Xixax Film Forum

Creative Corner => The Art Gallery => Topic started by: matt35mm on May 16, 2013, 05:27:41 PM

Title: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: matt35mm on May 16, 2013, 05:27:41 PM
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi15.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fa385%2Fmatt35mm%2F481e19a2-f8a4-4d65-919f-0aeeb6d9681b.jpg&hash=6615e162e12d5c89dd5c5a009190b12c21e41aa8)

Official Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/areyouyourbody)

I'm starting to put some stuff out there about my upcoming feature, and I wanted to start sharing some stuff here, as well.

It's about a grieving family in Texas forced to come to terms with their history of violence, and a lonely woman in L.A. who attempts to fix what she thinks is wrong with herself through stand-up comedy and sexual dominance. As a cult begins to close in on the family and the woman, both stories collide and culminate in the second coming of Christ.

We're nearing the end of production, and starting up on post-production. It'll be a wee while before it's finished, I reckon, but we should be able to throw some updates out there from time to time, and having other people know about helps to keep me excited while I'm alone in my room editing.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: jenkins on May 16, 2013, 06:10:45 PM
the production is almost over??? nice, matt35mm. auto-fan
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: Cloudy on May 16, 2013, 11:47:09 PM
Congrats on climbing that mountain man, waiting to see what you came back with.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: matt35mm on August 15, 2013, 05:35:16 PM
Here's a trailer for the movie:

www.vimeo.com/72244505 (NOTE: this file has been replaced with the new cut, made after the consensus that the original cut was too long.)

I'm waiting a couple of weeks to really start publicly sharing it, but I thought I'd drop it here. Also, I'd like to get an idea of how it looks on different monitors. I've watched it on a few monitors, and there's so much variance in quality. Also, I've set this to 1080p playback, and want to know if that plays choppily for any of you (setting Vimeo to HTML5 instead of Flash aids in this, though).

My main concern is with visible compression artifacts. I'd like to know if it looks comparable to other Vimeo/YouTube videos on your monitor, or if it looks particularly bad, and also whether you prefer the Vimeo or YouTube version.

Basically, I boosted the blacks which looked good on 3 out of 4 monitors, but bad on that 4th monitor. I'm probably being overly fussy, but if it does look bad for some of you, I may try to re-grade it to see if I can do better.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: jenkins on August 15, 2013, 05:52:24 PM
smooth and pretty. i watched it on my phone. no probs. excited for you!! i think it's so funny he punched the computer
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: ono on August 15, 2013, 07:23:21 PM
My knee-jerk reaction was to say the trailer is way too long.  But then I went to double-check.  The best trailer ever to the best movie ever is just as long as yours.  Still, that movie is 3 hours long.  CMBB and The Master have similarly long trailers, maybe a bit shorter.  I always thought a trailer shouldn't exceed 2 minutes.  My mistake.  Anyway, there *are* superfluous shots you might do well to cut.  Ask yourself what the questions are in the trailer, and leave the answers for the film.  The webcam bit goes for a bit too long, reveals a bit too much.  Same with the "seance" or whatever.  It could be trimmed.  Maybe of the shots at the end of the trailer can be lifted, too.

I'm not a fan of the title, but I'm sure you have your reasons for it.  I think, syntactically, a better title is simply "You Are (Not) Your Body."  Why make your audience struggle so much?

I am happy for you though.  Congrats on getting it done, and good luck.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: matt35mm on August 15, 2013, 08:57:19 PM
Thanks for your thoughts!

It's a bit long, yes. Average trailer is 2 - 2:30 minutes; mine's 2:48. I watched a bunch of trailers to see how they function, but they were pulling a lot of voodoo tricks that I just don't know how to do. Also, this is a fundraising trailer, and not a theatrical trailer, so I leaned toward showing more rather than less, in terms of showing actual scenes. But, I would gladly cut it shorter after the fundraising period.

The blacks levels were raised a bit, so they're not very deep at all. That's just what I did for this trailer; the movie itself has not been edited or graded yet, so the look of the movie will change, I expect. That's part of why I wanted the chance to learn about how this looks on various monitors. Also, I hope someday that someone else will edit the trailer and grade the movie.

The tone of the trailer is probably a lot more palatable than it will be in the movie. It's a weird fucking movie. It's certainly not a calling card movie, as its intentions are too avant-garde. I'm really into movies that ride close to but don't entirely align with the expectations of what a movie is supposed to be.

I don't want to say too much more about the movie, but the title is housing two contradictory ideas simultaneously, which I felt was appropriate. I played around with variations on the title, including YOU ARE (NOT) YOUR BODY, but they don't do the same thing (I actually think YOU ARE (NOT) YOUR BODY is more complicated, because it would sound like YOU ARE NOT YOUR BODY, which would definitely be the wrong title for this movie). I expect that a lot of people won't like the title, which is fine. I get that it's not an advisable title, but I have no commercial pressure.

