And with a sudden unexpected surge, the funding has been met with a day to spare.
I've submitted the short to IMDb; awaiting approval.
I've submitted the short to IMDb; awaiting approval.
"Sky Fighter"
- Thread starter tharpdevenport
- Start date
He said go ahead.
Yeah, he and I went over that at one of the FSM threads he started.
The short is done.
Unfortunately, there won't be a Ron Jones score. For those who want to read about that, see here:
https://www.filmscoremonthly.com/bo...793&forumID=1&archive=0&pageID=5&r=590#bottom
A "live from the sound mix" video:
(youtube.com/watch?v=I5lMTxMUe5k)
Unfortunately, there won't be a Ron Jones score. For those who want to read about that, see here:
https://www.filmscoremonthly.com/bo...793&forumID=1&archive=0&pageID=5&r=590#bottom
A "live from the sound mix" video:
(youtube.com/watch?v=I5lMTxMUe5k)
Trailer released today:
(youtube.com/watch?v=8rtq6sEB0Nc)
(youtube.com/watch?v=8rtq6sEB0Nc)
Having read the script I'll be interested in seeing the final product.
As to the trailer, It's hard to get a sense of much given the fast cuts. I get no sense of geography from that spaceship set. It just feels like an oddly shaped room with junk on the walls. Maybe when I see more than 14 frames of it at a time it will look better.
As to the trailer, It's hard to get a sense of much given the fast cuts. I get no sense of geography from that spaceship set. It just feels like an oddly shaped room with junk on the walls. Maybe when I see more than 14 frames of it at a time it will look better.
Looks intriguing although those fast cuts do blunt the "what's real" conflict between the two main characters, which looks to be more of a slow burn.
I know, it's been over a year since the last post, but I am adding a big update:
You can now watch the short for free:
(youtube.com/watch?v=I1SQILFvd6Q)
You can now watch the short for free:
(youtube.com/watch?v=I1SQILFvd6Q)
Jones did some demos, but it didn't work out. He was not score the short in the end.
I responded to the first message of the thread before I saw the update. That's a bummer. I love his work.
@Harvey and I both watched this. We'll see if he wants to offer his own opinion.
Reviewing this is a bit of a tough call. It's a first film for its writer/director so it's not really sporting to compare it to something professional. On the other hand it has some experienced hands behind the scenes supporting the director, so not exactly the amateur hour. As it's neither fish not foul some of the things I would forgive on a typical fanfilm I can't really ignore here.
Mo (Jess Gabor) was the best thing in it. I actually wish the casting had been reversed with her in the the pilot role. I thought she had the most screen presence.
The spaceship set was detailed and nicely lit, but on some level it didn't feel like a spaceship interior to me. It just felt like a room with detail piled on the walls, and it seemed awfully roomy for a mere cockpit.
The hologram VFX were nicely done albeit the 3rd person angles on their own ship just felt weird for anything that is representing the ship you are flying/gunning from.
The tension towards the climactic decision doesn't quite work because the script needs one or two more reverses to keep John and the audience vacillating over what's really going on and what to do.
As is, I saw the ending coming a mile away back when I read the script. The punchline was too obvious.
Reviewing this is a bit of a tough call. It's a first film for its writer/director so it's not really sporting to compare it to something professional. On the other hand it has some experienced hands behind the scenes supporting the director, so not exactly the amateur hour. As it's neither fish not foul some of the things I would forgive on a typical fanfilm I can't really ignore here.
Mo (Jess Gabor) was the best thing in it. I actually wish the casting had been reversed with her in the the pilot role. I thought she had the most screen presence.
The spaceship set was detailed and nicely lit, but on some level it didn't feel like a spaceship interior to me. It just felt like a room with detail piled on the walls, and it seemed awfully roomy for a mere cockpit.
The hologram VFX were nicely done albeit the 3rd person angles on their own ship just felt weird for anything that is representing the ship you are flying/gunning from.
