DIY Filmmaker Contest - Contest #2

genre: search-for-identity or Irish (anything irish or st patricks day goes)
tag line: Let's Get out of here
character name: Hal or Cathryn
prop: book or bookshelf
GO! - 9 days - Due by Sunday the March 18th 10pm EST.

The winner is.....

Luis M. Berrios!

Congrats! You've earned it.

Alan Collins, you deserve props as well as you completed your video first.

Scoring breakdown:

Alan: YT Likes (x10pts) + (YT views) = 405pts + 19 judges points = 424

Luis: YT Likes (x10pts) + (YT views) = 721pts + 21 judges points = 742

Here is the critique from our two judges.

Judge Lucas:

Alan Collins

Technical: 2/5

The WB seemed to be correct, however the both Guys didn't looked too healthy. In the night, a bit warmer tone can help a lot.

It was quite noisy - I know, shooting in the dark is tricky, but when you can not afford Plugins or Lenses to achieve it better, it might be a good idea to wait till it's bright :)

The editing was sometimes a bit fast, sometimes a bit slow. Also, another big problem...

...the Cam jumps around like a crazy frog, the whole dialogue failed the "180° Rule". Framing/Composing could use some golden ratio :)

Some Wind-noises are in the movie... should be fixed in post, imho :/

Creative: 4/5

I think this interpretation of treasure hunt and romance is pretty funny somehow, that in mind the plot is really nice :)

Like-ability: 2/5

I had some problems understanding all of the Sound (but I'm not native and may be over-sensitive here) and the technical-issues, especially camera-positioning and noise, killed a lot for me. Still, I don't consider the time wasted :)

Luis M. Berrios

Technical: 3/5

The Sound had, as mentioned in the description, some issues but as this is something known I won't talk about it much now :)

The Lighting indoors was really cool, I loved it in the kitchen (colors too!). However, outside it was a bit harsh and overexposed, I guess somethin more diffuse could've helped it. At least for close-ups... Reflectors come in handy here :)

In the beggining, the guy was out-of-focus in the close-ups, also he does not look very healty :/

Camerawork was well done, but could be a bit more "steady" in some shots, also the golden ratio is a pretty nifty tool :)

Creative: 4/5

I think it was a nice story, even though a bit sad. Showing the years passing by is a cool trick I think, I guess I might steal this for one of my film some day.

Like-ability: 3/5

The music did a great part, and I liked the acting of the middle-aged couple in the kitchen. However, the acting of other actors was a bit strange; I guess english is not your native-language? I'd think shoting in your native language and writing subtitles is much more comfortable for your actors, you should try this IMHO. Nice work :)

Judge Chris:

Alan-

The video had a very raw feel to it. Like as if taking a slice of someones night. There was a decent amount of noise in each shot not enough to deter the viewer from the story but noticeable none the less. Also as the shots became tighter the light was way too strong for each shot and pull you out of the story for a moment. I will definitely say the shots are very well picked. The over the shoulder shots to me looked very level and seemed not to break the rule of thirds, it kept you focused on the dialogue. The dialogue was low and had some ambience to it but nothing that was inaudible. I like the directing and editing style for the piece. The video seemed to me a good starting point for a beginning filmmaker, just small technical improvements. 3/5

The story was short sweet and to the point. The characters did not come to any great resolution except to continue on and keep moving. The "friend" actor kept breaking the fourth wall, which is alittle distracting at times, both characters lacked some dimension but conveyed the story strongly. But I will say the shot selection and cuts kept this enjoyable for me, I never felt like in such a short span that I was bored or was waiting for it to end. I would want to see more from this filmmaker just for the style alone. 4/5

Despite the creative and technical short comings I really liked the piece. The shots alone made me want to know more. I was always engaged in looking at something different and that kept me watching. I laughed at the resolution, it felt true to the characters who in their shallowness perfectly resolved the issue in a way that was believeable. 4/5

Luis-

This video had alot of great points to consider. In the technical arena the sound was a touch too loud but definitely audible. The shots are well picked, but slightly over exposed. As far as a technical end the age makeup looked good for the video. Shots were pretty well picked and the backgrounds brought some character to the piece. All considered technically the video is a great entry if not small technical improvements to be made either during shooting or in post to improve future films. 4/5

Creatively the story stays consistent and has alot of plot points for a short piece. The middle period where 10 years passes was a good touch but the female lead looked very different and was not as distinguishable. Otherwise I like where the story went, I felt for the main female lead she conveyed a good amount of emotion. 4/5

I think the piece had really good generic story with a twist that wasnt fully expected. I liked that this whole idea blossomed quickly and didnt reveal itself til the very end and the choice of the fading couple felt just right. It held its own but nothing particular stood out strongly to me. 3/5

My (Sean's) thoughts: Both videos kept to the genre, and expressed the romance part creatively. Alan, you had some planning issues which shows and it felt like the production was a bit rushed. We didn't hear the other end of the phone conversation (not even Charlie brown style), and the dialogue at the end seemed adlibbed. However, props to you for braving the night time shots. Take your time just a bit more and the technical issues should resolve them selves.

Luis, what can I say... your makeup for the lead female character was awesome. The audio needed a bit of help, and I feel you could probably used a bit of light control outside as it seemed very bright at times. I really enjoyed it.

Correction...

The contest ACTUALLY ends on March 4th @ 10pm, NOT March 3rd.

Thank you to Luis MiMi Berrios Vázquez for pointing that out!

23 hours remain

till our first contest ends.

Alan looks to be the front runner at the moment.

Genre/Elements - for contest ending March 3rd

Required Elements - Genre - for contest ending March 3rd

• Genre: romance OR treasure hunt.
• Character Name: (Female) Jayne Burgess or (Male) Samuel Larson
• Tag line: There's no stopping it now.
• Prop: gate or fence

Tomorrow contest #1 begins!

Genre, Character name, prop, and tag line will be announced tomorrow!

Be ready!

In the beginning

there was just passion to create something, anything, and show it to the world. Now it is time to show what DIY / Frugal Filmmakers can do when challenged.

This site is dedicated to those challenges.