So I was really excited to watch the first episode. I started watching it, and to me, it was a bit slow. I wanted to find out about the filmmakers, if someone who has never heard of the show and turned it on there, they would think that the show was on there for weeks rather than the premiere. They jumped right into it...I wanted to know the contestants. And their actual shorts that they submitted. Maybe once it gets cut down to the top 16 or so, maybe they will. But other than that I enjoyed watching the pitches. I wonder how the crap some of them got on there in the first place b/c some of those pitches were horrible. I guess there worked must have been REALLY good. What did everyone else think?

It was amazingly painfull to watch, but I'm sure i'll keep watching, yes I'm that small of a person.

The first episode really confirmed my fears that this show would have nothing to do with filmmaking and would instead be a sociological pressure cooker to make fragile people cry or fight. Notice how all the qualifying films got like 3 seconds of screen time while the Indian Kid crying got a few minutes. Argh.

the pitching part was entertaining unfortunatly for the wrong reasons as I felt dirty smiling at the folks who choked. Plus it's funny that Bret Ratner gets to tell you how much you suck, the irony is just perfect.

I still think it's funny that these people even signed up. But i guess America wants to know who's gonna be the Clay Aiken of filmmaking.

I liked the Project Greenlight format way better as it was really about the movie being made not just a personality contest for wannabe hacks.

I actually applied, I'm active on the site, too... I'm really glad I didn't get there, and not just because I got into USC, where I'm sure I will learn much more than on the show.

I was pretty disappointed with the show...I wanted to see the films before the first eliminations, personally. We all know the eliminations will be based on silly and formulaic variations of actual aspects of the production process, with the additional circus of ridiculous time restrictions...but all I wanted tonight were the films to be shown.

PGL had more relevant eliminations, in my opinion, but making the show about the production was a mistake...nobody wanted to see the films after watching it, and so much of the drama seemed contrived.

I hear what you're saying jayimess... wanting to watch the short films was the only reason I tuned in to the show also.

It looks as though this show is going to be less about filmmaking and more about the contest... more about the ups and downs that these contestants will go through rather than showing what they are actually capable of doing out of each week's assignments... at least in the first few episodes.

I guess parts of it were somewhat interesting, but as REDking said, I was disappointed that it seems to be much more about the conflicting personalities and ridiculous arguing than filmmaking and the contestants' passion for it.

Also, it really irks me to see such competitive behavior among the contestants. Of course, this is the entire point of the show, so I'm obviously asking for the impossible when I say I would like to see the contestants focus on collaborating and sharing ideas in order to make the best shorts possible rather than just trying to win at any cost.

I would be the worst television producer ever.

I hope the show gets more focused on the filmmaking (which it seems like it will - eventually, they wont have enough people to produce enough drama, so they will have to switch focus).

The one part I found really interesting was the pitch. It was amazing how many people were terrible, and goes to show just how important being able to confidently speak in public (or with an audience) is. Seriously, that is probably the most universally helpful skill, regardless of profession. I feel that, while I still may be a novice filmmaker, I would have been able to pull off an effective pitch simply because I've practiced speaking. But, of course, on that little sleep, my story might change...

Maybe they were just trying to teach the contestants a lesson in teamwork and camaraderie, but having 3 directors for a single short film is never a good idea... it leaves pretty much everyone offended.

quote:

Originally posted by braininabox:
...but having 3 directors for a single short film is never a good idea... it leaves pretty much everyone offended.

there is an old saying in Korea,
"if there are 2 captains on a ship, the ship ends up in a mountain." hahaha.. i thought it fit the situation..

Hah, Korean sayings are great.

I think they are following the recipie for reality-show pretty well.

I've been reading comment from student film maker and amateur film maker for 2 hours now. The majority said it sucks in a way or another.

But frankly, I think it was o.k. because the average viewer could still be entertained by what he was seeing.

For now the show is a good compromise between film making and drama show. The further it'll go the more it'll be focused on film making, for 2 reasons:

-there won't be enough people for drama
-average viewer will be more familiar with the craft and won't get lost in the process

At least that's what I hope...

I thought it was extremely annoying at times to watch it because of the rookie mistakes the people made, like when the never went to film school kid ignored the actor's questions and said "just do what you do" as a direction. I may not be the greatest filmmaker but you never tell any person that you are leading that regardless of the job or field.

I was looking around on their website and it says that after the next episode of thursday they will start showing short films and having the people vote on them. That will be next Monday.

yeah, the first ep was pretty weak. you didn't get to know anyone and they jumped right from pitching to elimination to movie planning.

Not to mention the log lines were incredibly lame... even ones they liked i thought were lame.

Notice, how incredibly commercial was said as an amazingly good thing.

If that's what they think is good maybe that's why the tmajor film industry is feeding us dribble.

And what was with that nonsense from directors who aren't even on the show?

I felt like I was watching a combination between a doc on the film industry and american idol.

Also, it is just me or is ther no theme song?

quote:

Originally posted by laudy32:
I thought it was extremely annoying at times to watch it because of the rookie mistakes the people made, like when the never went to film school kid ignored the actor's questions and said "just do what you do" as a direction.

I guess I missed the part you're talking about. Was it towards the very end? I missed a little of that. But it really depends on how capable your actors are and what kind of director you are. Woody Allen for example has always just sort of let his actors do their thing on set and has always gotten great results in my opinion. Of course... there's a difference in working with Martin Landau or Diane Keaton and some guy/girl on a reality show.

It's made by the same people who made Survivor - how much actual filmmaking do you think they'll show?

It was fun to watch though. Alot of head smacking on my part. Totally reminds me of people I knew in film school.

Hopefully as it gets whittled down to less contestants they'll actually show the films.

-Chris
Studentfilms.com

I will say it could get better, if like a previous post stated, that they show some shorts and people vote at least we'll be talking about the films.

But regardless I feel compelled to watch and at the end of the day that's the point. Apparently I'm a spineless as*hole.

I wonder out there, how many of your friends and family over the last month have said, "Hey ya know I saw this thing called On The Lot, you should totally be on it!"

Like Sarah E. Witt once said, "The problem with filmmakers is there are far too many of them."

When the ad showed early on into the American Idol season, I got thirty one text messages in ten minutes about it.

I was like..."Hey, already entered, didn't make it."

Those pitches were such jokes. I was gone last night so I taped it and I started watching it when I got home and then I decided to do the logline assignment that they had. So I drew a card and got the "mouse is captured by a pharmaceutical company and must plan his escape." So I stopped the show and spent last night working on that. I wrote for a couple hours and now I just finished watching the rest of the episode. Those people had 12 hours to come up with a pitch, and it looked like they spent all of 30 seconds preparing. Blah.

Ninja star to the forehead.

Bunch of reality television nonsense. Even worse then PGL on Bravo. I'm disappointed in Speilberg.

quote:

I think they are following the recipie for reality-show pretty well.

Agreed, but with the hope that it's going to get better. I don't really like the narrator, or how they randomly had her say things that really weren't necessary...And I hope they show the films and filmmakers too