Friday

Saman Kesh's "Controller" Picked up by Fox

We at the DIY Film Fest like to honor and celebrate DIY Filmmakers when they knock one out of the park.

Saman Kesh is a filmmaker who has taken his talents in DIY Filmmaking to the next level.

And his "Proof of Concept" film has just been picked up for development at Fox.

"Whiplash" - the multiple award winning film was developed through the Sundance lab, beginning as a short film and then developed into a feature. It's known as a "Proof of Concept" but that term is a catchphrase from the people who bought it - it's just a good short film to begin with.

Whiplash 2013 Short Film by patates-puresi
(Here's the original short film for "Whiplash" at 18 mins by director Damien Chazelle)

It's a new world that has opened up for the DIY Filmmaker as studios are now looking for, interested in, and working with filmmakers who make a "Proof of Concept" short films that could be enlarged into feature film form. In fact some producers are asking for, insisting upon a filmmaker creating a "Proof of Concept" for their idea, as it makes it that much easier to sell. 

It doesn't have to win film festivals, as we'll see from the film below.  It just has to be good. 

The idea is to shoot a scene from the film that displays what the overall concept of the story is, but the scene or short film plays as a story itself.  (Which good writing usually does).

So if you're thinking of making a larger picture, but can't afford to put your vision the way you see it into a larger film at the moment, the trend (in Hollywood anyway) is to pour all your efforts into the ten-twenty minute short film which will serve as a "Proof of Concept."  The benefit is that you get to work out the bugs of the story, as well as explore avenues that might not have made it into the film.

Without further ado, or adieu, here is Saman Kesh's proof of concept film "Controller" which has been picked up by Fox Studios.  It's really fun to watch and easy to understand why it will soon be a major motion picture.  Good luck to all you DIY Filmmakers and thanks to Saman for posting it on Vimeo!





CONTROLLER (控制者) from Saman Kesh on Vimeo.

No comments: