Finally, “The Shave”

Yes, it’s finally complete! Our short film, The Shave. Enjoy. It runs for 3 minutes 35 seconds.

If the embedded video doesn’t work for you, try here.

We decided on the desaturated look rather than going all the way to black and white — though you can see that version in Stilgherrian Live Alpha episode 8.

For those interested in the technicals, it was shot using the built-in iSight camera on my MacBook Pro. We sat the computer on books piled on a milk crate sitting on the kitchen table, and used desk lamps for lighting. We recorded it using Apple’s Photo Booth software. ’Pong edited it using iMovie. Whaddyareckon?

11 Replies to “Finally, “The Shave””

  1. Well-improvised shoot. Tidy editing. Charmingly apt soundtrack.
    Well done lads. Now all you need is an interesting story.

  2. @Stephen Stockwell: “Now all you need is an interesting story”? But The Shave is packed with drama! There’s fear, doubt, triumph over adversity, romance… well, lust anyway. What more could you want?

  3. @Stilgherrian: While your striving to pack “fear, doubt, triumph over adversity, romance (and/or lust)” into something as subtle as a raised eyebrow is indeed noble and lofty, the deft cinematography required to load such a banal act with the required level of highbrow gravitas is really only ever achieved by elite auteurs of the calibre of Fellini, Kubrick and Lynch.

    But don’t give up. The Stockwell Academy of Serious Arty Things presents you with its August Encouragement Award. Your free Greater Union movie tickets are in the mail. And a toaster.

  4. Ok…

    Just a suggestion – the frame rate looks very low. This might be because you wanted to reduce the download size, but it might be just because you didn’t have enough light. In low light the camera reduces the frame rate in order to get a decent exposure for each frame.

  5. @Stephen Stockwell: Gee, you certainly know how to drain the “fun” out of “let’s have a bit of fun while I shave” … I think I’d better use that Greater Union pass to see Pineapple Express.

    @Ben Williamson: The low frame rate seems to be in the original footage. Apple’s Photo Booth doesn’t have any controls, so I daresay it sets it low. The light was “passable” rather than “good”, so your theory is a good one. The frame rate was 25fps throughout the editing process, but then Viddler will have done its own compression.

  6. As soon as the music started, that classic scene from Terry Gilliam’s “Brazil” with Katherine Helmond, started up in my head, and now I can’t get your effort, that scene, or the song out of my head.

    Dang you sir!

    OT: So …. the panties …. are they the ones from the alley?

  7. HA! I KNEW IT!

    And no, to those of us who are part of the band of Stilerites, we know it isn’t a strange combination, or even the least bit strange. Oh no, not in the least.

    Now, when do we see the photographic evidence of you wearing them?

    (Put them on! Put them on! Put them on!) 😉

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