Home » Comments on the Open Source Free Movie Boy Who Never Slept
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Submitted by Tillyhol (not verified) on September 4, 2007 - 7:19pm.
hello
i just watched the film and i thought it was good, shame about the said volume but other than that, it was really good.
I was wondering what the songs are on there? the song at the beginning of the first part in particular?
please could someone reply with a comment and let me know?
thanks
Submitted by J.D. (not verified) on May 29, 2007 - 12:20pm.
You've got a good concept and a decent plot. I was looking for something a little better though. you could smooth out a lot of the shots and transitions. the dialogue also needs a little work. try working with a group to get a different voice for each character. I have a friend who had this experience except the guy was 29 and I was sort of expecting better.
Submitted by J.C (not verified) on May 22, 2007 - 12:54am.
I thought the plot could use some smoothing out.It was quite intriguing though..on some parts though the message seemed to just be thrown out there,which made it a little too obvious at times.You have GREAT IDEAS maybe sharpen Some of the transitions a Little. Keep at it!
Submitted by Nicolas (not verified) on March 3, 2007 - 11:28pm.
HI my name is Nicolas and i loved your movie it's the greatest amator movie i ever saw i will watch it again and again and again and take this like a big compliment from me because i am my self a writer ,producor and particully actor of amator movies and theatre scetch. if you wanna send me a message i would find it great to can talk with you (Sorry for my english but my first langage is french but still i can talk in english and i'm doing a new serrie in english) bye hope to talk you later.
Submitted by Jennifer OBrian (not verified) on December 9, 2006 - 5:32pm.
Solomon, I will start out by saying that I think the script quality is great. The storyline is well written. The only thing that may be changed is with regards to lighting and sound in the movie itself. All else was well done and I wish you the best luck in this.
Submitted by Chris (not verified) on October 30, 2006 - 10:56am.
What can I say that hasn't already been said?
Some of the editing needs work and sure there were the sound problems but it sounds like you are working to improve those things for your next movie. Overall I thought the movie was a little slow but that is kind of hard to change with this type of story.
Good luck. I look forward to seeing another movie from you soon.
Submitted by solomonrothman (not verified) on October 13, 2006 - 1:40am.
Aaron Collins (from website e-mail form) says:
Sure the editing was off sometimes, and the sound wasn't smooth. Sure you talking was sometimes not heard, if you ask me though if i liked that movie or if i hated it i will say one thing. That has to be one of the BEST DAMN FREE TWO HOURS seeing a movie...I will put that up next to science of sleep. The ending was amazing, and the story line relatable. There dialog true, sure that acting was a little cheezy at parts, but you really did do the best with what you had. If that was Professionaly made, i would most likely shed a tear or two.
Always,
A New Fan, and fellow writer, actors, ect.
Aaron
Submitted by solomonrothman (not verified) on October 6, 2006 - 2:01am.
Here are some moviepals_comments I've recieved on BWNS. The response thus far has been outstanding. I want to say thanks to everyone who has written and keep those moviepals_comments coming! I read and try to
repond to every e-mail I recieve. Also if you haven't checked it out yet, Paul sent me an extremely interesting and very detailed e-mail (900 words)with some great moviepals_comments advice on filmmaking. I responded with a long and lengthy reply. I grouped that correspondance under it's own post and You can read those here Below are some more moviepals_comments on BWNS visitors have e-mailed me or posted on various video distribution sites. I'll be posting some more film fan correspondences as individual blog posts shortly.
Andy says
I really enjoyed this. Intellectual isn't quite the word. I would say that it caters to the reality people don't ever place themselves in. If you get a chance, check out a this video I had made. You might like it as much as I liked yours. View Video Here
Robert Barnes says
website: www.bu88les-stuff.piczo.com
moviepals_comments: I would just like to say that i have just watched "the boy who never slept" and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Danny Mendez says
Hi Solomon,
I just finished watching "The Boy Who Never Sleeps", and I really liked it. The short makes me feel like I haven't slept in days! I know you're marketing it as a free movie and asking for donations, but I have an opportunity where you can make some money. I don't know how the donations are going for you, but with my company I know you'll be able to make enough to keep making more movies, and then some. The way we work is simple - you upload the movie, members of our site pay to watch it, and we pay you. If you're interested, please email me back with the best number and time to reach you. Thanks.
