THE SPIRIT WORLD
It's hard to conquer the spirit world in film nowadays, so much room for error and bad dialogue. But, this is a solid piece of work. From the minute this started, I thought "this could be on the Sci Fi channel," and low and behold as I read the prod. notes, it was part of their Exposure competition. Fantastic film! This is one of the best directed films on TS, and here's why: all of the performances are 100% beliveable, there is a clear vision and a unique style to the look and atmosphere of the movie, and it succeeds in delivering a solid message in under 10 minutes. That's good filmmaking. Oustanding acting by your leads, and some really nice FX work that's practical and not hammed up with the digital stuff. The light protruding for the spirit and that voice was amazing. Great choice. My only complaint with the film -as this applies to all great films- I wish it was longer! I want to know if he goes to confront Victor, and what happens with the pregnancy. There's definitely room here to expand this into a feature. Overall, very stylish and professional. Looking forward to more. Thanks for sharing.
Review ID: 1127147
Reviewed by: opearce
I'M IN A TRANCE
Awesome! I was quite taken with this film on many levels--most of all, the cinematography. I thought your shot choices and lighting were excellent. Performances and editing were also very good, and the sound was really creepy--especially during the transformation moments. The ending of the film was somewhat unresolved, but I think that it works for the story. I liked thinking about what the kid will do now that he knows something he shouldn't know.
Review ID: 1076153
Reviewed by: ginko
Re: THE SEANCE
GREAT WORK
I watched it twice, not to make sure I didn't miss anything, but because I think it is really well done.
First, the music makes everything work. The long tones really bring the right mood. Second, the lighting was top notch. Only one 'complaint' (not really) the light goes away from the kid a bit too early as the spirit is leaving his body, and it could have been a slower fade out <<< this is my only beef with the entire short. Loved the twist that the spirit is the annoyed wife of the medium. He misses her... She, not so much...! Acting was right on, even the lip sinc was nearly perfect.
I would have liked his reaction at the reveal to go from Denial all the way to Angry, perhaps the candle was blown out a little early, but this thing works just fine as is. If there's more to the story (I assume our hero goes out to stomp Victor's ass), I'd love to see the next chapter.
Again, great work.
Review ID: 1051912
Reviewed by: Noct
Re: THE SEANCE
CREEPY FEELING
I had to watch this film a couple of times for it all to sink in. I wasn't sure about it on the first viewing. The posession or channeling was very well done. I felt like what was happening was real, but with very cool camera angles and setups. The lighting looked good. The acting was the best part. I kept wanting to see more of how the characters got into that situation. The story hits the ground running, which is cool. I respect that in short films.
Good job, I look forward to more like this out of you.
Review ID: 1037978
Reviewed by: danieldoble
Re: THE SEANCE
VERY PROFESSIONAL!
Awsome job people. This is a very good quality film. The music is outstanding and adds so much to the mood and the fear. I wanted to see more. With a little boost on the PR side, you could easily make this into a feature. I'd like to see more. I am amazed at how impactful, such a simple scene can be.
Review ID: 1029857
Reviewed by: AlCielo
Re: THE SEANCE
REVIEW OF THE SEANCE
The Seance has a lustrous polish, never trying to be something it isn't or can't be, but instead telling its story through the professional integration of sound, image, and word. My only quibbles are that the pace of the spirit's dialogue seemed a little rushed and that the open ending didn't fully exploit what the older man (Robertson?) was feeling. If the spirit does lie, where does that leave him? But those are only quibbles. All the components came together magically. The music kept everything flowing at just the right speed, and underlined the smooth but unobtrusive camera movement and editing. I can't imagine how much effort was required to achieve such effortlessness, but it has rewarded the viewer richly. I'm looking forward to seeing what you'll do with a feature now that you've mastered the short film.
Review ID: 1015749
Reviewed by: Cycarax
Re: THE SEANCE
I'M A BELIEVER!
I love this! This is wonderful! It is so creative, and so clever. Wow, the subtlety and complexity of character and plot are outstanding. We’ve got at least 3 stories going on here. This is very, very good.
I don’t know about technical aspects. They seem to me to be good enough, even great, but what’s important to me is that this is very, very entertaining. Nothing is as important as that.
Good work everyone!
Review ID: 1002897 |
