My thoughts on Diary...

[MoonSylver]

Damn. . I really need to watch the movie again, by myself. My wife didn't help the situation much. She decided she didn't like the movie like 10 minutes in, and you know how that can effect your experience. Yours too huh? She liked the movie, but stated early (& fairly loudly...) "Ooooh..I feel queasy...." at least 2-3 times, before slumping over in her seat & quieting down.... I gritted my teeth & steadfastly focused on the movie. (In fairness, I did find the "quick swivel cam" a bit disorienting. Fortunately it's only used a few times & early on)

[clanglee]

Thing is, I personally am split down the middle on this movie.

[MinionZombie]

Thing is, I personally am split down the middle on this movie. You must be in a fair amount of agony, Sir...oooh. I say, if you're going to see a movie that's really important to you, always either go on your own (billy-no-mates style, like I did with Diary) or go with someone of a like-mind (like I did with Land, went with a fellow GAR fan). Mind you, both times the projectionist cocked something up.

[clanglee]

My wife Does like zombie movies, but just not to the extent that I do. She hated Land more than I did. . I think it may have soured her on Romero.

[Trin]

...there are a couple of scenes in the movie - one involving Debra that I do remember specifically - where it's filmed with one camera. That's established. However, the way the scene cuts together, the only way that could have realistically happened would be if there were two cameraman sitting next to each other, each with a camera in their hands...those sort of really tiny little things that fellow filmmakers will spot, but those who haven't made their own films will never see. Could you give a more concrete example? Or maybe explain the Debra scene and what you saw that exhibits the problem? I was keeping a watchful eye on the viewing angles and shots, but I'm not a fellow filmmaker so I expect you are correct that I would miss things that only filmmakers would catch.

[MinionZombie]

Well, I'll have to wait till the DVD, cos I don't have a photographic recollection of the movie. What I mean is, at certain points - and remember this is filmed with 'one camera' - the way it is cut together, it cuts from Debra to the other guy. Not a pan across - a cut - then cuts back - but this is supposed to be an uninterrupted stream of conversation. That's impossible with one camera. Now I've only seen it once, but that stuck out for me at the time, it might appear different on a second viewing - I don't wanna paint myself into a corner - but at the time as it happened, it stuck out as a single camera FPS impossibility to me anyway. Also, as far as I'm aware, a dying battery on a camera won't cause blips in footage. It'll run until it has not enough juice and then just cut out. Also, I'm not aware of the low battery symbol appearing on the actual recorded footage. So if you wanna be more realistic about it - just have the guy say he's running out of battery (which he does) - so why with the symbol? I remember there being a symbol anyway - aye, no wet paint corners for me! I'd have to watch it again and specifically take note of such elements that break the 'FPS realism', but I do remember that conversation between Debra (and I think the guy who got bit by the cop zombie in Land) which was 'filmed with one camera', not cutting together as if it did - clearly the issue was just covering up an edit, maybe somebody flubbed a line on set (in our real world with Romero sitting there), but they didn't start from the beginning of the dialogue chunk and just picked up again - thus requiring an edit to cover that up...however, it's being presented as one uninterrupted conversation...however, said us-and-Romero-real-world edit (on Diary of the Dead) doesn't make sense within 'The Death of Death' world...if that makes sense. For a closer explanation I'd have to explain again. Also - digital tape doesn't glitch like the majority of glitches shown throughout. It looks good, but it's not realistic...but that's a minor niggle, it just annoys me a tad personally. Still dug the flick though.

[DubiousComforts]

What I mean is, at certain points - and remember this is filmed with 'one camera' - the way it is cut together, it cuts from Debra to the other guy. Not a pan across - a cut - then cuts back - but this is supposed to be an uninterrupted stream of conversation. That's impossible with one camera. But the conceit is that we're viewing edited footage so it's not necessarily an "uninterrupted stream of conversation," right? I don't believe the point of the film is to show 100% realistic FPS footage like The Blair Witch Project. The first-person binocular views in Dawn of the Dead aren't realistic, either, yet do nothing to detract from the film.

[kidgloves]

They had 2 cameras. They picked another one up at the hospital. You see the geek character with the other camera quite a lot

[MinionZombie]

But in the scene I'm on about - only one camera is being used. Also, the audio is apparently an uninterrupted stream as Debra and thingymy converse, yet there are edit points, which in the real world would mean either: 1) The characters re-shot the conversation (unlikely/didn't happen). 2) In Romero-real-world the conversation was shot twice or more, or had to be picked up mid-way through, so it was therefore impossible to show one continuous shot (most likely) and as a result it causes a goof in terms of the FPS realism. THAT is what I'm talking about. But I'd have to see it again to lay it out even clearer - although I've laid it out about as clearly as I possibly could - so it'll be a wait till DVD for that then.

[Trin]

I understand, and am not trying to paint you into a corner. I also understand that you are referring to scenes prior to them picking up a second camera. Even with a second camera there are probably places where it wouldn't quite line up. I simply want to know what to watch for during my next viewing and you've provided that nicely. I'd agree that such little inconsistencies should never be elevated beyond the niggle status.

[MinionZombie]

I was just saying, not out of any of possibly bitching, but because I'm obsessive about being understood and like to always leave a little crack in the door to sneak through in case something turns out to have made me mis-take it...kinda like "never say never". My point was, the scene in the film - between Debra and thingymy, is actually - in The Death of Death - only shot with one camera present. But because of the way it was shot - in Diary of the Dead reality - it'd be impossible in one shot. Bah! I gotta go crap...gotta run!