Danny Mendez
Associate, Film & Video
SMS.ac
Eric says
Just watched "Boy Who Never Slept." Just wanted to say it was a great film.. Keep up the good work
Joe says
I'm sorry bro but I would defintely stick to the day job. No offense intended but production value was bad. Yes I know limited budget and all but I have produced better quality video on less than $200 Thanks to the miracle of computer technology these days. The dialoge has no continuity. It's just a poorly written script. As some other folks said continuity may have been lost due to poor audio, some also lost to poor transitions. Did you do a storyboard? Storyline wasn't too shabby. I think your choice of subject matter was decent just needed developed more. Not too bad for a first effort I guess. Thanks for listening, hope my moviepals_comments weren't too harsh and were helpful.
xhimfan4lifex (from yahoo video moviepals_comments_ says
I liked the whole thing.There should be a second one!!! IT was good. Try using night vision in the dark scenes, most digi cams have them! *****
beotchslayer2000 (from youtube video moviepals_comments) says
lol i usually dont watch this type of film but the first one got me so interested that i had to watch this one and whoever made this i know it was rlly rlly low low budget but it was well played out script you could easily make this go big if it hasnt already
alliewayfilms (from youtube moviepals_comments) says
wow, i thought I WAS bad making films for 500-2000 bucks that actually work! Let's prove to hollywood we indie film makers can ROCK without millions....... alliewayfilms@aol.com YouTube Video Link
m0raz (from bolt moviepals_comments) says
Awesome job, great upload
Submitted by Javi (not verified) on September 11, 2006 - 6:15pm.
hey,
i really liked your movie, i loved the story that it had, but i wished that the end would of been different ( i would of love that daniel would go back to her house after the year and talk to her parents to see if maybe they would change thier mind, especially after you are a different person
) Two thumps up
Submitted by Moc (not verified) on August 6, 2006 - 12:29pm.
Hey,
Really liked this movie. Flamed the guy who insulted it in that magazine, his view is so out of touch with reality. If this is what can be achieved with $200 there's a lot of potential.
Submitted by Jed (not verified) on July 30, 2006 - 3:14pm.
Great Job! I relate to the storyline. The sound was the biggest detriment, but props to the tune selection. I appreciate the hallway scene when she came with the script, and the first meeting at the park; captured the essence of conflicts between first meeting and age difference. I doubt that even the best pros could capture that. It felt so awkward it was real. Keep up the good work!
Submitted by Javaria (not verified) on July 24, 2006 - 9:55am.
I read the script of the movie first and fell in love with the concept since I could relate to it. It was wonderfully made. I watched the movie with the headphones on, and the volume did not trouble me at all. The internet scenes seemed like they were almost forwarded but I was reading what they were typing and the Voice Overs were going way too fast. Besides that, the movie was great. Thanks for keeping it free. =)
Submitted by Rachel KTL (not verified) on July 23, 2006 - 10:11pm.
Whilst the movie is a very good effort with a good story, an interesting theme and a decent script, the production values lower the movie's quality. The actors are inaudible at times because of the music played, which also is played a little too often - silence can create so much more atmosphere than music! Also the picture was a little too dark at times so it was difficult to see what was going on. Your cinematography was good, but one or two more camera angles during conversations would have gone done well, like the scene at the end where he's talking to her parents - it would have been great to see THEIR reactions; having it the way you did make it seem like they were the ones filming him! However, that's not to say I didn't enjoy watching it. Well done.
Submitted by Devon (not verified) on July 22, 2006 - 11:11am.
I loved the movie, you did an excellent job. The movie was very realistic, I could see this happening to me or one of my friends. Despite what others may think I liked the whole underage sex bit, this happens a lot in the real world and very few, if any movies show this situation. Very well done movie, good job!
Submitted by Pat! (not verified) on July 22, 2006 - 12:51am.
really liked the movie man
what equipment did you use? i keep trying to convince one of my best friends, who's an aspiring film-maker, that the time for waiting is over. you don't need hollywood to make a good movie and you don't have to be rich.
and good choice going with lulu.com. i have some good friends that work there so i know they'll do you right :)
Submitted by solomonrothman (not verified) on July 21, 2006 - 5:02am.
