Who wants to be as rich as a millionaire

Coasters Film · 27-07-2010 11:35AM #1

Hi All,

We've just put our latest sketch online and would like to know what everyone thinks (good or bad) the last one (Les Framboises) we got lots of great feedback that has helped us no end, so looking forward to hear what you have to say about this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2286DO81F4

Also if you like our stuff you can join the group on facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Coasters/85995973332

mewso · 27-07-2010 12:06PM

Can't fault the production values but since it all hinges on being funny I'm afraid it's a fail for me. I think this kind of comedy is rooted in reality. Yes a dothery father is a real and possible amusing part of life and going on a quiz show is too but picking a dothery father as a phone a friend option is not quite as believable. If it was going down the surreal comedy route it wouldn't fail on that basis but..I know someone will say thats nit-picking but the bottom line is I didn't find it funny and I'm trying to expand on that.

I'm not sure I get the poll either. Does finding your film funny or not have a bearing on the future of Irish comedy? Or is that just another joke?

Coasters Film · 28-07-2010 12:00PM

Hi Mewso,

We think comedy employs exaggerated characters and situations, believability can be stretched in comedy or fantasy IOHO. Why did he ring his dopey dad for an important question ? Cause that's the premise of the sketch. Unlikely but there you go, we've stretched believability. Maybe he just promised his dad he would - who knows ?
Glad you like the production at least (Editor/Grader/3D: thanks mewso, its nice to be appreciated) and we'll have another sketch up soon enough, hopefully it might work for you !

Also the poll has nothing to do with the film, we're just wondering what people think about Irish comedy, there doesn't seem to be that much funny stuff around at the moment.

Have a good one & thanks for your reply

Richy06 · 28-07-2010 12:52PM

The sound is terrible, could do with proper gear or a proper sound person. It sounds like it was recorded in a kitchen.

As for the material, it was ok.

Coasters Film · 28-07-2010 02:25PM

God Richy, your ear is impeccable, it was recorded in a kitchen! no budget, no studio.

Have a good one & thanks for letting us know

Galvasean · 28-07-2010 04:40PM

As has been mentioned the sound was horrible (I work in sound so I'm more likely to notice it), especially when the already muffled sound is distorted more by the telephone. FWIW, what kind of microphone did you have and how did you employ it?

As for the sketch itself, it's hardly treading new ground. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire sketches have been on the go for years now and there is absolutely nothing new or original on display here.

Not wanting to end on a miserable note, the derisive delivery of the last line was delivered very well.

Coasters Film · 29-07-2010 10:21AM

Hi galvasean,

We used two (around) €10 powered condenser microphones from maplin running into a minidisk, we didn't do that badly considering, did we ?

Also we've had a look on the web and can find only 1 or 2 "who wants to be a millionaire" sketches (done by kids in their room) could you post a link or 2 of some of the ones you're talking about please.

Sean says "thanks" but he is very good at telling people to **** off anyway so I wouldn't think it was all acting.

Thanks for taking the time to respond, talk to you soon.

Galvasean · 29-07-2010 03:44PM

Coasters Film wrote: »

Hi galvasean,

We used two (around) €10 powered condenser microphones from maplin running into a minidisk, we didn't do that badly considering, did we ?

Good lord, I'm amazed you got anything at all!

Coasters Film wrote: »

Also we've had a look on the web and can find only 1 or 2 "who wants to be a millionaire" sketches (done by kids in their room) could you post a link or 2 of some of the ones you're talking about please.

I seem to recall back when Who Wants To Be A Millionaire was at the height of it's popularity many sketch TV shows were doing parodies of it. So too were ads. It is possible that the youtube phenomenon hadn't quite taken off back then so they may be hard to come by online (My apologies for being vague, but I'm not willing to take the time to search for them).

Coasters Film · 30-07-2010 10:47AM

Galvasean wrote: »

As for the sketch itself, it's hardly treading new ground. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire sketches have been on the go for years now and there is absolutely nothing new or original on display here.

