We received a letter from the Belarusian team"HUNTER STUDIO", videos of which we have more than a year ago have already been published. The guys claim that they have grown up and present to our attention their new work called "Fortune".
This is a short film as an attempt to demonstrate the possibilities of creating action scenes in Belarusian cinema. In contrast to public opinion about the impossibility of filming spectacular combat films that require large financial expenditures.
The characters in the film are all different, each has their own path and their own way of life. But life pits them against each other in difficult situations, where they have to be different, commit actions that are contradictory to themselves, move forward, fight and survive.
- Genre: action, comedy
- Director, fight choreography, stunt staging: Blokhin Denis.
- Starring: Denis Blokhin, Anton Berezovsky, Margarita Antonenko, Pavel Starun, Kirill Levishko
- Operators: Pavel Starun, Victoria Klevets, Natalya Zus, Oleg Ignatovich
Unfortunately, the video has disappeared from YouTube. If anyone has it, let me know in the comments.
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Tags: Fortune, HUNTER STUDIO, Anton Berezovsky, Victoria Klevets, Denis Blokhin, Kirill Levishko, short film, Margarita Antonenko, Natalia Zus, Oleg Ignatovich, Pavel Starun
Tags: Fortune, HUNTER STUDIO, Anton Berezovsky, Victoria Klevets, Denis Blokhin, Kirill Levishko, short film, Margarita Antonenko, Natalia Zus, Oleg Ignatovich, Pavel Starun
PS I looked it over again. The girl is normal! The question is not in it, but in its presentation. She tried her best. + I don’t know the director’s idea, although he probably pursued the idea of showing just such a girl, inside of whom, mixed with warm grayness, sits that maniac. Guys, work more with the actors. Those who can play, and those who cannot can still play. You need to squeeze it out. And of course shoot accordingly. I would even say NOT TO REMOVE, BUT TO PRESENT! It doesn’t matter what feeling will come from the frame - delight, disgust, pain, joy, sadness...
And editing... this is basic human psychology. A good editor is a first-class psychologist!
In general, I have to give it my due that I wanted to watch this film again. It doesn't matter for what reasons. This means the team has completed its task! And this is essentially what was required. Keep it up!!!
Yes...personally, I remember a short video of a fight in a closed dark room, filmed by this team. Even a detailed review of the battle was then done at the request of, so to speak, readers of the site.
I think we need to continue this tradition. Moreover, as the creators of the film claim, they have grown up.
Warning:
This point of view is absolutely objective on my part. If you don’t agree to listen to her, I recommend that you immediately move on to the opinion below or the next review.
And so... Forward!
Let's talk about the stunt action first.
“This is a short film as an attempt to demonstrate the possibilities of creating action scenes in Belarusian cinema. In contrast to public opinion about the impossibility of filming spectacular combat films that require large financial expenditures.”
- Who said that to create entertainment in fighting films, large financial expenditures are needed? Especially films of this kind. You just need to turn on your brain and everything will be in the best possible way. Which is basically what the authors did. The chases and fights were very successfully conceived and staged against the backdrop of urban landscapes and studio premises. Personally, I really liked some of the fragments. It is clear that people tried. Even if it was a small group, we tried. And the word “grown” probably still means its direct meaning. To say that everything is fine is not. Badly? No. Most likely average. There is one big BUT in the fights and stunt scenes. Which many movie creators are guilty of. The desire to show how cool we are. Not to entertain the viewer by arranging a competition, but to show what we can do. This is very good for demonstration performances, but for cinema? For the viewer who came to relive the story taking place on the screen, and not once again to watch sports achievements? Watch GROUNDHOG DAY - Jacobus. Either the first or the second. The guys gave their best, but did not forget about the interests of the viewer. The priority is to surprise and entertain. In the right places say - Wow! And in others - think about it.
I have no doubt at all about the guys’ professional abilities. Everything is as it should be here. The only thing is that I personally would add more interesting falls. BUT let's leave the action alone and move on to another point - dramaturgy and camera work with editing.
This is where the fun begins.
Gopnik. Yes...a very usable character. But who is he? Why is the character not revealed in the opening credits? At least superficially. If he is a gopnik, then show his attitude towards the world through his actions. If he doesn’t care about anything, then this could be reflected by showing people or situations in relation to him. After all, you don’t need a lot of imagination - to film one person wandering the streets, and then in the editing room to make the same credits coming and going.
At the end of the film, a thought arose - Why is everything so bad and gloomy? With going into a knife fight with a twist on playing pistols in famous action films. Anyway. Let's leave this up to the authors. They saw it that way.
