Reviews of Half Court 20

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  Not Space Jam
  A review of Half Court
  by grimmfilmservices on 12/12/2011
  Looks like somebody just learned a new special effect. A guy shoots hoops, brings down a UFO, then bolts. Did I miss anything? The video was grainy and at times looked like the main character was hiding behind mosaics. Overall, a basic effort that might of been funny in 2003. I was just happy it was short.
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  UFO
  A review of Half Court
  by chessaol on 06/14/2009
  A black guy playing hoops isn't a stretch, but knocking down a UFO, that takes imagination. The film is well shot and the crowd noise sets up the scene. I could almost see myself doing the dream hoops thing with him. The film draws the viewer in and then gives us some comedic relief with the OOPS UFO crash. The film quality is adequate to keep the action clear and focused... A black guy playing hoops isn't a stretch, but knocking down a UFO, that takes imagination.
  
  The film is well shot and the crowd noise sets up the scene. I could almost see myself doing the dream hoops thing with him. The film draws the viewer in and then gives us some comedic relief with the OOPS UFO crash.
  
  The film quality is adequate to keep the action clear and focused without any dimouts or movement blurr. well done.
  
  The sound is appropreate to the film and well timed to the action. Well done. read
• 
  half court
  A review of Half Court
  by deadbydawn on 09/13/2006
  First off great premise. You should be working on fake comedy clips rather than short films, advertising laps up things like this so that could be your forte. As for the film, maybe a re-edit could help the pace. Thats a long time of a man shooting hoops, the cuts only serve to remind us that this is pre-determined rather than amatuer home video. Why not try doing this in...
  First off great premise. You should be working on fake comedy clips rather than short films, advertising laps up things like this so that could be your forte.
  
  As for the film, maybe a re-edit could help the pace. Thats a long time of a man shooting hoops, the cuts only serve to remind us that this is pre-determined rather than amatuer home video. Why not try doing this in one shot, that would keep the interest and look better technically.
  
  I wish you hadnt told me in the synopsis what was going to happen, because that would have been a great surprise.
  