Well Galvasean thanks for the reply but as you can't or won't back up your claim that you've seen this material used loads in sketches before (and we cant find it either) we'll just presume you're mistaken.

Hopefully we'll spend a whopping €20+ on the next set of microphones so the sound should be a bit better guys

Thanks to everyone who has watched/commented so far

mewso · 30-07-2010 10:54AM

So much for feedback. We are either wrong or misinformed it seems. Why ask for feedback if the point is just so you can defend your work by telling us we are incorrect or don't understand etc. It's important to be confident in your work but if you can't accept criticism then don't ask for any.

Coasters Film · 30-07-2010 12:33PM

We are interested in feedback and we're confident in our work but at the same time are we not entitled to question points raised ? I think thats only fair we can and we have thanked Galvasean for his feedback and answered his questions.

We simply asked Galvasean to show us some links to back up what he said about this style of sketch having been done so many times before. I think if you've the time to post comments disparaging it's originality than you could take the time to back it up with specifics. Is that unreasonable ?

We'd genuinely like to know if it really has already been done because the last thing we'd want is to be accused of plagerism, this has nothing to do with not being able to accept criticism, it has to do with originality, we are trying focus on finding out if that is true, again is that unreasonable ?

This feedback has been very helpful as from now on we will be looking very closely at the sound recording & production.

Thanks for your reply Mewso and I hope this has cleared up any problems you had with our previous post.

All the best

Galvasean · 30-07-2010 12:49PM

Hold on now, I never said it was plagerism. Great minds can think alike and all that jazz.

Since you've called me out to find other Who Wants To Be A Millionaire sketches, I suppose the least I can do is do a quick google (wasn't hard to find loads).
Here are a few examples:

SNL did a sketch of it :
http://videosift.com/video/Steve-Harvey-hosts-Who-Wants-to-be-a-Millionaire-SNL?loadcomm=1
It would seem they dont like their stuff being youtube'd (as with many shows)

Mad TV also did one in 1999 and have revisited since:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MADtv_(season_5)

SpoofedTV:
http://www.spoofedtv.com/view_video.php?viewkey=c02f9902576ec55ebbe7

Dead Ringers:
http://www.fobidik.net/Tony-Blair-on-Who-Wants-To-Be-A-Millionaire/q-T3NWMGE4eVoxRUE=

There you go, a quick google and loads of big name shows / networks have been parodying it for years.

Coasters Film · 30-07-2010 02:39PM

Thanks for putting those up Galvasean, sorry we took it from what you said

Galvasean wrote: »

there is absolutely nothing new or original on display here.

that it was basically saying that we'd copied the idea, after looking at your links I can see the only thing that is the same is they fall under the same title but I myself wouldn't dismiss a sketch based on Star Wars because I've seen another sketch based on Star Wars before and call it "nothing new or unoriginal".

I dont really think that a load of Star Wars figures doing the show, or Tony Blair being asked a question about the millenium dome is the same as a sketch which hangs on the fact that the phone-a-friend is wasting time on the call, so I can't really see that these things are the same, If you find one that's any way the same we'd love to see it.

Also, there just might happen to be people out there who've never seen a sketch on Millionaire (we didn't know any who had) and they in turn, might get a big laugh out of it. its a big world out there.

Thank you for taking the time to have a look around, its much appreciated we just wanted to clear up that it is an original sketch.

Just out of interest, what your favourite comedy shows would be ?

keefg · 31-07-2010 06:59PM

As per your poll..... "Does Irish comedy have a future?"

If that sketch is the future of Irish comedy then no, definitely not.

X-Calibre · 01-08-2010 03:20AM

I liked the idea and it looked great but I unfortunately didn't find it funny at all. Wasn't a big fan of the acting. Neither actor had any real sense of comic timing. Sorry to be blunt about it

micar · 01-08-2010 01:56PM

That is exactly that type of thing that my dad would do. He's a pure dothery feckin' eejit (sorry dad). When you ring him up, he thinks that your only ringing him up because you want something from him. My dad has seen the program many times but would still come out with a classic line such as "Do you want me to ring you back?"