Hey,
Thanks for writing. I have a lot of different versions of Boy Who Never Slept, but was cramped for time and with limited upload speed I had to choose only a select few on release day. I’m uploading an mp4 version of the movie RIGHT NOW that is a very fast download and should run on anything. I’m also 90% done with a DVD ISO that will offer menus, special features and English subtitles. There will also be a version available on lulu.com for purchase, if anyone doesn’t want to wait for the download, or wants to help support more free movies. I will try to make available subtitled lower res versions too.
Submitted by Claude Rafter (not verified) on July 21, 2006 - 1:19am.
I just watched your movie, fantastic piece of work, very will written and very well filmed. It made me long to date my wife all over again. Much deaper and richer than the standard romance. I look forward to more of your work in the future.
Submitted by solomonrothman (not verified) on July 13, 2006 - 2:21am.
Mikhail,
It was great to read your positive moviepals_comments, especially this week. I just finished responding to some horribly insulting remarks by a “reviewer†at the website freesoftwaremagazine.com. It's nice to read such positive feedback and to know that your work is appreciated.
Regarding your movie choices. I loved the Ghost in the Shell, and Pulp Fiction. I’ve never seen the Big Lebowski, but I think I’ll add it to my Netflix list.
The sound in Boy Who Never Slept has definite problems and I hope to eventually re-mix this movie, or maybe someone else will, being as it open source. Thanks for the boom mic tip. I’ll definitely make sure to use a better microphone like a boom or a shotgun when I shoot my next production.
I’m really happy that you’re developing a few screenplays and I would love to see your movie when you produce it. Please drop me a line when you’ve completed it. It’s excellent that you have made some good connections and I’m sure that will greatly influence the technical quality of your film. I have a short I want to film in the next month or so. I’m wondering what equipment I should use (I currently don’t have a camera) Hopefully I’ll be able to purchase one or better yet connect with a good camera-person .
I’ve made some acting connections, as I too have a found a source of theater actors who will act in a movie for free.
I used Adobe Premiere to do the editing, I’ve found a few open source movie editors, but they seem weak compared to commercial programs.. I’m still looking though and I’ll let you know what I find. I’ll be sure to post a list shortly.
One program worth mentioning is CinePaint. It’s for touching up frames and “painting†on them. I’ve read absolutely excellent things about it, I’ll just have to install it and find time to learn it. Hopefully the learning curve is fast.
I’m going to pass out now, been working myself to death. I’m almost done editing a full length horror movie script I’ve written and then I’ll start on editing two more completed drafts of different full length movies. I want to film some shorts in the next few months and then start another feature. You'll be happy to know, none of my upcoming movies are romance movies. I have a lot more to say, but that will have to wait until other blog entries.
Submitted by Mikhail (not verified) on July 8, 2006 - 12:50am.
I just watched the film, and I was really impressed, for a $200 show. You really didn't need that warning bit at the beginning!
Personally, I thought the content was very entertaining, despite the usually low number of romance movies I watch. Normally I'm interested in the kind of hyper-realist darkly comedic films like The Big Lebowski or Pulp Fiction, and philosophical-type film such as Ghost in the Shell (an anime, but very good all the same), but I was pleasantly surprised watching your film.
Like some other people have said, the sound was a bit muffled. In the telephone conversation scene Daniel (you) and Melissa have, I couldn't hear Melissa's lines.
Your efforts have really impressed me, as I myself am an aspiring filmmaker and screenwriter. A few friends and I are currently developing two screenplays, one of which I hope to produce later this year.
It helps to make connections. I've made contact with a Community theater group who have volunteered to act for free, as well as a university's film department who's willing to lend me equipment for free. So far, I'm shooting the film for free.
In my experience producing short films, I find the best quality sound is made using "shotgun" mics on a boom. When using these, it's important to point the end towards the head of whoever is talking.
By the way, what programs did you use to edit the movie? And what editing programs are open-sourced?
All in all, I'm elated that more home-made open sourced films are getting out there. Keep on doing what you're doing.
Submitted by Tim McCormack (not verified) on July 7, 2006 - 8:01pm.