My hope for the movie is that it will feel deeply strange, unwieldy, handmade, consistently intriguing, fundamentally flawed, and somewhat unsatisfying, but also very hard to forget. Because that's the sort of shit that I like. And the title feels like those things. Am I doing a good job of selling it?

Also, I don't know if this particularly changes anything, but the title never appears as YOU ARE YOUR BODY / YOU ARE NOT YOUR BODY in the movie itself. It opens with YOU ARE YOUR BODY and closes with YOU ARE NOT YOUR BODY.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: Pubrick on August 16, 2013, 03:06:18 AM
Quote from: matt35mm on August 15, 2013, 08:57:19 PM
Also, I don't know if this particularly changes anything, but the title never appears as YOU ARE YOUR BODY / YOU ARE NOT YOUR BODY in the movie itself. It opens with YOU ARE YOUR BODY and closes with YOU ARE NOT YOUR BODY.

that changes everything. i was thinking the same as ono but that explanation justified the title for me, that's a cool gimmick, never really seen that before.

i also think it's very intriguing. at first i was put off by that dude who was about get a blowjob or whatever when he got a phone call, he was overacting everything. the chicks look like stronger performers.

good trailer, maybe a bit long but it actually drew me in. that last shot is killer, very tarsem.

in fact, the title as a recurring statement plus that last shot/poster would make a good obscure commercial for perfume or something. maybe use that as a calling card if you ever wanna make those Mr Plow type commercials.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: Just Withnail on August 16, 2013, 04:30:47 AM
It looks very intriguing. The trailer really gets going from around 01.00. The throbbing score that starts around here is excellent. The general mood from here on out is really unnearving and enticing. There's a great sense of mystery.

Woa! That last shot. Is amazing. But then the animation on the "are you your body"-text at the very end looks a little cheap.

I think the start could be shorter, especially the skype-scene. Other than that, you really make me wanna see this.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: Sleepless on August 16, 2013, 09:32:00 AM
Matt -

It looks great. Good cinematography. Good score. I watched the vimeo trailer on an old Dell at work and it looked fine. A little choppy near the alley fighting the last third, but that was it.

I do think it's a little long and could be trimmed for pacing sake. As funny as the laptop scene is, I think it can be trimmed slightly. Same for the "spiritual healer" scene, which although it already feels like you've compressed it significantly, I think can be done more so. I would like to see a hint more of the avant-garde style that you say the movie has.  As JW, said when the trailer really gets going it's excellent. Frank reminds me of Luke Wilson in Royal Tenenbaums most of the time he is on screen. Maybe it's because of that but when the family all got back to the house it reminded me of The Family Stone.

As you may/may not be aware, I'm working within the online marketing world at the moment and if you need any help to try and promote this either at this stage or later on, I would be interested is getting involved or at least talking about what your plans are. You have my email right?
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: matt35mm on August 16, 2013, 11:36:20 AM
Thanks, all!

Well, since there seems to be a consensus forming, and since I haven't really released this trailer yet, I'm gonna take a stab at shortening it.

Is the actual punching of the laptop worth keeping? I could cut out of the scene before then, or I can have him punch the laptop, but nix her saying, "You broke my laptop???"

I can only think of one way to shorten the "I'm what you might call a spiritual teacher" bit, which is to remove the other woman asking, "What exactly does that mean?" But then would it sound weird to have her say, "I'm what you might call a spiritual teacher, put your hands on the table." I can give it a shot, though. I'll also re-do the "are you your body" animation.

That only cuts about 4 or 5 seconds from the trailer, though. Perhaps that helps the pacing enough to not feel long, or should I make even more cuts??

And yes!!! I didn't really know that you were working in online marketing but I would like your help. It's also good to know that the trailer played fine on an old Dell... if that worked, then I'm not too worried.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: ©brad on August 16, 2013, 11:53:27 AM
I like the title, and the trailer didn't feel long for me, especially if you're using it for fundraising. Can't wait to see it!
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: ono on August 16, 2013, 12:24:16 PM
Quote from: matt35mm on August 16, 2013, 11:36:20 AM
Is the actual punching of the laptop worth keeping? I could cut out of the scene before then, or I can have him punch the laptop, but nix her saying, "You broke my laptop???"
No, nix it, save it for the film.  That extreme type of behavior is the stuff that's best saved for the film itself.  All you need is the tease of him catching her webcamming with her boyfriend.

QuoteI can only think of one way to shorten the "I'm what you might call a spiritual teacher" bit, which is to remove the other woman asking, "What exactly does that mean?" But then would it sound weird to have her say, "I'm what you might call a spiritual teacher, put your hands on the table." I can give it a shot, though. I'll also re-do the "are you your body" animation.
Cut it at the question.  Leave it at that.  Let the audience ponder what that means, and leave it to the film itself to give your answer.

