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Title: Since There’s No Help
Runtime: 12 min
Country: USA
Director: Seth Imperial
Placement: Honorable Mention
Competition: June, 2022
Synopsis: After his girlfriend kicks him out of the house, a man desperate for money and a place to live decides to participate in a Government experiment that allows him to travel back into his past memories and relationship.
OR: What was the inspiration for your film?
SI: One of the biggest inspirations for my film is definitely “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)”. I was so intrigued on how they told the story of relationships and chose that to be the focus of the film: what if you had the chance to view your relationship through a spectator point of view? What would you now realize? Other titles included that inspired this film are “Black Mirror: Playtest” and “The Last Five Years”.
OR: When did you conceive the idea for your film and how long did it take before it was realized?
SI: I conceived the idea in my screenwriting class in college. I immediately knew I wanted to tell the story of a relationship, but in a non-traditional way. I actually came up with the ending first and structured the film to get there.
OR: What was the most challenging aspect of working in a short film format?
SI: The most challenging part is the time constraint. There are some things I had to remove from the original script in order to meet the time limit, but in the end it really helped with what I truly needed to include to get my story across. It may even enhanced the film in the process.
OR: What was the most challenging aspect of your production?
SI: Production for the most part actually went smoothly, but I would say the lighting was definitely one of the most challenging. Setting it up and figuring it out, especially the red door, definitely took some time. But my gaffer, Joey D’Andrea, killed it.
OR: Do you have any advice for first-time filmmakers?
SI: Do not be afraid to go above and beyond when writing/creating your film. Write and create about what you want and figure out the technical aspects later. Never sacrifice your creativity to be practical! In fact, use practicality as a way to even be more creative.