I'll second the request by Samir to adjust the server's Content-Type response settings. When I click on the torrent links, the response header contains the following :
Content-Type: video/mpeg
Ideally, the response header should have:
Content-Type: application/x-bittorrent
This will allow the user's operating system to open the torrent in a torrent program, instead of attempting to load it into a media player.
Submitted by solomonrothman (not verified) on July 7, 2006 - 5:53pm.
Thanks for the kind words. Regarding the format -
I have a version of the movie in MPEG-4 AVC format and I will release it this week along with the script. Actually that's the version I used for the Yahoo Video upload I just need to make it available for direct download.
See the Source page: for links to the individual songs on the soundtrack. 6 songs are there now, including the main theme. I'll be adding a few more as soon as they are ready. I'm super overloaded at the moment, but when I have time, I'll post bios of the bands and describe each piece of music used in the movie.
About supporting free movies: I've got two new scripts almost complete and I'm dieing to start working on my next movie, so stay tuned. I wonder how my movies will continue to be recieved. I'm going to come up with a larger budget for next movie, (hopefully someone will donate), but if not I should still be able to get a pro-sumer camera and a wireless microphone setup eventually.
Submitted by Samir (not verified) on July 7, 2006 - 4:39pm.
Hey,
I just finished watching the movie. I really enjoyed watching. I loved the soundtrack. Free movies like this one should be more
supported !
Here a few things I'd consider concerning encoding & distribution:
1. Encode the movie in XviD or in MPEG-4 AVC format, those codecs offer better quality/filesize ratio.
2. Downloads over bittorrent and gnutella are rather slow. Next time ask someone with a high upload bandwith to help you seeding.
3. The torrent files on this website are not associated with bittorrent, you can change the association in your webserver configuration.
btw: can you give me a direct link to the soundtrack ? (I couldn't find it on dilvie.com)
Submitted by solomonrothman (not verified) on July 7, 2006 - 3:14pm.
Here are some moviepals_comments I received via e-mail and got permission to post publicly. Please keep them coming!!!
"I saw the movie. It was good except for the sound. What professionals do when the sound gets muffed is redub. If you can get the actors back into the studio, it would take an afternoon to repair the soundtract.. Also, when dialogue begins, reduce the volume of the music.
This is a very good first movie. After a few more practicemovies, you could become the next George Lucas."
"I'm happy to see your work, it's good to see people doing positive things with the open source philosophy.
One resource you should check out (if you haven't already) is the open source film Elephants Dream. http://elephantsdream.org .. they have a lot of info on the licensing of OS movies.
Submitted by bumpy (not verified) on July 4, 2006 - 4:46pm.
Enjoyed the movie via yahoo video, agree with others above about weak sound. Also experienced bittorrent problem, will try downloading again later.
I've never made a movie, so probably presumptuous to make suggestions, but here goes anyway:
* Make sure microphone is consistently close to speaker's mouth, otherwise you get a lot of echo mixed into the sound.
* Work on getting tight closeups of actors in emotionally significant moments. Ironically, what Daniel says about watching people's eyes is good advice for the film director: Make sure the camera catches the actor's eyes. They tell the story.
Submitted by Mike (not verified) on July 3, 2006 - 11:03am.
I thought, though the transitions, volume problems, and all that stopped me me fully understanding what was going on, it was a great film! I can relate to the aspect of searching for something, staying up until late at night, and of course talking to a lot of people online on chatrooms. I waited for ages for this film, and in the end I'm kind of sad that it's over. I hope to see more of your films in the future (but please try and fix the whole volume problem and voice over timing thing. I like the idea of subtitles though, that'd help a little.)
I have a question, what is the total difference between the VHS and the DVD quality videos? Is it that big of a difference that I'll be able to see and hear things a lot clearer? If so, I'll get the DVD quality videos asap (and then probably fix them up so that I can put them on CD-R cds but with better transitions).
I hope you plan to some day re-edit this film (nothing major: just better transitions between scenes, making the voices all be about the same loudness instead of having so many varying loudnessess...ess, and maybe subtitles).
I need to get my friends together and make the film that we (my friends) planned on making a year ago. I only have a digital camera for video but it'll do just fine (the sound and video is good!) and I trust that it can do the job. I've already edited a few videos, so that wont be a problem. The real problem is making a better script (I want to make a movie that is spontanious aka no real scripts so that it's for the most part made up as we go along so that the emotions are more realistic and less rehearst).
