ANIMIVIRTUS BLOG » short film

Showcase: Signs

animivirtus — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 07:45:13 +0000

Today’s showcase item is something I found through Videomaker Magazine’s newsletter last week. It’s a pretty cool little short that shows pretty successfully the effectiveness of editing, a simple concept, and a good, short, human story. The coolest part I thought at first was identifying with the main (male) character of the story, and then being able to watch his life go on an upward curve from there. I suppose that’s what we most often find intriguing and lovable in the first place, when we find bits of ourselves in the characters whose lives end up being what we wish ours were. Or maybe it just gives hope. Anyway, on the low-budget side of things…

This is a sweet-ass example of how literally paper, pens, a video camera and access to two windows and a crosswalk (which could be in three completely different places, mind you) could make a short film pretty cool. Pretty close to the ultimate in low-budget filmmaking techniques. Oh, yea, I guess a kitchen and bedroom would be good too, but I’m assuming most people have one of those . Basically, once again, proof that a solid, simple story with common human characters acting in identifiable, even lovable, even hateful ways.

Anyway, enjoy the film, feel free to leave comments, thoughts, reactions and whatnot at the bottom of the page, and happy filmmaking .

YouTube via Videomaker

Showcase: Games, Zombies and ‘Net Stars

animivirtus — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 12:00:52 +0000

Well, it’s been about three and a half months since my last post, and while I apologize for the wait, I haven’t completely neglected this blog. I’ve amassed a pretty massive collection of showcase and link dump material for the next while, and continue to receive newsletters and am on the prowl for tutorials and resources. Long story short, the final project’s finishing up, and there’s a vast pool of links about to come your way in the next few weeks. Starting now…

First up, the Warhammer: Age of Reckoning trailer got me excited about fantasy gaming for the first time since high school, and I found this rockin’ four-part making-of article series, as well as their video podcast page, on the company’s website.

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV

Next up, IndyMogul posted their zombie bite test film, and I recently found this behind-the-scenes featurette on a French zombie film that sounds intriguing, but I don’t know much else about it. (Also, in other zombie news, Henry Selick’s apparently planning a stop-motion film featuring a zombie army following Coraline‘s release).

Lastly, and possibly the coolest for you web- and new media-savvy users out there, internet “star” Ze Frank starred in this apocalyptic comedy web pilot “The Remnants” recently, written by John August (Corpse Bride, Charlie’s Angels). Personally, I thought it was awesome, and would gladly continue watching it if it turned into a series. But only time can tell.

Well, that about wraps it up for this post…know however that there’s lots of stuff coming Wednesday, a new portfolio site for my new demo reel coming up within the next 2-3 weeks, and possibly some extra goodies along the way. Look forward to some attention, for a change, and some good attention, at that! Thanks for reading, and enjoy.

Showcase: Various

animivirtus — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:24:29 +0000

Alrighty… I think I stop trying to come up with meaningful titles for the topic part of each entry, since most of my posts are so scattered. Hopefully there’s some good stuff in there for you guys though. Anyway…since I didn’t get to it last night, here’s this week’s showcase entry.

First up is Rock Paper Scissors EXTREME. Cheesy, I know, but good fun, and a good example of how tiny of a budget you really need to make something entertaining. Entertainers are basically just good personalities with good ideas, and we have some of the coolest ways these days of showing those ideas. So here’s that one.

Rock Paper Scissors EXTREME

Next is a Robert Rodriguez video of his 10-Minute Film School featured all over the web from Eejit’s film site to Rodriguez’s DVDs themselves. Plus, he’s one of my favorite directors, so I keep eyes out for him at most all times.

Robert Rodriguez: 10 Minute Film School

Next up is a pretty cool little feature on Film&Video (related to Studio Daily/Monthly) that I found last week. It’s a new HP spot that was apparently very low budget and had a decent amount of effects work in it, though you’d never know just from watching the clip. Take a peek at the intro article here, and the spot followed by the director’s pretty cool commentary here. (If that link doesn’t work, there’s another in the article itself).

Alright, that’s it for this week. I’ll try to get out some cool finds by Wednesday but I can’t make any guarantees. It’s crunch time before our final project shoot date here at school, so I’ve got to make sure things are in place before I have a life . But I’ll try not to neglect my self-imposed duties too often if possible. Anyway, enjoy these little items and happy filmmaking.

Showcase: Strange Behavior

animivirtus — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 07:21:58 +0000

Alright, so this may not be “low-budget,” per se, but it was made by one guy, so that in itself is admirable, and definitely a sort of DIY spirit type piece. Plus, you’ve got to admit, it’s freaking awesome. Check it out, and enjoy .

