FILM - A Friend for Christmas.

[Gonga]

Hi guys and girls, here is my 2nd short film entitled A Friend For Christmas..

[RydCook]

Hey Gonga.

I always think its a shame to see films posted up here with no replies. I think this film is a long one, people don't often have time to spare! thats my apology on other forumite's half. I don't know why I feel the need to do that!

Before I spoil the film below... WATCH THIS FILM PEOPLE, IT IS WORTH YOUR TIME!

SPOILERS***

Now... to the film, just watched it. WOW... and I mean wow. That is an absolutely fantastic piece of film. Absolutely brilliant! First just to say, I can't remember ever feeling that emotional to a short film before. Perhaps I never have. I felt the loneliness, I felt sad and I felt weird at the appearance of the Alien. I even came close to tears at the end! Great music and sound that really suited and helped the mood, especially when the alien arrived. I love how it felt so real before the alien.. as if this is real life. I also love how the editing was never too over the top after the alien arrived... it suited perfectly. The scene where the Alien walks through the door is perfect. It's great to see a Sci-Fi film that has a character who is old and lonely truly original (to me, I haven't seen Close Encounters.. what are the characters like in that? Kids?) Crossing extreme realism and Sci-Fi is very very appealing to me. Great cinematography, and editing. A fantastic performance from James, really powerful.

Negatives? Not many... I found the daughters performance a bit iffy... she seemed as if she didn't care at all. Her lines seemed like she did, but her actions did not. Staying still the whole time with her fag. She seemed not to give a shit. Is that how I was meant to interpret it? I'm not saying shes a bad actress, i'm just questioning the direction. This scene was the worst part of the film (still good mind), felt a bit over acted.. the line "If she knew what?" ... a little cringe worthy. Especially the second time.. once would have worked perhaps, and then some silence. Also the picture at the end was a little odd.. i think the film would be better without it. A little too surreal in an otherwise real shot. There's no realistic reason for that picture to be there. In this film I can believe an Alien visiting, but not leaving a picture. I dunno.. perhaps you could explain that a little more. For me the "Thanks" line is the perfect ending.

Another little niggle, nothing to do with the film-making, but it is a shame because the film-making is so good; The video file played a bit funny... a bit jumpy and it was also letterboxed 4:3. I feel its a shame such a great film needs to be viewed in this way. Also, your description of the film below it really spoiled it for me. I knew a sci-fi twist would happen.. I feel I'd have liked it much more if I knew nothing. You don't need to explain the film like that... it should speak for it's self. Talk about influences as well if your asked. I May have linked the film to Christmas Carol and Encounters by just watching. The description gave me expectation, which I don't like having before seeing a film.

You're a very good film-maker, I loved "I Killed Your Cat" too and this is new film proves your ability. It's superb for a second film. Have you entered it into any festivals?! I'm certain it would get into most, if win some! Plus then it can be screened as originally intended. I see it as a shame this has to be views online.

Can I just ask.. out of interest. Do you get emotionally involved when you watch this film back? I mean obviously that is what is intended for the audience. But being a director and actually making the film, does that destroy your relationship with the film as the audience? Knowing how you made it and stuff. Just wondered!

Blimey I've gone on a bit! get back to me though. I'll add you as a contact on Vimeo! Best video site ever!

[Dave]

Well, that was very excellent!

I pretty much agree with most of what Ryd has already said, although I didn't think the daughter's performance was dodgy.

**SPOILERISMS**
The only scene I felt was a bit clunky was the flash-back scene of her making tea, where the Dad comments on having a 25 year-old daughter who can't even make a cup of tea properly. "I heard that". Hmmm, I just don't think it worked because why on earth would he be saying that aloud, but to himself? Seemed odd.
I definitely agree with Ryd's comments regarding the film description on the Vimeo page! You're spoiling your own film! The whole sci-fi angle would have been a stunner if I hadn't read about it before-hand. Having said that, even though I had read it, the reveal was brilliantly creepy and real. Without knowing, I probably would have soiled myself. ;D

In your description, you say the film is a tongue-in-cheek mix of a few films. I didn't think the film was tongue-in-cheek at all. The only bit that felt that way, was the reveal of the photograph at the end, which just seemed bizarre, and out of character compared to the rest of the film. Describing it as tongue-in-cheek feels like you are embarrassed about what people might think when they see an alien turn up! haha.
I also love the idea of sci-fi combined with everyday realism. Reminds me of a grand idea I had for a feature film involving a pensioner beating up an alien! ;D No, it's not supposed to be funny, it's supposed to be unpleasant.
Oh, on this laptop at work, the background music in the film sometimes drowned out the dialogue... but that must be the poor speakers we have attached I guess.
Ryd, you should see Close Encounters! It is ufos done in a pretty real way. There's only one little kid in it. "Barry!" Definitely give it watch, because from what you seem to be presuming, the film isn't what you think it is at all.
If you want more of this with old people, then Cocoon is what you're after! ;D

[Gonga]

Wow, hey Ryd, I really appreciate your comments. Seriously, its so good to have someone take so much time to say what they thought about the film. Really muchos appreciatos..!

