Idea for a Short Film

My short film

I’d always wanted to make films. I had this idea once to shoot a short movie about the different ways that people die. Well, choose to die. Because someone dying in their sleep would be too Andy Warhol-ish. No, what I’d be more interested in is suicidal tendencies. Maybe find people who have been through a close brush with their imminent death, but for some reason they’re still here. I don’t really want any dialogue as soundtrack. Perhaps a different piece of music for each segment. Art of Noise,  Penguin Café Orchestra. Any vacuous, mindless, wordless music would suffice. I see these acts against a solid color backdrop. Maybe primary colors, or black, white, grays. Then, to string each segment together, I think the transitional segments could be the opposite of ‘endings.’ So maybe film births. Or the birthing of different species, but shot really closely. They call it a tight shot or angle. I’d want to be right up in there, showing the brutality of birth, the surprised new arrival, the ecstasy. The film would premiere at Sundance in January. Then be picked up by the Disney Channel on cable TV. Possible narration, only if completely insisted upon by network executives, provided by James Earl Jones. Maybe loops of William Carlos Williams’ poems. * Garners a Golden Globe nomination for Angelina Jolie’s scene: birthing an Indonesian child. For real. * No animals were harmed while envisioning or filming this movie.]]>

7 thoughts on “Idea for a Short Film”

  1. I like this,Robert. Nice and eerie and thought provoking, but not too brutal. And what an excellent exercise, to try to write something worth posting every day. Not sure I could do it. Sometimes it takes me all day to write one paragraph.

  2. Thanks, Judy, this has been a joy for me. I feel as if I have been holding too much back, and this gives me a vehicle to toss out a lot of first drafts without worrying about the “reaction.” I am also using it as a stepping stone for submitting more in 2010. Look out, world! Thanks for your words, always wise, and your support. Means so much.

    1. I must admit to twitching over posting first drafts unless they happen to be the occasional magic ones, but on the other hand, I can see the value of pushing it out there daily, no matter what. Keep me posted on how this works for you long term.

  3. This was fun, irreverent, and yet thought-provoking. Nice balance between disturbing and silly, deep and light. Way to go.

  4. At first concerned and slightly interested, then laughing out loud, all by myself. Build it and they will come.

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