Steven Merlo's Lounge Discussions

Congratulations! Let us know how it goes!

Thanks. I appreciate that

There are a couple distinct visas for creatives/artists.

P-1 is for an artists coming to perform. Usain Bolt and Adele would need one.

A P-3 is for a cultural event - say if you were First Nations or going World Music festival.

An O-1B visa is specific for Motion Picture and the Arts - people coming to continue their work

A immigration attorney can surely fit you in one of those.

* Melania got a genius visa*

That' is my recollection, but get advice from someone qualified.

Have you checked out Bambadjan Bamba's webinar about working in the U.S.? It has a lot of information about VISAs and it's free: https://www.stage32.com/webinars/How-to-Pursue-a-Career-in-Acting-in-Ame...

Thanks, I’ll definitely check it out

If you're not hiring anyone here, it's just a visitor's visa. If in doubt, call US authorities at your border crossing, they'll clarify it for you an a couple minutes. You're not working or doing business, in truth. You may have challenges with Canada Customs in bringing equipment back and forth over the border and need to file some documentation with them to show it's not being imported back when you return.

I think the trailer is pretty solid. Gets the point across and satisfies the horror geek in me. Plus, the fact that it's based on a currently existing IP takes all the guess work out of it and I already know what I'm getting myself into so that's a plus. At this point I'm all about seeing the final film.

That’s really good to know. If you have any interest in being a part of the production of this film, let me know. I’m looking to make sure that I have the right crew in place!

Absolutely! If you'd like you can check out some of my work on my YouTube channel. I do pretty much everything from writing and directing to cinematography and acting. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnN2cJJ4jt8958oVG-WL53w?view_as=subscriber

That would be great! Let’s connect on Facebook

Definitely!

Look great!

Merlo: My email is clyntstagram@gmail.com I'd be thrilled to check it out.

C.R. - you asked - I'm not a horror flick fan but my favorite is Soylent Green.

Doug: What an interesting movie. I think that would be a good one to reboot.

Aray: Passion is a creator's most valuable tool. Thanks for the kind words. Maybe we can share some notes or read for each other some time.

I'm writing about a kidnapping that brings peace in the Mideast.

No, really.

Favorite genre - the impossible.

I think most of the beginning is okay, just a little much room acoustics on it. The kids have a lot of noise, but the ADR-ed parts are the real problem as they don't come close to the "original" sound. Do you have a sound guy for that? Did the question also concern the music? Overall I think the quality of the acting and lighting varies strongly throughout the trailer. The first spoken line seems really convincing (same guy at 0:45 not as good in terms of acting, audio completely fine), at 0:13 there's "terrible" shadows in the guy's face, next shot ("You know what, buddy...") also quite shadowy. After Effects might fix that if you've got someone skilled (or you can do it). Just don't be afraid to do the tedious work if you can afford to. It'll pay off. "I still remember the day" has some crackling on it that I am afraid cannot be removed. The following shots are too contrasty and green/yellowish for my taste - makes them look a little dark and depressing... "I'm not going..." is indeed badly synced (but fixable). But to get a convincing sound when recording audio afterwards I would recommend the simple trick of building a set as similar as possible to the original scene, and use the mic and the angle you would have used. ;) Another perfectly fine bit in terms of audio (in my opinion) is for example at 1.08

Thanks for the detailed comment Dino. I really appreciate the support I am getting from you guys. The music was not in question because I received a lot of good feedback on it. However if you have any concerns with my underscore I would like to hear it.

i noticed you gota do more fades in and out of the room tones

Some of this is partially salvageable with RX4. Overall the sound was recorded with the mic too far from the mouth (sounds like an on camera mic in many cases). Audio also sounds normalized and over compressed in some cases. There is clipping in some parts and the list goes on. HIRE a good production sound mixer for the production of the feature. Sound is 70% of the picture. Picture errors are tolerable. BAD AUDIO will quickly unseat the audience!

Hey Steven, this is Julie from the Stage 32 team. I just wanted to let you know I moved your post from Post-Production to Your Stage, as it fits much better there. Let me know if you have any questions, and all the best to you!

Very true!

Thanks, Steve! And congrats on being in post on your film!

Thanks Marlene :)

Welcome, Steve.

Very cool!

Cool! A new reality dimension.

Very nice, I love it... Looking forward to seeing this !!

And now... All finished: come watch something I doubt you'll find anywhere else guys :) http://www.survivorfilm.com/movie

Having a military background... I want to offer some advice in the spirit that it is intended and that is to be helpful. The sub-machine gun she is holding...(Incorrectly) looks to be an MP5 with a 30rd clip. Time stamp 0:28. If she is portraying a soldier... She would never ever look one way while her weapon is pointed the other way. Where the barrel points.. so to would be her eyes. #2. Time stamp 0:39. A candidate.. any candidate knows the art of suppressible fire and controlled bursts. Unloading a clip on one target is not either of them. If she is being considered for seals, she has to have expert marksmanship. The person walking towards her would actually be dead in one burst. #3. The dog tags. They make noise if you don't tape them down, or separate the tin plates. #4. The grip on the pistol is incorrect. She looks like she's trying to get two fingers into the trigger guard. She would have her left elbow bent and the weapon raised higher as she sights down the barrel and positioning her body to present a profile and not straight on. I like the premise of the story, but accuracy needs to be worked on. Also be aware that if you portray anything military, the veteran community will rip it apart if its not done in a manner that makes it believable.