Daughter of Godcast
Episode 073
Open Season
Hello, here we are at another episode of Daughter of Godcast, Crowd Creation, this is Episode 073, Open Season.
What's this podcast all about? We're asking the internet to help make a movie, Daughter of God. We want to trade scenes, shots and snippets for your feedback, opinions and critique. Every week we show a new chunk of the movie and report back about the previous week's chunk.
If you just want to listen, no worries. The Daughter of Godcast strives to be a stand alone audio experience, you don't have to look at anything. However, you are always welcome to join us in the next dimensions, the visual dimension, the interactive dimension. After 70 episodes of history and preaching by me me me, I'm itching for you you and more you.
So there's the premise, super easy. Let's have a conversation. We could have so much fun, we could make such an amazing movie together. A way better movie than I can make on my own. Hear me, podcast listeners and mayhap watchers. Come with me on this adventure. Be a movie maker. Play with me.
Last week in Episode 072 we showed Christina's Date Dance.
In preparation for her date with Gerry, Christina dances into and out of various costumes to the pulse of random shortwave radio broadcasts. The question was, based on her clothing choices and style of movement, what 5 adjectives best describe Christina?
Date Dance had 22 plays, 56 impressions and a play rate of 39%, down from the 33 plays, 78 impressions and 42% play rate for Episode 071 Wall Street Under Water. This drop in interest was surprising - the thumbnail image for Date Dance featured an attractive human female in an alluring gown while Wall Street's thumbnail is just a beach of bricks. Perhaps the deep shadows of the shot made Christina look like she's frowning.
I introduced the chunk and asked for feedback at the end, but this wasn't effective. Date Dance inspired less feedback than Wall Street Under Water, which had no introduction or feedback request. Date Dance was probably too long at 3:25.
Scott and James both commented at dog.movie. Scott gave the following 5 adjectives.
Frenetic
Kinetic
Stroboscopic
Lyric
Autobiographic
At first, I wondered if Scott was describing the overall vibe of the shot rather than Christina herself, but then I looked up the definitions. For Scott, Christina is fast and energetic in a rather wild and uncontrolled way (frenetic). More than just a quality of motion, she is motion incarnate, (kinetic) and at the same time frozen in a flash of light, stroboscopic. She expresses emotions in an imaginative and beautiful way, lyric and is a document of her own life, autobiographic, an open book. Scott's adjectives are interesting in that they describe Christina without implying right or wrong, worthy or unworthy. I feel a deepening of insight about Christina because of Scott's description, her backstory grows.
James had these 5 adjectives to describe Christina.
Glamorous
Smooth
Vivacious
Soft
Mysterious
James describes Christina as having the attractive or exciting quality that makes certain people seem appealing or special, (glamorous), with an even consistency, (smooth), attractively lively and animated (vivacious), having a pleasing quality involving a subtle effect or contrast rather than sharp definition (soft) and deliberately enigmatic, (mysterious).
I replied to James, "Your adjectives feel affirming, I’m guessing you’re experiencing her as a protagonist, a character you’d root for." James feedback is very close to what I intended to convey about Christina, but like Scott, his description also expands her for me. He hints at a goddess-like aspect, both attractive and unknowable, desirable and intentionally occluded. Subtle and lively, animated. She is a collection of fortunate contrasts.
What I learned from Scott and James is that Christina is alive. Carmen Althaus Koenig and I breathed life into her, now she is autonomous, a free agent. Becoming more than I ever imagined.
This week's chunk is Open Season.
073 Feedback - Open Season from Daughter of Godcast - dog.movie on Vimeo.
A she deer foraging in a peaceful forest glade is startled by an arrow thunking into a nearby tree. She looks up, locates the threat, and fires ruby red laser beams from her eyes. There's a pitiful scream and the sound of a body toppling into the bushes.
Here's this week's question. About how many times did you replay this shot? Also, feel free to comment on anything else that stands out.
Remember, you gotta watch and give your opinion if you want to make this movie. Play with us, please. Just takes 5 minutes to join the fun!
You've been hunting for fun with episode 073, Open Season, the Daughter of Godcast Crowd Creation. Who is this crazy Crowd? You are my dears, each and every one of you is our crowd, a volunteer militia of free citizens, misfits and freaks, shining stars with clear preferences, opinions and insight. I invite you, nay I need you. Because now YOU are this movie. You can just listen, you can just watch no problem. That's so sweetly 20th century, what most folks used to do. As for today, the world has mored, bloomed. Our flower nature is calling, what we are about to be is ready. I promise you'll get into lots of excellent trouble, the dreams you've stashed in the dark earth are sprouting, months from spring and they've started to sing. I'm talking about a space ark, people. Parked in your driveway! Go look!
Watched it thrice. Bucolic, then startling, suspenseful, surprising, and ultimately satisfying. Loved how the deer’s head, ears, movement, twitch, and overall expression perfectly synched with the offstage shenanigans and sounds!
Wow, thanks for all that. Really appreciate your feedback style, Pam. Super self observant and able to think out loud. You’re a test screener’s dream come true!
Watched seven times. Great scene. Might become a great meme someday.
My mother already commented on the arrow, so I think I’ll comment on the sound. The arrow sound wasn’t persuasive. It sounded more like someone slapped a piece of paper than an arrow that thudded and vibrated as it embedded itself in the wood. The man screaming sounded too close. I wasn’t entirely sure why there was the sound of trees falling. Did the laser fell a tree after the man went down? The beam seemed too still for that. Did the man knock some trees over somehow? That doesn’t seem plausible.
Hey Seamus. I agree, the arrow sound needs work. I am excited by your critique of the ‘tree falling’, you’re not the only one who found that problematic. I won’t try to explain what I was going for, that’s not really relevant if folks are hearing something else. I’ll tweak the sound and come back later for more feedback.
Watched it at least 11 times—I lost count. My immediate reaction was, “wow, this is totally sci-fi.” I felt freaked out by the concept; it was as though a hunter was trying to find dinner, and he shot at a deer that didn’t end up being a deer at all, but rather, an animatronic deer sporting killer laser eyes. Who would design such a machine and why? To further reduce the population of humans? Or as an advanced guard dog-like creature to protect the deer supply kept on someone’s homestead for their own harvesting?
I found the scene to be surprising and original and I really enjoyed the sound design.
James! 11 times! That’s what I’m talking about! I feel like I wanted to watch a bunch too, and I made it. So you currently hold the most replays record.
I am so glad to have your rationale for the origins of the deer. I have a story in my head, but your stories take me in a totally new direction… and are hilarious. Your experience also make me wonder if I should leave more hints about my story or let everyone decide for themselves. This makes me wonder what other laser eyed deer stories people would come up with.
I just clicked through to Vimeo and it shows that the clip has only played 15 times. Strange, because when I count up everyone’s views, it should have played a lot more. I wonder if Vimeo is not counting correctly?
James, I also think Vimeo’s play count is low. We’ll have to ask support at Vimeo. Thanks for being curious and clicking through, feedback is a work in progress, there’s still plenty of fundamentals to figure out.