The dream of every creative is to see their idea brought into the world. Yet the process of getting something from starting line to finish line can be anything but a straight shot. Ask an artist, filmmaker, or anyone in entertainment, and they’ll all concur. For a variety of reasons, the process can be drawn out, delayed, very nearly cancelled or worse. But with luck, patience and perseverance, a dream realized is worth all the agony. That brings us to today’s guest. You could say that a fifteen year journey to craft a seven-minute animated short film is a long run for a short slide. But if that was the…
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Interview…Director Parker Croft and Composer Mandy Hoffman on ‘As Easy As Closing Your Eyes’
We at GoSeeTalk really love short films. Why? Well, it’s because we appreciate the art to telling a story in a concise way. After all, it was Shakespeare who famously said, “brevity is the soul of wit.” But beyond entertainment, these projects can serve as a means to tell a larger story, so a short can be a glimpse into that world, or maybe just a proof of concept. Hell, even Encino Man did it that way. Now, more seriously, this hyper-focused look at the important/essential beats showcases the core of the narrative, and why say something in ten words when you can do it in four, right? While that…
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Interview…Alden Ehrenreich and Natalie Metzger on ‘Shadow Brother Sunday’
One of the most enjoyable perks in film journalism is getting to talk to creative individuals about their work. On this site we’ve been fortunate enough to meet with numerous storytellers; we love taking deep dives with the talent at hand to find what inspires them. Some of the best interviews are ones that yield behind-the-scenes stories, triumphs and lessons learned. All in all, the road to bring any production to the public is a long one – but it can certainly be fun. And that’s why people in film consider the work an all-or-nothing pursuit. Last week, we had a kitchen sink discussion with Alden Ehrenreich. He’s been working…
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Interview…Director Elijah Allan-Blitz on Brie Larson, Ideas and Dreams in ‘Remembering’
Where do ideas come from? And where do they go when they’re forgotten? Well, leave it to Elijah Allan-Blitz to throw his hat in the ring and give us an infinitely charming short called Remembering. This endearing and inspiring effort shows the kind of big-picture concepts running through the Emmy award-winning director’s mind. The short film should leave all viewers clamoring for more – if not for a deeper dive into this captivating concept but just more time in this world. Good news is that in our interview Allan-Blitz told us that, yes, this is a proof of concept exercise that could dive deeper into plenty of trades/professions/creatives. Huzzah! This…
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Interview…Director Cyrus Neshvad on ‘The Red Suitcase’
Director Cyrus Neshvad’s The Red Suitcase is a heartbreaking story of a 16-year-old Iranian girl who is visibly terrified after picking up her red suitcase at the airport. She is seen to be lost in thought and taking her time to leave the departure lounge. What awaits her on the other side of the automatic doors is even more daunting than we thought. In the story, Neshvad uses the narrative as a metaphor for things the main character Ariane (stunningly played by Nawelle Ewad) faces culturally and personally; she does not accept how things are, the life her parents gave her, or the traditions that exist in her own country.…
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Interview…Aneil Karia on Riz Ahmed and ‘The Long Goodbye’
What’s more powerful: words or actions? Usually it’s the latter, yet in the case of Aneil Karia and Riz Ahmed’s brilliant and sobering short film, the former shines ever brighter and clearer. The Long Goodbye is a personal statement from the two above-mentioned entertainers, and an incredibly pointed narrative. Just a mere 11 minutes, and you are thrust into a world of experiences that many social groups have had to endure for generations. To say this is powerful doesn’t give it enough weight. But simply, it does the job because it is true. Karia uses sharp visuals – mostly editing and natural light – to convey an accurate portrayal that,…
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Interview…Murad Abu Eisheh on Truthfulness and Importance of ‘Tala’vision’
Ahead of the nominations for this year’s Academy Awards, we got to speak with a highly talented young director about his powerful short film. This project is written and directed by Murad Abu Eisheh (who is in his third year of film school) who was inspired to write Tala’vision after he came across an article about ISIS banning televisions in Syria 2014. The film highlights Tala’s struggle trying to live her childhood in a war zone. This heart-wrenching film won the Gold Student Academy Award, thus qualifying it to be considered for a 2022 Oscar. The Jordanian director earned his bachelor’s degree in Visual Communications and Design with a focus…
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Interview…’PostHuman’ Directors Cole Drumb and Jen Luk
Editor’s Note: This interview took place at the 2012 Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX. It has been republished to coincide with the 2013 San Diego Comic Con where directors Cole Drumb and Jen Luk will be screening PostHuman. Action anime isn’t something that American animation studios make all that often. Inspired by Akira and a slew of other seminal sci-fi titles, Jen Luk and Cole Drumb set out to create a modern rendition of what Heavy Metal was back in the 80’s. The duo has crammed so much awesome content into a 6 minute short that once you see PostHuman you will want to see so much more, trust us.…
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Ohhh, Look…John Kahrs' Oscar-Nominated Animated Short 'Paperman' On-Line NOW!!
Apon seeing it for the first time last September, when it was shown at Fantastic Fest of all places, I became a HUGE fan of John Kahrs’ animated short film Paperman. It’s an incredibly sweet, heart-warming short and a throw back to the days of classic Disney animation. Yet what makes Kahrs’ short so unique is that it’s the first project to use this groundbreaking new computer technology. Likened, roughly to rotoscoping, the animators are able to wrap a 2D image/sketch around a dynamic 3D frame giving each pencil stroke and texture incredible depth and a free flowing look. In short, lines stretch and bend organically retaining the character of the animator’s…
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Exclusive: Interview…Disney Animator & ‘Paperman’ Director John Kahrs
Editor’s Note: This interview was held following the animated short film sequence back in September at the 2102 Fantastic Fest. We held on to this to coincide with its screening ahead of Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph which opens Friday November 2nd. Part passion project, part experiment, Disney animator John Kahrs‘ short film Paperman is a wonderful combination of traditional 2D animation and CG. This hybrid style (achieved by creating CG animatics and then laying 2D drawings over those polygons) yields something that has the look of traditional hand drawn animation but moves with the fluidly of CG. Sounds simple but apparently it’s a lot of work. However, looking at the end result, it has the potential to be a…
