GREG-Short Film

[mattclarkfilms]

Hey Guys,

Here's a short film I directed about an art school dropout. Feel free to ask questions or comment.

[mattclarkfilms]

Here's the Vimeo link as well:

https://vimeo.com/47002222

I certainly look forward to any feedback

[Neil Grubb]

I watched this film right through. I would start by saying that my area is wildlife documentary making so I am perhaps not best qualified to give a detailed critique.

At the beginning I thought the acting between the two main characters was not very believable but this was not a problem after the first couple of minutes; I don't know if the actors got more into their parts as the film developed. There were some jarring cuts when moving from one camera angle to another in some scenes and some of the audio seemed out of sync in the first few minutes (maybe a fault of YouTube streaming but haven't encountered that problem before).

But the plot was intriguing, and well written, and actually the acting much better than I first thought it would be. The incidental music was good and you amde very good use of shallow DOF in some parts, in dialogue between the two characters. Tension was built up well throughout the film. I thought the end scene was rather laboured with too much time spent showing Marcus with the gun in the bathroom. You could actually remove this scene as it makes the end game much less of a surprise. As a result the dialogue at the end was a little bit of a let down, as it was obvious that Marcus was an assassin by then.

Overall, very enjoyable film and a good job, and I look forward to seeing more of your work.

Neil

[mattclarkfilms]

Hi Neil,

Thank you for your very detailed review, sir. I really do appreciate it.

I'm not sure about the audio, but I'll definitely check it out again on Youtube. I have problems playing Youtube vids at 1080p, but the other settings seem ok.

That's the first comment that I've gotten about the bathroom scene, but I can see your point. Thank you.

I'll do my best to explain:
I was aiming for the character to make a slow, methodical transformation. The lone cigarette represented Greg...burned quickly and extinguished before its time. His calm composure during the change was intended to show his professionalism (as a hitman) and a lack of emotion.

That scene was also an opportunity to portray his character as someone who's detail oriented. He uses a handkerchief when he chains the door to the apartment...and also when he uses the faucet.

Thank you very much. I appreciate you for taking the time to watch the movie and for reviewing it.

Thank you for the compliment as well

[Zensteve]

It could use some trimming. Could easily lose three minutes.

The big problem I have with it, is the ending. We've invested 15 minutes in getting to know these two characters, observe their relationship develop in its odd-couple way... and ultimately it wasn't worth investing in, after all. The casual fashion in which Greg is tossed aside, while illustrating his worthlessness, pretty much strips that character of all meaning. So what was the point?

Long way of saying, no character change or growth.

Technically, pretty good. Pieced together well. Coherent flow. Maybe a bit long, but can live with that.

[mattclarkfilms]

Thank you, Zensteve for taking the time to watch the movie and review it.
I truly appreciate it.

The character who I wanted the audience to be most affected by wasn't even in the movie...intentionally.

Both characters are spokes from the hub which is the father. Though he's never seen in the film, he's pivotal to both characters. He had oppressed Greg and corrupted Markus. He's a powerful and flawed man who manipulates both characters based on their perceived shortcomings.

He knows that Greg is defeated, reckless, emotionally vulnerable and lonely. His plan to have him killed is based on a hitman befriending his son. Of course, that's not an easy task for Markus who's repulsed by Greg.

However, Greg's father persuades Markus to finish the job (that he's both conflicted and reluctant to complete) by making him a very lucrative offer. In spite of his moral dilemma, the character decides to do what makes financial sense.

As far as the timing goes, I'll accept responsibility for its length....hahaha.
It's definitely a delicate balance with a short

Thank you, sir.