The Matrix - A Parody, Rebooted, and Rehashed

[kene555]

a bunch of friends and I decided to make a movie over the summer. We decided to make it a spoof of The Matrix trilogy, so you can check out some clips and screenshots at http://www.freewebs.com/rebooted.

[GeokesPerson]

I couln't bear to watch all of it, I was sooooo terrible, whats going on with the location and wierd green sheet. Whats with the dude in the background?

[Jperson]

I watched: The Matrix: A Parody_Morpheus & Neo/Beta1

Sorry, that's unnaceptable, if you're gonna post, post good stuff (rich comign from me but oh well!). SOrry if this is harsh, but that really was terrible. For a start I'm not a fan of fan films (laughing my head off at the pun! Wooh!), I think they're un-original to start with, I say get out their and use your expertise (:)) to make something good and original. Of course, by all means be inspired by Star Wars and the Matrix, etc. but don't make copies of them, unless you have a mind boggling idea. Stick with original stuff. Then, what is going on with the whole set thing????????? Why is there a person in the background? It looks un edited and edging towards the dreaded criteria of 'home video' status (cringe, shudder, cringe).

If you gonna do some effects on that, that may be cool, depending what… I hope that isn't a finished clip… At some points the actors are smiling or having an extremly hard time restreaining from smiling (especialy Morpheus).

[mickcar73]

sorry but that was just bad, it wasnt funny at all and the fact that you guys were laughing at the jokes was even worse, ye it was like an acual serious movie basically rather than laugh out loud matrix spoof, plus its about 6 years too late to spoof , i cant even remember most of that, in fact know that i think about it all the hype surounding the matrix at the time, then i look at the trilogy and its s***, eh ye so just bad , it wasnt funny at all id suggest trying something else like from a few months ago etc, any way keep trying

[kene555]

like it says on the title of the video - "BETA 1" what you guys say was the first, unedited copy of what we put together. Yes, its horrible, but I thought it'd be a good idea to get our first copy out there so you could get an idea of what we were working on, and then bring out the better stuff as time goes on. The reason everything is bad, like the people laughing, greenscreen, cameraman, is because this is the first version. I was just able to output the file on my editing program, and then our computer crashed. So now I am waiting for Adobe Premiere Pro 2 to come in so I can edit and update.

For the talk between Neo and Morpheus, I have filmed it 3 times, each with 2 cameras. So we're gonna have 6 angles. Yes, we will be able to get rid of the parts where actors messed up. Yes we will be able to get rid of the cameraman using a mask in Photoshop. Yes we will key out the greenscreen with After Effects. Yes it WILL look better.

Please. Have. Patience.

I just felt that our beta 1 first unedited version would be better to put out than nothing at all. Thanks for the comments...

I can bear it...keep 'em coming.

thanks

[kene555]

i also kinda wanted to redeem myself, if possible. i have a movie on google video i had to make for english class on julius caesar. if you want to see it, the link is
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... oban&hl=en

[Jperson]

That…redeem yourself, that was also awful,, locations? The greenscreen was pretty awful as well, at many points you could see the green outlines. Also when they walked in those allabrate halls at the beggining you should have added footsteps FX to make it sound like they were actualy there. When Ceaser was killed sometimes the light of the llightsabers just wasn't there! My main problem was the bad, quiet, wooden actors. Pull it together, I could hardly hear their mumbled speaking (this, I note, is quite common on this site, especialy among some of the Americans, I don't know why, I'm not being predujudice or anything…) I'm afraid you to up the standar, majorly.

[kene555]

when i made the star wars movie, i had only owned my editing software for a few months. i was still learning and experimenting. As for the greenscreen, keep in mind, the video is not a serious, full length feature film filled with the cheap effects and computer animations that people seem to like so much nowadays. Its just a simple film for a simple class made by someone very new at creating videos with editing software. I had no budget whatsoever, and had to create the costumes, props, etc myself. Because I am 15 and have no real money, all I could use for a greenscreen was a tablecloth, all I could use for lighting were some 500 watt halogen worklights. All I could use for a microphone was the one built into the camera. Premiere Pro isn't very good at greenscreening, and it shows. But now After Effects has this plug in called Keylight, which I am now using for greenscreening, with no green edges *yes!*

I know that most of you out there post movies with people who can act, with loads of props, shotgun mics, greenscreened stages, with all sorts of lighting. You guys have it made. You have money you can use. And that reflects in your films.