Comments
That is great you are using
That is great you are using HD for your next film. Right on!
hello i just watched the film
hello
i just watched the film and i thought it was good, shame about the said volume but other than that, it was really good.
I was wondering what the songs are on there? the song at the beginning of the first part in particular?
please could someone reply with a comment and let me know?
thanks
You've got a good concept and
You've got a good concept and a decent plot. I was looking for something a little better though. you could smooth out a lot of the shots and transitions. the dialogue also needs a little work. try working with a group to get a different voice for each character. I have a friend who had this experience except the guy was 29 and I was sort of expecting better.
I thought the plot could use
I thought the plot could use some smoothing out.It was quite intriguing though..on some parts though the message seemed to just be thrown out there,which made it a little too obvious at times.You have GREAT IDEAS maybe sharpen Some of the transitions a Little. Keep at it!
Thank you very much for your
Thank you very much for your kindness sharing
HI my name is Nicolas and i
HI my name is Nicolas and i loved your movie it's the greatest amator movie i ever saw i will watch it again and again and again and take this like a big compliment from me because i am my self a writer ,producor and particully actor of amator movies and theatre scetch. if you wanna send me a message i would find it great to can talk with you (Sorry for my english but my first langage is french but still i can talk in english and i'm doing a new serrie in english) bye hope to talk you later.
i think the story is
i think the story is great...nice keep up
Solomon, I will start out by
Solomon, I will start out by saying that I think the script quality is great. The storyline is well written. The only thing that may be changed is with regards to lighting and sound in the movie itself. All else was well done and I wish you the best luck in this.
What can I say that hasn't
What can I say that hasn't already been said?
Some of the editing needs work and sure there were the sound problems but it sounds like you are working to improve those things for your next movie. Overall I thought the movie was a little slow but that is kind of hard to change with this type of story.
Good luck. I look forward to seeing another movie from you soon.
Aaron Collins (from website
Aaron Collins (from website e-mail form) says:
Sure the editing was off sometimes, and the sound wasn't smooth. Sure you talking was sometimes not heard, if you ask me though if i liked that movie or if i hated it i will say one thing. That has to be one of the BEST DAMN FREE TWO HOURS seeing a movie...I will put that up next to science of sleep. The ending was amazing, and the story line relatable. There dialog true, sure that acting was a little cheezy at parts, but you really did do the best with what you had. If that was Professionaly made, i would most likely shed a tear or two.
Always,
A New Fan, and fellow writer, actors, ect.
Aaron
Here are some moviepals_comments I've
Here are some moviepals_comments I've recieved on BWNS. The response thus far has been outstanding. I want to say thanks to everyone who has written and keep those moviepals_comments coming! I read and try to
repond to every e-mail I recieve. Also if you haven't checked it out yet, Paul sent me an extremely interesting and very detailed e-mail (900 words)with some great moviepals_comments advice on filmmaking. I responded with a long and lengthy reply. I grouped that correspondance under it's own post and You can read those here Below are some more moviepals_comments on BWNS visitors have e-mailed me or posted on various video distribution sites. I'll be posting some more film fan correspondences as individual blog posts shortly.
Andy says
I really enjoyed this. Intellectual isn't quite the word. I would say that it caters to the reality people don't ever place themselves in. If you get a chance, check out a this video I had made. You might like it as much as I liked yours. View Video Here
Robert Barnes says
website: www.bu88les-stuff.piczo.com
moviepals_comments: I would just like to say that i have just watched "the boy who never slept" and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Danny Mendez says
Hi Solomon,
I just finished watching "The Boy Who Never Sleeps", and I really liked it. The short makes me feel like I haven't slept in days! I know you're marketing it as a free movie and asking for donations, but I have an opportunity where you can make some money. I don't know how the donations are going for you, but with my company I know you'll be able to make enough to keep making more movies, and then some. The way we work is simple - you upload the movie, members of our site pay to watch it, and we pay you. If you're interested, please email me back with the best number and time to reach you. Thanks.