  Overall though i liked it and wait for more. read
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  Pre-Production
  A review of Half Court
  by mijorico on 10/01/2004
  There is no story here. This is just a guy shooting hoops for a minute and a half. The special effect was decent, so I thought that maybe you have an interest in post production, because that's obviously where most of the time and effort was placed. It easy to see why this only took a half hour to shoot, there's nothing to it. Even if you just want this to be about a guy... There is no story here. This is just a guy shooting hoops for a minute and a half. The special effect was decent, so I thought that maybe you have an interest in post production, because that's obviously where most of the time and effort was placed. It easy to see why this only took a half hour to shoot, there's nothing to it. Even if you just want this to be about a guy shooting hoops, who happens to hit a UFO, that needs to come much earlier. As it is now, we're just watching a guy play in his driveway, something I can drive down the street and see. You're not showing us anything to keep our interest until the end. By that time, it's too late. You've already lost your audience. My advice is to spend more time on pre-production and, for that matter, principal photography. Post production is so much more rewarding when you have something to work with. read
• 
  Premise good
  A review of Half Court
  by legendgift on 09/19/2004
  Premise is good, but I am not so impressed with execution. The first part of the short was rather long and uneventful, although I guess basketball afficionados may have another opinion on that. I would have liked to see more emphasis on the special effects at the end and the impact to the basketball player, in addition to his purported fear. Overall, I wasn't impressed. Work... Premise is good, but I am not so impressed with execution. The first part of the short was rather long and uneventful, although I guess basketball afficionados may have another opinion on that. I would have liked to see more emphasis on the special effects at the end and the impact to the basketball player, in addition to his purported fear. Overall, I wasn't impressed. Work on it some more and you'll get it! read
• 
  Not bad.
  A review of Half Court
  by ramador on 09/12/2004
  I felt that it could've been more exaggerated in many ways. For example, the camerawork could've been more home-videoish with dialogue between the cameraperson and the actor, or at least dialogue. The music and crowd noise were confusing: you say this is supposed to seem amateurish, but amateurish stuff normally doesn't have cuts or music, it's usually just one long shot... I felt that it could've been more exaggerated in many ways. For example, the camerawork could've been more home-videoish with dialogue between the cameraperson and the actor, or at least dialogue. The music and crowd noise were confusing: you say this is supposed to seem amateurish, but amateurish stuff normally doesn't have cuts or music, it's usually just one long shot. I understand the concept, but it could've been more direct. Give us more crappiness in the beginning, and more extraordinary at the end. read
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  Not Much To Review
  A review of Half Court
  by Al80 on 08/30/2004
  This is all but impossible to review. It looks and feels very much like a test reel used to hone your skills on After Effects. On that score, I'm sure that it served its purpose, as it all looks pretty good, if basic. The problem is that there isn't anything there to critique. A guy plays basketball for almost en entire minute, then the central event occurs, and then it ends... This is all but impossible to review. It looks and feels very much like a test reel used to hone your skills on After Effects. On that score, I'm sure that it served its purpose, as it all looks pretty good, if basic. The problem is that there isn't anything there to critique. A guy plays basketball for almost en entire minute, then the central event occurs, and then it ends. I was expecting some kind of gag to wrap things up, but all I got was our main character running away. Bizarre. Anyway, what was there was well shot, and the acting wasn't bad. By the way, the upload is terrible. If you need help, try to get hold of a copy of Cleaner 6. read
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  Backyard Basketball
  A review of Half Court
  by Akshaya on 07/27/2004
  I think that the graphics should be redone and if the entire film was animated or even rotoscoped, you may invoke more of a reaction from your audience. I also think that before you show the shot of the ball colliding with the UFO, you must establish that there is a UFO in the air, by giving us a clear view of it before collision.
• 
  comments
  A review of Half Court
  by sdrogue on 07/01/2004
  first, this was funny in its own way, because we all have done the shooting hoops at home but imagining the crowd...and the UFO, yeah, that was good, i liked that...and the count down, for me, that was the best part, hell, i do that in the office just tossing paper in the bin (and yes, i get strange looks, they play cricket here, there is no count down)second, critically constrcutive... first, this was funny in its own way, because we all have done the shooting hoops at home but imagining the crowd...and the UFO, yeah, that was good, i liked that...and the count down, for me, that was the best part, hell, i do that in the office just tossing paper in the bin (and yes, i get strange looks, they play cricket here, there is no count down)second, critically constrcutive comments..cut off the 30 seconds, all the shots of him playing basketball could be compressed into 15 seconds, quicker cuts, more rapid fire, more shots of him, to be effectivereaction shot of his face, a close up, after the UFO hits, showing us he is thinking "okay, what do i do now?"outside of that, cute solid piece, well put together, editing was good, sound was clear, and the compression, well, ouch that was so blocky, but I could still see because you had enough lightingcheerslooking forward to your next oneQgive us a reason why he ran... read
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  effective, but lacks ambition
  A review of Half Court
  by maura on 04/15/2004
  This film is good at getting the viewer engrossed in this guy playing basketball. It uses its timing well, and it also does a good job of building the soundtrack to allow the viewer to believe that the guy gets so carried away that he can bounce the ball high enough to hit something orbiting the earth. But, this is still a one-gag film, with no real punch line. The guy's... This film is good at getting the viewer engrossed in this guy playing basketball. It uses its timing well, and it also does a good job of building the soundtrack to allow the viewer to believe that the guy gets so carried away that he can bounce the ball high enough to hit something orbiting the earth. But, this is still a one-gag film, with no real punch line. The guy's reaction to what he's done isn't especially funny, and it doesn't really tie up the story. For something like that, there'd have to be something like the guy avoiding household chores, getting carried away while playing basketball, and then deciding that chores really are the way to go. Something like that at least brings the story to a point that says, "The story is over," and leaves with a laugh. I'd like to have seen just a little more from this film to make more of a story out of it, or to bring the gag home with a memorable ending. read