If I had that kind of stuff available, my videos too would improve.

Our Star Wars movie. It was for English. I had 1 week to put that entire film together. I'm proud that I was even able to come up with what I had. I could only edit after school, homework, etc. I feel it came out rather well for the time constraints, for no money put into it, and for only being allowed to use classmates as actors.

In the future, when commenting on my films, keep in mind that you all are probably many levels above me. I don't take my films as something serious and epic. So I feel they shouldn't be judged on such a high level. I cannot reach it with my resources.

I tried.

[mickcar73]

try somting thats not a parody next

[freed]

Morpheus got pale.

[kene555]

i have some more clips uploaded if you want to see them
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 67&q=hoban
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 69&q=hoban
http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2764073

i would appreciate any comments, just keep in mind this is an amateur film. These are really my first clips uploaded. I am new at this, so grade them as such

[Mr.Anderson]

The only thing that was truly bad about your Matrix film, besides the fact that it was yet another parody film, was the acting. It seems like you at least tried with angles and directing, yes you have things to learn, but I can tell you put effort into it. What hurt you was how your actors have no emotion, emphasis, or body movement.....AT...ALL. They just sat there and read there lines like a giggling robot. Facial expressions didn't change, they were monotone. Work on getting your actors to change the tones of their voice according to what they're saying. Get them to react to what they're hearing. They are just listening for their cue so they can read out their line mindlessly and then listen to the other read their line. Emotion. Emotion. Emotion. I cannot emphasize that enough. You can have 50 million dollars for effects, green screening, and sets.....but if your actors can't act. Its nothing. So, you seem like your at least putting effort into the technical aspects of being a director. Now, its time to get to the good ol'fashion business of giving your actors cues and ideas of what and how to say their lines. You need to understand your story, know what you want to see, give those ideas to your actors and let them interpret and react to them.

[rhys]

Rhys doesn't look like a Bellend in his new Avatar.

What? And why do u have that in ur signature? It seems to me like ur trying to get things a little personal... is that accepted on this site? Or do rules like that not apply to other people?

[kene555]

thanks for the comments, dont quite know where rhys is coming from...
and yes, we still will be filming, so at the next shooting I will definitely try to work with the actors on the acting. If they can do their job well, I can do mine better as well.

[jimmypage1]

I see a lot of effor in ur films despite the ending result not looking like a lot of effort.

I know how you feel... the unpaid, impatien actors, lacking elaborate convincing locations and the proper gear to successfully accomplish things in post-production.

Remember to focus on better locations and to use dramatic music that go well with a given situation (Action scene having fast music and serious talking scens with quiet and subtle music).

A better camera with sound and clearer audio helps a lot too. Many interesting angles will help too. Remember, filming in someone's house will not look professional at all unless the current scene incorporates a house.

Do anything to make your videos look more film-like.

[iCEbLuEORbitZ]

the cg is just terrible. don't use it. its funny, the more i watch these kinds of films, the more i realize how dumb my videos used to be, so i know the boat your in. just start studying film, techniques and such, and start doing it from an artistic point of view. those are always the best. watch good short films, and learn from them.

http://www.niceshorts.com.au

that site has a couple good ones.

stop parodying. esp on overly parodied movies.

[kene555]

I appreciate that some people out there realize that I am putting hours into these movies, and that I am not intentionally attempting to make them look bad - it's just the situation I have been put in. I am honestly trying to put something decent out there. We are going to be filming again, and I will try to get as good a scene as I can, but come on! My actors are friends. They aren't professional actors. I am taking a Digital imaging course at school, so I'm learning about filming. I intend to put out a documentary at the end of the class - around November.

I've been thinking up new camera positions, so I will try to spruce up the film as much as possible - but the filmermaker's attempts are only 50% of the film. The other 50% is up to the actors, so... I'll see what I can do.

As for the CG, if you mean the car chase...how else can I do a car chase?
This is just a little movie made by friends.

I just got Bryce 5.5, so maybe I can up the ante on 3D in my movie a little.

