It has become something of a standard refrain around these parts but it simply continues to be true. While spending enough money can raise virtually anybody at least to the level of mediocrity there simply is no substitute for talent. While most of the lesser (or non) talented spend their time griping how much more they could have done if only they'd had X or Y, the truly talented simply find ways of achieving their visions. And in the case of director Trenton Lepp and his about-to-launch scifi web-series Condition: Human those ways revolve largely around shooting impossibly attractive footage on a consumer grade handy cam that anybody can pick up relatively cheap at any electronics shop against an improvised green screen - two large sheets of felt - hung up in his dismantled living room.
Due to bow on April 1st, Condition: Human is a six part web-series, with each part roughly fifteen minutes in length, set in a near future world in which convincingly humanoid robots have entered the market, forcing all sorts of moral and ethical questions. Though the first episode has yet to appear there is a trailer now available and the scope of the world Lepp has created is truly impressive, to say nothing of the absolutely gorgeous cinematography. Even if this were a full scale production I'd be enormously impressed, but this? Shot with a standard crew of only three with a negligible budget largely in the director's living room? Absolutely fantastic.
Check the trailer below the break. If your impressed and an aspiring film maker, then make a point of checking out the official site: Lepp plans to post a series of tutorials to demonstrate how the look and effects were created on a zero budget so that others may do likewise.
Well, I just bookmarked that.
There's another trailer available at YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZBdIVxidyA
That is the way trailers should be.
It doesn't give itself away. It merely introduces you to the realm this character exists in.
I watch trailers and say "Wow, I've just been told everything that's going to happen in this movie. There's no point watching the full thing".
It's very frustrating.
Lepp, to me, seems to understand this.
I don't know what to expect and that's one of the great arts of cinema that has been lost today in the daily grind of hollywood and the "Spoon-feed" attitude of audiences.
I'm checking this out.
This is the sorta thing that get your hopes up if you're interested in making movies.
The fact that it looks great, and is done with such modest techniques make it even better. I'm definitely going to see this somehow.
Ok, fine, nice pictures, actually nothing special. But what's the story, the Characters? The Idea behind the look or whatsoever? Nothing of it in the Trailer.
I'm not going to bash this guy, but why should I spend time and money just to see an "aspiring" Filmmaker doing some experiments with Computer Grafics?
1. Aren't big studio flick trailers put together by marketing team, not the director of the movie?
2. Teasers (like this) are good for atmosphere and subtlety and hinting, but WHAT IS THIS MOVIE ABOUT? I don't know, the teaser doesn't say.
Yeah, this may be right, but nevertheless I don't think that there isn't any interaction or consultation between the marketing team and the director.
and concerning the 2nd: that is actually the point that was spoken of further up. Because what's there left to watch a movie for, if the trailer tells all of it already? For me a good trailer mustn't be any more than an appetizer... And the story can be read via imdb or any recension ;)
PS: I was more interested in the soundtrack.
I made some short films with my cell phone recently. Just using iMovie, edited them.
Go to Vimeo.com and look up Keitj T. Alin
This looks great.