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This film's $19,000 budget was spent on film equipment, a studio, production, Kraft services, and promotion.
The movie was shot on the Red One camera, which really is excellent, though certainly taking a sizable chunk out of the budget, as it’s rental is somewhat spendy. And as there were very few problems with the visuals in this movie, I think that was a good choice. Prices for Kraft services and promotion are pretty standard, but without further detail it's difficult to say whether the production expenses were well spent.
Perhaps the one thing that sticks in my mind are the many problems that need to be addressed, like the spelling issues, pacing, and execution of the infomercial, but more importantly in the area of the audio. Too often filmmakers want to have the sharpest looking film out there and neglect paying as close attention to the audio. Audio is actually about three times as important as your visuals, so, at the very least, you must pay an equal amount of attention to them. (People will watch a film with horrible visuals but great audio, but hundreds of films with beautiful visuals and bad audio have never seen the light of day.) Because of this last fact, it's hard to say that the budget - quite a large amount of money for a digital short - was well spent.
I do have a soft spot for unique movies that make one think, and The Shaddy Doppelganger was certainly one. It has a great concept, but the many issues that exist are certainly detracting from it. There's a lot of potential here, but it's kind of a diamond in the rough at this point. The visuals are strong, and show a good amount of knowledge, but those strengths are hampered by the problems.
The Shaddy Doppelganger is a unique take on the futuristic drama. Though a whole society exists outside, the audience only sees the world of one man, confined to his home for fear of venturing outside. It's a great contrast between fear of the unknown and desire for companionship. The movie needs a lot of work, but it has great potential.
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Content |
6.4 |
Visual
Look |
8.1 |
Use
of Audio |
5.9 |
Use
of Budget |
5.7 |
Lasting
Appeal |
7.2 |
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6.6 |
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The
author of half a dozen screen plays, two novels, and a proficient
camera-woman in her own right, Monika
DeLeeuw-Taylor is Microfilmmaker's lead writing analyst and
one of our top film reviewers. When she's not writing a critique for
Microfilmmaker, she's writing screenplays for Viking Productions. |
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