There have been criticism of the production and the sound, but what these guys have done needs to be commended for the limitation that they had. I don't know an awful lot what's require to make these short films but for the amount they had (which I assume was little), it's quite funny.

The end is very funny, pure frustration and anger with the aul man. The look and the gesture, there you go, he's fuc*ed it up for me. No compassion from the host, the only thing left to say, and we'd all say it, look up and say oh "Fu*ck Off"

Just wonder what else these guys have done. No harm in looking them up on facebook.

m

BlitzKrieg · 01-08-2010 05:34PM

my quick 2 cents (being rewritten as I lost my previous write up)

technical:

Camera work isnt bad, its just dull and flat. Far too much filming the side of people's faces and their framing in the 2 shot is dreafull as its too much space between them and head space. We only see the side of their faces for the vast majority of the film which is just dull.

Sound no comment needed

Editing is fine I guess but it would have helped to break up that first long 2 shot quite a bit.

As a film

Meh

To put simply the joke falters by poor scriptwriting, the conversation with the dad is troubled by poor lines delivered badly by the son while the father is fine enough. But the son's lines fails to sell any sort of prior frustrated relationship or anything with the father, not to mention you shoot yourself in the foot when the son is asking the father to go back to the phone even though the father could still hear the son from the tv and the son could still hear the father, wasting time on a line that doesnt make sense and doesnt add to the joke is problematic they just were not playing off each other, the son never took any of the lines the father was giving and play them back for development.

This is coupled with a puncline that feels like a technical excuse to have something to end the piece rather then something actually funny or needed.

So yeah

meh

not terrible just something that needed alot more refinement and needed to go through a few more script drafts.

And to be fair as you have showed your prior work on boards before its somewhat a step down in standard compared to the raspberries

Coasters Film · 04-08-2010 12:00PM

Thanks keefg, X-Calibre, micar & BlitzKrieg for your responses.

keefg, sorry you didn't have more to say about what you didn't like but it's your opinion and you're entitled to it.

X-Calibre, Glad you liked the idea but sorry the lads didn't pull the timing off to your liking, no need to apologies, blunt (not james) is good.

Micar, Thank you very much, yes the budget was non-existent & all spent on crisps and cola (own brand, thats how small it was) in the first day. there will be some more stuff out soon so hope you like that as well, thanks again & your cheque is in the post!

BlitzKrieg, Thanks for the comments I'll just try to run through a few explanations of why we did things this way,

technical: these two guys are not pretty on the eye! believe me you're better off seeing them from the side, also because of the size of the green screen and the area we shot in it wasn't really possible to do face on shots & stopping moving everything and restarting would have messed up the continuity, we could have done the face shots after but we dont think we really need it and the continuity wouldn't have been good, so we're happy with the way it was done. as for the head space, we wanted it to look like a big studio not that they were sitting knee to knee (which they were).

Sound: Apart from the vocal problems does anyone like the background music/ambience ? or is that getting the noose as well ?

Editing: the guys wanted one long shot at the start, did you like the 3D Max monitors & backing ?

Script: I'll have to get back to you about that one, the writer is busy today.

Happy you liked Les Framboises, I suppose every sketch cant be a hit with everyone & thanks for your insight.

Thanks for everybodys comments

BlitzKrieg · 06-08-2010 03:41PM

Happy you liked Les Framboises, I suppose every sketch cant be a hit with everyone & thanks for your insight.

I didnt, I just thought it was a step up over this

technical: these two guys are not pretty on the eye! believe me you're better off seeing them from the side, also because of the size of the green screen and the area we shot in it wasn't really possible to do face on shots & stopping moving everything and restarting would have messed up the continuity, we could have done the face shots after but we dont think we really need it and the continuity wouldn't have been good,

So the DP made a concious desicion to go for a poor shot for continuity and time saving issues. Fine as long as it was intended and was an informed decision, questionable as a presentation of your work but it was how you decided to shoot, just to point out excuses cant always be explained like you currently are, it be better to take the time and risk the continuity for a good shot that doesnt need to be explained. Though shooting in front of a green screen I'm curious what continuity issues you could actually face?

so we're happy with the way it was done. as for the head space, we wanted it to look like a big studio not that they were sitting knee to knee (which they were).

large head space doesnt normally infer large space, it tends to infer small person instead, large space usually uses a wide shot shot from a high angle, difficult and probably impossible in your scenario, pans and tracks are other options, again difficult could have been possible with some creative cut aways and editing. But again time and continuity and it was a concious decision.

