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The Columbian from Vancouver, Washington • 73

Publication:
The Columbiani
Location:
Vancouver, Washington
Issue Date:
Page:
73
Extracted Article Text (OCR)

F18 THE COLUMBIAN THURSDAY OCT 221938 uWi EH Computer-made feature is an interesting experiment The Last has shades of The BY SAVE JEWETT Columbian staff writer 1 touted as the first feature film made on desktop computers is better than you might think The Last is an offbeat but slightly hard to follow mock documentary about some gruesome murders There are moments when the movie has some of the look and feel of an episode but at other times it slikeah( home movie in need of TIE LIST BKOABCAST CASH David Beard Jim Seward SUfim Avalos Lanct Weuer UBCTUtSttftiH Avalos Lanct Weiltr SCKnNHAY: Sttfin Avalos Lana Weiler KATtBt Unrated but probably equal to an Rfor language and tome violence PlAYMC: Oct 238 atHoBywood Theatre NE 4 lit Avenue and Sandy Boulevard Portland ed for the crime The movie unfolds as a filmmaker who is greatly fascinated by the case begins to piece the case together for his own documentary He assembles die tapes die people made as they prepared for their story and while they were in the woods Wie also see interviews he conducts with various people including apolice detective and a forensic patholo- This isn't a slick Hollywood produc-l and all the acting is tiim by any means and all tiie acting is tighter editing Mostly the movie is interesting as an experiment in do-it-yourself digital film-Sometimes creepy but Ifcs Mans case of llw Jsnty Devi la i it crawls along But with its innovative lowcost techniques its story references to gearhead topics such as Internet Relay Chat and Webcasting The Last has some cutting edge appeaL More than anything else this movie wiQ appeal to any techno-nerd who has ever dreamed of making his own film to maybe becoming die next David Lynch or Steven Spielberg or maybe a done of the moviemaking Coen brothers woods in search of the Jersey Devil a fabled monster maybe a bit film the Sasquatch in other areas of the nation The goofball hosts of the show are found gruesamefy murdered A disturbed! loner who daimed psychic powers and led them on the search is arrest- The film follows the making of a documentary looking into a strange murder case Several Internet and video geeks -are involved In 1995 we learn an amateurish cable-access crew for a show dealing with the unexplained ventured into the by non-prafessianals which is dear But the production is fun to watch to see all the high-tech techniques used in assembling the movie As a bonus a fairly chilling rtimar Now 'anyone can do if spent just $900 on 'Last Broadcast7 Movie will get to theaters via satellite tal cameras and the right software maybe you can be the next whizldd filmmaker of the tech age At least thafs the promise hdd out to independent fflwimAeni through technological develop- ments of recent years it im JEWETT Columbian staff writer With desktop computers digi Clancy Family Restaurant' tot A film made with a budget of $900 The Last will premier in seven cities including Portland this Friday And yes that budget figure is right ft was $900 with only two zeroes -The mode documentary was created by two wellwired digital filmmakers in Pennsylvania Lance Weiler and Stefan Avalos being promoted as first desktop feature In another first being distributed via satellite ft will open a one-week run at die Hollywood Theater in Portland and also in Providence RL Orlando FUl -Minneapolis Minn and Philadelphia Pa The movie will be beamed to a satellite and then down to die 7 theaters Openings in subsequent cities are to follow In an interview Weiler detailed the $900 cost of the film as covering $680 during produo- don including $240 in digital video stock and 20 hours of tape costing $12 each The next largest expense was $155 for -food Weiler and Avalos then spent $220 for post-production work with $120 going for mastering tapes and $100 for public relations mgtwfal They saved some money since Old BEST FISH CHIPS ''( In the Northwest I BEST CHICKEN FRIED STEAK West of the Rio Grande! editing was done on their own desktop computers with hardware and software they already owned Interestingly their computers are strong but not exactly cutting edge They are Pentium 166 speeds with 48MB of RAM Random access memory) and with fairly normal sound and graphics cards running under Windows 95 Lots of computers currently on sale in stores are more powerful Adobe foemierc 42 was their editing software They play prime roles in the film and enlisted friends and people in their area to fill other roles for more huge savings As for how it all started they make it sound like a spur of the moment tiling were land of hanging around one night and we thought Hey left make a Avalos told one writer Digital cameras and computer software have opened tire way Ifs enormously empowering Anyone can do WeSer said Seafood Burgers Mexican Call 573-FISH best fooda Family Restaurant IN TOWN.

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About The Columbian Archive

Pages Available:
1,137,027
Years Available:
1908-2011