QuoteThat only cuts about 4 or 5 seconds from the trailer, though. Perhaps that helps the pacing enough to not feel long, or should I make even more cuts??

See how it runs with those two cuts, and see if there are any more superfluous cuts that could be excised from the back end of the trailer.


And FWIW, it played okay on my computer.  Have a dual monitor setup with a flatscreen acting as my second screen.  Watched it there, and it looks okay, if a little dark.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: jenkins on August 16, 2013, 12:40:09 PM
lol there's nothing extreme about punching a computer, unless you mean extreme ridiculousness. hell yeah save the punch. it made me laugh the most and people like laughing
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: Reel on August 16, 2013, 12:49:15 PM
"you broke my laptop?" is definitely unnecessary, though. Maybe don't let the whole scene play out and show so much of your actress half naked right away, just give us a taste.


I also thought that the transition between the laughing and playful spanking to "my mother's dead" played really farcically. Since it seems like a major plot point, you should give it more dramatic weight.


Both versions look really good on my laptop. I'm interested. Congrats!
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: ono on August 16, 2013, 01:04:52 PM
I know I start every day by jumping in the shower, grabbing a bowl of Kix, and punch-starting my laptop.  Without having seen the movie, all I'm saying is that takes things too far.  Why would you show the "punch"line in the trailer.  Yes, I went there.  :roll:
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: xerxes on August 16, 2013, 01:59:49 PM
I'm with the others on cutting down the skype scene, but I'd also suggest cutting down the "hello" exchange earlier when Amara is sitting on the floor. Cutting after maybe the second "hello" before the ass slap might help with the issue reelist brought up about the transition to the dead mom phone call. I know you like that sort of thing, but I don't think the awkwardness of the scene works so well here isolated in the trailer. Also, I think you could tighten up the phone call too. Not sure you need the line about going to Texas as the next scene makes a trip pretty clear. Just some thoughts.

It looks great, though. Definitely got me excited to see it.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: matt35mm on August 16, 2013, 02:22:31 PM
I'm open to the idea of cutting stuff, but one concern is whether or not I'll be neutering what makes this movie/trailer feel specific. If you didn't know me or anyone involved with the movie, and you saw this trailer, would "I'm what you might call a spiritual teacher." "What exactly does that mean?" be enough to make you feel like you had to see the movie in order to have that question answered?

I DO want to fix any pacing issues and shorten it, but what I'm wrestling with at this point is whether I'll be removing the things that may intrigue people (specifically into donating money on Kickstarter). That's why I'm worried about saving too much for the film--but believe me, there is A LOT that is saved for the film. I'm certainly not giving everything away in the trailer.

I'd like to get more of a consensus on what should stay and what should go. Perhaps it may help to imagine it in the context of a Kickstarter video where I give a brief (10 second) intro, show this, and then about 40 seconds of me and my producer describing some of the unusual aspects of making this film, plus plea for money. Hopefully it'll be about 3:30 total, in terms of length.

I'll also try cutting down the "hello" thing toward the beginning. Thanks!

This is all very helpful for me. I'll be re-cutting it in a day or two. Keep the notes coming!
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: ono on August 16, 2013, 04:43:00 PM
I'm thinking of Plainview's monologue to answer that question.  I think if the teacher is giving a monologue a la Plainview, one that is powerful enough to reel the audience in, then it is important enough to leave.  But I would do it while removing the subject to whom she is speaking.  Then, you create the effect that this teacher is speaking to the audience.  What's important to keep in mind is the best trailers seem to be somewhat narrative themselves.  They're not just series of ambiguous shots.  They outline quite literally that which is to be painted in later.  The images shown may not necessarily be chronological, and as PTA has shown from the Master they may not even be from the film or strict canon, but they go to illustrate what you can expect.  And I think that's what the latter half of the trailer has going for you even though to me it wasn't as compelling as the first stuff.  Of course, this is still going from my memories of only one view, and subsequent viewings may change that.  That your trailer has generated this much discussion and interest is a good thing.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: matt35mm on August 16, 2013, 04:57:27 PM
Thanks! I think the first view impression is the most important one, because I don't expect that anyone will watch a Kickstarter video more than once. The first view is also the thing I'm farthest away from, as the editor.

That's a real good point about the Plainview thing. I'm not sure how I can apply that to this trailer, but I want to do a series of very short teasers (as updates to keep the Kickstarter fuel going), and I love the idea of doing something like that. Maybe I'll even look to the MASTER teasers that PTA cut as inspiration for those.

I'm gonna experiment and see if I can cut this thing by 15 - 20 seconds.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: jenkins on August 16, 2013, 05:11:18 PM
good team work imo. more excited. when does the next trailer come out
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: matt35mm on August 20, 2013, 02:17:25 AM
Here's a new cut, which is 20 seconds shorter than the original cut: https://vimeo.com/72244505

Let me know how that feels in comparison. Or, if anyone's watching it for the first time, let me know whether parts of it stand out as too quick or too slow.

