This Fall my video workshop students will be making their own short films instead of making a TV show about other people’s movies.
Which is great, but first … I’d really like them to watch some really good short films.
Not just music videos or cat videos or bad skits for the end of Tosh.O , but really good short films that preferably have played somewhere.
The first production class I taught was dominated by music videos by Spike Jonze and Michel Gondry – because I had just got the Director Series DVDs and loved them. But there’s a difference between the technical aesthetic and purpose of commercials and music videos – and bad SNL-wannabe skits – and short films that have made it to a festival somewhere in front of an audience.
I have a half dozen shorts that I have culled together from when I ran the Carolina Film & Video Festival, from EMPIRE magazine, and from RES magazine years ago. But there are so many great shorts that I’ve seen at festivals and then have no way of finding ever again. My first trip to the Cucalorus Film Festival in Wilmington, NC was filled with great, late-night shorts … which I can’t find to share now.
I’ve worked hard at trying to introduce my students to a greater variety of films and filmmakers – but they want to focus their prism through their laptops and phones.
Little do they realize – there are tons of great movies there, too!! My problem is identifying them and tracking them down.
If you made it – you know who made it – you know no one, but you love this film — please!!! point me toward it.
So, please post here, or on my Facebook page or reply on Twitter with the film & the link to watch it online.
I’m putting together a short e-book to go with the class; so, I’ll both promote the good shorts and thank anyone who helps us find them.
Thank you for your time,
j.brown
Jason Brown - Pewter Productions 