New Tape

[James Sudik]

I enjoyed watching all the shorts available on your site. Thanks. I work in the EMS field. The bleeding from the wrist lacerations, and the wounds themselves, were unrealistic to the point of distraction to me. Although, I have seen many actual examples of these types of injuries, so there is a bias of sorts. I still was completely impressed with the material, but hey, I'm sure your looking for constructive criticism, and that tid-bit is all I can offer you. Sometimes we do "realistic" training scenarios with moulage wounds and LOTS of fake blood. This stuff is very realistic visualy (color & such) and the texture and consistency can be easily manipulated. I'm sure the FX guys out there have plenty of options, they might even use the stuff I'm talking about. I can pass along specific info if you wanted it, I would need to look it up. (You just order the "blood" in kits from a vendor).

[Colin Minihan]

the rapists never sent a video to her. She is on the internet.. she is clicking a mouse on the internet while crying.. you see the porn playing in .rm format online.

the intro credits are sleezy shit from that website.. the one she is on.

... and.. yes i know it would have to be composited.. thats why i suggested it, not using some 3x3 filter or whatever was suggested... because obviously you would see the camera filming the camera.

thanks,

[Daniel Kohl]

Good film - I wouldn't change anything.

It's too bad you think Macs suck ... I would have liked to look at some of your other films.

[Colin Minihan]

i dont think macs suck?? what are you talking about??? is it because i have only a few things on my site in .mov format?


the reason behind that is because when i make .mov files, they dont turn out looking as rich as the wmv... and the .mov retains a larger file size... i dont know the best way to compress i guess... right now i go mpeg 4 60% and 22,000khz and frame size of like 320x240 or so..... whats better?

[Bryan Mitchell]

I always do mine in .mov because I think its the most universal, but recently I'm finding out many of my friends don't even have it on their computers. Luckilly It's just a link away for them to get -mac or windows. It sucks that apple doesn't make a quicktime plugin for linux though. All the computer science lab comps at school have linux, and I can't show anyone there my movies.

Right now I used APPLE Photo Jpeg at 50% around - 400x300. I'm still experimenting with the codecs because I havn't found one that keeps all the color with a good compression though.

Could you make yours in .mov just incase some people have no choice? Mabye put on your site:

WMV
Large | Small

Mov
----- | Small

(The small Mov could be the same resolution as the large WMV, - small would be In reference to lesser quality of color- but not explained which could take up room, and confuse people.)

Also, *sorry I dont know the name* I thought your other movie where the boy gets beat up in the locker room was more disturbing than this. That's more than likely just a personal view though. Your stuff is really good.

[Rob Belics]

Excellent dramatic work but the overall theme is somewhat cliche. I would NOT put any warning on the tape itself because it would water down the overall affect.

I don't know that you need the voices or heavy breathing during the rape but the spring sounds by themselves may improve the feel of it. You'd have to see how it works out.

The colored blood would be an excellent choice but not original.

Great job!

[Ozan Karakoc]

Colin,

I've also watched some of your other works and I think they're impressive. Continuity is the key point for editing and you're really good at it. I'm looking forward to see your future films.

Best Wishes...

[Ozan Biron]

OMG OMG OMG! i thought i would never meet another person with the same name as me! HAHA thats crazy!

[Daniel Kohl]

<<<-- Originally posted by Colin Minihan : i dont think macs suck?? what are you talking about??? is it because i have only a few things on my site in .mov format?

Sorry, I used my wording that way because of the note on your web site to the effect – "if you can’t run this film on your machine, then your computer sucks.”

I wasn’t trying to be a prick. I know that it is hard to find a way to make media universally accessible ...

I still would like to see your other films though. Maybe you could send me a mail when and if you make them available in .mov. Or maybe I’ll have chance to check them out on a windows machine soon... come to think of it I will.

One thing that occurred to me about "New Tape”: you say the rapists never sent her a video – but the film starts with her holding a VHS tape - or am I wrong? The film is called "new tape” , or not? If not then something is confusing there.



the reason behind that is because when i make .mov files, they dont turn out looking as rich as the wmv... and the .mov retains a larger file size... i dont know the best way to compress i guess... right now i go mpeg 4 60% and 22,000khz and frame size of like 320x240 or so..... whats better? -->>>

I usually go with .mpg, you have to experiment. It’s always a trade off between "quality” and size.

[Rob Lohman]

Excellent work Colin! I was very impressed by this (again). I did
add a warning note to your post since there are younger people
here as well.

Thanks for posting and keep up the good work!

[Colin Minihan]

its called new tape because to the rapists.. its just some tape... a new tape... and its a non descriptive hand grabbing it at the begining.. that is all. it doesnt start with anyone holding a vhs tape.. just a hand grabbing one labeled new tape.

[Daniel Kohl]

If that’s the case, I think that your use of the tape as a symbol is not working for the film. Judging from some of the earlier comments and my own impression, I think that the viewer takes the presence of the tape literally. But it sounds like you don’t want that – the tape is a symbol for banal video – just another vhs ... if I’m getting you right. Just another tape for the rapists, but the collapse of one person’s sense of self-worth, that person’s life. But the title "New Tape” and a vhs tape, don’t work for me. I connect a lot of other things with "new tape” – maybe something like "meat 015667”, or "wedge 30456” or something like that would fit more into the language you are working with.

The film starts with a collage of porno images, which sets the atmosphere for the film – that works really well, it irritates the viewer but draws the viewers in at the same time. The montage is confusing but not misleading – the images could be anywhere or anything (on tape, live, Internet, flashback, flash forward etc.), at the same time it is clear that they are disjointed. The hand reaching for the tape is narrative. It doesn’t fit into the porno language, so it doesn’t fit into the montage. I think the scene following the montage is the girl looking at her computer monitor... the rest is a flashback. I’m just going from memory here. In any case, if you have a scene with a hand reaching for a vhs tape, and you have a scene after that, of someone looking at something. The viewer is going to make a connection between the two things. Even if it isn’t her hand that is reaching for the tape, the viewer will think it is.

[Colin Minihan]

yeah i agree .. that about 50% of the ppl that watch this are thinking the girl has the bloody tape! haha oh well too late to change it... doesnt really matter if they think she has the damn tape anyway. But you said it goes straight from the tape being grabbed to her watching the computer .. not true,it goes from the tape to her staring at herself in mirror.

And the images at the begining are obviously coming from a computer.. . the whole background audio consists of typing, clicking, and what have you... there are porno website slogans all over it.. the only way for somone to think it was a tape being fast forwarded... is if they watched it with the sound off. And when she finally watches the .rm file on the comp.. its once again blatently obvious that she is watching it from a computer screen... she clicks the mouse and the screen flashes... we see 2 shots of the monitor playing a small compressed porno file... and there is computer HUM glore happening in the background...

This film relies a lot on sound, and if you dont hear it, you arnt gonna understand the movie or get the proper effect.

In any event though, im pissed that ppl are miss interpreting the tape... but its too late to change it because i have deleted my source material so that i can edit the music video im 60% done editing now. But even though all is being said.. i dont think i would change it anyways.. i just love the tape being grabbed.. and then fading into the scene like that.. coolest thing ive ever done.. lata

[Colin Minihan]

hey i managed to learn how to compress way better .mov's.. its a smaller file now.

[Trevor Trombley]

This was a good short, but try and steer clear of suicides...I've seen hundreds of student films and they all seem to deal with suicide. I think if you challenge yourself you could have came up with an even better ending.

But I love that you subdued your editing, The short is your strongest work, now all it needs is an even stronger script.

Keep up the good work.

Trevor