A man has a disorder of following the visions of his dreams, but these visions may just merely be illusions.
That’s the amateur log line. Now let’s get into the nitty-gritty stuff.
I had never heard about this website until the FilmLocal Instagram commented on my page promoting this film. Thank you for that.
So greetings fellow filmmakers of the world. My name is Josh Greene, and I’ve revolved around the solar sun a little over 18 times, so I guess I must be 18 years old. I’m a senior at San Clemente High School. In the fall, I’m going to be attending USC’s School of Cinematic Arts with an emphasis in Film and Television Production, to pursue screenwriting and directing.
This was my last high school film assignment in my video production class, and likely the last serious film I’ll make before my departure in the fall. Reading through some other film articles on here, I may very well be one of the youngest creators to submit to the site. But don’t worry, I have a great film to prove my worth.
The assignment was to create an adapted short film, whether adapted from a short story, poem, etc. I chose song lyrics, and chose the lyrics to “Disorder” by Joy Division. What started as an adaptation soon turned into a loose inspiration as the film began to deviate away from the vague song lyrics.
The premise all traces back to an idea I was delving into of combining the Dream World with the Real. How did I do this? Well, you definitely won’t find out in the trailer, but you will when the film comes out. And in a world where films tend to lack experimentation, I hope you, the viewers, see that I possibly attempted something unique.
Going into this project, I knew I wanted to make something… different. Something a bit more out there. Something that’ll make audiences sit back, scratch their head, and go “hmm…” as they ponder the meaning behind the madness. It’s surrealist cinema if you ask me. There’s definitely a strong touch of existentialism and optimistic nihilism as influenced by the recent texts of my 12th grade IB Literature class. I also felt inspired by early 20th century disillusionment and surrealist art. There’s even some social commentary on the American Dream, if you dig deep enough.
I’ve been making movies my whole life. It got real serious in high school. During my freshmen and sophomore years, I spent a lot of time capturing the culture of my city through surfing and skateboarding movies. As my ambitions began to develop, I soon transitioned into more serious narratives. This was my way of looking back on all of that and combining both. As I prepare for my grand exodus from my suburban town to college in the Fall, I wanted this film to stand as my last suburban statement. Thus, I tried to capture the essence of the grunge-y surf culture that encompassed my upbringings.
Also, this is probably the most work I’ve ever put into sound design. Furthermore, my writing ability has proved effective, but this time, I feel as though I really stepped up my directing game. I got the camera moving more, got the characters to “live,” a bit more. This is one of the first films I’ve made that I can sit back and actually watch with some sense of pride. Then again, it’s all a learning experience. I’m forever a student of the craft.
Some of you might not understand this film, and that’s fine; all I can ask is that you watch with an open mind and create your own meaning.
The film comes out May 29th when I premiere it at a local film festival. It’s nonlinear. It’s three acts. It’s B&W and color combined. It’s awesome. Thanks for your time.
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