Thanks!
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: Cloudy on August 20, 2013, 03:04:50 AM
I dig the shorter one more, especially because you omitted some dialogue that didn't need to be there. And the trailer flowed much more. One little fix, the sound of the laptop being smashed is not in sync with the video (from my screen at least).
Has a nice and wholesome Bergman feel to it. Definitely interested.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: jenkins on August 20, 2013, 03:22:47 AM
i like it more each time i watch it, including now. not necessarily because of the changes, i just like it more each time i watch it
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: matt35mm on August 20, 2013, 10:47:49 AM
Thanks!

The laptop smashing has the initial sound of impact, as well as the sound of the laptop crashing onto the table. If this sounds odd to anyone else, please let me know.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: xerxes on August 20, 2013, 11:56:55 AM
I think it flows great now.  :yabbse-thumbup:
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: Reel on August 20, 2013, 12:33:50 PM
It has definitely improved. I didn't note any cuts besides "MY LAPTOP?!" but it feels good. The faster you get to the spiritual teacher, the better. Also, what trashy just said.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: RegularKarate on August 20, 2013, 01:35:42 PM
I'll jump in here after just now watching both versions. The second version definitely flows better. Especially the laptop scene.

If you're trying to make this even shorter (I don't know if you are anymore), I think cutting more of the set up would help. If you're trying to make this seem kind of mysterious and intriguing, the last bit is really what does that.

I will say that I think the music and the scene with the spiritual guide doing all that hand stuff kind of makes it look like you're pulling a little too strongly from Upstream Color. It's mostly the music that does this, but once you add some fancy mysterious hand stuff, you're really deep in the Upstream Color bag.

I like a lot of things about the trailer and the look of the film though. Keep doing shit.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: matt35mm on August 20, 2013, 01:54:47 PM
Thanks! I don't know if I want to try cutting it shorter; maybe down the line, but I think I'm ready to turn my focus back toward editing the movie. This is primarily for Kickstarter and just as a first-look at the movie, and future cuts of the trailer are possible.

Well, I suppose the intention is for it to feel like this is just a domestic drama, and as such, relatively slow... then come in from the side with this otherworldly stuff that is hopefully unexpected and then takes over the thrust into the last third.

I realized after-the-fact that some of this stuff mirrored the UPSTREAM COLOR trailer. It wasn't at the forefront of my mind, but I definitely see how similar the music is. Oops. I did watch that trailer a bunch of times when it came out, so it must've dug its way into my head, especially since I composed that music.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: matt35mm on September 04, 2013, 10:01:04 PM
We have just launched our Kickstarter campaign. We have a video in which I murder somebody.

http://kck.st/14lbkfn

If you feel like contributing to it or sharing the link, I certainly would not mind, and if not, that's fine, too. That's how these things work, right? You can also "like" the movie's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/areyouyourbody as a way to stay updated on any news.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: wilder on September 04, 2013, 10:16:19 PM
I'm in, looking forward to the final thing. I remember getting into the beginning of a discussion with you about blocking and shot structure a long while back -- it's been interesting to see how your staging has evolved in all of the projects you've developed since then. Wishing you luck with the final stretch!
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: matt35mm on September 04, 2013, 10:24:12 PM
Thanks! It means a lot to have your support!

----------------

Quoting myself to make sure more people see the post:

Quote from: matt35mm on September 04, 2013, 10:01:04 PM
We have just launched our Kickstarter campaign. We have a video in which I murder somebody.

http://kck.st/14lbkfn

If you feel like contributing to it or sharing the link, I certainly would not mind, and if not, that's fine, too. That's how these things work, right? You can also "like" the movie's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/areyouyourbody as a way to stay updated on any news.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: Just Withnail on September 05, 2013, 02:46:12 AM
That campaign-video is hilarious. I'm also getting more and more into the trailer every time I watch it.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: jenkins on September 05, 2013, 03:18:14 AM
<33. approve the handling of the watermelon dilemma

tangent: my guess is we'd be irl friends who like talking with each other and things like that. soon enough (accepted, now the date is being triggered) i'll have a short to share via nobudge, and i look forward to sharing it with you and other people here

topic: http://kck.st/14lbkfn
do it for matt
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: matt35mm on September 05, 2013, 03:02:14 PM
Looking forward to seeing your movie, tcmj!

