Ed Lilly's short film entry to the Virgin Media Shorts competition encapsulates the above quandary superbly whilst making you cringe or smile. Making a short film is difficult enough but engaging your audience and taking them along for the ride whether it be horror, drama or comedy is the Holy Grail of short film-making you have but 2-3 minutes to bring your audience into a made up world and ask them to engage in a scenario and have emotional buy in as well to ensure a pay off.
Of the 3 (horror, Drama or Comedy) comedy has to be the most difficult horror and drama has crutches like blood, shock, black & white film or dark ambient music. whilst comedy relies on actor's expression and timing to pull it off. I'm in awe of Ed's stylings with little more than a handful of actors and 2 locations he has created a scenario that engages. Three Little Words and She Farted And Created The World… have to be my favourite films of the shortlisted 12 to win the Virgin Media Shorts competition.
There seems to be lots of support from real players in the industry to champion undiscovered or unknown talent. For the Virgin medioa Shorts competion Virgin are ponying up a £30,000 prize to be used to make a film as well as the opportunity for your work to be judged by some star talent like Kevin Spacey, Gemma Arterton, Noel Clarke and Daniel Barber as well as many others. I hope the support doesn't dry up moving forward.
Has there ever been a better time to be a filmmaker in the UK?
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