The implementation of operator capabilities leaves much to be desired. It's the implementation. Although the filming points themselves are sometimes well chosen! Especially the square where the two guys were fighting. Gopnik and robber. Great!!! Excellent selection of locations. But the implementation is a C! The incomprehensible movement of the camera, lack of knowledge of composition and cinematic angles took its toll. A few more words about shooting points. It seems that the creators, when making an action film, didn’t bother too much with this in order to film this or that element at least at a solid 4. At the beginning of the film there is an excellent scene with the guys playing. We see a character who will later become central. BUT... why not show his superiority in this scene, as if looking ahead. When Gopnik runs after him, the viewer understands - well, yes... how... can you really catch up with this?!!! He's so cool! There was a great premise for creating this scene and presenting the character. And the viewer would already be thinking - well, dude (addressing Gopnik) - good luck to you! Do you feel how your attitude towards business has changed? When this player jumped over the net - why from behind??? Where are his emotions? And then - he smiles, and the main character is Gopnik again from behind. Why? Where is his emotion? Where is the psychological communication with the viewer?
Next - he climbs the sports ladder, maybe does something else, a somersault, a flip... and so - ufff... he wants to take a break. And at that moment bam! Gopnik appears from behind. Wow, my! When should you rest? And the emotion has already begun! Am I wrong?
What follows is the story of a maniac and a girl.
I don’t want to offend anyone, BUT... I understand that the girl was probably familiar and I really wanted to see her in the frame. Understand. At 100%. But I have a different opinion. There must be someone in the frame who, according to the laws of dramaturgy, must be present. Sorry, but I couldn't make Juliette Lewis. I don't want to look at her. Remember the Italian thrillers, where the victim of the maniac was wow, what a beautiful lady. And then it turned out that she was still that maniac herself!
As for the maniac - well done man! A real maniac! True, he didn’t need to fight like a fighter in the beginning. The staging is visible. Oh how visible. Anyway.
For a frame with a photo – 5 points!!! Well done! For some reason I thought that now they would want to reshoot it and a second runner would appear there, and they would generally be perplexed that something strange was happening in the city.
By the way, for the skate scene – 100 points! Now this is a find, worthy of an award from Jackie Chan!... or Shadrin... Hmm... Just EXCELLENT!
In terms of drama, the scene in the photo studio (was it a photo studio?) everything is great! Except for a certain point. The maniac films her, and the girl poses. She thinks that he captures her beauty with thoughts of beauty, and he was already planning to ruin her. What an association that would be! Chic! And the girl sees male desire externally, heading towards him. She wants him. After all, she didn’t come to dance. And the man gets even hotter!
Certainly! For this is cinema and its dramaturgy, leading the viewer to the denouement of the story. Or vice versa, just to the end. Sometimes I felt too tight and wanted to shout - Fuck her already! Or vice versa - Yes, finally kill him! Everyone is beating around the bush. And the constantly shaky camera was even more annoying.
Guys, change your shooting style. Nowadays everyone films like this. The operator sees what needs to be shot, but try to achieve a better implementation than just picking up the camera.
BUT there are already 4 operators!!! And everyone filmed like this? To be honest, I don’t understand this fact about the shooting. Each operator has its own advantages and capabilities. Why is it so weak? Although some moves and turns of the camera flashed during the shooting. For example, moving in a car. Not quite on topic, of course, but still.
There's a lot more we can talk about, but here's the bottom line:
The plot is not always justified and sometimes very banal, but well done for twisting all these intricacies like that!
Cameraman and editing - work on the implementation, because you are trying to see. This is +. And the editor accordingly glued together from what was in stock.
The game - Gopnik and Maniac is simply super! You can't throw away the rest. It is what it is!
Music - without any complaints. I can't say that I would like to buy the soundtrack, but I didn't dislike it either. Exactly.
The staging of chases, stunts and fights - despite some of my quibbles, is still EXCELLENT!!!
The message of the film is probably a wise warning to humanity, but for me it’s too dark. But that's just my opinion.
Yeah... don't hold your weapon on your side. In a vertical position this is more than illogical. In Hollywood and Rodriguez, the fashion followed from Chinese films, but there the flying Chow Yun Fat did it in a horizontal position. That's the humor.
And so... this action team would like a good technical team that knows how to make a movie, and not just chases with fights, and it is quite possible to promote it to the big screen!!! Although for me personally, this work definitely looks much better than the impending “HARDCORE” and “CENSOR”, as well as other Russian modern nonsense.
And most importantly, don’t stop there. Set higher standards and goals.
Good fights, good Gopnik acting, good ending. The rest is so-so.
The first thing that comes to mind from the message of the kintz is that you gopniks, practice karate, and it will become easier to take away change from suckers.
But the guys tried and that’s a plus, we should continue.