Read More: Watch: Alex Karpovsky is a Medical Method Actor for Dylan Baker in Acclaimed Short 'Actor Seeks Role' Billed as the first ever narrative film shot entirely using moonlight, "Refuge" is a short sci-fi thriller directed by Sam Shapson. Shapson shot it with 51,200 Iso, using Sony a7 cameras with Canon Cinema Prime lenses and Atomos Shogun 4K recorders. Obviously due to the incredibly low lighting, the images appear grainy, though it gives the film an attractive low-budget horror aesthetic and makes for some beautiful shots. The film itself deals with three biological researchers working on an off-world biosphere, though they find things are working in a bizarre way. First, the plants seem to be rapidly evolving and then it turns out some kind of alien parasite is infecting and controlling people, a la "The Thing" and "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." The tension grows, ending up in a standoff that,...
- 6/26/2015
- by Ethan Sapienza
- Indiewire
Grab a box of tissues, and get ready for a good cry. Sam Shapson and A.J. Sheeran’s short film The Treehouse is an emotional sci-fi-tinged tale that is sure to tug at the heartstrings. Matt and Angela share a tragic past, and both neighborhood kids want to see their mothers again. But it takes Angela’s intergalactical solution to help Matt come to a greater place of understanding. The story is transformed from a tale of loss into a tale of empathy. The Treehouse is a real passion project, funded through Kickstarter and the filmmakers’ own savings. They made the short during university several years ago, but it’s just now finding its way online. The movie is touching enough on its own, but we could totally see someone picking this one up for a...
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- 10/1/2014
- by Alison Nastasi
- Movies.com
"The Treehouse" tells the stirring story of a 12-year-old boy who just lost his mom. He meets a little girl in his time of mourning who introduces herself as an alien, and she tells him that her spaceship can help find his mom. The short was directed by Sam Shapson from a script written by A.J. Sheeran, and it's really quite a beautiful and sweet story. They managed to raise $5,000 on Kickstarter to make the film, and here's what the director had to say about it:
"The Treehouse is a story very close to me (me being the writer (the writer being A.J. Sheeran)). My childhood was a battle between two opposing forces: My desire to fit in and my desire to be a rebellious outcast. Hence, the characters: Matt, the boy who wants blend with the crowd, and Angela, the girl who keeps to herself because the crowd has pushed her out.
"The Treehouse is a story very close to me (me being the writer (the writer being A.J. Sheeran)). My childhood was a battle between two opposing forces: My desire to fit in and my desire to be a rebellious outcast. Hence, the characters: Matt, the boy who wants blend with the crowd, and Angela, the girl who keeps to herself because the crowd has pushed her out.
- 9/18/2014
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Shorts Program # 4: Thrillers plays as part of the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase Tuesday July 10th at 9:45pm at The Tivoli Theater, 6350 Delmar Blvd. We Are Movie Geeks was only able to watch three of the films in advance.
Fit to Burst directed by Sean Tiffin is a 6 minute short about a man who’s having trouble urinating while at a fancy dinner. A fellow diner ridicules him until he “bursts”. It’s a funny punch-line short that should have played with the comedies. The chief pleasure of Fit To Burst is in watching the main character. The actor never overplays the role, opting for a low-key approach that makes the one scene where he boils over all the more effective. A lot of heart goes into the performance. Very well cast with an interesting use of sound. The Traveler directed by Richard Taylor is a 7 minute short about a selfish,...
Fit to Burst directed by Sean Tiffin is a 6 minute short about a man who’s having trouble urinating while at a fancy dinner. A fellow diner ridicules him until he “bursts”. It’s a funny punch-line short that should have played with the comedies. The chief pleasure of Fit To Burst is in watching the main character. The actor never overplays the role, opting for a low-key approach that makes the one scene where he boils over all the more effective. A lot of heart goes into the performance. Very well cast with an interesting use of sound. The Traveler directed by Richard Taylor is a 7 minute short about a selfish,...
- 7/10/2012
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The annual St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase is a great way to support the many local filmmakers who practice their art in our area. Cinema St. Louis, our city’s non-profit cinema-related event planning group, will present The Whitaker St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase July 8-12. This is the 12th annual presentation, which serves as the area’s primary venue for films made by local artists. The Showcase screens works that were written, directed, edited, or produced by St. Louis natives or films with strong local ties. The 16 film programs that screen at the Tivoli from July 8-12 serve as the Showcase’s centerpiece. The programs range from full-length fiction features and documentaries to multi-film compilations of fiction and documentary shorts. Many programs include post-screening Q&As with filmmaker. It all ends with a closing-Night Awards Party Thursday July 12th sponsored by Stella Artois from 8 p.m. to midnight at Blueberry Hill‘s Duck Room,...
- 6/25/2012
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
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