You were on the money with a lot of what you said actually. The film itself has been a real labour of love and I fell out of interest with it a few times and for a while I didnt even think it would get finished. When the rushes came back I found that the DP had sadly had an off day and not calibrated the camera to the movie tube adaptor and a load of the rushes came back looking really soft. There was a couple of scenes chopped off altogether because the image quality was not quite there.

As for the actress, that was a funny one.. She was supposed to be a bit cold, the idea was that the she had forgiven her dad for what he did but she couldn't be arse'd pittying him for too long. Thats why I threw the smoking comment in, to also show that there was also a bit of a distance in their relationship.

I just wanted to make something that made the audience question how they thought they should feel. Which is why I have the picture in at the end. I always believe you should end on a high note, and after having to see the lead witness himself killing his own wife, It would have been far too dour to just leave it there. It was always my intention to replace the cross on the wall with a family portrait involving the Alien. Not just for the light hearted relief, but to get the message across that a cup of tea with a real alien is far more beneficial than a double scotch with absent man upstairs.

As for the technical aspects, this is my short fall. I wrote, produced, directed and edited the whole thing.. and it obviusly gets to the point where I lose the plot a wee bit. I'm not so great with editing and its a real chore.. I'm not planning on putting it in any festivals, I dont think the image quality is good enough when blown out on big screen because of the initial reasons i told you earlier.. I'm just happy to get it down and out there and for people to have a look at really, and once again I am really chuffed with the time you took in your review.

Thanks


Marc

[Bill Edwards]

Very good! Really good! Just strolled by and saw Ryd's rave review and gave it a go.

Agree with Dave's and Ryd's comments, lose the spoiler!! It doesn't do your film any favours. Lose it! I'm telling you! Just say. "A Friend for Christmas is a short British drama with a twist. It's the story of a man battling his demons after the loss of his wife and fast approaching Christmas alone and unhappy." Or even, "A Friend for Christmas is a short British drama about a man battling his demons after the loss of his wife and fast approaching Christmas alone and unhappy." Like Dave I would've felt a much bigger impact. However that it still does have a major impact is testament to your skills.

The mix of realism and surrealism was incredibly well judged. I'm always fascinated by how this can either succeed or fail. What the mechanisms are...

**SPOILEROONIES**


Very creepy and very moving. Great use of sound AND silence, when the alien first appears and the sound goes – nice one, and great music choices too.

BUT!... Seriously man, lose the picture. You've had three fresh pair of eyes commenting on your film now and despite your thoughts, sorry – a bit arrogant this maybe ..., it don't work. It kind of scuppers everything that went before. The film does have an uplifting ending! It doesn't need any 'light relief'. That picture is a bit of a slap in the face for me. You had succeeded in getting me to invest my emotions in your film and I was welling up inside as the man smiled to himself then you go, "Ha ha! Not real! Just kidding! Tee hee! Fooled you!" Very very jarring and maybe shows a lack of confidence you have in the film?

Just my thoughts. Lose the spoiler though. That's an order!

[sugarbeat]

I pretty much agree with everything that has been said before. The spoiler is unnecessary and the picture at the end jarred with me too.

I wasn't crazy about the daughter's performance, but thought the lead was very good. Also, I think that video as a format actually benefitted you here. Normally short-films suffer from bad sound, but here the diagetic sound had the right tinny, echoed quality to make the loneliness believeable. All in all an excellent second film.

And Ryd, you should definitely watch Close Encounters (Special Edition perferable). It's very different to what you might expect from a Spielberg film.

[Gareth]

the picture makes the tone of the film inconsistent, it should go.

I go green with envy every time I watch your films man! truly original.

[RydCook]

Glad lotsa people have now watched the film!

For the record I didn't mean the actress' performance was dodgy, she was okay. I just wondered how she was directed, as it didn't feel right for me. Thanks for explaining there Gonga.

I think if it lost the picture ending it'd be better. A man realising he did the right thing after all IS a high note. That is a nice ending! In a kind of dark way, admittedly, but its still nice!

I too am envious of this film. When mentioning things on the technicalities, I mean the video file for the net. I didn't notice anything wrong with the editing or the actual camera shots. I'm sure it looks fine blown up! And eve if it doesn't look perfect... it doesn't matter! A film does not have to be technically perfect for it to work. I think you should make a DVD and enter some free festivals! (even pay.. its worth it cos you'll get in!) Trust me mate, you wont regret.

