|
|
 |
While corrections can be made in post to balance the color, there is really nothing that can be done to correct poor lighting after the fact. The film was shot on a Canon XL1S, which is a "light hog" camera; it needs a lot of light to get good quality footage, especially when shooting at night. For future projects, you need to test shoot in this environment ahead of time and watch the results before you commit to shooting part of your film in it. If you want to shoot a street scene at night and can’t afford dedicated video or film lights, you can pump some decent light on your subject with some 500 W photoflood bulbs ($3-$6 a piece online) screwed into a few large reflective scoops from your local hardware store. Suspend a few above your talent to simulate streetlights. Just make sure the scoops have a porcelain (as opposed to plastic) base, or the bulb’s heat may melt the scoop’s base fitting.
Audio
The audio in the film was quite good. The dialogue was clear, audible, and easy to understand. Because many of the locations were outdoors, I was pleasantly surprised that the ambient noise didn't overwhelm the dialogue, as frequently happens when filming in an uncontrollable environment. The music selected for the score was also good and fit the scenes very well.
Use of Budget
Tomorrow Mourning was filmed for $5,000, which covered food, props, transportation, equipment (editing software, tapes, and lighting), and property rental (church building and motel room). Even though I think three hours is too long for this film, a $5K budget is very good indeed, considering the size of the film. (I can only imagine how many DV tapes they went through!)
Rewatchability
Due to the length of the film, the problems with the plot structure, the heavy-handed portrayal of Christians, and the inconsistent visual quality, I would not particularly watch this film again, nor would this be one that I would show to my friends.
Final Comments
Three hours is much too long for the concept the director is trying to explore in this film (coping with pain), and the numerous characters and plots are difficult to keep up with. The one-sided portrayal of Christians as the primary inflictors of that pain ends up overshadowing the struggles and resolutions of the main characters. While the audio quality and use of budget are very good, the visual quality needs to be consistent with lighting and coloration. However, in this film, Mr. Petlansky has shown that he is obviously a passionate person who is not afraid to ask difficult questions and explore deep concepts, which is a good quality in a filmmaker. I believe that with a more concise, finely-honed story and a more consistent visual quality, his next film will be very good, and I am genuinely interested in seeing what that project will have to offer.
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
Content |
3.0 |
|
Visual
Look |
6.5 |
|
Use
of Audio |
8.0 |
|
Use
of Budget |
7.0 |
|
Lasting
Appeal |
1.0 |
|
Overall
Score |
5.1
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
A
powerhouse in management, Kari
Ann Morgan successfully produced a feature length film before
coming to work at Microfilmmaker as Assistant Editor. In addition
to writing for the magazine, she's been successfully working with
various distributors to get microfilmmakers the chance for theatrical
distribution. |
|
|
|
|
|