Danny Mendez
Associate, Film & Video
SMS.ac
Eric says
Just watched "Boy Who Never Slept." Just wanted to say it was a great film.. Keep up the good work
Joe says
I'm sorry bro but I would defintely stick to the day job. No offense intended but production value was bad. Yes I know limited budget and all but I have produced better quality video on less than $200 Thanks to the miracle of computer technology these days. The dialoge has no continuity. It's just a poorly written script. As some other folks said continuity may have been lost due to poor audio, some also lost to poor transitions. Did you do a storyboard? Storyline wasn't too shabby. I think your choice of subject matter was decent just needed developed more. Not too bad for a first effort I guess. Thanks for listening, hope my moviepals_comments weren't too harsh and were helpful.
xhimfan4lifex (from yahoo video moviepals_comments_ says
I liked the whole thing.There should be a second one!!! IT was good. Try using night vision in the dark scenes, most digi cams have them! *****
beotchslayer2000 (from youtube video moviepals_comments) says
lol i usually dont watch this type of film but the first one got me so interested that i had to watch this one and whoever made this i know it was rlly rlly low low budget but it was well played out script you could easily make this go big if it hasnt already
alliewayfilms (from youtube moviepals_comments) says
wow, i thought I WAS bad making films for 500-2000 bucks that actually work! Let's prove to hollywood we indie film makers can ROCK without millions.......
alliewayfilms@aol.com
YouTube Video Link
m0raz (from bolt moviepals_comments) says
Awesome job, great upload
hey, i really liked your
hey,
i really liked your movie, i loved the story that it had, but i wished that the end would of been different ( i would of love that daniel would go back to her house after the year and talk to her parents to see if maybe they would change thier mind, especially after you are a different person
) Two thumps up
This was an extremely good
This was an extremely good movie. Why?
Because I can bet many people will relate to it strongy. and Solomon you're really cute. (:
Hey, Really liked this
Hey,
Really liked this movie. Flamed the guy who insulted it in that magazine, his view is so out of touch with reality. If this is what can be achieved with $200 there's a lot of potential.
Good luck with your next project.
Great Job! I relate to the
Great Job! I relate to the storyline. The sound was the biggest detriment, but props to the tune selection. I appreciate the hallway scene when she came with the script, and the first meeting at the park; captured the essence of conflicts between first meeting and age difference. I doubt that even the best pros could capture that. It felt so awkward it was real. Keep up the good work!
I read the script of the
I read the script of the movie first and fell in love with the concept since I could relate to it. It was wonderfully made. I watched the movie with the headphones on, and the volume did not trouble me at all. The internet scenes seemed like they were almost forwarded but I was reading what they were typing and the Voice Overs were going way too fast. Besides that, the movie was great. Thanks for keeping it free. =)
Whilst the movie is a very
Whilst the movie is a very good effort with a good story, an interesting theme and a decent script, the production values lower the movie's quality. The actors are inaudible at times because of the music played, which also is played a little too often - silence can create so much more atmosphere than music! Also the picture was a little too dark at times so it was difficult to see what was going on. Your cinematography was good, but one or two more camera angles during conversations would have gone done well, like the scene at the end where he's talking to her parents - it would have been great to see THEIR reactions; having it the way you did make it seem like they were the ones filming him! However, that's not to say I didn't enjoy watching it. Well done.
I loved the movie, you did an
I loved the movie, you did an excellent job. The movie was very realistic, I could see this happening to me or one of my friends. Despite what others may think I liked the whole underage sex bit, this happens a lot in the real world and very few, if any movies show this situation. Very well done movie, good job!
I will be sure to keep the torrent seeded.
really liked the movie
really liked the movie man
what equipment did you use? i keep trying to convince one of my best friends, who's an aspiring film-maker, that the time for waiting is over. you don't need hollywood to make a good movie and you don't have to be rich.
and good choice going with lulu.com. i have some good friends that work there so i know they'll do you right :)
looking forward to your new films
Hey, Thanks for writing. I
Hey,
Thanks for writing. I have a lot of different versions of Boy Who Never Slept, but was cramped for time and with limited upload speed I had to choose only a select few on release day. I’m uploading an mp4 version of the movie RIGHT NOW that is a very fast download and should run on anything. I’m also 90% done with a DVD ISO that will offer menus, special features and English subtitles. There will also be a version available on lulu.com for purchase, if anyone doesn’t want to wait for the download, or wants to help support more free movies. I will try to make available subtitled lower res versions too.