I'm noting that a lot of people are telling me that they get more and more into the trailer each time they see it. That's interesting to me, and I guess... a good thing?
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: jenkins on September 05, 2013, 03:44:24 PM
good thing, yes. as an artist you're seeking a creation that echoes your perceptions, and because those perceptions differ from the established, you're met by the human tradition of perplexity for newness. i myself demonstrated this perplexity. then i watched the trailer again and understood you better. what was missing on the first go? it actually wasn't you that was missing, it was me. i expected something else and saw what was there when i went again

ono offered helpful trailer advice because his angle of vision was marketing and he keyed into that aspect. there are things you'll learn and grow as you develop as an artist, but i think you already have the essential components. you got it matt, already. i mean it. there's simply an overlap between the art, the predetermined concept of the art, and your execution. i relate to this in both a personal and professional sense. i want you and your feelings to know -- all those things change. all of them

whenever i worry too much i remember what reygadas said. i quoted this in his post tenebras lux thread because i cherish it:

QuotePeople asked me today how can you have the [nerve] to do something like that, and I said, I know that if I like it, there will be some other people who like it. In the time of the Greeks, Seneca said, the better a piece of art, the more rejection it will receive in its moment — that's a social law.

topic: http://kck.st/14lbkfn
do it for matt
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: ElPandaRoyal on September 10, 2013, 04:29:18 AM
So, I was completely unaware of this thread and just took 10 minutes of my work time (I didn't even have a render excuse this time around) to read these pages and watch the trailer and I have to say: pretty good job of enticing my curiosity. I want to see this, the trailer has the kind of intensity that makes me curious and the change of tone really worked in a sort of emotional crescendo.

I'll certainly try and work my budget to help with the financing. Very proud of these Xixax members who are actually making it happen. I really must take some time of my TV editing stuff and use the means at my disposal to try and make something interesting. But more than an inspiration, these Xixax member's projects seem very very good on their own. Well done Matt!
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: matt35mm on September 10, 2013, 10:12:46 AM
Thank you! Any amount that you can contribute would be helpful.

And yes, get out there and start making some stuff! There was a while where I didn't make anything, and was very frustrated... the only way I got out of that was to decide to just start something really small, so I made a short film in a week (after not having made anything for 2 years), and it started up some momentum that I've been riding ever since. So much of it is about momentum, for me anyway.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: ElPandaRoyal on September 11, 2013, 03:46:24 AM
That's true. I remember when I was in school we had to do quite a lot of short films and whatnot and the ideas used to come quite fluently. Now they don't, but I think it's mostly because of that lack of habit. Need to get that momentum back.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: Just Withnail on September 11, 2013, 07:32:46 AM
I've also found that the more things I have going simultaneously the easier ideas come. And when I'm bored or disillusioned with one thing I can jump to another.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: matt35mm on September 11, 2013, 11:31:34 AM
Also, a big part of that momentum comes from sucking other people into your orbit, which happens with every project. You're asking people for favors, you're working closely with your collaborators and their friends become your friends, and then on top of that, people might see one of your movies and want to be involved with the next one.

While writing/directing a movie can sometimes feel very lonely, you are, in fact, not doing it alone. That element of "other people" is everything.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: Frederico Fellini on September 11, 2013, 03:05:42 PM
Quote from: matt35mm on September 11, 2013, 11:31:34 AM
Also, a big part of that momentum comes from sucking other people into your orbit, which happens with every project. You're asking people for favors, you're working closely with your collaborators and their friends become your friends, and then on top of that, people might see one of your movies and want to be involved with the next one.

While writing/directing a movie can sometimes feel very lonely, you are, in fact, not doing it alone. That element of "other people" is everything.


I find that stuff like this is what I learn the most from.

Hey Matt, can you do a thing where you give some tips for people doing their first short?  Sure there's millions of tips out there on the subject, but I feel you would give a first person view that's more honest and straight to the point. Maybe not so much about the technical side but more like what I quoted up there. Stuff that's kinda intangible and left unsaid but at the same time is pretty important.

The two biggest things holding me back right now are the "money" aspect and the "getting people to work in your movie" aspect. If you could give some pointers on that it would be awesome. Thanks in advance.


P.S:  Good job on the short.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: matt35mm on September 12, 2013, 04:05:24 PM
Freddie, I'll do that soon.

To anyone who is intending to contribute at some point, but are waiting for a paycheck or something like that, I want to explain one of the potentially confusing things about Kickstarter:

Kickstarter works on a pledge system. You pledge now, but all the money is collected after the campaign is over (in our case, Oct. 6th, the day after our final day). This is important to know for two reasons: 1. waiting for payday or something like that is not much of a factor because you won't be charged anything when you pledge. 2. if you DO pledge, it's good to know that you'll be able to afford having that amount charged to your debit/credit card on Oct. 6th.

Of course, you're charged nothing if we don't make our goal.

