SoP was a short film I put together over a weekend back in 2003. It’s one of those projects you just sit on forever and tinker with, but never finish. I has some time on my hands, so I finally got around to completing it.
The short is about a man who finds a baby on his doorstep and runs into a bit of trouble with his wife because of it. Kind of artsy. Let me know what you think.
Add comment January 12th, 2010
The Cuban Trade Embargo has been around now for nearly 50 years, which makes it the longest standing embargo in the history of the world. This status has made it a unique occurrence in our society, yet many people do not fully understand what the embargo is all about or why it even exists today. For many, it is an unimportant piece of foreign policy, always in sight, but never of any real consequence, that has no direct bearing on their everyday lives. Look back however, and it becomes easier to understand why the trade embargo continues to remain such a hotly debated topic.
The United States, unlike most every other part of the world, has enjoyed a copious amount of peace in our time. Since the Monroe doctrine in 1823, the United States has kept the rest of the world at arms length through sheer diplomacy and firepower, and unlike many of our peer countries, looking to find diplomatic enemies amongst our neighbors is difficult. We do not have rogue nation neighbors such as Iran or North Korea just off our borders. Countries such as Columbia and Nicaragua, while offering their own unique political challenges, just have not posed the implied threat to the American way of life that Cuba has over the years. This is a country, not 90 miles off our southern most boarder, that harbors a communist agenda, still maintains a network of spies within our country, sided with the cold war Soviets, froze American assets in Cuba in the 1950’s and 60’s, has caused numerous atrocities against its own citizens, and has stationed nuclear missiles within its borders aimed squarely at our nations capital. It is because of this shared history, forged in an atmosphere of mistrust, that the embargo remains a part of our public conscience.
In the last few years a lot has changed in the world. The Soviets have found democracy and their aging military engine has, like the arms race itself, come to a grinding halt. Communism itself has become more of a red herring than a red scare, with communist based regimes such as China and Korea becoming increasingly commercialized and integral to the world economy. The Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba has been slated to be returned to Cuba in January of 2010 according to President Obama and politicians are considering doing away with many of the policies that President Clinton put into practice back in 1992 such as limited travel restrictions to the country as well as the sending of monetary aid to families. Still the embargo is a stalwart reminder that public relations between our two countries still remains difficult; limiting United States trade with Cuban allied nations such as Russia as well as limiting the influx of goods and services into and out of Cuba itself. The country is, in effect, living in a bubble, where their culture and heritage have become separated, wholly or in part, from the rest of the world.
While making The Crisis, I was attempting to convey the idea of a Cuba trapped in political isolation, amidst which they have struggled to define themselves as a culture. In a country such as theirs, in which many of their citizens lives are dictated by a military regime in Fidel and Raul Castro, the idea that a mass introduction of a product such as cell phones, computers, or even something as seemingly innocent as Levis has so much potential to change their culture and attitudes that it could easily be interpreted as an act of aggression against their state. It is difficult to predict the outcomes of an act such as this, since being one of the poorest nations in the world, Cuba can barely afford these things for themselves. Introducing them would be an act of charity at best. An act of vandalism at worst. And it is under these uncertain conditions that we dare to dictate policy in a Cuba that still clings to a philosophy that remains mostly in the cold war.
Given time, many of the roadblocks to diplomatic relations will avail themselves. Still, the future is a bumpy road, with change coming too slowly for many, especially those who have come from Cuba or have family there. Attitudes in Cuba that have not budged since the 1950’s and that have limited discourse between our two countries still need to change as do the attitudes of the foreign officials that govern their policies. This is not just any island in the Caribbean, this is Cuba, and there is too much history there to be ignored.
Add comment December 14th, 2009
The trailer is up for The Crisis on Facebook. You can check it out below or check out the HD version on Youtube.
The short film entitled “The Crisis” is about a marketing agency planning a product drop into the small island nation of Cuba in the last thirteen hours before the Cuban Trade Embargo is officially removed by the president of the United States.
Add comment December 1st, 2009
I was able to scrounge up a few photos that our DP took throughout the shoot. We have a few more that we’ll try to get out while you’re waiting patiently for the trailer. We’ll keep you posted as things progress.
All of us hanging out between takes.
Setting up for a new take in the conference room.
Another angle on the conference room.
Yet another angle on the boardroom. The view was pretty amazing, though we didnt capitalize as much on the window as we would have liked. Lighting for a picture window is difficult to say the least. As Mario is fond of saying, "There's lots of Zebras."
Add comment October 22nd, 2009
I promised you a few outtakes, and here’s the first. Ray knocks over a model airplane during a dramatic scene in which he is being chastised by his his ex-love interest for being pig headed. It’s pretty fun.
Add comment October 19th, 2009
We took a few photos at the end of the shoot, though unfortunately we didn’t take any during the shoot. We were supposed to have a photographer one day but he wasn’t able to show up and I didn’t take the time to snap any. I’ll have to make a point of it for my next one. We do have a few outakes, so check back.
Cast on the last day of shooting (From Left: Ray Beasley, Jessica Rose Scott, Mary Helen Schmidt, Allie Munson)
That's me in the yellow.
And last but not least our excellent DP Mario.
Add comment October 11th, 2009
