Post by Cesar Supernova! on Jan 16, 2008 2:34:39 GMT -5
I'm not a very artistic person (stick figures rock!), but I'm currently a TV/Film major and in high school I made a couple pieces of work. I haven't made anything yet in college (I JUST started some classes that involve making actual projects), so until they're done, here's my stuff from high school. Constructive criticism is more than fine, even if you don't like something. As long as you're not rude, I will respect everything you have to say. I know that the things I've done are FAR from perfect, so I love to hear what my peers think. What works, what doesn't work and any thoughts on a piece. It really helps me out when I'm working on new stuff. I really value the opinions of everyone here on BGD, so if you get some time, check my stuff out and leave some feedback. Thanks a bunch and I hope you guys enjoy my stuff. It's a lot harder than it looks to put this stuff together, oh the stories I could tell... well, enough chit-chat, here they are. (They are arranged from newest to oldest.)
El Mundo Es Un Pañuelo
A parody of cheesy spanish soap operas created just for the fun of it. All one man wanted was a ham sandwich, but instead he encountered love. Now with a new bag of bread in the mix, will true love stand strong? (There are subtitles for non-spanish speakers like me. I can say the words and sound like I speak it fluently, but I don't actually know the language.) I look a tad like Günther in this, lol.
Refl3cting
3 teens are each having a hard time getting through the day. Each expresses themself through a personal entry, and by doing so we get to see things through their eyes... This short won me first place in a regional competition (my friend Ryan got second, go Eastburg High!) and I got to go to the state capital to compete, but unfortunately I didn't place. Not that I'm being bitter, but I feel the subject matter was the reason I didn't place. Most of the judges were old and all the winning shorts were very "safe", not a drop of controversy in them. My teacher and two of my best friends came along to root me on, and when I didn't place, my friend Kevin (one of those big tough typical guys) gave me a hug and almost started crying. It was so out of character for him, but it showed that he's a true friend and really does support me. I was bummed, but hey, I've got the rest of my life to get recognized, and being accepted into a state competition is an achievement in itself.
MoonWaltz Film Festival '07 Commercial
A funny commercial I made for my high school's 2007 MoonWaltz Film Festival. (I placed in this competition, I forget if it was second or third, probably third now that I think about it. The short I entered was "Beacon".)
Trisha O'Keefe - "I Dream"
With Trisha's permission to use one of her songs in a project of mine, I had made a music video for "I Dream". It's not my best work, (especially the cinematography), but it's decent. Check out Trisha O'Keefe at www.trishaokeefe.com or get her music on iTunes, Napster, or Rhapsody. I personally know her (got to spend a day in NYC with her! She dressed so cute and looked just like Sailor Jupiter!) because I'm friends with her brother, so I won't be posting this track up for download. It's super good though, so go spend a buck on iTunes and treat yourself. This isn't even the full song anyway, I shortened it for this project.
Lingering
A suspense short about the death of a teenage boy who comes back to haunt his best friend. I know that the blood in the one scene is SUPER corny, but the chocolate syrup was really cold and wasn't flowing right. I really should have warmed it up and re-shot the scene, but we were on a time schedule (my friend had to go to work at 5) and my main priority was wrapping up filming in time.
Beacon
A short film about homosexuality and the inner struggle that one teenager faces. This was my first short, and it's very apparent, but people seem to like it. I guess the main reason I don't like it too much is because I'm the one in it...
Not to mention the one character goes from having a tie, to not having a tie, and if you pay attention there is a bad word written on the dry erase board. I had no clue it was there until MONTHS later when my friend watched it on my MySpace and pointed it out. One of my BFF's probably wrote it one night and I just never erased it. And the computer in the short was definitely just there for show, it didn't really work or anything, it was an old piece of crap that I threw out days later.
Cesar
El Mundo Es Un Pañuelo
A parody of cheesy spanish soap operas created just for the fun of it. All one man wanted was a ham sandwich, but instead he encountered love. Now with a new bag of bread in the mix, will true love stand strong? (There are subtitles for non-spanish speakers like me. I can say the words and sound like I speak it fluently, but I don't actually know the language.) I look a tad like Günther in this, lol.
Refl3cting
3 teens are each having a hard time getting through the day. Each expresses themself through a personal entry, and by doing so we get to see things through their eyes... This short won me first place in a regional competition (my friend Ryan got second, go Eastburg High!) and I got to go to the state capital to compete, but unfortunately I didn't place. Not that I'm being bitter, but I feel the subject matter was the reason I didn't place. Most of the judges were old and all the winning shorts were very "safe", not a drop of controversy in them. My teacher and two of my best friends came along to root me on, and when I didn't place, my friend Kevin (one of those big tough typical guys) gave me a hug and almost started crying. It was so out of character for him, but it showed that he's a true friend and really does support me. I was bummed, but hey, I've got the rest of my life to get recognized, and being accepted into a state competition is an achievement in itself.
MoonWaltz Film Festival '07 Commercial
A funny commercial I made for my high school's 2007 MoonWaltz Film Festival. (I placed in this competition, I forget if it was second or third, probably third now that I think about it. The short I entered was "Beacon".)
Trisha O'Keefe - "I Dream"
With Trisha's permission to use one of her songs in a project of mine, I had made a music video for "I Dream". It's not my best work, (especially the cinematography), but it's decent. Check out Trisha O'Keefe at www.trishaokeefe.com or get her music on iTunes, Napster, or Rhapsody. I personally know her (got to spend a day in NYC with her! She dressed so cute and looked just like Sailor Jupiter!) because I'm friends with her brother, so I won't be posting this track up for download. It's super good though, so go spend a buck on iTunes and treat yourself. This isn't even the full song anyway, I shortened it for this project.
Lingering
A suspense short about the death of a teenage boy who comes back to haunt his best friend. I know that the blood in the one scene is SUPER corny, but the chocolate syrup was really cold and wasn't flowing right. I really should have warmed it up and re-shot the scene, but we were on a time schedule (my friend had to go to work at 5) and my main priority was wrapping up filming in time.
Beacon
A short film about homosexuality and the inner struggle that one teenager faces. This was my first short, and it's very apparent, but people seem to like it. I guess the main reason I don't like it too much is because I'm the one in it...
Not to mention the one character goes from having a tie, to not having a tie, and if you pay attention there is a bad word written on the dry erase board. I had no clue it was there until MONTHS later when my friend watched it on my MySpace and pointed it out. One of my BFF's probably wrote it one night and I just never erased it. And the computer in the short was definitely just there for show, it didn't really work or anything, it was an old piece of crap that I threw out days later.
Cesar
I loved the filming technique you chose by not showing faces. 
I liked Refl3cting best, but they're all quite good. I wouldn't have the patience for this.
The funny thing is, El Mundo was just a side project that I refused to finish until my teacher begged me. She saw the first half and asked me to finish it for a grade. Afterwards she projected it on a big screen and showed her teacher friends during lunch. It was one of those things that I never wanted to finish, but I'm SO happy that I did. I'm glad you feel that my videos accomplished their objectives, because you were right , I definitely was trying to "say something" in most of them. And of course I am promising more videos, I just have no idea as to when they'll be up. It may still be a little while. But the day will come, I assure you.