Hi, I know this has already
Hi, I know this has already been mentioned, but why WMV? There is no WMV codec for 64bit linux yet so I have to wait for MS to watch your movie.
I just watched your movie,
I just watched your movie, fantastic piece of work, very will written and very well filmed. It made me long to date my wife all over again. Much deaper and richer than the standard romance. I look forward to more of your work in the future.
Regarding the bittorrent
Regarding the bittorrent posts - I will fix that problem tomorrow.
Tim - Thanks for the link.
Mikhail, It was great to
Mikhail,
It was great to read your positive moviepals_comments, especially this week. I just finished responding to some horribly insulting remarks by a “reviewer†at the website freesoftwaremagazine.com. It's nice to read such positive feedback and to know that your work is appreciated.
Regarding your movie choices. I loved the Ghost in the Shell, and Pulp Fiction. I’ve never seen the Big Lebowski, but I think I’ll add it to my Netflix list.
The sound in Boy Who Never Slept has definite problems and I hope to eventually re-mix this movie, or maybe someone else will, being as it open source. Thanks for the boom mic tip. I’ll definitely make sure to use a better microphone like a boom or a shotgun when I shoot my next production.
I’m really happy that you’re developing a few screenplays and I would love to see your movie when you produce it. Please drop me a line when you’ve completed it. It’s excellent that you have made some good connections and I’m sure that will greatly influence the technical quality of your film. I have a short I want to film in the next month or so. I’m wondering what equipment I should use (I currently don’t have a camera) Hopefully I’ll be able to purchase one or better yet connect with a good camera-person .
I’ve made some acting connections, as I too have a found a source of theater actors who will act in a movie for free.
I used Adobe Premiere to do the editing, I’ve found a few open source movie editors, but they seem weak compared to commercial programs.. I’m still looking though and I’ll let you know what I find. I’ll be sure to post a list shortly.
One program worth mentioning is CinePaint. It’s for touching up frames and “painting†on them. I’ve read absolutely excellent things about it, I’ll just have to install it and find time to learn it. Hopefully the learning curve is fast.
I’m going to pass out now, been working myself to death. I’m almost done editing a full length horror movie script I’ve written and then I’ll start on editing two more completed drafts of different full length movies. I want to film some shorts in the next few months and then start another feature. You'll be happy to know, none of my upcoming movies are romance movies. I have a lot more to say, but that will have to wait until other blog entries.
Thanks again.
I just watched the film, and
I just watched the film, and I was really impressed, for a $200 show. You really didn't need that warning bit at the beginning!
Personally, I thought the content was very entertaining, despite the usually low number of romance movies I watch. Normally I'm interested in the kind of hyper-realist darkly comedic films like The Big Lebowski or Pulp Fiction, and philosophical-type film such as Ghost in the Shell (an anime, but very good all the same), but I was pleasantly surprised watching your film.
Like some other people have said, the sound was a bit muffled. In the telephone conversation scene Daniel (you) and Melissa have, I couldn't hear Melissa's lines.
Your efforts have really impressed me, as I myself am an aspiring filmmaker and screenwriter. A few friends and I are currently developing two screenplays, one of which I hope to produce later this year.
It helps to make connections. I've made contact with a Community theater group who have volunteered to act for free, as well as a university's film department who's willing to lend me equipment for free. So far, I'm shooting the film for free.
In my experience producing short films, I find the best quality sound is made using "shotgun" mics on a boom. When using these, it's important to point the end towards the head of whoever is talking.
By the way, what programs did you use to edit the movie? And what editing programs are open-sourced?
All in all, I'm elated that more home-made open sourced films are getting out there. Keep on doing what you're doing.
I'll second the request by
I'll second the request by Samir to adjust the server's Content-Type response settings. When I click on the torrent links, the response header contains the following :
Content-Type: video/mpeg
Ideally, the response header should have:
Content-Type: application/x-bittorrent
This will allow the user's operating system to open the torrent in a torrent program, instead of attempting to load it into a media player.
