Here it is!!...Nocturne, a short film. https://vimeo.com/39028230 Even in darkness, there is living. There is a beauty in the atmosphere between light and shadow. "The very meaninglessness of life forces man to create his own meaning. Children, of course, begin life with an untarnished sense of wonder, a capacity to experience total joy at something as simple as the greenness of a leaf; but as they get older, the awareness of death and decay begins to impinge on their consciousness and subtly erode their joie de vivre, their idealism--and their assumption of immortality. As a child matures, he sees death and pain everywhere about him, and begins to lose faith in the ultimate goodness of man. But if he's reasonably strong--and lucky--he can emerge from this twilight of the soul into a rebirth of life's élan. Both because of and in spite of his awareness of the meaninglessness of life, he can forge a fresh sense of purpose and affirmation. He may not recapture the same pure sense of wonder he was born with, but he can shape something far more enduring and sustaining. The most terrifying fact about the universe is not that it is hostile but that it is indifferent; but if we can come to terms with this indifference and accept the challenges of life within the boundaries of death--however mutable man may be able to make them--our existence as a species can have genuine meaning and fulfillment. However vast the darkness, we must supply our own light." -- Stanley Kubrick Film of subtleties, shot during a night in Paris, France, using only available light. Music: Arctic Fog by Blear Moon
Anything Goes : Short Film by Edwin Adrian Nieves
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Great, great stuff...Awesome.
Thank you for the comment! It means a great deal.
My pleasure, Edwin!
Well done, well done. I loved the overall flow of the film. Not too fast, not too slow. But the one thing that truly got me was all the little things. For instance, when you did the pan from the lights down to the trees, the little glares from the light bulbs seemed to increase the experience. Again, loved it, and well done.
I agree...The small touches have a large impact.
Thanks Garon. I truly appreciate your intuitive understanding of Nocturne and see that you have an insightful eye! The essence of the film lies in the atmosphere and the subtleties within the images. You and Richard both have made my day by commenting on the "little things." As the Swiss poet and philosopher Henri-Frédéric Amiel wrote, "What we call little things are merely the causes of great things; they are the beginning, the embryo, and it is the point of departure which, generally speaking, decides the whole future of an existence. One single black speck may be the beginning of gangrene, of a storm, of a revolution."
Very impressive! Some really nice shots in this video. What I like about it is the simplicity and through that capturing something beautiful and elegant. Especially as all those Hollywood films seem think that bigger is better I like this short film showed that the smaller things can actually make something better. Your short film now also makes me want to call my friend who owns a camera and start practicing more by using our own surroundings. Seriously, this short film of yours should be taken as an example that you can continue to be a filmmaker if you simply film with what you got and look more around you. Did you use any top lights on the camera as you say that you only used light when available?
The music was nice. I see from soundcloud that it was released in October of last year. Was it scored to this film, or set as a background track? The mood of it seemed very appropriate; my ears would just have liked to hear it a little more "present". That is, instead of a few of the sounds seeming closer and in a large, echoing space (while others come from farther away), they all seemed farther and in that large echoing space. Having some sounds more "present" / closer helps to bring me into the scene better. Just my 2 cents. Otherwise a fabulous work of art! Wow.
I appreciate your comments Kim, very much so! and I definitely say make that call to your friend. I'm a big believer in "finding" the right shot. With me, I form an idea of what image I am seeking but always allow the location and action of the story to dictate it. This way of working comes from the "guerrilla filmmaking" style I've practiced but has since been influential in other works. For example, for The Gift I obtained all the subway footage without a permit (Darren Aronofsky did the same for the subway scenes in Black Swan). In all actuality, everything for The Gift that was public was done without a permit. This, however, means you have to keep your ease and really "see" the world for what it is. To me, it's like meditation in many ways. Anyway, as for the equipment, I did not use any top lights on the camera. All the light came from the city. I used a Canon Rebel t2i and two fantastic lenses, a Canon 35 mm f/2 and a Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 (the beauty of this lens is that the aperture doesn't change when zooming), making good use of the wide aperture. Also, previously, I would not push the ISO over 400, but I decided to test out recording at 800. In post-production, I used a denoiser and made only slight changes in color--nothing to exposure, brightness, contrast, etc.
Thanks Paul! I can definitely understand your thoughts on the music. The process with this was first obtaining the footage and seeing an ideal sequence in my head. I then sought out an appropriate soundtrack for the mood and atmosphere, going through the music store at Vimeo. I found Blear Moon's lovely Arctic Fog which was available for free download (some songs at the Vimeo music store have a price tag, others don't), and along with the music, I made the cuts I deemed necessary. I definitely take your 2 cents in appreciation and can see you have a great understanding of sound! Let's stay in touch.
By all means. I tell you, it would be an honor to work on anything you create. I'll be following your work.
I liked it. I felt some tension, which was relieved when the girl was finally shown.
We'll definitely have to keep in touch, Paul. Promise. And thank you, Sam, for giving your time to watch Nocturne.