Short Films: Robot Tears

I watched these two shorts recently that involved robots or droids in them and they both have dark endings, so I decided to share them with you all.


Dr. Easy from Shynola on Vimeo.

For this short, the intentions of the robot meant well, but it goes to show that human trauma can't be
rationalized, even through logic and reasoning.


TONIGHT I STRIKE from Dan Gaud on Vimeo.

Though robots weren't the focal point, I like the futuristic feel to this short and though the ending sad, the main character reminded me of "Kick Ass" in his intentions. Really powerful.

What would you do with your own robot? I would make it assist in my video making, of course.

-Video Vix[o]n

Short Review: Cul-de-Sac

Cul-de-Sac from Connor Simpson on Vimeo.

I've recently started watching more videos on Vimeo, as a way to gain some inspiration for my own work and take a visual break from Youtube, and I regret missing out on some of the amazing work that is on that site. With that being said, I watched this short film recently, which did a fantastic job with storytelling, minus the dialogue and mainly relied on the visuals to get its point across.

I have to admit that I didn't see the ending coming. I expected that the Black kid was automatically up to no good and that he would be caught by the cop, case closed. It's probably sad that I lead to that conclusion even before seeing the ending, but the director did a good job throwing a raw situation in another direction. I'm not sure if a situation like that would have happened in real life, but I'm pretty sure the Black kid in this case would have not made it home in one piece, if it were up to a itchy-fingered cop. But the main message I got from this is that you should always expect the unexpected and nothing is as it seems.

I can't wait to share more shorts that you've probably never seen before and be amazed with.

-Video Vix[o]n

Production Vlog "E" - #VideoDictionary

-Video Vix[o]n

Frame x Frame: Shooting on Location

Photos by Joshen Reborn

In my film making journey, I am constantly learning new things about the production phases, especially with pre-production. Pre-production is the most important phase because it involves planning everything about a project, from casting talent to story boarding the scenes for a script. The most challenging part of planning my short films, so far, have been finding locations to shoot the various scenes my story needs.

In my earlier productions, I would always shoot in places that I had access to (a friend's apartment, my house or outdoors) because it was easy. For the past couple of short films I've produced, I took the same approach in finding locations and shooting on the fly (some people call it guerilla filmmaking). For the latest short I'm working on, I experienced being my own location scout and asking permission to shoot in different locations, with no success. For example, for my short, I needed a bar for a scene I'm working on and I reached out to different bars, only to receive one response where the bar asked for a production insurance fee, which was way above my budget. I try to keep my production as no cost to low cost as possible, but I realize now that some money needs to be thrown into the production pot in order to make a project work.

The main scene for my short is an apartment setting, which I didn't know how I was going to secure it. I searched for locations online for a long time, until I finally found a place that was suitable for my needs. I had to pay for the space, which I made sure to get my money's worth while shooting. I achieved the looks for the scenes, even though it wasn't what I envisioned in my head, but I made it work. As I get to meet new people, I will keep in mind for my future shorts that locations are important to lock in early so the production phase doesn't take too long. All of these experiences are helping me become a better filmmaker, which I appreciate with each short I put under my belt.

-Video Vix[o]n

Short Film: I'm A Queen!

This short film has made me think about watching/posting video on Vimeo again. I forgot how impressive some shorts can be, and this one is no different. I didn't see the twist at the end, but it was well shot and with all the awards that it received, I wish I had thought of it myself. Enjoy.

The Queen from Christina Choe on Vimeo.

-Video Vix[o]n

Short Films: Rock, PAPER, Scissors

For Valentines' Day, I want to share these two short films I seen recently that are all about love (and paper too).

The first one is an animated short from Disney, which has been nominated for an Oscar. I like the fact that is a noir silent film, with a small touch of color, which symbolizes the love interest. The lack of dialogue makes you pay attention more to what was happening and it's simplicity and "magical" elements makes it a tough contender for an award.



The second short is one that my girlfriend sent to me from "Free People" about this Brooklyn couple who uses "rock, paper, scissors" to dictate their fun, romantic evening. I loved the shots and editing in this short and it had a warm ending.



Which short was your favorite?

-Video Vix[o]n

Life on the Little Screen

Recently, I found about a couple of short film screeners which I was excited to attend and watch the works of some local filmmakers. I haven't been to a screener in a long time, probably due to me being involved with the inter-webs all the time. Sometimes, I forget that there are other people in NYC, beside myself, who are creating films as their passion. I also met some cool new filmmakers who showed off their pieces, and I have to say, the talent that I saw left something to be admired. Here are a few of the pieces I've seen.

JULIA DRAINS


WHITE SUGAR IN A BLACK POT

Click Title To Watch Trailer

TIED UP

As I continue my quest to create more films and earn my self-titled name of "Filmmaker," I realize that at some point down the line, I should step into the realm of screeners and "shopping" my films to film festivals and reach out to a different audience outside of Youtube. Creating online content is fun, but it's nothing compared to seeing the looks on people's faces watching your work and commending you for your good work. I don't feel like I'm at that point yet, but I'm getting there slowly. In the meanwhile, I'll continue to find out about more screeners and discover new filmmakers and their projects. Don't be surprised if you see my work at a film festival soon. 

-Video Vix[o]n