern european) and try to trade him back to them, during the trade something kicks off and they find themnselves running through the woods which is where the promo starts. They get ready to dig in and fight but then they hear the irish fighting with "something else" ,what that something is a can't say but its not nice. The film from then on is about them trying to live out the night.The thing they are fighting does have a very interesting back story though (don't worry it won't be any kind of cheasy rubber monster!).

Bert , about the how too thing, the things i make are very DIY and user orientated for example there is a certain way the series of bearings and washers go together on the crane or it won't work, also the fitment of the crane to the tripod is very specific to that make and model of tripod so im not sure if it would help many people, i watched all the "broken" stuff and thought it was really well done. Also when i make stuff it takes time and i don't have anyone to film it and do it justice with all the proper close ups. And people may have problems with my scottish accent lol.

Anyway thanks again for the feedback, its very usefull to me.
Andy.
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Last edited by Andy Graham; November 22nd, 2007 at 02:17 PM. Reason: added extra information
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Old November 22nd, 2007, 04:35 AM   #24
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Andy you may find it cheaper to get hold of airsoft weapons that simply use electric motors to fire BBs and then add smoke, muzzle flare etc in after effects. Obviously you'd need your actors to "act" as though the guns are firing, but you'd be able to get more guns for your money. Also modifying the guns is much easier, adding silencers, scopes, and lots of other gucci goodies.

Check out things like www.airsoftarmoury.co.uk etc.

Also they're safer.
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Old November 22nd, 2007, 04:51 AM   #25
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The only thing with those is they don't eject a shell, the one used in the promo is very safe and the muzzle flash is actually fake, infact stay tuned and ill upload the origional file of the guy firing the gun in the promo with all the origional audio. its interesting to see the before and after.

Andy.
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Old November 22nd, 2007, 05:44 AM   #26
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Here's the origional gun shot clip, for those who are interested, i love these guns! if i get a budget im buying one for every cast member.

http://www.box.net/shared/static/462p4g8e4u.avi

cheers
Andy.
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Old November 23rd, 2007, 10:57 PM   #27
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Really well done. I liked the camera movement alot and the shots were very well set up. Can tell you have a good team put together. Now onto the things I think could be improved (I`m a stickler heh)

- I wasn`t sure why they all were running in the beginning with weapons ready to fight, then stopped and reloaded/took out their cartridges and prepared their guns.
- The muzzle flashes used in the distance didn`t match the blue hued video of the rest of the trailer, they were bright yellowish and looked out of place. Add a blueish hue to them too and they will look more authentic and less like a muzzle flash add in :)
- The text at the end didn't relate at all to what the trailer was showing. The lights never went out. It was never dark of night or anything of the sort. It was all dayish jungle scenes but then its states "when the lights go out". It felt very disconnected from the story the video was telling. Also along the same lines, the video feed style transition also didn`t feel it belonged since it was never present in the trailer until the text parts. Perhaps starting it off that way would help connect that into the feeling of the trailer as a whole, and not like you wanted to toss in a snazzy transition at the end.

Just my thoughts. I`d love to see this get made to see whats up your sleeves, and if I were in scotland i`d love to help. I do dream to visit there one day and get my clan kilt (i`m 1/8 scottish)..and also pick up and try learning the bagpipes ;)
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Old November 24th, 2007, 05:04 AM   #28
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very good observations Nathan, its always good to know what people feel when they watch things it helps improve them. Ill address each point in sequence.

Bare in mind this is ment to be a promotional single scene from the film to show industry people we can do what we say we will do, without the rest of the film its out of context. it is not ment to be seen as a trailer for the movie.Its more so investrors can see we're not complete muppets with a camera lol

As for the muzzle flashes I didn't really think about it, i'll sort that out next time i edit it

The text at the end was an after thought, i thought maybe i needed some kind of hook but i didn't have the resources to do anything that fits with the style of the film. The lights don't go out in the promo but they do in the actual film, it is refering to another aspect of the story. The promo its self is ment to be late evening kind of twilight just before it gets dark. I may get rid of the text alltogether, I was worried it looked out of place and you have confirmed it for me.

All very good points Nathan, it has to be at its best when being sent to distributors and investors so thank you for watching.

Its a long way off from being shot so i can't tell you when to be in scotland, if you happen to be in the neibourhood at the time im sure i could find a job for you! by the way kilts are extremely overpriced they cost about $2000.

Cheers
Andy.
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Last edited by Andy Graham; November 24th, 2007 at 11:19 AM.
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Old November 26th, 2007, 05:48 AM   #29
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Andy I've had a thought.

In order to get yourselves some more guns (airsoft not blank firers) get in touch with a local Airsoft skirmish site and explain that you want to make a film. Most people who are into airsofting naturally love movies about guns and I'm sure you'd get a huge selection of replica guns to choose from for a free lend. Some might be a bit cagey and insist on being on site with their weapons but I'm sure that most airsofters would love the idea of their weapons being used in a movie.

The benefit of this is that most airsofters modify their weapons to make them look as real as possible. So you'd have almost personalized weapons for each of the characters (scopes, slings even grenade launchers on some models, mainly the M16 A2.) You might even get lucky and find someone with few pistols and sniper rifles. If you were closer I'd offer to lend you my collection:

M15A4 - modified to the hilt (red dot sight, lazer sight, grenade launcher, silencer) - My baby
Maruzen APS2 sniper rifle - scope, sling, modified stock, bipod.
AK47 - standard x 2
MPA5 - standard x 3
M15A4 carbine - standard
SV Infinity pistol - all metal conversion
MP5 SD - standard x 2
MP5 K - standard
Famas F1 - standard x 1
Famas F1 - Red dot and surefie grip x 1
Random pistols inc, Glock 17, Sig Sauer p226 and a few .45s

Obviously this is including my mates guns too, I'm not a complete psycho.
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Old November 26th, 2007, 03:59 PM   #30
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That sounds like a good idea Dave, it may also kill two birds with one stone cause there is a scene at the beggining of the movie where the group you see in the promo have a meeting where they get outnumbered by a buch of guys jumping out the back of a van, some of those airsofters could be extras in that scene.

thats quite an arsenal you have there between you its a shame your not local! i actually know a lot about guns myself, been hunting since i was a kid and the history interests me so it did pain me a bit to see british squaddies with american weapons although the script is at a very early stage so we can make them whatever nationality we want.

The collection i have consists of:desert eagle, sig sauer, glock 17 (blank) beretta (blank) AK47 (deactivated), 3x ar15 and that shell ejecting replica he fires in the promo. I also have (between me and my dad) three 12 gauge shotguns a 4 10 shotgun and a 22 bolt action rifle all real and all locked up (man you'd think i was american!), when it comes to guns responsibility is something i insist people have even when dealing with prop guns. BTW i live in the country surrounded by farm land, i used to be the gamekeeper for the local farms when i was younger.... im not a complete psycho either!

with the gun laws in this country i have to renew my license every 5 years, A police officer from the firearms devision comes to your house and checks the gun cabinet is secure and gives you an interview to make sure you aint a nut! Anyway it always helps to have a license if you ever use guns in a film.

Andy.
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