I'm mentioning this now because we're losing momentum, and if you're intending to donate, I'd like to ask that you pledge today or soon, as that will help keep my and my cast/crew's spirits up, and will make no difference to you as far as when you're actually charged that money. Also, I happen to be having a shitty day personally, exacerbated by the fact that we've had no contributions so far today, and getting a few backers at any contribution level would really cheer me up. Thanks.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/matt35mm/you-are-your-body-you-are-not-your-body-feature-fi
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: matt35mm on September 20, 2013, 12:17:58 PM
Good news! On Tuesday, we were indieWIRE's Project of the Day, which made us eligible to be voted as Project of the Week. Well, voting for that is NOW LIVE: http://www.indiewire.com/article/vote-for-project-of-the-week-will-it-be-generation-body-edit-or-pepper

If we win this, we will get a consultation with SnagFilms, the digital distribution company that owns indieWIRE, and we will also become eligible for Project of the Month, which would net us a creative consultation with the Tribeca Film Institute! THAT would be fantastic!

Please vote, please share and urge your friends to check us out! THANK YOU!
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: ono on September 20, 2013, 12:28:16 PM
Congrats!  So how did you even get sniffed out by indieWIRE in the first place?
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: matt35mm on September 20, 2013, 07:21:17 PM
Quote from: ono on September 20, 2013, 12:28:16 PM
Congrats!  So how did you even get sniffed out by indieWIRE in the first place?

They have a submission form for this.

We're doing pretty well right now, but voting goes until Monday morning so anything could happen. I'd love to win this. We're the only feature film out of the four projects, which is a totally different ballgame as far as distribution goes, so I'm quite eager to see what I can learn from that consultation with SnagFilms.

Thanks to anyone who's voted so far! If you haven't yet voted and are interested, you can VOTE HERE (http://www.indiewire.com/article/vote-for-project-of-the-week-will-it-be-generation-body-edit-or-pepper).

Here's the info for those who don't know what the hell I'm talking about:

Quote from: matt35mm on September 20, 2013, 12:17:58 PM
Good news! On Tuesday, we were indieWIRE's Project of the Day, which made us eligible to be voted as Project of the Week. Well, voting for that is NOW LIVE: http://www.indiewire.com/article/vote-for-project-of-the-week-will-it-be-generation-body-edit-or-pepper

If we win this, we will get a consultation with SnagFilms, the digital distribution company that owns indieWIRE, and we will also become eligible for Project of the Month, which would net us a creative consultation with the Tribeca Film Institute! THAT would be fantastic!

Please vote, please share and urge your friends to check us out! THANK YOU!
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: Cloudy on September 20, 2013, 09:06:14 PM
This is awesome. Just voted.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: polkablues on September 20, 2013, 11:57:37 PM
Voted. You're still in second, but it's close!
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: Kellen on September 21, 2013, 01:51:54 AM
Just put a vote in for ya, hope you're able to win this thing!
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: Pedro on September 21, 2013, 02:20:53 AM
My vote put you in front! 
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: The Perineum Falcon on September 21, 2013, 09:22:42 AM
Just cast another vote in your favor, matt. Good luck, man, I'm rooting for ya. As of this moment, you're 5 votes from the lead.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: matt35mm on September 21, 2013, 09:55:41 AM
Big thanks to everyone who's voted so far! I really appreciate it! And thanks for putting this on the front page news ticker thing, too!

For those who haven't yet, it only takes about 30 seconds to do. Thanks so much!
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: matt35mm on September 22, 2013, 10:55:33 PM
FINAL PUSH! Voting ends Monday, 11AM Eastern Time.

As of this moment, we are in the lead by 24 votes, which is fantastic! But a last-minute surge is still possible from the project just behind us, so if you haven't voted yet, now's the time!

Thanks again for all the support!

http://www.indiewire.com/article/vote-for-project-of-the-week-will-it-be-generation-body-edit-or-pepper
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: jenkins on September 23, 2013, 04:20:26 AM
done. like everyone else for an "of course, matt" reason

you're ahead by so much right now. did you surge? nice surge (!)
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: matt35mm on September 23, 2013, 11:07:13 AM
Thanks everyone! We did it!

Yeah, the project in second place made a big surge this morning so we had to keep it going, but now it's done. Whew!

I'm looking forward to the digital distribution consultation, because it's something I really need to learn more about, but I think the best thing about all of this is how much it's forced us to finally talk about our project as widely as possible, and we found that we had a lot of people very excited for the movie. It's given us a new bout of energy and excitement.

And we've still got this Kickstarter, too. Dang.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: jenkins on September 23, 2013, 04:43:32 PM
nice!! you could have william wellman direct the story's movie

Quote from: matt35mm on September 23, 2013, 11:07:13 AM
still got this Kickstarter

mmhmm
http://kck.st/14lbkfn
think you'll make it. people here could help
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: matt35mm on October 01, 2013, 02:32:05 AM
Whew. Okay, so, I know I just asked for everyone's vote for the Project of the Week. Right now we're up for Project of the Month. Same idea, but voting goes until Friday. The winner gets a consultation with the Tribeca Film Institute. Again, this is something I'd love to get. It's a way to get our name out there, and to get a chance to talk to some folks about how we might want to position our movie.

