My Gambling Film

Hi everyone long time no see. Been a while since my dice setter challenge oh so many years ago!

I had the opportunity to make a short film about my favorite hobby, gambling. Among other things. If you have 23 odd minutes to check it out please do!

I think there are some fun shots in their you all would like.

Thanks for watching! Feel free to post your thoughts about the blackjack scene! Or the movie..

It was just picked as a daily pick on filmshortage.com

https://filmshortage.com/dailyshortpicks/nights-of-being-loose/

or if you'd rather get a YouTube link it's right here. Thanks for watching!

If you wear glasses with that much magnification they also magnify your eyes to somebody who's looking at you and she looked perfectly normal. That's when I quit watching.

Photography, lighting, editing and the acting were good.
But I didn't follow the plot.

Quote: nickolay411

Thanks for watching! Feel free to post your thoughts about the blackjack scene! Or the movie..
link to original post

I've had a speaking role in a feature length film that is now in post=production in Atlanta, so some familiarity with film making.

There is a lot of craft in the making of this film. And so much work to make a 23 minute film! Congrats on the filmshortage designation.

The gambling scene didn't make a lot of sense to me. She sees the dealer's facedown card is a Jack and thus that dealer has made twenty, and then she hits her 18 and gets a three to make 21???? She couldn't have seen that the next card would be a three before deciding to HIT because the card was still on top of the deck.

I too had trouble following the plot _ I guess when it shifts between fantasy and reality.

Quote: nickolay411

Feel free to post your thoughts about the blackjack scene!
link to original post

I do not feel that any of the irregularities mentioned above detract from the story.
I wish to retract the prior comment about soundtrack. The understated soundtrack (that I apparently ignored when attending the dialogue on first viewing) is just about perfect, without being invasive. Kudos.
Spoilered so that others can play the Highlights for Casino Gamblers picture-find game, too.


Even before I read the credits, I thought the visual effects were very good.

@evenbob

I appreciate you watching anyway. Out of curiosity you must stop watching almost every action film as well when a characters got their eye through a scope...

Quote: gordonm888

I've had a speaking role in a feature length film that is now in post=production in Atlanta, so some familiarity with film making.

There is a lot of craft in the making of this film. And so much work to make a 23 minute film! Congrats on the filmshortage designation.

The gambling scene didn't make a lot of sense to me. She sees the dealer's facedown card is a Jack and thus that dealer has made twenty, and then she hits her 18 and gets a three to make 21???? She couldn't have seen that the next card would be a three before deciding to HIT because the card was still on top of the deck.

I too had trouble following the plot _ I guess when it shifts between fantasy and reality.

Huh?

The dude gets shot (a dramatic scene) but then he hasn't been? And if that was fantasy, why does he fantasize about getting shot?

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You're right she didn't know 4 was coming for her hand of 17. But she did know she had to beat a 20. If you had that information and surrender wasn't allowed. You'd hit it too. Luckily she got what she needed.

Yea, a lot more talented people than me, had a hand in making the film. I learned a lot though how hard it is directing...

There was a lot of jumping back and forth between their own fantasies. The guy pushing the wheelchair was him contemplating on making that first connection.

Her imaging he actually came to the taxi dance club she worked at.

And finally him imaging himself getting shot if he tried to help her out at the end.

The ending I can leave up to your interpretation. Thanks for watching!

Quote: Dieter

Quote: nickolay411

Feel free to post your thoughts about the blackjack scene!
link to original post

After careful review...

The chip tray looks like a non-locking model.
The shoe (briefly seen on another table) appears to not be the security type (it is clear, not opaque).
I see No-Peek style cards (black marks on the corners), but no reader.
I do not see a discard tray mounted to any of the tables.
I do not see various other table hardware mounted.
Hot stamp foil on a pumpkin seems unusual.
That strikes me as a lot of cameras on the ceiling, but I understand this may be a very effective dramatic exaggeration.

I do not feel that any of the irregularities mentioned above detract from the story.
I wish to retract the prior comment about soundtrack. The understated soundtrack (that I apparently ignored when attending the dialogue on first viewing) is just about perfect, without being invasive. Kudos.
Spoilered so that others can play the Highlights for Casino Gamblers picture-find game, too.


Even before I read the credits, I thought the visual effects were very good.
link to original post

Yea, sorry I haven't gotten the subtitles up there yet. Halfway through now, taking quite a while to sub it all.
Nowadays I have to watch everything with subtitles on. Especially Christopher Nolan films...

The composer Ryan Redebaugh, would be really happy to hear those kind words. When we sent him a rough cut he had his own good understanding of those key moments and built the score around them. I also think the soundtrack is one of the best things bout the movie.

I work as a vfx artist but vfx were still a big undertaking. The anamorphic and nighttime photography also made it quite challenging to integrate all the fx.
As an example we shot with a wooden gun onset and just tracking the 3d gun into his hand for 700+ frames was kind of a nightmare. Looking back maybe a bit sharp in places.

Thanks for giving it a few viewings.

Quote: nickolay411

Thanks for giving it a few viewings.
link to original post

It will get more.

Haven't yet heard comment from the handful of people I've recommended it to. I'm assuming they have like productive stuff to do that precludes them from fine art appreciation on a moment's notice.


Comparing street view photos of the location to the film really highlights the amount of visual effects work done.

Cinematography is very professional. Acting is somewhere between good and adequate.

The story is sordid and not too much about gambling. The plot mixes fantasizing by the characters with reality and it's hard to know when you are in the one and not the other. I don't like that, but some people might.

I am enjoying it more and more.
This is probably my 9th viewing.

A larger screen definitely helps. The visual effects seem to hold up.

Unless I'm missing something, I wouldn't concider this a gambling film.

Please correct me if I missed something.