Editing: the guys wanted one long shot at the start, did you like the 3D Max monitors & backing ?

Which guys? editor, director, the actors? And no I didnt particulary care for the background and monitors, they were irrelevent pretty much and did little else but enforce even more how flat the whole image feels.

Coasters Film · 06-08-2010 08:08PM

Sorry, We thought you liked it, our mistake. is there anything you like ?

No, the "DP" made a concious desicion that it was the best shot/shots, we liked it/other people like it, I think your the only person who has branded it "poor" I was misinformed on the continuity aspect of it, it had nothing to do with it, thats the shots that were wanted.

(from Editor) large head space on this cut did infer to a larger space, does it look like they are smurfs or elves of some sort ? no it looks like they are normal sized people in a larger room than they were in.

The Director/Writer wanted that shot & is happy with that shot but will take your advice onboard, but cant see where you are getting this 'flat image' from, it might be your monitor ? or youtube, have you tried watching it in HD on youtube ?

Coasters Film · 19-08-2010 11:50PM

So do you like this bit of musical gold then ?

http://www.youtube.com/CoastersFilm#p/u/0/c8ZnUrCZxGw

20-08-2010 02:33AM

Reading this thread and each of the ops replies perfectly illustrates whats wrong with film makers in Ireland. The original post welcomes criticism of the piece yet every time someone post any criticism the op comes along and either makes excuses or tells the poster they are wrong.

The piece itself is poorly shot, the sound is dreadful, the acting is woeful, the concept is unoriginal and unfunny and the less said about the framing the better.

Coasters Film · 20-08-2010 11:16AM

Ahh it's good to be back......

It's all rubbish then eh? Oh well, that's it then, I'll have to top myself.

How can I live with this poorly framed, badly filmed, badly acted, poor sound, unoriginal, smelly (he did say it was smelly didn't he?) Film ?!?

Ha ha ha ha! Nothing like constructive criticism from an impartial party who is not biased in any way. I love it.

So Darko, how long have you and blitzkrieg & galvasean been mates ?

Thanks guys you've given us a great laugh & more ideas for sketches

Miguel_Sanchez · 20-08-2010 11:38AM

Coasters Film wrote: »

So do you like this bit of musical gold then ?

http://www.youtube.com/CoastersFilm#p/u/0/c8ZnUrCZxGw

Just a minor thing but the eyelines are wrong in the scene at the start of that.

Coasters Film · 20-08-2010 12:39PM

Hi Jeff,

The eye line is a bit off, we'll have to look out for that in future. its good to get some constructive help and it will be something we try to make sure doesn't happen again.

Thanks for your post and hope you liked the song

johnny_ultimate · 20-08-2010 01:27PM

Coasters Film wrote: »

Ahh it's good to be back......

It's all rubbish then eh? Oh well, that's it then, I'll have to top myself.

How can I live with this poorly framed, badly filmed, badly acted, poor sound, unoriginal, smelly (he did say it was smelly didn't he?) Film ?!?

Ha ha ha ha! Nothing like constructive criticism from an impartial party who is not biased in any way. I love it.

So Darko, how long have you and blitzkrieg & galvasean been mates ?

Thanks guys you've given us a great laugh & more ideas for sketches

You put your clip on an open public forum asking for criticism and feedback. You got it. You mightn't like it, but thems the breaks. Then you decide to insult everyone. Great. You started up an account to solely shill your work, so maybe we won't be so favourable if you start a thread like this again.

I'm locking this thread, as once again you have proven yourself to be incapable of gracefully accepting honest feedback.

By the way, I didn't like it either.

Who wants to be as rich as a millionaire

Does Irish comedy have a future ? 5 votes

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