As a lot of you know Dave and I have been working on a low budget horror feature film titled "Dead in the Water". Well, we officially wrapped and we have a teaser preview for those interested. I'd like to hear your thoughts.

Quicktime 7 Version

Quicktime 6 Version

As a lot of you know Dave and I have been working on a low budget horror feature film titled "Dead in the Water". Well, we officially wrapped and we have a teaser preview for those interested. I'd like to hear your thoughts.

Quicktime 7 Version

Quicktime 6 Version

Quite impressive, Marc. I can't wait.

As a lot of you know Dave and I have been working on a low budget horror feature film titled "Dead in the Water". Well, we officially wrapped and we have a teaser preview for those interested. I'd like to hear your thoughts.

Quicktime 7 Version

Quicktime 6 Version

This is AWESOME! Marc, Dave, you did it! Now I can't wait to see it. I want to see it in huge screen.

As a lot of you know Dave and I have been working on a low budget horror feature film titled "Dead in the Water". Well, we officially wrapped and we have a teaser preview for those interested. I'd like to hear your thoughts.

Quicktime 7 Version

Quicktime 6 Version

Awesome! I'll have to show Michael.

More zombies, less everything else. For instance: Voiceover. Darkness. Zombie. Start Music. Darkness. Zombie. Darkness. Zombie. Silence. Titles.

Forget the kissy, huggy stuff--it focuses too much on the low budget. Focus on the horror and nothing else. Horror stuff distracts from low budget.

And the title letters--why are they ascending? How do their ascension relate to this being a horror movie? I know it's cute to make them rise, but how is it horror-related? How about red letters, or drippy blood letters; or better, how about the titles ascending out of the water and being all drippy (with blood perhaps?)

I will go see this movie because you and Dave made it, but if I didn't know it was you and Dave, fuhgeddabadit. Trailer needs more tease.

Just my two cents.

AC

P.S. I am forwarding this trailer to my film-maker sister and will post what she says if she responds.

More zombies, less everything else. For instance: Voiceover. Darkness. Zombie. Start Music. Darkness. Zombie. Darkness. Zombie. Silence. Titles.

I agree, but I don't like your sequence. It should go: Zombie. Zombie. Zombie. Zombie. Zombie. Zombie. Zombie. Zombie. Monkey. Zombie. Titles.

Forget the kissy, huggy stuff--it focuses too much on the low budget. Focus on the horror and nothing else. Horror stuff distracts from low budget.

Man, once again your right. I hate trailers that show characters and acting and stuff. Stick to just showing Zombie. Zombie. Zombie. Zombie...

And the title letters--why are they ascending? How do their ascension relate to this being a horror movie? I know it's cute to make them rise, but how is it horror-related? How about red letters, or drippy blood letters; or better, how about the titles ascending out of the water and being all drippy (with blood perhaps?)

Yes, the titles need to start as a dot in the middle of screen and then grow larger and spin around until they stop spinning and are upside down. Then they should slowly drip until they are right side up. As they are dripping they should turn red (you know, like blood). Bloody titles rule dude!!!

I will go see this movie because you and Dave made it, but if I didn't know it was you and Dave, fuhgeddabadit. Trailer needs more tease.

In all seriousness, one can only hope that it gets picked up for distribution. I can't wait to see the final product.

P.S. I am forwarding this trailer to my film-maker sister and will post what she says if she responds.

I forwarded the trailer on to a good friend of mine who does not make films and who at one time thought that squirrels were conspiring to kill him and everything he held dear. He enjoyed it.

Marc,
I didn't feel any tension in the trailer. I was in the dark, often literally, about what I was watching, and at the end I still didn't have any sense of what the movie is about, except that it takes place on a lake. There were several cuts to a single person standing, or sitting, or sitting and turning her head, or standing and looking, but ... no tension. I wasn't scared, wasn't enticed, wasn't left wanting more, which I want to feel after watching a trailer.

I also couldn't hear very well in the first scene where the young couple are looking at something and talking about something... a boat? deaths on the boat? a ring? several rings?

Sorry if this sounds too harsh. When I think about what you and Dave and all involved have accomplished, I'm overwhelmed, and heaven knows I could never hold a candle to any of it.

Still and unfortunately, the trailer doesn't pull me in.

I'd also like to hear scarier music.

M

Marc,
I didn't feel any tension in the trailer. I was in the dark, often literally, about what I was watching, and at the end I still didn't have any sense of what the movie is about, except that it takes place on a lake. There were several cuts to a single person standing, or sitting, or sitting and turning her head, or standing and looking, but ... no tension. I wasn't scared, wasn't enticed, wasn't left wanting more, which I want to feel after watching a trailer.

I also couldn't hear very well in the first scene where the young couple are looking at something and talking about something... a boat? deaths on the boat? a ring? several rings?

Sorry if this sounds too harsh. When I think about what you and Dave and all involved have accomplished, I'm overwhelmed, and heaven knows I could never hold a candle to any of it.

Still and unfortunately, the trailer doesn't pull me in.

I'd also like to hear scarier music.

M

This isn't really a trailer, per se. It's called a "teaser". It's only meant to give you a glimpse of what you'll see in the finished product. The full trailer will probably come later and will deal more with actual plot and such.

As for the way it was cut, as you described in your first paragraph, it's merely glimpses of the set, cast, effects, etc... I thought it was done very effectively. I didn't feel any tension either, until right before the end when the camera pulls away from the door and you see the zombie outside that window. That was a good clincher.

The audio seemed okay to me, I didn't have any problems hearing the dialogue at the beginning. But I wear headphones for audio on my computers at work and home, so that probably helps.

I don't think your being too harsh, constructive criticism is good! (stress on Constructive)

I completely agree about the music. After watching it for the first time Marc asked for feedback and the first thing I mentioned was the music. I was thinking it should have a more John Carpenter Synth vibe, but that's just me. They haven't gotten anyone to score the picture yet, so that will come later. The music in the teaser is from Roger Waters new opera I'm told.

I did not have anything to do with this film. Marc uses me once in a while to critique things. He can tell you that I didn't hold back when I was reviewing a new cut of "Traps".

Take what you will from this teaser. I mean, the teaser for "The Davinci Code" was just a roaming camera through strange caves that panned out to show the Mona Lisa and title and that was it. Did that make me want to run out and see the film? Um... no. At least this had some footage.

I've only hoped for one thing when watching a new horror flick - to have the shit scared out of me. Literally if possible. I can't watch this teaser because for some reason Quick Time messes up my pc. So, please no cliches unless you twist them into something original and make nothing, NOTHING happen when we "expect" it. Tension is key but the climax of a scene is often easily foreseen which drains the tension a bit. Don't give us a chance to duck and cover when the shit hits the fan!!

This isn't really a trailer, per se. It's called a "teaser". It's only meant to give you a glimpse of what you'll see in the finished product. The full trailer will probably come later and will deal more with actual plot and such.

As for the way it was cut, as you described in your first paragraph, it's merely glimpses of the set, cast, effects, etc... I thought it was done very effectively.

OK, now that makes sense! As a teaser, then, Marc's clip film works just fine, though I still want spooky music.

I didn't feel any tension either, until right before the end when the camera pulls away from the door and you see the zombie outside that window. That was a good clincher.

I did enjoy the zombie quickie, though I didn't realize it was a zombie... guess I need my eyes checked.

I don't think your being too harsh, constructive criticism is good! (stress on Constructive)

Absolutely! I surely hope Marc realized that my comments were not meant as anything other than a constructive critique. My hat is off to Marc and his team for their efforts and the speed with which they realized their dream.