Where do you get your films critiqued before festivals?

H

harmonica44

I was told even though it's my first short I should send it into festivals. I will, plus the actors were expecting me too, which is what got them to join up. However I would like people to critiqued my editing and make suggestions of what to re-edit, but a lot of these festivals have rules that you cannot post the short online, before it has run it's course through them.

So if you can't post online, where do you people have your edits opinionated? Thanks.
 
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Both Vimeo & YouTube can be set to private modes, where only people with the link and a password can see it. (YouTube can also be set to allow particular people)

If you get it set up like that, I'll take a look at it. I'm dyin' to see it. :cool:
 
Oh okay, I didn't know that those sites were okay even if under password. I hope to be done a good edit by June. I will hold off on any music then till I get opinions. While I am editing, there is a fight/chase scene. What do the critics you want to see your work possibly, look for in this sense? Do they prefer a fight that is edited from every multiple angle that it was shot at, or do they like longer takes, that play out? And if someone pulls out a weapon, you can show them pull it out with the camera far back enough, to see the emotion of the actor's face as he or she pulls it out, or you can close up on the weapon itself? Do they prefer close up on props, or do they prefer to have the actions be about the characters and not the props?
 
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Critiics, like "The Government", is not some amorphous monolithic entity.
Critics and The Government alike are composed of individual people, each with individual biases where personal preferences come into play.

For me, Paul Greengrass' approach in the Bourne trilogy is the generally accepted state of the art for well executed filmed and edited hand-to-hand combat.
The fight sequences in Ip Man are often cited as being the best.
The Wachowski brothers did an excellent job in the Matrix trilogy.
My personal favorite fight sequence is in Troy between Achillies and Hector outside the city gates.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQ62frK74u0

Personally, I loathe fight sequences which A) are 90% closeups where I can't tell WTH is happening, and B) go on forrrrrrr evvvvverrrrrr.

Personal preference.
 
Okay. Well for my style I feel it's best to shoot a fight more like Eastern Promises. The cuts aren't quick, and have more drama cause they play out longer I find. But will people looking at it see that as good? Keep in mind everyone remembers the Bourne fight and no one I know remembers the Eastern Promises one near as well.

The Bourne Ultimatum fight was so quick cut that the actors could have been actually still and not moving in a couple of shots, for all we know, but if that's the way to go, I will practice shooting like that for next time. It's also a time thing though, as on these budgets, you don't have time to get as many angles to quick cut as Greengrass can, so I would have to find actors who are willing to give a lot more free time.

It seems that the government's taste do differ from people's though. Hollywood keeps making Greengrass style thrillers, but 80-90% of moviegoers complain about that style from what I read. But if the government is not different really, than that's good to know.
 
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harmonica44 said:
Okay. Well for my style I feel it's best to shoot a fight more like Eastern Promises. The cuts aren't quick, and have more drama cause they play out longer I find. But will people looking at it see that as good? Keep in mind everyone remembers the Bourne fight and no one I know remembers the Eastern Promises one near as well.

The Bourne Ultimatum fight was so quick cut that the actors could have been actually still and not moving in a couple of shots, for all we know, but if that's the way to go, I will practice shooting like that for next time.
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Don't change your preference of style to suit what you think others will like to see. You need to make the film that YOU want to make and have the quality of that film compel others to come to you. Otherwise, you're compromising your art to pander to your audience, and no one wants to see that in a film..
 
Have test a screening with people YOU DO NOT KNOW! Sit behind them as they watch and have them fill out an anonymous comment card before they leave (they don't need to know you're the filmmaker).
 
Okay thanks, good idea, I will do that. Since we're on the subject I have a question that may help my editing.

I was watching Siskel and Eberts review 'Women in Danger', and they how if you put the camera from the killers point of view that gives the movie a more exploitative tone. Do you think that's true? Is it the same thing if you show it through the victims eyes too? I kind of like shots like that cause I always thought that makes it more suspenseful, rather than a more third person point of view from a more side angle.

My short, I shot from angles of the killer, the victim, and third person point of views as well, so I am wondering if I were to use the characters points of view, will that come off as exploitative?
 
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