Epic Meal Time Parody (50,000 calories disguised as a burger)

**some10body** · 05-06-2012, 02:05 AM

Hi, sorry if I'm jumping the gun on this (new here), but i'd appreciate any feedback from the video. Constructive criticism is definitely appreciated. I'm curious as to how the camera work, flow, and entertainment value are for someone who doesn't have a biased opinion (knows me, is in it, seen it 100 times) If it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, check out the youtube channel youtube.com/epicmealtime. They do it a lot better than my video does.

Senior Meal Time (Epic Meal Time Parody) - YouTube

Thanks!

**TimStannard** · 05-06-2012, 09:36 AM

Hi and welcome.

You'll get accurate an constructive criticism here, but please remember negative comments aren't personal - they're about the film and not about you and you should see them as areas for potential improvement.

My comments based on the first minute or so:

The shot is poorly composed. The main focus of the shot is the main character's right shoulder. his head is cut off.

Virtually all the lines are delivered with the main character facing away from us. A camera placed outside the car on the other side would be far better.

You are using the on-camera mic so the only lines which are picked up clearly are thsoe where he talks to camera. The lines he delivers to the hatch are more difficult to make out (this is compounded by the fact there are no visual cues from his mouth movements as we can't see it). The lines from people outside the car are almost totally lost. Get some means of recording into a mic which is not on the camera.

This is all shot from one camera angle. Very easy to lose interest. Needs more angles, some close-ups, some cutaways.

It is full of jump cuts. this is where you cut from one shot from the same camera to another. It's just horrible to watch: there are sunnden jumps in position iog the main characters, characters in the background suddenly disappear or appear, the light can suddenly change. It all kills any feeling of continuity. If you have to edit out a bad bit, always cut to another angle, or insert a cutaway.

Sometmes time is meant to have passed between two shots, but there is no indication (other than another jump cut). You need to indicate this somehow. If you're going between two shots from the same angle, the only way I can think of is to fade to a colour (normally black) between them.

If you're serious about making films - even as a hobby - these are all simple things which you'll pick up very quickly but will make a massive difference between your films and all the "point the camera and hope for the best" movies out there.

Just before posting I thought I'd scan forward and I see a totally different video! Considerably better - lots of different angles, cutaways, closeups, a clear voiceover.

Why did you waste 1.30 on that foor intro? Most people will have switched off within 10 secs on YouTube.

An I wasted a minute watching it then 10 mins posting comments!

**some10body** · 05-06-2012, 01:12 PM

Thanks for your feedback!

Sorry, I believe I should have elaborated a little more before I posted. I completely agree with everything you said, especially from a filmmaker's perspective. The reason for the beginning, however, is because the video is (in hopes to be) a direct parody of this video:

Epic Chicken Burger Combo - Epic Meal Time - YouTube

Their beginning is more or less similar. I believe the reason behind the home-made, single camera angle look is to because it is meant to be seen as a "reality" kind of look. I think they want the viewer to believe this actually happened, as opposed to them thinking the angles and shots were all set up and scripted.

Hope that clarifies some things. Thanks!

**Midnight Blue** · 05-06-2012, 11:32 PM

Having seen your explanation of what the video is about I now understand what you did. However making a parody of a parody doesn't really work.

On the plus side you took a great deal of effort to make this and I noticed some nice touches like having the same Tee shirts & a big machete changing Mountain Dew for Jack Daniels etc. Not to mention all the cooking you had to do. SO 10 out of 10 for effort. BUT ultimately it is a parody of a parody which didn't really do it for me.

If you put half of the effort into something more creative you'll come up with the good.

**TimStannard** · 05-07-2012, 09:03 AM

DerelictMedia, I have moved your response to this new thread.

We have a rule here "One video per thread" for the simple reason that if people start discussing two videos in one thread, it can become confusing which comments relate to which video.

**some10body** · 05-10-2012, 01:40 AM

Midnight blue, thanks for the feedback! Yeah it was definitely a LOT of work cooking all of that food. It took basically all day. Not to mention it cost a lot! But it was definitely fun. Even without the video it was worth the adventure in creating it.

As for the video, I'm confusing what you mean by a parody of a parody? I completely and openly admit it is not an original idea. It's a straight-up parody of Epic Meal Time. However...As far as i'm aware, Epic meal time is pretty original. So it's not a parody of a parody, just a parody of their videos?

**TimStannard** · 05-10-2012, 07:36 AM

Originally Posted by some10body

Their beginning is more or less similar.

Now I've had a chance to have a look, I see that you've got a very similar look, but their beginning feels much, much snappier and held my interest more. Partially I think this was the quality of the sound, partially the more dynamic delivery of the lines.

**Midnight Blue** · 05-10-2012, 09:26 AM

As far as i'm aware, Epic meal time is pretty original. So it's not a parody of a parody, just a parody of their videos?

I'm not suggesting their work is not original, I just thought it was so dumb that it must be some sort of parody but I don't know what it is parodying specifically, It seems more a rye look at being a Red Neck and fast food and the less pleasant side of American culture etc....

If these guys are doing this stuff because they genuinely feel it's "cool", then at the very least they are unknowingly parodying themselves.

**Marc Peters** · 05-10-2012, 11:23 AM

I woudn't describe either as a parody. (Parady is not a synonym for imitation).The original is certainly open to parady (the concept is "Jack Ass for food). Rather than parady a culture of excess and greed, it embraces and encourages it. So, yes, MB is right is suggesting that are unwittingly parodying themselves!