I'm stuck with my cameras - two HI8 - one Sony Handycam and one Samsung.
At school we have two broadcast quality Sonys - RX something or other.

I only have the audio from the onboard camera.

I am saving up for my own computer to edit.

After that, my goals are to get a mike I can plug into the camera for better audio, then maybe an upgrade to DV.

[iCEbLuEORbitZ]

tho only thing an external mic will hepl w/ with those cameras is if you use it to boom overhead, so you can get the mic closer. otherwise its a waste of a 100 bucks or so. and even then, the crappy auto leveling and electronics in the camera don't let you use the expesive mic to anywhere near its full potental. but i understnad your on a budget. we'ree al there. i'm just lucky cuz i found a place to rent equipment... but now i work there so i get it all for free but i also have friends i'd borrow stuff from. and sometimse you can get away with acting, but iunderstand.

[kene555]

Well, thanks alot for understanding. It means alot to know that other people know that i'm trying the best I can with my limited resources.

What type of mike should i get, for, say the $50-$100 range? where can i get a boom?

many of our shots are 10-15 feet away from actors, not up in their faces, so i think a mike would be a great investment

[iCEbLuEORbitZ]

yea, well thtas one thing you could work on. framing your shots, some closeups and some farther out. but idk, teres a couple. i think theres audio technica atr55 or something. and a azden sgm-x. look around. theres a few. as for boom. i made one and it works perfectly. got an extendable paint roller pole. so it gets like 9 feet long. then i got a mini roller head, popped off the head so just the metal hook was on. then got like 2.5" pvc about 4-5 inches long, and curled the roller hook around the pvc, so it is perpendicular with the pole. then towards the front of the pvc, drill two holes side by side all the way thru both sides of the pvc, and stick bungees in it, do the same in the back, only the opposite direction of the first set of bungees. then slip your mic thru the bunges and it suspends within the pvc. make some foam handles, vioala. cheap, working boom pole. pics can be made if your completely lost.

[bloodymess]

Well, thanks alot for understanding. It means alot to know that other people know that i'm trying the best I can with my limited resources.

What type of mike should i get, for, say the $50-$100 range? where can i get a boom?

many of our shots are 10-15 feet away from actors, not up in their faces, so i think a mike would be a great investment

50-100$? for a boom? heh, good luck. for a decent one, be ready to pay at least 200$; for a good one, 400$; for a proffessional one, 800+

howeve, a 100$ mic is still a lot better than the camcorder's mic... try shopping around for sales! you might get something interesting.

[kene555]

Thanks for the tips! I'm just about to get a new editing computer, so once I build up some more funds, I'll get right to purchasing a mike.

Thanks again.

[Jperson]

I know that most of you out there post movies with people who can act, with loads of props, shotgun mics, greenscreened stages, with all sorts of lighting. You guys have it made. You have money you can use. And that reflects in your films.

If I had that kind of stuff available, my videos too would improve.

Our Star Wars movie. It was for English. I had 1 week to put that entire film together. I'm proud that I was even able to come up with what I had. I could only edit after school, homework, etc. I feel it came out rather well for the time constraints, for no money put into it, and for only being allowed to use classmates as actors.

In the future, when commenting on my films, keep in mind that you all are probably many levels above me. I don't take my films as something serious and epic. So I feel they shouldn't be judged on such a high level. I cannot reach it with my resources.

I tried.

Sorry, I realise exactly where you're coming from, in pretty much the same boat, if not a boat well behind... Up untill not long ago I couldn't do greenscreen or anything like that... at all... It really shows.

And I look on my old films and it really makes me laugh, how we would reuse the same actors several, if not more times without a change of costume and how the plot was cr** and how we would make it up as we went along... joing Matts taught me a lot of useful stuff, maybe it will help you too... (Oh the cheese pouring out of that, it's so damn cheesy!)

[kene555]

thanks for understanding. i appreciate it a lot

[Clarence]

If you don't have a good green screen, good special effects software or good actors, don't try to make a Matrix or Star Wars movie. Please don't. Try taking on something a little more practical, even if it may sound fun to do bullet-time and whatnot. You can make a much better film if you don't try to tackle something that will turn out like cr** if its not perfect. Did you have to do a Star Wars movie for English?