FILM ~ Shorts

Storytelling trumps special effects, overpaid/overrated actors, and flashy gimmicks in movies--any day! Short films, also called "shorts" for short, can test the limits of a filmmaker's abilities. Sometimes only a few minutes long, good shorts can reflect the extremely creative efforts of videography, acting, special effects, and storytelling. I like shorts because they don't follow that trite and boring recipe that most Hollywood films use these days.

Overtime (a tribute to Jim Henson, the creator of the Muppets) is one of my favorite shorts. Damien Ferrie (who appears not to have many works, yet) employs an awesome animation technique. And the syncing with the musical score make this movie an off-the-charts experience. The black and white imaging (almost sepia or vintage) gives it what Minerva calls, a timeless look. I have watched this movie several dozen times and each time I see something new. Obviously, this work had a lot of effort put into it. The Smalls is one site I like for short films, but I also visit Short of the Week and Vimeo on occasion. Of course, searching "short films" on YouTube can yield some good results, too. Oh, and I almost forgot, KQED has Imagemakers as well...check that out.

Another favorite short of mine is The Last Three Minutes by Po Chan. The story isn't necessarily an original one, but the videography, presentation, and score make it impactful. The camera angles are intersting, but what makes this movie really cool is that it was shot entirely with a Canon dSLR. Shane Hurlbut, the cinematographer, has a blog and sites that are quite informative about the craft and this movie. Search "making of the last three minutes" on Google and you'll find several episodes showing Shane's techniques and experiences with the project.