Here's some advice on making that happen:
http://dessent.net/btfaq/#mimetype
Thanks for the kind words.
Thanks for the kind words. Regarding the format -
I have a version of the movie in MPEG-4 AVC format and I will release it this week along with the script. Actually that's the version I used for the Yahoo Video upload I just need to make it available for direct download.
See the Source page: for links to the individual songs on the soundtrack. 6 songs are there now, including the main theme. I'll be adding a few more as soon as they are ready. I'm super overloaded at the moment, but when I have time, I'll post bios of the bands and describe each piece of music used in the movie.
About supporting free movies: I've got two new scripts almost complete and I'm dieing to start working on my next movie, so stay tuned. I wonder how my movies will continue to be recieved. I'm going to come up with a larger budget for next movie, (hopefully someone will donate), but if not I should still be able to get a pro-sumer camera and a wireless microphone setup eventually.
Hey, I just finished
Hey,
I just finished watching the movie. I really enjoyed watching. I loved the soundtrack. Free movies like this one should be more
supported !
Here a few things I'd consider concerning encoding & distribution:
1. Encode the movie in XviD or in MPEG-4 AVC format, those codecs offer better quality/filesize ratio.
2. Downloads over bittorrent and gnutella are rather slow. Next time ask someone with a high upload bandwith to help you seeding.
3. The torrent files on this website are not associated with bittorrent, you can change the association in your webserver configuration.
btw: can you give me a direct link to the soundtrack ? (I couldn't find it on dilvie.com)
Here are some moviepals_comments I
Here are some moviepals_comments I received via e-mail and got permission to post publicly. Please keep them coming!!!
"I saw the movie. It was good except for the sound. What professionals do when the sound gets muffed is redub. If you can get the actors back into the studio, it would take an afternoon to repair the soundtract.. Also, when dialogue begins, reduce the volume of the music.
This is a very good first movie. After a few more practicemovies, you could become the next George Lucas."
Craig Lee Chrisco (http://PeacefulBeginnings.Org/)
"I'm happy to see your work, it's good to see people doing positive things with the open source philosophy.
One resource you should check out (if you haven't already) is the open source film Elephants Dream. http://elephantsdream.org .. they have a lot of info on the licensing of OS movies.
Good Job!"
Garrett
Enjoyed the movie via yahoo
Enjoyed the movie via yahoo video, agree with others above about weak sound. Also experienced bittorrent problem, will try downloading again later.
I've never made a movie, so probably presumptuous to make suggestions, but here goes anyway:
* Make sure microphone is consistently close to speaker's mouth, otherwise you get a lot of echo mixed into the sound.
* Work on getting tight closeups of actors in emotionally significant moments. Ironically, what Daniel says about watching people's eyes is good advice for the film director: Make sure the camera catches the actor's eyes. They tell the story.
http://www.opensource.org/docs/definition.php
This site defines what is meant by Open Source for software. Would the same definition work for movies?
I wanted to download the DVD
I wanted to download the DVD quality files, but the torrent files appear to be bad?
I thought, though the
I thought, though the transitions, volume problems, and all that stopped me me fully understanding what was going on, it was a great film! I can relate to the aspect of searching for something, staying up until late at night, and of course talking to a lot of people online on chatrooms. I waited for ages for this film, and in the end I'm kind of sad that it's over. I hope to see more of your films in the future (but please try and fix the whole volume problem and voice over timing thing. I like the idea of subtitles though, that'd help a little.)
I have a question, what is the total difference between the VHS and the DVD quality videos? Is it that big of a difference that I'll be able to see and hear things a lot clearer? If so, I'll get the DVD quality videos asap (and then probably fix them up so that I can put them on CD-R cds but with better transitions).
I hope you plan to some day re-edit this film (nothing major: just better transitions between scenes, making the voices all be about the same loudness instead of having so many varying loudnessess...ess, and maybe subtitles).
I need to get my friends together and make the film that we (my friends) planned on making a year ago. I only have a digital camera for video but it'll do just fine (the sound and video is good!) and I trust that it can do the job. I've already edited a few videos, so that wont be a problem. The real problem is making a better script (I want to make a movie that is spontanious aka no real scripts so that it's for the most part made up as we go along so that the emotions are more realistic and less rehearst).
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