The Silent City - short film online (in HD)

Ruairi_Robinson

my name is Ruairí Robinson - I made a short animated film a few years back called "Fifty Percent Grey", which was nominated for an Oscar, and a couple of you might have come across. I've just recently finished my first live action piece, called "The Silent City", which stars Cillian Murphy (Batman Begins/28 Days Later/Wind that Shakes the Barley) as well as Don Wycherley (Batchelors walk) and Garvan McGrath. It's a far cry from the usual Irish short films, so I hope it's of interest to people here... It's a Science fiction film, and contains a large amount of rather complex visual effects, which I mostly created myself (and hopefully looks like it costs a hell of a lot more to make than it really did!)



If you want to take a look at it, it's been posted up on youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MfNyfwwfV4 and also, there's a high def quicktime version available on my website, as well as a making of for the visual effects - www.ruairirobinson.com/main.htm

If you like the film, I'd appreciate all the publicity I can get! Thanks for your time!

Ruairí Robinson

BlitzKrieg

I remember fifty percent grey I think...It was shown before Behind Enemy Lines. If i remember correctly it was about some soldier (costume sort of like starship troopers...sci fi military) who's died and gone to heaven...which is a dvd player and nothing else...so he shoots himself and goes to purgatory...which is vhs...etc etc.


I really enjoyed that.


But onto The Silent City.

Uhmm.

The good:

-Set Design, Costume, special effects all are top notch, quality work. And if it is like you said done under a budget most people would guess at, then I beg of you to tell me when you are ever gonna give a talk or something about how you achieved such a standard of quality.

The Bad.

(Yes, if anyone puts a film up on boards I will review it good and bad...please dont be offended I assume by putting it up here you would like feedback)

-The Editing: I was a bit unsure about talking about this...The editing is very mixed, some parts are done well but others are sort of confusing, the pacing seems a bit off, its hardly the worse editing. Its more likely down personal taste then anything else.

Script: Not alot to go on, which is fine, allows alot more time for the directing to shine through. But the main chunk of dialogue near the end of the film is painfully bad. The radio call sounds very unbelievable, I think the opening line "Captain Smith" got a laugh from me, its just not expected from military communication and while it could be he's under distress and has forgone procedure...it doesnt go far enough. It sort of hits between the two.



Anyway thats all I really got to say. I enjoyed it, as you can see I picked at only little details, mostly ones that would only matter to few.

ObeyGiant

I've been following this on your blog for ages now and I'm glad to finally see the finished result. I thought it was deadly. Really, really liked it.

I would be very surprised if you don't hear more people who, like BlitzKrieg, have problems with the pacing of the movie. It looks like a high-gloss blockbuster movie but has the classic short movie 'feel'. This kind of disconnect will probably throw a lot of people.

Kind of reminded me of THX-1138 - not sure why. Maybe the sound design was very Walter Murch-ian. Maybe it was just the bleak atmosphere. Either way, I hope you're not the kind of person who would take comparisons to THX as an insult.

The production left me with a lot of questions. How the hell did he manage to do this on a small budget? Where was that bit shot? How did he get Cillian Murphy? How did he get Jimmy Rabbitte for the music?!

Anyway, great stuff.

Ruairi_Robinson

(Yes, if anyone puts a film up on boards I will review it good and bad...please dont be offended I assume by putting it up here you would like feedback)

No offense taken. In the slightest.

Script: Not alot to go on, which is fine, allows alot more time for the directing to shine through. But the main chunk of dialogue near the end of the film is painfully bad. The radio call sounds very unbelievable, I think the opening line "Captain Smith" got a laugh from me, its just not expected from military communication and while it could be he's under distress and has forgone procedure...it doesnt go far enough. It sort of hits between the two.

(SPOILER) yeah, he's not only forgone procedure, but given their position away. Doesn't work for you? fair enough.

Some people like it when everything is not explained to them, some people obviously react pretty badly. I should point out this was intended as 1 of 3 connected short films. which may have answered some of your "problems" since it was never exactly intended as a standalone piece. Not that I'm making excuses. I can take the criticism.

Film was shot in a quarry up in Tallaght. Cost about 10,00 euro to SHOOT (the majority self funded), then eventually got some completion funding from the film board (who had turned it down for funding in the first place, even with Cillian Murphy attached) - the 2nd part was turned down for funding after that, What can ya do.

Script was sent to Cillian Murphy's agent, and I suppose he liked it well enough to do it. Never met him before that...

Music was by Robert Arkins, Nick Seymour (bassist in crowded house) and Brian Crosby (BellX1)

Lots of people worked for free, so I owe lots of favours back!

cheers,
R.

BlitzKrieg

yeah, he's not only forgone procedure, but given their position away. Doesn't work for you? fair enough.

Oh I know that was important to the plot...I just didnt feel he sounded distressed enough in his choice of wording to forgone procedure and give his position away...nor formally enough to be a military communication thats all.

Ruairi_Robinson

BlitzKrieg wrote:

Oh I know that was important to the plot...I just didnt feel he sounded distressed enough in his choice of wording to forgone procedure and give his position away...nor formally enough to be a military communication thats all.

He's also trying to bottle emotion in front of his dying colleagues. But I guess there's no point arguing it, if it didn't work for you.

I thought he did a pretty good job anyway.

R.

The Denouncer

That short is fantastic work Well done loved it! Great to see an Irish film that doesn't involve greyhounds, balaclavas or drugs

ScumLord

I'm just after seeing this on dailymotion The cg work is amazing one of the best looking Irish shorts I've seen in a while. The plot is non existent but as a show piece it's good.