"The Letter" Escape Films

[CaptainAmerica]

This is the film I made that won State In TSA, Sean Bagley does amazing job acting with are friend Brett Merrick. So I hope you all like it.

http://www.ismfilms.com/screeningroom/s ... hp?mid=150

[freed]

Wow, probably the best thng you've done yet, Visually intruiging, you captured some great dramactic mood. It was very short but to the point and it semmed pretty intese from the first frame to the last. Congrats.

As always I have a few minor[/] criticisms, like the fact the audio was hard to hear at the end, but I think due to the music and the look you gave this, the emotion showing really overcomes it. They're was also one or two dodgy cuts, but nothing major.

Overall, Good effort.

[Kentertainment]

Well Matt, there is only one thing that I have to point out and that's about it. I don't think the two fast effects really worked out for the shot of the Nazi and when Sean said, "GET DOWN!", it just didn't fit the WWII style.

Other than this it was a good flick. I hope it does well in the TSA Nationals.

[maj_barnes]

Very nice, my favorite thing was the color correction, the overall tint accented the mood very nicely.

My main problem was the giving the letter when dying was way too long, I had a few other people watching and they said the same thing. Also, if there was a sniper shooting right at the wounded soldier: why didn't Sean get shot?

Alittle thing I noticed was how Sean was a Captain in battle, yet a sergeant in dress.

Overall I enjoyed it alot, finally another good ww2 film .

[ctbullet]

groovy stuff

god, i hate that para badge on the side cap, i know its historically correct it just looks silly

well filmed, the angles were well thought out

and yes why did sean get up and basically walk to drag your guy,....seemed a little farfetched

[Mr.Anderson]

The visuals were great, and i loved the colors. The only problems i noticed was that a few cuts were slightly off here and there. Overall though, good. Liked it.

[CaptainAmerica]

What can I do to make it better?

[Mr.Anderson]

Tighter Editing.Bring some of the cuts closer toghether. There are few scenes, I think one when Sean is talking to the wife, the part where she says, "Thank You" and we cut to from behind Sean's shoulder and see her hug him. That cut felt to jumpy to me. She was standing perfectly still, then this cut of her suddenly moving. The timing didn't quite feel right, like time was lost in between those two clips, in the cut.

[CaptainAmerica]

yeah I don't think I can fix that but I understand what you saying, so thank you for caring.

[Firestorm]

I actually rather liked the fast zoom effects.

The one thing that bugs me the most about this and other amateur films is when the camera is allowed to automatically adjust the exposure when it shouldn't be. In the scene where the soldier is holding the wounded soldier that he dragged into the dip, the camera constantly moves from the wounded soldier to the other soldier, who has the bright sky behind him, and every time it does, the exposure/aperature/whatever changes, annoying the viewer and making the movie feel less professional. It looks a lot better if you find the right setting in manual and lock it in.

[Mr.Anderson]

No problem at all. I definitely enjoyed it.

[CaptainAmerica]

Well I'm glad all you liked my movie I just hope so more people will watch it.

[chrisgreen]

Good job, i enjoyed it. I tend to agree with some of the other critisism on here so i won't write 'em down again. Keep at it.

[CaptainAmerica]

thank you anyways.

[jackbauer24]

I thought it was good but I have a few questions/comments. First like others said I really liked the coloring. Also I liked the uniforms and felt that you really captured the era when Frank gave mary the letter you could see her hair was like it was back then. And when you see him walking to her the background looked from that time.

I felt that there was not enough urgency in Frank's voice when he yelled medic. I would have thought that he would have been panicking more and would have been a bit more scared that William would die. I also thought that mary would have been more emotional and maybe it would have been good to see her cry.

But overall I really liked it and I hope it does well (like what Kentertainment said). Just one quick question, what was the music playing towards the end of when William is dying, and it plays during the flashback. It sounded so familiar.

[Gyro]

He made the music.

[Lawriejaffa]

I quite liked this film, i mean its concept is very simple, (very very simple) soldier dies - letter - goes to wife, and that is my only criticism (bar the technical crits suggested so far regarding exposure etc.)

Because this short film is very much a scene you see day in and day out of a lot of ww2 movies, it is a bit cliche'd melodramatic. While also, the point being, that the situation (woman getting letter with bad news) is so universal, ie. it could have been her kid killed in a road accident, or any other type of story and it would still work, means that there isnt enough reason to justify its setting in a way that makes the audience feel 'this' film is different.

I think it would have been a much more interesting film if the guy didn't have a letter for his wife, and that this effected his mate a lot! And that he ends up making up a letter to spare this wife's feelings... Who knows... but a bit of 'enigma' would have made this film far more fascinating, given that so much looks good, (and heck its an excuse for gyro to wear his service uniform again hehe)

[CaptainAmerica]

Thats a really good idea, I like that a lot.

[Mr.Anderson]

That is a good idea.

[Lawriejaffa]

It's no big brainwave or anything, its just a good idea to go against cliche and do different things - especially in ww2 movies. And i certainly aint saying im always original or anything, but it should be the idea to give an audience somthing different!

[ProdigyFilmsinc.]

Great job Matt! Only one item. After William was it, died, Frank stood up. It was done beautifully but the point is, you are in battle. Stand up=bigger target. Anyways, nothing major and I don'tt think that it detractedd from the film at all. Just a little FYI.

[CaptainAmerica]

what are you talking about you crakbaby?

[ProdigyFilmsinc.]

Matt, after Brett Died, Sean stood up. I was jsut sayting that in reality that wouldn't work but it didn't detract from the film.

[CaptainAmerica]

Ok, you weirdo!

[Kitty]

I liked this, the us armies desperate if its recruiting kids, and the soldier that delivers the letter looks a little geeky if u ask me! Get a real man! Tough eyed soulful warrior! Movie i think was good tho but yeah the story was a bit unoriginal Anyway 5/10 Kitty Scale!