Showcase: 10 Minutes

animivirtus — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 07:39:57 +0000

Alright, so this film clearly had at least the budget to transport crew to a foreign country, if not the budget to recreate an entire small town for the film. However, looking past that, the point I want to make is this: take a look at the amount of cuts in the film. The dramatic, realistic effect (not to mention huge technical respect from peers and knowledgeable audience members) that a fluid, long take gives a film is so great that you have to sit back in awe and admiration. Children of Men had the same effect on me in their climactic sequence where there’s an 8-to-10-minute shot with no cuts throughout. It’s a wonderful effect and something that only really takes planning at its most basic level, and anybody can do that, no matter their budget. It’s simple and practical in principle, painstaking in execution but pays off hugely in the end, plus I love the short film, so I figured I’d show it off and offer the little idea for you fellow filmmakers out there.

10 minutes by Ahmed Imamovic – BEST SHORT FILM IN EUROPE

Link Dump: Eclectic

animivirtus — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 06:51:31 +0000

Well this one’s another brief and rather scattered one, we’re entering the planning and scheduling of the project now, so I’m thinking about how we’re going to do the practical, on-set effects or complicated shots we’re going to need to pull off. And since I spent my high school years researching that kind of thing, I’m excited that I finally have a use for all that amassed knowledge and inspiration. So, here goes the short list…

First off, I was recommended this link via this site (a great board for cheap filmmaking techniques and friendly advice) and though I haven’t looked through it yet, it looked pretty cool at a glance. Next, there’s this site that seemed like a cool tutorial site (again, at a glance).

As for actually making stuff, there’s DetonationFilms’ directory and store, a great place for pyrotechnic stock footage (in HD and other resolutions and formats), not to mention some very entertaining short films on their site. As for those practical effects I mentioned above, fake glass is going to be our biggest challenge as far as effects go. (We’re still working on how to do the 360 degree dolly around a character). But these plans and this video definitely offer hopeful alternatives to buying sheets of the stuff.

Enjoy those for now, sorry it’s a short entry again, but hopefully these lead you onto some cool ideas. I’d love to hear/see of stuff you make with this, and if youv’e got more additions for the list, feel free to comment and let me know. Good luck.

Showcase: Steel

animivirtus — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 07:24:40 +0000

Well, here it is, another week, and I’m digging into my pocket of old showcase possibilities. This one I found a while back and was most impressed I believe with the fight coreography. Really, when you look at it, the whole thing could have been done with a very small budget, and a few good connections (someone with a nice car, a good eye for color-correction). I don’t have much else to say about it, but take a peek at the final product and feel free to leave suggestions for future showcase episodes, or thoughts on this one.

Showcase: The Assignment

animivirtus — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 06:32:03 +0000

Well I actually found this film a while back, but haven’t been on the prowl this last week for films to showcase, and decided to take a peek at my collection to see if there was anything amateruish I could post here. This one definitely seems to fit the bill, though it’s one of the more professional looking ones so far. I know nothing about this film, or about its creators, so suffice it to say this post is simply a showcase. Enjoy.

Showcase: Via Optima

animivirtus — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 07:25:42 +0000

Well, this one’s also got to be quick, but I definitely want to share it. I discovered Via Optima via (haha!) their Instructables article on making a short film for 80 bucks. Now, that headline alone would grab most anyone’s attention, but being into this field as I am, it certainly grabbed mine. I haven’t finished the article yet – been very busy lately – but it sounds like a decently written article from two clearly talented young filmmakers. The film referenced in the article, and the most on their site, is their latest achievment in their brief filmmaking careers: a short called The Shepherd. Of course the acting isn’t award-winning, but given the fact that these were two guys and only a few friends and family members making the film, their production value is outstanding, and the story something I could see coming from Cronenberg, Aronofsky or maybe even Lynch. Backing away from Hollywood names and grand-scale comparisons, these are simply kids making a movie in their senior year of high school. It’s a short thriller by two 18-year-olds, and right from the title sequence they had me hooked. Definitely worth the 20 minutes it takes to watch. Oh, watch the trailer too. And take a peek at their Vimeo profile and website.

Showcase: Threesome :P

animivirtus — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 07:27:53 +0000

I know, I know, naughty me. Oh well . Today (and this time I have no excuse for the lateness of this post) I have a trio of showcase postings. So get ready, it’s going to be a wild ride.

First up, a short film I found while searching for another one I’d heard of a while back but couldn’t find. This is called The Date, and stars Rose Byrne, of 28 Weeks Later, Sunshine and Damages fame, among many others. It’s an Australian short flick, and further confirms my opinion that Aussies just know how to make good, entertaining movies.

WARNING: There’s a tiny bit of profanity in this one. If you’re a little kid you’d better have some huge-a$$ earmuffs ready.

The Date (short film) starring Rose Byrne

Second on the list was a reenactment of The Dark Knight
trailer…by some little kids. It was funny and entertaining (and
actually surprisingly accurate) enough that I decided I had to post
it. It also embodies the attitude of no-budget filmmaking quite well.

No earmuffs needed.

The Dark Knight (kids version)

And lastly, but certainly not least(ly), is a short film entitled Ending The Eternal that I found perusing my brother’s Rue Morgue magazine while vacationing at his house. It’s a short vampire flick (good points from me), done well (more points), with a very clear low-budget style and attitude about it (more points). Written, directed and edited by Justin McConnell, it has potential, and I’d be curious after this to see what happens with his career in the field.