It’s been the question for a few weeks now. ”When are you going to release your film?” Followed closely by “Where can I see it?” I want to share with you a little bit about why these are such tough questions for me to answer.
Short films don’t fit into the standard definition for entertainment. They aren’t a “funny video” you can put on YouTube, or a music video. They aren’t a series, a full length feature film, a commercial for anything, or part of a longer compilation (at least not usually). They are like a short story: a totally encapsulated little experience, like a perfect one of a kind handmade chocolate, meant to be savored.
So where can you see these things? Well they are all over the internet, mostly on VIMEO because Vimeo allows you to down and upload a higher resolution picture and when you’ve shot something on high quality digital, like with the RED camera, you want the audience to see the prettiest picture possible. Sometimes they end up on YouTube, and other times on neat little websites like SHORT OF THE WEEK.
“So what’s the point of making a short?” is a whole other conversation, but it can be anything from a first time director getting their feet wet, to a passion project. A lot of people make shorts so they can get into a big festival and start meeting agents and distributors who might take an interest in what else they have to make.
I am not one of those people.
I made this as a labor of love right out of my heart (and, I might add, wallet). It’s a love song to NYC, to my wild youth, to crazy people I have known that changed my life, to being raw, to innocence, to friendship, to true hearts, to broken hearts, and to the pain of having to deal with the hardest parts of life when you are very, very young… as I did.
Still, I have to answer to the film now. What does it want? Where does it want to be seen? Well it wants everything, I am afraid. It wants to be seen by all of the people on the Internet all over the world and wouldn’t mind going to a few festivals, too. It’s a damn cheeky little film and I blame the unicorn.
The good news is, I have just found out is that I can release the film online and still have it qualify for many very highly regarded festivals. So that is VERY good news. It means I can release it sooner than later.
I want you to know that I am NOT going to charge you to see this movie AND there will be no ads. There will only be a “TIP JAR” button at the bottom of the page where you watch it (on VIMEO) and through that button you can give or not give whatever you can afford or feel compelled to (I promise I am not going to judge you either way.) The only reason I am putting out the TIPJAR is because I used my entire income made so far on AMC so far to make this movie.
THAT’S how much I believe in it.
No matter what, the thrill has been in the making of the art itself. If it offends you, I apologize. If you love it, I thank you. If you want to talk to me about making another film, I am already on it (and if you want to contribute funds, by all means, shoot me an email.) But I will only do it out of love, not for money, not for power, not to manipulate, or get on a soapbox to tell other people how to live/act/think. Believe it or not, that’s my plan and I plan on sticking to it.
And I guess that is why people make short films.