That vote can be made here: http://www.indiewire.com/article/decide-who-talks-to-the-tribeca-film-institute-vote-for-septembers-project-of-the-month-2013

You'll have to confirm your vote by e-mail for it to count, but it's just to confirm you're a human being; there will be no spam or further e-mails from indieWIRE.

Please vote and spread the word around. It's so greatly appreciated.

This is also the last week of our Kickstarter campaign (http://kck.st/bodymovie). We end on Saturday. We're doing pretty well; as of right now it's showing that we're $2800 away from our goal, but I know of some money that will be coming in today or tomorrow, so really we're more like $1,700 away. I think we can do it but we're definitely into crunch time. If you've been meaning to pledge, now's the time!

I hope my pleas haven't been too terribly annoying, but I really do need and appreciate all the support I can get, even if just a vote/share. Thank you!
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: ElPandaRoyal on October 01, 2013, 04:03:30 AM
Voting done, and I'll try and spread the word again and get you some more. You're doing great!!
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on October 01, 2013, 03:21:41 PM
Newsed it again and voted. Good luck!
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: jenkins on October 02, 2013, 01:47:45 AM
done. spread the word, matt is off track and needs flag wavers
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: matt35mm on October 05, 2013, 01:21:48 PM
Ha, well, we didn't do well in that voting thing, but thanks for your help everyone.

THE GOOD NEWS: We made our goal! There's still 10 hours left right now, so if anyone's been meaning to kick in, we can definitely still use it, plus it'll be the best way to see the movie as soon as it's done.

But we know now that we can afford to get a bit of polish on there and submit it to a decent amount of festivals. I know a few of you on here have contributed some money, so a big thanks to you guys. I'll be keeping you all updated, of course.

And now: to work!
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: ElPandaRoyal on October 06, 2013, 03:27:37 AM
It's a shame you didn't get more votes there, but it's great that you reached the goal. Looking forward to seeing the final movie. Congrats Matt.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: jenkins on October 29, 2014, 02:51:36 PM
i can't remember why i was on matt's fb page, but anyway i got excited for him right now:

QuoteWhat do apocalyptic cults, suicidal clowns, dying matriarchs, sibling rivalries, knock-knock jokes, drinking games, Church's Chicken, guided meditation, neck tattoos and the second coming of Christ all have in common? Find out at the Austin Premiere of You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body.

Tickets will become available closer to the event, but RSVP here and you'll be the first to know about them.

nevermind i remembered i wanted to see his you are your body fb page. just liked it btw. but i think those pages are to generate excitement, and i think the excitement's payoff is something like this alamo drafthouse village screening

<3
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: Just Withnail on November 13, 2014, 04:37:32 AM
Matt is matting it! (http://www.indiewire.com/article/why-nonprofits-are-the-future-of-indie-film-20141112)
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: matt35mm on November 20, 2014, 08:41:46 PM
I've got a temporary link to the full movie that I'm making available for free until Wednesday as a way to promote our crowdfunding campaign for my new non-profit experimental production company, Interesting Productions (http://www.facebook.com/howveryinteresting).

In short, the deal is: watch it, share it, whatever, for free. If you feel like it, you can donate to help us with our future projects, which you can learn more about on our Indiegogo page (http://www.igg.me/at/interprod) (since we're a non-profit, donations are tax-deductible). In addition to YAYB/YANYB, we have a short film, two documentaries, and a web series that we helped to produce. These have all been shot, and we're just trying to finish them and get the word out.

Anyway, here's the private link. It will expire on Wednesday, so watch it before then!

EDIT: deleted expired link
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: matt35mm on November 23, 2014, 12:56:59 PM
Just a weekend reminder that this movie is available for free until Wednesday.

If anyone's seen it and has words to throw down about it, it'd be lovely to hear your thoughts.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: 03 on November 23, 2014, 04:11:16 PM
i figured everybody would be all over this.
but matt is definitely matting it.
very impressive movie, man. i enjoyed it very much.  i'll get more detailed later on. everybody watch this shit!
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: max from fearless on November 24, 2014, 04:53:53 AM
Hey Matt - I've tried to watch the movie three times now, and it always freezes around the 18 minute mark. I've tried reloading, I've loaded up the whole movie, but it keeps freezing or skipping dialogue/freezing etc. I'm not having this problem with other stuff I'm downloading or streaming, and I don't know if it's a vimeo issue, what I do know it that this is a major bummer, as I've sat through the first sequence twice and so far I'm loving it.......is anyone else having streaming issues? is it a UK/Europe thing? Someone, anyone, help me finish this movie!!!
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: matt35mm on November 24, 2014, 05:36:57 AM
Hmm, I have heard that sometimes turning off your firewall can help with video streaming issues. Have you tried different browsers? Maybe update the browser? I haven't had anyone else mention any problems with it, but I'm guessing that it's something to do with Vimeo and your computer/browser not liking each other.

