Is this helpful in marketing or fund raising?

Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC

Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOYHRgobEro

This is the extended version of our artistic commentary for the NYTVF. Their version is edited down to one minute. Besides throwing this on a DVD for the cast with the production, do you think this may be useful for crowd funding and to show investors?

Here is the edited down version for the festival.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZy_18BGC1g
 
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How can I say this nicely...
I don't want to lie to you: you deserve a fair anwser...

I don't think it will really help marketing or funding.
Why?
The video doesn't really motivate people to donate or watch the video. It's too much about information instead of promotion.

Some points:

1) It looks really 'video' with 'off' colors: skintones seem to be reduced a lot?
It doesn't breathe 'pro quality'.

2) The long version is just very long for the amount of info you provide.
You tell about green screen, the vague situation in the future, a little about conflicts, but I never get a real idea what the story really is about. You lost me there. What is the main conflict, why is it exciting and why is it exciting to work on the project?

You even 'put words in her mouth' (which seems a bit awkward to me).

3) The short version is really short: "We are .. and .. and we use green screen. We hope you like it."

4) 'Show don't tell' is essential in promotional videos; when you talk about greenscreen: show (BTS?) footage, unkeyed footage and finished footage.
-----------------------------

So...
You know what you want to tell, you know what you want to achieve. Now you have to put it together and script your promo to leave a better impression andhave more impact. And make it look as good as possible.
 
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Thanks for the suggestions. I'll keep them in mind.

A new composer just viewed the 22 minute production and said the visual effects look very professional and wants to up the price. Are they really that good? Or, is that just to up their rate?
 
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Up their price because visual effects look good? WTF? I never heard that before..

To be completely honest, i think they look rather cheap and he wants to get more money! Don't get me wrong, but we are all used to what we see in the cinema and on TV!
 
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In the first one: You keep nodding like you're approving what she's saying. If it's going to be scripted, learn the script, then film it. Then you keep talking over her. I want to listen to her accent, not yours. :) Plus all the over talking made me zone out to what was actually being said.

The editing in the second is distracting and its over??

I agree with the above comments.
 
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Well Phil, with a grand prize of $5,000, the festival can't expect expensive looking VFx. An effects budget alone should be bigger than $5,000. But, even that will help to pay the the 2 days we need to complete the 40 minute production. Considering what I spent out of my own pocket to make this, I'm doing the best I can to the point that its dragging me down to poverty. People on my day job are telling me to quit and give it up and worry about buying food and paying rent.

I never thought the effects were studio quality by a long shot. But, they are the best I can do with the money that I have which isn't much. I'll just have to get the composer to stick to the original agreement or find another composer.
 
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Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC said:
Well Phil, with a grand prize of $5,000, the festival can't expect expensive looking VFx.
Click to expand...

But they do expect expensive-looking FX, especially since PLENTY of people are putting out very high-quality work on non-existent budgets.

Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC said:
People on my day job are telling me to quit and give it up and worry about buying food and paying rent.
Click to expand...

And I can only assume that these people who know you best have nothing but your best interests in mind. In my experience, the vast majority of people in this world are actually rather kind-hearted. I seriously doubt that your coworkers' intent is to put you down, but only want you to be happy in life. Sooner or later, somebody has got to tell you your fly is down.
 
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Sounds like the composer wants to quit.
His argument is rather ridiculous.
He actually says this:
"If your movie is crap I work for free, if it looks good you must pay more, the better it looks."?
 
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Modern Day Myth Prod said:
A new composer just viewed the 22 minute production and said the visual effects look very professional and wants to up the price. Are they really that good? Or, is that just to up their rate?
Click to expand...

Dude, you've been taken to the cleaners by people at almost every step of your production. Stop making the same mistakes over & over!

worry about buying food and paying rent.
Click to expand...

If you are having issues with these, you have no business paying other people out of your own pocket to work on your film.

Either learn to do it yourself, or settle for the best unpaid volunteers that you can find.
 
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Myth, your dogged determination to get this done despite all the pitfalls and setbacks you've faced is commendable - I can't help you with the audio side (not my department) and I'm very busy with Arkham Sanitarium at the moment but all the same, I'd like to offer you whatever help I can on the digital VFX side (for the record I've been doing CGI for 20 years now) - I might be able to take on a few FX shots for you or maybe just do some consulting (both free of charge) to get you on the right track - PM me and we'll talk.

All the best,

Andrew.
 
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I think one of the biggest problems you have, Mike, is that you take people on their word who say 'I've worked with major networks doing this or that' and then get scammed out of all your money.

Go look on YouTube at the quality of VFX that 16 year old kids are putting out. If you offered them a couple of hundred bucks to do the VFX work on your film, it'd look so much better than it does now. But you're prizing 'experience' way too highly and that's why you've run out of money and have a film that could've looked much more polished.
 
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Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC said:
A new composer just viewed the 22 minute production and said the visual effects look very professional and wants to up the price. Are they really that good? Or, is that just to up their rate?
Click to expand...

Thank the composer for his time and interest. Then run the hell away from them. That's just sleazy. As Nick said, people have been taking you for a bit of a ride.

Composers are often flexable with rates, to fit the budget/requirements of the project. But they never EVER go up because the project looks professional. They go up if you want more on a shorter timetable. They go up if you insist on having a first chair symphonic cellist play the music. They go up if the composer needs to book studio time, hire other musicians or if they just don't really want to do the project. Never because it "looks professional."

Saying this with all humility, unless the composer's name is Danny Elfman or Howard Shore (etc, etc), no one is going to care. Your peers might. Your audience? Hell, half the time they don't even NOTICE the music. A network you are selling the pilot to? Not a bit. If they pick up your project, you'll have the money to hire whatever composer you want/they want you to. So for the pilot, you need someone who can do a good job. Lots of people can, established or not.

So here's my unsolicited 2 cents. When you've finished (if you haven't already) the final edit, post a "composer wanted" here. There are a lot of us around, and lots of folks who are good, but don't have a lot of experience. You can find someone who will want to do it for free...maybe not 100% as good as you want, but there are some really really good people around. Make your pitch. If you get picked up, give the composer some cash. Then either keep them, or look for someone new within the budget you have.

Of course, selfishly I think composers should be paid well all the time. And given cookies and adult beverages. But this person is trying to take advantage of you, and that's just crap. We're all in this together.
 
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JoshL said:
And given cookies and adult beverages.
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Aduuuulllt beveragezzzzzz

SantaSipper_.jpg



And on my quixotic quest I also found these!!

toiletbowlmug.jpg


camera_lens_coffe_mug.jpg


camera-lens-coffee-mug-e1332289348597.jpeg
 
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Heh, a buddy of mine has one of those lens-mugs. A white Canon one.

Fwiw, it's not very stable when filled up. It will tip over very easily, if bumped even slightly. The lenscap-lid doesn't even have a hole in it for safe driving in the car, either. Have to remove the entire lid to get a sip.

Looks great - not very functional.
 
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