Shaolin Training for the Upcoming Apocalypse

[Drunk Monk]

...and it'll probably be that iron crotch vid of yours.

Our youtube is our least active site right now. It's on my 'to do' list. :roll:

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

Sigh. I just had nice fight with one of my actors, the one who walked out to go to an audition on our last day of shooting. He wants to sue me for monetary damages because I haven't finished the film and sent him a copy. He says I'm dismissive of his requests. I guess I was also disrespectful of him and the other actors during shooting. Good times.

[cranefly]

I remember many years ago reading How I Made A Hundred Movies In Hollywood And Never Lost A Dime by Roger Corman. He told about the difficulties of working with "actors." How a leading lady tells him her boyfriend is playing in a band at a bar so she can't work that day. Or how other actors show up, having shaved their beards or with new haircuts, or they've thrown out clothing that was needed for continuity.

He had lots of recommendations for how to get actors to behave. I believe it involved paying them a stipend when they showed up on time, and another stipend at the end of the day's shooting. Then all you had to deal with was their antics on the set.

I did a couple short movies in my time, and they were the most stressful and infuriating projects I've ever tackled. I even lost the ability to speak for two days (really) after one particularly incredible stab-in-the-back.

I never finished the last movie I worked on. It was to be called The 36 Female Assassins of the Lohan. The day we were to start shooting the climactic fight scene, 27 of the 36 ladies showed up with new boob jobs (apparently the local shop had a special going on). That was the final straw. I stomped my video camera into the rice paper and walked off the set, never to return.

My sympathies for what you must be going through.

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

We need to get together and finish the 36 Female Assassins of LIndsey Lohan.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

You could start by sending a few of them after that self-centered douchebag that is acting so entitled and giving you grief, G-Man.

[Drunk Monk]

Do you have these actors under contract?

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

I had them sign releases.

[Drunk Monk]

You're covered then.

And your actor is an idiot.

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

Here is the very rough cut of the project. It's missing the opening effects shots, it's got some color correction problems, and I have to remove the light from the background of one shot.

But if you've got thirty minutes to watch this and give me some feedback, I'd appreciate it.

[youtube]roWEUIc2VQ0[/youtube]

[Drunk Monk]

"This video has been removed because it is too long."

:oops:

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

I posted it. They said it was too long. YouTube said I could repost if I jumped through some hoops. I commenced to jumping. I reposted. Other people saw it! And now, here we are. Let me go see if I missed a hoop.

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

Before I get too cranky, maybe I should see if I put the updated link into the post? Turns out I didn't. I keep getting that whole looking before leaping thing screwed up.

[Drunk Monk]

Firstly, you misspelled 'production' in the beginning. Trivial, I know, but I figured you'd want to know.

I liked your editing and camera work. That part was pretty slick, bro - nice work. The script dropped out for me during the wubuquan lesson as I know that form and see way too many such vids. I found the beginning and end much more entertaining than watching another instructional vid, but you can imagine why. I've done like 200+ of those so instructional vids just don't do it for me. Heck, I just finished working on two more, but the concept is very amusing which is why I liked the beginning and end. The actors were a little stiff - as in their acting. The narrator in the instructional vid was kind of funny. The zombie make-up was only on the faces, which bothered me. I liked the concept. Overall, an impressive display of your skills.

Wubuquan is a funny form. It's modern and ubiquitous, but no one is entirely sure about its actual origin. I've learned a few different versions over the years, but I don't practice it at all as it's basically just an extended line drill.

Needed a sword fight.

Tell me it was the fat zombie that tried to sue you.

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

Tong Do did. The reason the last fight seems weak is because he had to leave and I had to rush choreography.

Thanks for the input. The Wu Bu Quan kills me, because the whole film grinds to a halt. But I love my first assistant. He's the best part of the film for me. But the idea was to imbed an instructional DVD inside a fiction movie. We tried it. And didn't quite make it pay off.

Sorry about the make-up. But I agree with you. tQ loathes the make-up.

To me it was a great learning experience. I want to get it done so I can go on to something else.

[cranefly]

Pretty much what DM said. The lessons slowed things down. However, by lulling the viewer into an instructional state of mind, you make the very fast and well-filmed applications that follow all that more impressive.
Regarding some of the forms performed by monks, it seemed the framing was a little low at times (too much room below, while the hands or head sometimes go out of frame above). A minor quibble.

The assistant in the instructional video is surprisingly effective, and you film him perfectly. Lots of medium shots mixed with close-ups that really bring out his expressiveness and slightly "off" expression. Please don't tell him that, but he looks "off." I keep wondering if the long instructional sequence could be broken up by having the assistant frequently appear, ever lecturing (and putting down) the viewer. But that would require getting more footage.

About the main actors, DM is right that they're a bit wooden. But they could be far worse. They are midway to becoming relaxed before the camera. And what can you do? You work with what you have, or what you can afford. And I don't think they are that bad -- just clearly not relaxed on camera yet.

On the whole, your fight sequences are filmed better than most of what one sees on TV. That's not easy. Kudos.

Nice music. Is it public domain? Or do you have a usage agreement?