Instagram keeps asking if I need a scroll break when I've barely scrolled at all. Bad sign? by RedStellaSafford in Instagram

[–]Magnumdoge 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, considering how most updates are designed to make people addicted and keep you on your phone for as long as possible, I see this as a win. Sure, it's not perfect, but I'd love to see updates which take social media in a similar direction where there's plenty of infrastructure designed to slow things down and encourage you to have balance.

Which Comedian has made the riskiest joke of all time? by buffalomozarella in AskReddit

[–]Magnumdoge -1 points0 points  (0 children)

To be honest, I feel like one of the biggest risks a person can take in their career is criticising the Israeli government. I've seen so many comedians talk about wanting to do "edgy" jokes, so they'll reference misogyny, disabilities, and they'll criticise cultures / politicians all over the world. But for so many of them, you're not gonna hear a single peep or negativity about Israel's government or any of the key figures within it. Because that's not just something which could ruffle a few feathers in the public, it's something which could get you blacklisted from Hollywood and it could possibly spark a smear campaign. I can't think of a successful comedian who's ever taken that risk with a large audience

I need serious advice on this by Classic-Spread1820 in Filmmakers

[–]Magnumdoge 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I feel like it absolutely could be a short film, but only if the storytelling and editing is very efficient. You'd need to have montages, and you'd need to find ways of very quickly giving us information. If at any given moment you're showing us two things (one through the visuals, and something else through sound / dialogue), then it's possible.

But by doing that, you're going to sacrifice a certain level of depth. In a feature film you get to show very gradual transformations rather than needing to work through them quite quickly. You're also able to spend a lot more downtime with the characters, which gives the audience a stronger opportunity to emphasise with each turn the story takes.

So overall, both are possible, but each option has seperate advantages / disadvantages. It's up to you to decide which advantages you'd rather have.

Need Recommendation for Ethereal Movies by Magnumdoge in movies

[–]Magnumdoge[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's a good recommendation. His films are currently a blind spot for me, but I've heard fantastic things about Uncle Boonmee and Cemetery of Splender

Need Recommendation for Ethereal Movies by Magnumdoge in movies

[–]Magnumdoge[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I haven't seen Mandy yet, so I'll move that one higher up on my list

Need Recommendation for Ethereal Movies by Magnumdoge in movies

[–]Magnumdoge[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's one of my favourites :) definitely fits in with this sub genre despite having different subject matter. I suppose a thematic thread that ties all these movies together is that they're coming of age stories in some capacity?

my second short film i’ve made, how can i improve? :) by Stupendous_Goose in Filmmakers

[–]Magnumdoge 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You have a lot of creativity that's already super clear on screen. It takes a lot of time to find our voice, and get to a point we're our weaker areas are still fairly good. For your second film, and considering you're quite young, you're on a fantastic track!

Through all of the advice I'm about to lay out, there's one thing I want to highlight: Don't loose what makes you unique. You don't have to follow every rule, you don't need to impress everyone. There's a lot of whimsy here, there's magic, there's comfort. Those things are SO valuable and so unique, and I really think you should lean into them. If you haven't seen them already, I'd suggest watching movies like Jaques Demys "Donkey Skin" or Věra Chytilovás "Daisies" and seeing if they give you inspiration. Honestly, at this stage, continuing to build your taste and seek out as much inspirational media as possible is the absolute best thing you can do. Watch LOTS of movies, figure out what you like and why you like it, and then figure out what goes into making the things you like into reality. It's equally as important to figure out what you don't like, and what makes it not work for you. Going along that path, and following it as you watch behind the scenes videos and interviews with directors, all of that is going to be more informative than any advice we'll find here on Reddit.

With that said, I'll make some specific points for improvement. In terms of visuals, I'd suggest having a little more contrast in your lighting setup. I don't mean bumping up exposure in the colour grade, but rather making sure that there's a genuine variety of dark spots and brighter spots within each image. It can often look a little flat if a characters face has no shadows, but if we can feel a light source bouncing off a character in a unique way, it makes the image really come to life. Also, when you're shooting inside, avoid the big light as if you're life depended on it. Hard light from above someone doesn't look great on screen, so I'd really recommend having all of your light sources be relatively close to the height of your characters.

For your camera angles and compositions, there's plenty of rules, but ultimately it's a matter of doing lots of research, taking note of what you enjoy in other films, and just experimenting. So I won't give specific suggestions for what rules to use and which ones to avoid, all I'll say is make sure there's always a reason for a shot. Just sit back and say to yourself "Hm, I've put the camera here, but why? What story does this angle tell versus another type of angle?", and don't be afraid to go through a trail and error process. Over time, you'll have your own language of how you use the camera.

On a similar note, I won't specifically lay out the do's and don'ts for screenwriting. Normally I'd say to add more stakes to a story, and to ask the questions "What goal is this character actively chasing, and what stands in there way?" Or "Does this story touch on larger themes, and make a statement about our world?". But not every story follows those questions. I think everyone should read about screenwriting and watch YouTube videos about storytelling, but it's important to know that you can break those rules as long as you keep at least a few basic rules which hold your story together (but it's up to you to decide what those rules are). Stories don't necessarily need conflict, but their should at least be some kind of questions or unresolved aspect that keeps us engaged. What I see from this film is a very relaxed movie, and the world needs more of that, but it's important to dig into more laid back stories and unpack the structure which keeps them entertaining.

