DVC3 "Grim Parallax" - Feedback

[Jonathan Jones]

Originally Posted by Sean Buck

Jonathan. That was freaky dude. You have a good head start for DVC4. I think everyone in the office jumped a couple of times. We should combine your scary films and my girls. Definate B-Movie horror. We should get Dick involved he's got a great title going. Hahaha.

Thank you Sean, that is so good to hear - that everyone in the office jumped a couple a time...hence obviously the reaction I was going for - even better that it is on company time...

I would very much love to shoot with you. Hey, we're in the same state - we can make it happen sometime.

Thanks for the words,
Best regards,
-Jon

[Jonathan Jones]

Originally Posted by Bradley L Marlow

Hey Jonathan!

Excellent work!

I enjoyed the dark creepy feel you achieved and was most especially fond of your editing techniques for the slasher. I liked your choice of music and SFX too. Forgive me for missing that...did you write the music for your film?

I noticed a wonderful grainy film texture in the BW quick cuts and was wondering if you used a certain filter for this effect...or how that was achieved? Am curious?

Where you ever a fan of the X-Files? I found myself having a recognition or relation to an X-Files concept (this is a good thing).
.

Thanks Bradley,
Yeah, basically I really wanted to mess with the footage with the slasher - so I combined a bunch of stuff. The simple stuff involved the quick flash flashbacks into the camera, that just involved my upper body writhing in front of the camera and then speeding it up in post. I turned it into B&W and then added some red tinting to it. As far as the rest of the slasher footage, I included a mixture of color and B&W. I also added lots of film grain and 'earthquake' effects to some of the framing - in some areas by adding the grain and dust a few times over. In longer footage, using this effect makes it obvious that it is a filter, but for the very quick cuts I think it worked quite well. These effects are a combination of filters that come stock with iMovie, as well as some plug-ins I purchased for iMovie from GeeThree.

As far as the music - In my younger days, I spent a lot of time working with applied audio for visual applications (film, multimedia, etc) and have long believed that audio (music) is a larger part of the final product that many people expect. I find it much easier to trick the eye than to trick the ear. So for me, the music made the piece alot of what it is in its ability to strike fear into the viewer (watch it again with the sound off and you'll see what I mean).

I didn't necessarily write the music, but I guess you could say that I 'built' using Smartsound's Sonicfire Pro. I only just bought it and hardly know how to use, so this was my first experience with it right out of the box, but I found it pretty easy to use, and for the basic score, it gave me what I was looking for on a sound track level. I still layered it with dozens and dozens of sound effects and industrial noise from a collection of sounds that include the stock iMovie sound effects (including Hollywood Edge and Skywalker Sound libraries that I got from iMovie support sites) and lots of other effects I collected or designed in my years working in audio. Some sounds include 'substitutes' that I found worked for better effect. ie: in the flashback where the slasher kills the lady in her kitchen, you never see the actual 'slashing', just some blood and the knife moving around. I added sounds of chopping wood to provide impact that lent itself to the suggestion of violence. The viewer doesn't get that it is chopping wood sounds, but rather feels a more harsh sense of the violence that is suggested. My only complaint on the sound effects is that the knife being pulled from the knife block at the end is too loud and makes it obvious that the contact surface is not the right one to match the sound. I didn't have a sound handy that worked better on hand, but if it was lower volume it would have been a little smoother.

Finally, Yes , I was a huge fan of the X-files. I can definately see this being the basis for an episode. I hadn't thougt of it before, but I think you are right. Thanks again for your kind words,
Best regards,
-Jon

[Jonathan Jones]

Originally Posted by Lorinda Norton

Doggone it, Jon, you scared me! I don't do slasher films, so this sort of freaked me out for a bit. And why is it that the quick hand on the shoulder routine always makes people jump? :)

The shot that made my blood run cold? The back of the killer and that slight turn of his head. Creepy. You're good with camera angles/shot choices, btw.

This movie was thoroughly engaging. You did it again, Jon. Good job!

Thanks so much Lorinda,
The blood run cold thing was an excellent way to describe the sense in the way that my sister had the same reaction at that moment. I played the slasher myself, and it was pretty fun, although I don't think I am that scary (I'm a stay-at-home dad with a 2 year old daugter for cryin' out loud), but my wife (who plays the victim) made a comment after seeing the footage when it was cut and confirmed your point. "Yep" she said,...."you're pretty scary".

I am thrilled that you enjoyed the movie. Thanks so much.
Best regards,
-Jon

[Jonathan Jones]

Originally Posted by Dick Mays

The hand on the shoulder works every time!

Most slasher/horror stuff seems predictable to me. This was well done. I'm with your LandLady, you do the spooky stuff this well, and people have to start wondering about you. I did not see the end. I thought the dead woman's spirit might be captured in the camera, but I loved the shot of the knife and the digital camera together in the frame at the end.
Then, just to show the flashes through the window. That's the way to end it.
Well done.

Thanks Dick,
Much appreciated. I will pass on your closing comment to my friend, Johnie Hart - who plays Steve in the movie. He was sitting in his spare room toggling the switch of an old light kit trying to simulate the speed of a flashbulb in the window. The switch was not very condusiv(sp?) to this purpose so he practices for a while and practically rubbed his thumb raw. It took us a while to get the timing right while operating the slow zoom on the camera - He would be pleased to know that his efforts (and thumb strain) were appreaciated.
Thanks again. Best regards,
-Jon

[Jonathan Jones]

Originally Posted by Andrew Paul

I quote "I’m really not a dark or scary person" ...... are you sure ?

I spent well over a decade working in social services and church ministry...I sure hope folks don't see me that way (lol). (then again, maybe I just needed a catharsis for having spent over a decade with administrators in social services and church ministry.)

Glad you liked the movie. Thanks much.
Best regards,
-Jon

[Jonathan Jones]

Originally Posted by Jeff Sayre

EDIT: And by the way, I liked the newsish audio you had playing when your website loaded. It was a nice touch.

Thanks Jeff, much appreciated. The audio bed on the site was a mish mash composite of various 'broadcast news' beds that originally were supposed to play over 1 of the flashbacks and the closing credits, but I found either stretched out the scenes too much, or simply would fit into the time constraints. They were the first to be cut from the film, but I found that mulching them up and putting them on the site still offered a venue for very discreetly offerng the viewer a little 'heads' up on some background info.

My involvement in DVC4 will depend entirely on my schedule and availability. Obviously at this point I simply can't wait for another go 'round, but only if I have the time. I lost a lot of sleep on this one and I was really draggin' each morning making breakfast for my daughter. However, my wife has pretty much insisted that "Halloween theme or not, my next short will 'light and fluffy'".

I guess we'll see.
-J.

[Lorinda Norton]

YOU were the slasher??? That's fabulous! LOL!!! You did a great job.

As for the "catharsis," maybe you did need to blow off a little steam. Both of those wonderful things can be pretty stressful. Next time maybe we'll see something from you like that show on WB with Stephen Collins? (Can't remember the name!) :)