Xixax Film Forum

I'm working on a short video for school. I presented the rough cut to the professor today and he really liked it. However, he did have a couple of suggestions. Most were helpful. However, there's one that I'm really not sure.

The basic story is a guy who is awakened by a phone call. He picks up and a woman asks if he can do her a favor. Half asleep and a bit pissed off, he blows her off and hangs up. She calls again. He answers, finds out its her again and hangs up on her. The phone rings again. He lets it ring, until the receiver suddenly jumps off the hook. The womans voice can be heard from the receiver. He picks up the receiver and she tells him to go check his front porch and read page nine of the paper. He finds page 9 and he looks shocked. He goes back inside and asks her what she wants from him. We cut to later on. He is standing in front of a closet door. He opens it and the inside is completely black(lighting for that was a bitch). He steps inside and disappears in the darkness. The end.

Now, the professor is encouraging(and by encouraging, i mean telling) us to reshoot the scene where he gets the paper and he says we should actually show the newspaper article that he reads. I kind of liked the fact that it was obscure as to what exactly happened to her, even though we get the idea, i hope, that she is dead. And that at the end, we dont actually find out what it is she wanted the guy to do.

if your teachers ideas were any good, hed be a filmmaker by now

maybe show it...but not all of it.

like perhaps see "Woman found.....
                        Authorities Investigating....."


does that make sense?

At the very most, do what Shaftr suggested above. But seriously, from what I imagine from your synopsis, I don't know why your professor would have felt the need for the paper to be seen.

Congratulations, you have surpassed your teacher already.

I think if you do decide to show some of the newspaper, write a really good back story for it so incase you ever make a movie in the future based on this story or you want some "memento" type mystery to this short film. I think it will make it much more interesting. Rather than just putting "Women found..." or something like that just for the hell of it, have there actually be a back story that only you yourself know and could explain if ever needed if you wanted to. I think its much cooler that way, it like why be mysterious and secretive if there's nothing to hide?

Jimmy

Quote from: GoingUptheStairsJimmy

psst...welcome.

Quote from: GoingUptheStairsJimmy

Yeah, welcome...

Um... anyways, yeah this sounds very Lost Highway-ish... don't change it... your professor is a freak... turn it in and tell him if he doesn't like it, you'll get Frank from Blue Velvet to kick the shit out of him.... :)

Professor... freak!! I know it.... either Morton or Hallis.

Quote from: WitkacyProfessor... freak!! I know it.... either Morton or Hallis.

Um, not sure if I quite understand that sentence, but are you talking about Ron Hallis? From abbott?

Quote from: RecceRon Hallis? From abbott?

that guy always bashed my films. and they werent even that bad. meanwhile he praises some halloween rip-off

I count 4 montrealers on this forum. Excellent, we're slowly taking over.

Quote from: RecceI count 4 montrealers on this forum. Excellent, we're slowly taking over.

I'm still pissed at Montreal for beating the Kings in the Stanely Cup Finals all those years back...   :(

Yeah, we used to have a pretty good team. I don't really follow hockey(or sports) all that much, but I suspect it went downhill when Patrick Roy went to California.

please, let us not demean this forum by talking about... ugh... "sports"

Roy is in Denver not California.... As far as the Hallis thing.... we go way back and I've gone through alot with many of the 'profs' in Montreal.  If you're not the pet you don't get the support.   I left film school and was able to make many films on NFB grants.  I made my own mistakes but at least I had some funding and real support from my filmmaking friends.

Quote from: WitkacyRoy is in Denver not California.... As far as the Hallis thing.... we go way back and I've gone through alot with many of the 'profs' in Montreal.  If you're not the pet you don't get the support.   I left film school and was able to make many films on NFB grants.  I made my own mistakes but at least I had some funding and real support from my filmmaking friends.

Yeah, I don't think Hallis liked me or Cecil very much. Or our films.

At Concordia or Abbott?  Good teachers make all the difference.

Hallis was our film teacher at John Abbott. I'm at Concordia now, though.

It sounds very Lynchian, definitely, and Lynch himself would tell you that naming what went on makes it lose all its power.  Write the backstory, but don't reveal too much in the film at all.

you are also doing something for a school project, meaning it is graded, so you should listen to what your prof says.

You can always have 2 cuts of the film (one for the class and one for yourself)

yeah, just call your film "title is here: director's cut" and "title is here: compromised kiss-ass goody-goody im not an artist i want a good grade full screen censored cut"

Quote from: Cecilyeah, just call your film "title is here: director's cut" and "title is here: compromised kiss-ass goody-goody im not an artist i want a good grade full screen censored cut"

Call one title is here: director's  cut, poor grade
call the other title is here: good grade, better chance at scholarship and less money spent, more money used for next project

i wear my poor grades like badges of honor

who needs money to make films anyway?

Yeah, I'll probly do that with the directors cut. But it kinda sucks, cause i have to present it in class. I would like to present the one where I maintain my artistic integrity.