Think before you leap. [video]

From a coffee cup to an iPhone to the bible, tools are essential to the human experience. In the short film, THE BLACK HOLE, a witless office worker finds the ultimate tool, only to be trapped by it’s limitations.A clear goal or motivation makes a story understandable. Risk and/or conflict make it engaging. Twists keep it interesting. This film has all three, and does it in just under three minutes.

THE BLACK HOLE shown at the May, 2009 Cannes film festival.

This is another case of a great story where no dialog is necessary. Like the short film, A THOUSAND WORDS, the best story telling needs a minimum of words. Film is first and foremost, a visual medium. Words should be used sparingly, if not at all. A foundational rule for good screenplay writing is, show it, don’t say it. It’s best to learn the characters through the choices that they make. Choices demonstrate motivations. Actions do speak louder than words.

See the short film, A THOUSAND WORDS…

Bullet time, next generation. [video]

Movies make a great visual for altered reality. Time distortion, or bullet time, first shown in the film, The Matrix, is characterized by an extreme slow-down of time as the camera moves around the scene at a normal speed.

The video below is the making of the movie.

The power of story in promotion.

This promotional short film tells a compelling, intricate story of adoption. A great mix of narrative over multiple stories that intersect in the end. Produced and Directed by my friend, Andy Anderson, at Paradox Media Group.