The tension towards the climactic decision doesn't quite work because the script needs one or two more reverses to keep John and the audience vacillating over what's really going on and what to do.
As is, I saw the ending coming a mile away back when I read the script. The punchline was too obvious.
The film was sort of Memento Fighter, really.
At first I found the oft-shallow depth of field distracting, however I think it really works in the "dad" flashbacks because it gives them a slightly dreamlike quality that reinforces that these memories are in fact fake.
Starting and staying inside the ship was a good call because it puts you in John's shoes, not knowing where you are or what's happening and if this is even real or some kind of simulation/test.
This next one is a subtle critique—and to be totally fair the kind of thing I myself wouldn't have known to do not so many years ago—but at points in the story I'm not quite sure whose POV I am supposed to be with because of the cinematography. For example, early on when Mo argues with John about what happened (4:30) in the closeups the camera is closer Mo than to John, and her eyeline is just barely to one side of the lens whereas his is further off to the side. In cinematic terms this means that at this moment the audience POV is with with Mo, not John (Jonathan Demmy did a great job with such subjective angles in The Silence of the Lambs). But the story is about John's decision, so for this to work effectively at moments of conflict like this it's his POV we should instinctively feel we're inside, and the angles and framing in this bit is backwards for that. It's a small thing, but it undercuts putting us in his shoes. Again, not something I should expect a beginning director to know, but an experienced DP might.
The one big CGI exterior shot is the film's midpoint reveal to what's actually happening as it pulls back the curtain for both John and the audience while raising other questions, so that's good.
Sadly, the effect of this reveal is seriously undercut because the VFX shot is is something of a mess: clunky, poorly lit and w/ insufficient motion blur for the speed of the objects at the film's framerate (notice how staccato the spinning bits on the ship here are). I hate to employ an overused critique but the apt term is "video gamey". That shot felt like a working copy and not a final render. With those defects at 40 seconds long it just hurts the film because it rips away whatever verisimilitude had been there.
Most of this is small stuff. The biggest fault I find with the film is the script's reliance on the poor communication kills trope. Given that she's had this argument with John 12 times before she ought to be trying to warn him from the instant he's upright, or wreck the comms so he can't be swayed. From the marks on her neck and other injuries it's logical to presume these conflicts have repeatedly resulted in physical violence, so why does she keep going through it? Why not say screw it and just tie him up or otherwise try to make sure he can't interfere? Why take the risk? Perhaps she needs him to survive the battle, but so why not say that? In fact, if he's rebooted a dozen times she ought to be able to predict what he's going to do an when, so she should be one step ahead of him until they get to a new decision point they never reached before.
Sadly, the final line was laughable, not dramatic.
At first I found the oft-shallow depth of field distracting, however I think it really works in the "dad" flashbacks because it gives them a slightly dreamlike quality that reinforces that these memories are in fact fake.
Starting and staying inside the ship was a good call because it puts you in John's shoes, not knowing where you are or what's happening and if this is even real or some kind of simulation/test.
This next one is a subtle critique—and to be totally fair the kind of thing I myself wouldn't have known to do not so many years ago—but at points in the story I'm not quite sure whose POV I am supposed to be with because of the cinematography. For example, early on when Mo argues with John about what happened (4:30) in the closeups the camera is closer Mo than to John, and her eyeline is just barely to one side of the lens whereas his is further off to the side. In cinematic terms this means that at this moment the audience POV is with with Mo, not John (Jonathan Demmy did a great job with such subjective angles in The Silence of the Lambs). But the story is about John's decision, so for this to work effectively at moments of conflict like this it's his POV we should instinctively feel we're inside, and the angles and framing in this bit is backwards for that. It's a small thing, but it undercuts putting us in his shoes. Again, not something I should expect a beginning director to know, but an experienced DP might.
The one big CGI exterior shot is the film's midpoint reveal to what's actually happening as it pulls back the curtain for both John and the audience while raising other questions, so that's good.
