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Title: Chance(s)
Runtime: 7 min
Country: Canada
Director: Danny Kai Mak
Placement: Honorable Mention
Competition: June, 2016
Synopsis: Theo is waiting for someone. His friend, Nadine, chances by him. A curious conversation starts. The two discuss in abstract ways, as though displaced in time and space; these discussions revolve around the notions of living, and of waiting. Eventually, Candice, the one Theo has been waiting for, shows up. Theo leaves with his date, leaving Nadine alone to stare after them.
OR: What was the inspiration for your film?
DKM: The genesis of the film came from an experience of habitual waiting. I’m often the first one to arrive for social engagements, and so there is a kind of anxious anticipation; will people arrive? Am I in the wrong place? This element of uncertainty matched with an old idea that I had, where kindness goes unrewarded, or at least inadvertently ignored.
OR: When did you conceive the idea for your film and how long did it take before it was realized?
DKM: The specific iteration of the idea which turned into the project came as an attempt at a film competition, which we ultimately elapsed. After recognizing that its running length rendered it ineligible, it was simply a matter of transitioning the project from a restricted timeline to one more suitable for a fully realized idea. It took two days to write the first and final drafts, two days of location shooting and nine intermittent months to edit the film.
OR: What was the most challenging aspect of working in a short film format?
DKM: Efficiency is most likely one of the more challenging aspects of the short film format, along with clarity and completeness of story. Some ideas, stories, have so much potential and such a necessity for context that they are difficult to encapsulate within a short amount of time. Luckily, “Chance(s)” is a fairly straightforward film, although one might argue that its abstract themes might probe the ambiguities of these characters’ unspoken-of biographies.
OR: What was the most challenging aspect of your production?
DKM: Controlling our environment was definitely the most pressing of our concerns during production. Shooting in a public space, we had little influence over the foot and vehicular traffic surrounding our chosen location, and so a lot of set time was spent trying to mitigate the effect that has on our final product. Dionne Copland, our videographer, captured a lot of the distractions which arose, that ranges from cars and people passing by, to the sounds of a lawnmower or a starting pistol from a nearby district track meet. None of this, of course, you see or hear in the film. In that reality, there are all of two people in the world.
OR: Do you have any advice for first-time filmmakers?
DKM: Find a reliable, mutually assuring team of collaborators to share your passions with. Although technical ability and the robust equipment to exercise that ability are complements which enable you to express your vision better, there are few things more important than trust, belief and respect. The value of a supportive team is immeasurable, and I have had the great pleasure of working with some very talented people who understand my vision, and appreciate my approach. Turner Stewart, the Director of Photography for “Chance(s)”, is a friend I’ve worked with on multiple occasions; there is nothing quite like the lightning-fast intuition that comes with a truly great working relationship.