Thread: Short Film INFECTION

Hello everybody (:
This is my first action short film and its called INFECTION it tells the story a zombie outbreak
“In a post apocalyptic world contaminated by a unknown virus which turned most part of humanity into living cannibal corpses two survivors infiltrate to a concentration camp full of infected people , in order to find a cure or die in the process… or worse.
**This short film was produced and directed and performed by Jorge Carvajal**
I really hope you enjoy it and i would really appreciate it if you leave me your comment and tell me what you think about it

I don't think I'm in a position to judge the technical side of things, as I've never used AE but I don't think the blood splats look real, more like a red mist around the body. If that is what really happens when people are shot then I'm wrong. I've never seem someone being shot in real life.

You had a go at a narrative so well done for that, I felt it was really just an action sequence and not a full story, no charterer development, nothing in the video explained who they were, we didn't even have one word of dialogue. You did manage to create a tense atmosphere with the extensive amount of Foley work you did. I am in two minds about whether it was to much or just a style you are developing. It's like you are aiming for realism but keeping an element of the fantastical along with it which is an interesting mix. Your influences from watching The Matrix and other action movies has helped to give a this movie a visually stimulating, if not over done level of appeal for those who are into this type of movie.

The amount of work and effort you have put into it is highly commendable and I think you have made a great little movie. I hope to see you develop your style incorporating some real human emotional engagement with the audience. If you think back to similar movies like 28 days, It was full of the type of action you have in this video but it also had human interaction and engaged the audience. You really wanted the good guys to survive and was emotionally effected when if died. While you managed to have a degree of this element in your movie with the bit of interaction between to two heroes there wasn't the level of disappointment there could have been or indeed should have been when the final hero turns into a zombie.

Be proud of what you have produced with this video, I would be if it was mine. For future projects look at how you can successfully use real sounds into the mix of Foley, aim to break the views heart if the hero dies by making them want him to live.

Well done.

brave decision going down the well trodden zombie/virus/apocalyptic path !

great sound but like MB kinda suggest not much of a story.

I look forward to your future projects.

I really applaud the effort you've put into this project.

Like ENC I think the audio is very, very good. Without it, parts of the film are quite weak.

Like Midnight Blue, I don't like the bullet-hit effects. It looks too much like smoke, not spraying blood.

I personally found the pace too slow and the acting a bit tedious. Having said that, respect for getting so many people to perform and get dirty! It reminded me a lot of 28 Days Later and quite a lot of the genre.

In my opinion, the story was the weakest part. The rest was very good.

I don't think I can add much that's not already been said. I'm guessing the lack of dialogue is maybe down to a combination of a language barrier and sound equipment in which case it was a good example of using sound to guide the story which is a bold step to take and is an original idea in what we all know is a well trodden path (even I've done it and will put it up here soon). If the none dialogue route is the way you want to go in future have a look at Luc Besson's 'Le Dernier Combat'.



As for the effects they are half way there. Muzzle flashes and smoke are very good but exchange you red smoke for bloody splats, put some residue (using motion tracking and masking) on your actors and the walls and it would be much more believable. I've tried learning After Effects and it's a steep learning curve so anybody who can get anything plausible out of it gets my respect but one thing I have learned it is has to be all or nothing. An affect that doesn't look believable only serves as a distraction.

I love the sounds, the way it is filmed and some effects !
But i don't think it really is a story :/

But it's a great job !

I thought the sound and the sylised shooting carried it fairly well, but I must admit I got to halfway through and realised my attention had wandered off.

As others have said, you really need something more than just action - no matter how well presented. Putting some of what Midnight expressed so well in blunter terms:

The reason I lost interest is I simply didn't care about the outcome. I haven't built up a relationship with any of the characters, I haven't been given any reason to care about the world in this film before or after the events we're seeing and I haven't been given a mystery to solve or a problem to ponder.

I thought the sound and technical side of things were good. But heres the bad part. Zombies have been done to the death now (no pun intended) they just arent scary, or interesting in fact. Everytime sometimes someone makes an online zombie movie now you can bet it will be full of cliches, whilst this may be unintentional, unless you really develop a good story, its unavoidable.

You obviously have talent, and a desire to make a good short movie (or even more) but move away from what you have seen and dont try to emulate your favourite type of movie and develop something original, just dont ask me what that could be.

I realise what you're saying. jimbob, but I disagree (or at least I can see a different side to a couple of points you make)

Originally Posted by jimbob2k

Zombies have been done to the death now (no pun intended) they just arent scary, or interesting in fact.

Surely every story has been done to death. There are only so many plot lines in the same way as there are supposedsedly only a dozen jokes. I think it is perfectly feasable to make a good, engaging zombie movie. As you say ...

Originally Posted by jimbob2k

...., unless you really develop a good story, its unavoidable.

buit I would add, more importantly (because I've already said it!) develop a relationship between the audience and the characters, an empathy.

Originally Posted by jimbob2k

dont try to emulate your favourite type of movie and develop something original, just dont ask me what that could be.

It rather depends what one is trying to do. If it is to develop technical skills, or learn how to use certain devices, then I wold have thought emulating one's favourite examples would be an excellent way to learn the art.