Oh very nice! It inspires me to want to get going and shoot something! One of the most interesting and engaging shorts I've seen since starting to watch shorts. You
should be proud of it, especially for just coming out of the gate. I really like your creative use of lighting. Bravo.
It's true, the story doesn't seem apparently accessible to me either. But I didn't care. I took it as a somewhat far-out art film. Maybe
those are its terms. I think you're right. It asked me, perhaps, to meet it half way in finding a narrative. I did not resent it. I probably would have if I had paid ten bucks for a feature film, or something. But that of course is not the case.
[Edit:]
To make what I originally wrote a little less...well, I don't know. To hopefully soften what I originally wrote and to make it, I hope, a little more diplomatic...
I did not find your film to be pretentious or overly self-indulgent. I do not know where those charges are coming from. It tends to rankle me when people charge artists, be they filmmakers, musicians, or whomever, with being pretentious. No doubt sometimes it is true. But most instances that I personally see and hear it's unfounded and unfair. Certainly in this case, it's a case of,
say what?! I suppose it involves a wish to punish the artist for their boldness, daring, and risk taking. And I'm afraid the goal is to produce a
chilling effect. That is,
we'd really rather you be more timid, tepid, and conforming, thank you very much. I think it's unfortunate. You are a new filmmaker. You are just starting out and you are experimenting. Someday, maybe somebody will give you a large budget
and the responsibility that comes along with that large budget, and you will, little doubt, need to work within tighter constraints. But for now, I say, enjoy the experimenting while you can. [/Edit]
Be daring. Be bold. Best of luck.