Yeah I should see Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind! I suppose I did have pre-conceptions of what it'd be like, which is bad and unlike me. It's not that i'm not a fan of Speilberg.. well actually I'm not. but what I mean is I don't hate his work. Its on the Lovefilm list now!

I HAVE seen Cocoon though Dave... how could I forget! *MINOR COCOON SPOILERS** Freaked me the hell out when they first got out of their skin... to be revealed and shining white beings.. eww. It's a good film. I don't consider it to be as realistic as this piece of work though. Which is really what differentiates it.

Gonga, if I were you... I'd chop the end off of the film, get the dam thing into festivals (no matter what it looks like) and enjoy success!!

[Gareth]

I did notice a few shots being a bit soft, it'd be distracting on the big screen but it'd still be worth submitting

[Dazza]

Wow...............that was awesome. I'd possibly go as far as saying it could be the best short that I personally have ever seen and I've seen many. Genuinely creepy but at the same time left me feeling hihgly emotional, brilliant film making.

What was the budget on this?

[Dazza]

and yes you must put this into festivals if you dont buddy its crazy as if something like this doesnt win something its grandly unfair. It is fantastic be very proud of it!

[Gonga]

Hey guys, once again thanks so much for the time you've taken to add your comments.. Its very much appreciated.

I'll try and answer a few of your points that I missed out last time..

As you may have noticed I have lost the spoiler.. I guess I only put there as the film itself was bit of a mare in getting made, and when you have spent so much time putting something together you start to see holes in it, thus the fact it is quite long for a short I guess maybe I lost a bit of confidence that people would want to sit through the first 10 minutes watching a man with a sour face talking about cups of tea. In that respect Chromebaby would be right, just one of those things that when you feel you have a bad experience with something you think everyone else will.

In answer to Ryd, re:whether I get emotionally involved in watching the film back.. I guess at first I did, moreso when writing it. However when you watch something over and over again in the edit, It becomes harder to maintain the initial feeling and now I end up having a sly chuckle when watching him kill his wife.. Maybe thats wrong, but I guess I always intended the film to be left open to suggestion in terms of how the audience want to feel. You are right though, and having seen the film being made, and watching a close friend of mine dressed as an alien acting a bit strange while a guy kills his wife, it does make it harder to see it for how I wrote it..

I also didn't want to pigeon hole the film in to just being a dark drama, and obviously looking back, with Shane Meadows being my biggest influence I wanted there to be room for people to see the funny side of it, even when it does get a bit dark.

As for the picture, I always knew it was going to be a sticking point, it was in the original script and so maybe thats why I have always been a bit stubborn with regards to it staying. There was another part to the ending, where the guy comes out the house and sees a light in the sky, but the footage just wasn't good enough and it got trashed..

Looking at your comments, I will probably go back to it and see how it looks with a slightly altered ending.. There is room for a change as the tilt from him smiling allows a fade to back before the pic comes in to view, and if it does indeed feel better I will have silent grumble to myself..

Again with regards to the actress, I don't think she does a lot of acting work and looking back on it there was no time to do any real rehearsals with her.. She did an good rehearsal for my other film "I Killed Your Cat" but I gave the role to some else who I felt was far better suited.. I guess I gave her the role as she was about the right age, and Irish, which kept in fitting with the nature of the family being Scottish/Irish catholics.. (The film was shot in Essex, but I wanted it to feel like it could have been anywhere, Scotland or Ireland)

Anyways, once again I really appreciate your thoughts and comments.. I will have a look over the next couple of days at what a few changes will do to it, and you will be duly noted in a reviewed credits.. (thats if I am not too stubborn to change the ending.. )

Cheers

Marc

[RydCook]

Hey guys,

Marc emailed me recently and linked me to the film again. He has done a re-edit... so you may notice a change to the ending!



Fantastic film!

[Dazza]

Where has this gone again it was deleted on 21st May Arrggghhhhhhhhhhh!!!

I really want to see this again as it was fantastic and I've told others about it ;D

[Gonga]

OI OI, hows it going everone..

Just a little update for those who gave their kind words and advice, A Friend For Christmas has been entered in to a number of festivals and has been accepted in to the Irish Film Festival, and is up for best short under 25 minutes. Hopefully it will get accepted in to the others too, I shall wait and see.

Also I chucked it on Shooting people, as it seems the smaller festivals are no longer so bothered about if it has been shown online, so if any of you lovely boys and girls happens to be a member of shooting people and can give us a rating and keep the film up the leader board then that would be lovely biscuits.

shootingpeople.org/watch/filmofthemonth/leaderboard.php


Muchos grassy arse.