Story: It was this random Christmas tree ornament that became the elaborate treasure and reward in my short the Gizmo Tree. Just a piece of plastic that hung heavy side down on a cheap holiday display . . . I saw it and instantly thought that it would make a perfect prop for some future project. It didn't inspire the Gizmo Tree, but it seemed fitting for the fantasy element of the movie and made up for the faulty gift plot line - somewhere in the rush of writing the project it was included for the extra novelty and punchline. To this day, the 'jumbo diamond' as I excitedly referred to it in Gizmo, still sits on my desk as a reminder of the project.
It's just what mainstream audiences were crying out for, another one of my art shorts! I'm joking of course. As pretentious as the title may sound, I'm not really making any sweeping claims or revelations about my own mortality other than the fact that, like everyone else, I will eventually die.
My death, as you likely assumed was the focus in I Was Dead, felt like a captivating subject for a new art short mainly because of how pointless it seems for me to think about it right now. Being so enamored with getting my life started is far more relevant, and clearly more uplifting then worrying about checking out.
Still, I think we all wonder how we'll be viewed when we're gone, and I became intrigued with the idea of what someone might say if they were visiting my tombstone. Will anyone even visit? What day of the week will I die on? Would this blog post seem more meaningful somehow? The concept of the short was based on the illusion of visiting my own grave site - trying to imagine how I'd reflect on my life and comprehend not existing anymore if it were actually possible to be there after I'd passed.
Last year I had shot a bunch of random footage on my little Samsung cam in the hopes of using some of it for my split screen experiments. Until now nothing ever came of this graveyard footage, but I remembered how beautiful some of it was and thought it would make a nice edit. The 'Fandrich' tombstone is my Grandpas, but seriously thinking of it as my own felt incredibly unnerving.
I Was Dead is an eerie but poignant personal edit, that in my view, presents a stark view of individual mortality and our craving to understand it. We'll all be gone at some point, but to what degree does that mean the end? How will you be remembered?
Folks, we're now halfway through the Yobi.tv Filmmaking Contest semi-finals, and my movie, The Gizmo Tree has progressed from one of 30 films, to one of 15 films in the running for a grand prize of over $10,000 for best film. I'm now only 2 weekly rounds away from reaching the finals!
Thank you to all of you who have voted so far and helped me advance to the next round. I'd be lying if I didn't admit how exciting it is seeing my short advance yet again, and seeing it rise in popularity (now over 32,000 views). Take a moment to visit my contest profile to watch my short, to vote again, or to vote for the first time - this videomaker would really appreciate it! Also, if you've let anyone else know about my short, pass on the good news and remind them to cast another vote.
To cast a vote for the Gizmo Tree: 1. Visit Yobi.tv and use your email address to join the site. 2. Once logged in, simply visit my Gizmo Tree Contest Profile. 3. Click the THUMBS UP under my movie. That's it!
Once again, you can watch my promo video for the Gizmo Tree below to see how all this started, for instructions on how to vote, and to help me promote my short in the Yobi Film Contest. Thanks for your effort everyone now please, GO VOTE.