Sadly, the effect of this reveal is seriously undercut because the VFX shot is is something of a mess: clunky, poorly lit and w/ insufficient motion blur for the speed of the objects at the film's framerate (notice how staccato the spinning bits on the ship here are). I hate to employ an overused critique but the apt term is "video gamey". That shot felt like a working copy and not a final render. With those defects at 40 seconds long it just hurts the film because it rips away whatever verisimilitude had been there.
Most of this is small stuff. The biggest fault I find with the film is the script's reliance on the poor communication kills trope. Given that she's had this argument with John 12 times before she ought to be trying to warn him from the instant he's upright, or wreck the comms so he can't be swayed. From the marks on her neck and other injuries it's logical to presume these conflicts have repeatedly resulted in physical violence, so why does she keep going through it? Why not say screw it and just tie him up or otherwise try to make sure he can't interfere? Why take the risk? Perhaps she needs him to survive the battle, but so why not say that? In fact, if he's rebooted a dozen times she ought to be able to predict what he's going to do an when, so she should be one step ahead of him until they get to a new decision point they never reached before.
Sadly, the final line was laughable, not dramatic.
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I liked the look of the main set. The lighting reminded me of Peter Hyams’ work on Outland and 2010: The Year We Make Contact.
In terms of acting, I agree with @Maurice. The female lead was the best part of the cast. The lead was so-so. The voice actor over the intercom played it too broadly for me. That performance didn’t work, especially since the final turn hinges upon it.
The visual effects were mostly quite good — the one exception being the 45 second money shot, which looks stilted and doesn’t work. But the console graphics are to be commended — pro-level work.
The sound — often neglected by first time filmmakers, and especially by fan filmmakers — is both well-recorded and mixed. The music was fine.
The script is the weak link here. There’s a plot, but what was the story? Who are the characters? Given that this scenario has repeated itself countless times, why hasn’t one of them tied the other one up? Rewatching it after the final twist, the entire setup makes little sense to me.
In terms of acting, I agree with @Maurice. The female lead was the best part of the cast. The lead was so-so. The voice actor over the intercom played it too broadly for me. That performance didn’t work, especially since the final turn hinges upon it.
The visual effects were mostly quite good — the one exception being the 45 second money shot, which looks stilted and doesn’t work. But the console graphics are to be commended — pro-level work.
The sound — often neglected by first time filmmakers, and especially by fan filmmakers — is both well-recorded and mixed. The music was fine.
The script is the weak link here. There’s a plot, but what was the story? Who are the characters? Given that this scenario has repeated itself countless times, why hasn’t one of them tied the other one up? Rewatching it after the final twist, the entire setup makes little sense to me.
I was shocked that I quite liked it, because I’m rarely in disagreement with Maurice and Harvey. I didn’t think the acting was anything to write home about for either participant. It was just passable. The guy on the radio was over the top, but maybe that’s purposeful considering his role
. I, personally, didn’t see the ending coming and was happy with it. I think this is a pretty slick comment on toxic masculinity. I don’t think it’s happenstance that the genders of the roles were cast as they were. When I first started watching it my first thought was literally “oh, no. Not another tough loving, macho dad idol.” The short really flips that by making our unquestioning reliance on macho dad a weakness and not a strength. The radio guy being cartoonishly masculine adds to that.
as someone brainwashed to be gung-ho
I thought both actors did a good job. I believe the male lead was following some Direction from the director. I also didn't have a problem with the ship interior set. The outside VFX were however video game cutscene level, and hell, at some point I was expecting a ATARI presents the new "Asteroids 2020 coming to Steam/a game shop near you soon." 
Overall interesting; however, I would have liked a bit more backstory to make me care about the overall stakes because it's not clear as to whether their planet/colony was being invaded; or whether Earth was aggressor here invading another world, or in acting in response to an attempted invasion of Earth.
Overall interesting; however, I would have liked a bit more backstory to make me care about the overall stakes because it's not clear as to whether their planet/colony was being invaded; or whether Earth was aggressor here invading another world, or in acting in response to an attempted invasion of Earth.