I know you probably don't want to watch it in SD, but does it have the same problem in SD vs HD?
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: ono on November 26, 2014, 10:23:28 AM
From the 1994 SNES RPG EarthBound:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34SS03osolg
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on November 26, 2014, 10:53:57 AM
I also had the streaming issue. I did watch about 40 minutes though, and it was getting very interesting... Are you sure there won't be a place we can watch it after today? We could host a download if you want. A password-protected rar or something.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: matt35mm on November 26, 2014, 12:25:31 PM
If you refresh, are you able to skip straight to where you left off, or does that not work?

There are two different versions of the Vimeo player, depending on what browser you're using: Flash and HTML5 (more info here: https://vimeo.com/help/faq/watching-videos/playback-issues#which-version-of-the-vimeo-player-am-i-seeing)

So I would try either updating your browser or updating Flash. My memory of the Flash player on Vimeo was that you couldn't skip to any part of the video until the buffer had loaded up to there (which would make trying to get back to 40 minutes in frustrating). With HTML5, you can skip straight to where you left off, so I would recommend using a browser that uses HTML5. The Vimeo FAQ above lists which browsers use what.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: matt35mm on November 27, 2014, 05:45:28 AM
That link has now expired. If you couldn't finish the movie due to technical difficulties, message me and I'll send you a new link. It will still be Vimeo, though, so I recommend trying with a different browser.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: matt35mm on February 04, 2015, 08:58:27 PM
A couple people mentioned in the shoutbox wanting to see this, so I'm posting it again. The plan has always been to give it away for free, but not quite yet. But that's just because I am still trying to figure out how to launch it. I'm not really fuckin' with festivals for this one, so there's no real purpose in not having it available, at least here.

http://vimeo.com/matt35mm/yaybmovie

Password: yayb

Enjoy!
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: matt35mm on March 11, 2015, 04:07:15 PM
This movie is now officially available publicly for free at www.interestingproductions.org, along with a new short documentary that my producing partner directed.

Enjoy, share, love, eat good food, get enough sleep, treat yourself, etc.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: jenkins on March 16, 2015, 01:35:01 PM
the site, the distribution, etc, all that's impressive enough, but i also wanna say you should be proud of yayb/yanyb, proud of it today and proud of it 50 years from now, because it's great

i appreciate not only its strange vibe but the consistency of its strangeness. i can feel the pulse and that's what i always want to feel the most. kisses
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: matt35mm on March 16, 2015, 01:51:05 PM
Thanks so much! That makes me happy to hear. I'm glad that you liked it.

Since we're on a new page, I'll post the website again: www.interestingproductions.org

On there, you can see YAYB/YANYB for free, as well as a new short documentary called 3 + 3 + 3 - 2 (A DOG'S LIFE) about a woman who had 7 people in her family die within 9 months.

Everything that we put up on that website will be free. I also intend to start blogging on there soon!
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: Alexandro on April 02, 2015, 12:48:30 AM
life is busy and I haven't even been able to rewatch this film a couple more times, even less so to exteriorize my opinions, which I already gave matt elsewhere; just wanted to make my thoughts official.

First of all, this is one of those films where you can't possibly anticipate anything. It walks and builds it's own little road, scene by scene, transforming itself before your eyes. Whatever you thought it was going to be when it started, I would bet money is not what it becomes by the moment it ends. This has, I suspect, plenty to do with the way it was conceived with the actors and their input, which poses questions about professional roles in films. You can criticize a performance in a conventional film, but where do you draw the line here? Without these particular actors, these storylines may have never been in the first place. So, there's a chaotic process which somehow (perhaps inevitably) makes sense as the film progresses.

beautiful vintage 60's european art house cinematography, particular concerns and neurotic preoccupations, thankfully move the film away from the usual "young adults try to find meaning in their lives" to a thing very much of it's own. I saw a cut of this thing a while ago and I keep wondering about these characters, what are they doing, how are they coping with shit, what weird stuff is happening in their day to day. this is a world where I enjoyed spending some time, and that only happens when you're confronted with something unique, out of your ordinary.

about the time I saw this, I remember seeing "short term 12" and being really underwhelmed and thinking how is it that a film like that, so timid aesthetically and so politically correct ideologically could be so celebrated when small mindfuck gems like this are around, and I stand by that. check it out if you haven't and you'll see what I mean.
Title: Re: You Are Your Body / You Are Not Your Body
Post by: jenkins on April 02, 2015, 01:52:25 PM
Quote from: Alexandro on April 02, 2015, 12:48:30 AM
and thinking how is it that a film like that, so timid aesthetically and so politically correct ideologically could be so celebrated when small mindfuck gems like this are around, and I stand by that.

<3