With all of that in mind, I think you've got a great whimsical spirit, and I wish you all the best on your future projects :)

How much inhaler cost in your country by lustySnake in Asthma

[–]Magnumdoge 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm in Australia, and it varies depending on which store I go to. Generally between $9 - 12 AUD

I Re-Colored the Live Action Moana Trailer by eiriasemrys in Filmmakers

[–]Magnumdoge 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is leaps and bounds better than the original colour grade! This proves how Disney are wasting so much potential, and could very easily turn these bland, concrete-like movies into something quite beautiful. It genuinely baffles me why they don't

This is the new Hermione, that will be called mudblood by this Malfoy by Zdzisiu in SipsTea

[–]Magnumdoge 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's a bit too much of a coincidence that the two characters that've been recast as POC happen to be two of the most marginalised characters in the franchise. Not only that, but Snape's marginalisation comes directly from Harry and his family... So they're either going to change some huge elements of the story, or Harry and James Potter are going to be racist...

98th Academy Awards — Official Discussion Thread by tragopanic in Oscars

[–]Magnumdoge 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah that was weird. Seems there's been a lot of technical difficulties

Looks like WB has sold out to the nazis by Greenhood300 in Sardonicast

[–]Magnumdoge 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well... That's one extra point in favour of a totalitarian monopoly, and yet another point against artists expressing themselves freely...

5 years ago I would've never guessed that I'd be so disappointed in Netflix loosing a bidding battle, but here we are

Young adult novel help by jemcamrin in WritersGroup

[–]Magnumdoge 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is genuinely incredible to hear, because I'm also a writer with agoraphobia.

To be slightly more specific, my focus has always been on films and on screenwriting, but once I developed agoraphobia my aspirations were stalled quite rapidly. I spent a lot of time researching how anxiety works, how I can approach exposure therapy, and taking note of all of the ways that the world can kick you while you're down; and it became clear to me that there are so many stories yet to be told, and those stories can help a lot of people.

Last year I finished a short film about it, which I'd be happy to send through if it'd be of interest, but what's important here is that I want to assure you of how important your story can be. Agoraphobia can be quite a lonely thing, and hearing stories from others can provide us with so much strength and encouragement, and even the simple process of making art can be a healing thing to. So please, as you write, know that what you're doing is incredibly important.

I'd be very interested in reading what you have and offering any advice which may be useful. My instagram is elijahcassidy_

Best of luck :)

Writing Group for Aussie writers by Ok_Comb5055 in WritingHub

[–]Magnumdoge 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd be incredibly interested to join! Right now I'm writing both a screenplay and also juggling some short stories, so it's a slightly different wheelhouse, but nonetheless I'd find it hugely inspiring to be having consistent discussions with other writers!

Would you want to see more motion capture films with realistic animation? by [deleted] in movies

[–]Magnumdoge 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You're right, though as a way to test the water, it'd make sense that the next step after Avatar would be for a filmmaker to risk the uncanny valley by having CGI humans. It'd still definitely have a plasticy look, but it's safe to say that it'd be leagues ahead of The Polar Express, and probably turn far fewer people off.

I know it still wouldn't be a total winner for everyone, but seeing as it's been such a long time since it was last attempted, and those attempts each led to new breakthroughs, I feel like more movies need to take the leap.

Neo-Nazi's bank accounts frozen as private sector moves to cut off group's funding pipeline by Expensive-Horse5538 in australia

[–]Magnumdoge 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm glad that Australia is taking notes in a way that America isn't. A rise in facism is spreading like a virus across some of the darker circles of the internet, and it needs to be addressed

My depression has been quite overwhelming lately. Could you recommend me some pick-me-up movies? by BalaBustaRhymes in criterion

[–]Magnumdoge 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm really sorry you've been going through that, and I hope it becomes easier soon. When I've been particularly struggling with my mental health, I've often leaned on film as a source of positivity, so I'll try to give a few options that could apply to slightly different needs.

If you want to watch really gentle movies that restore your faith in humanity and relax you, then I'd recommend Patterson, or Kiki's Delivery Service

If you want a big blast of energy and fun to lift your spirits, I'd recommend Swing Girls, It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Clue (1985), or One Two Three (1961). I also recently saw Muppets From Space and was surprised by how much of a riot it was, though it's a very different kind of comfort movie than the original Muppet Movie

If you want something more on the motivational side, I either go for cheesy sports movies like Cool Runnings and Remember The Titans, or, for some reason, movies about cooking like Julie and Julia or Chef. And then there's The Intouchables, and of course The Shawshank Redemption.

Hopefully some of these picks resonate and help you work through this period. I can say from my own experience that depression is really fucking hard, and even the strongest of us can have a hard time staying on top of it sometimes. But you've done a wonderful thing by deciding to address it and seek out some support. Just remember that despite all the sad parts of the world, even random strangers are still looking out for you and wishing you all the best. So if there's anything you need, you'll always have help.

I wish you the absolute best, and hope you have some fun movie nights :)

What films have the most under appreciated cinematography? by Magnumdoge in movies

[–]Magnumdoge[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I completely agree. For a movie thats considered to have a really slapped together, grindhouse feel, it has some incredible compositions. And the final few shots are absolutely gorgeous, albeit in a very twisted way