ATL Film Fest said our film was a comedy. News to us.

https://vimeo.com/40846220

Let me know your thoughts,

T

puckhead193 said:

definitely not a comedy
Very well done! Good luck at the Film Festival. Mind sharing a few details about the production?

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Thanks. I am not sure what details you'd like to hear but we shot the film entirely on the Canon 7d in Athens, Buford, and Atlanta, GA. We put the taxi in the back of a car-uhaul, and towed it around the city block. We were lucky enough to have a crane donated, and found a university parking lot in the city by the road to stick it in.

Most of the credit goes to the fantastic crew that worked for free. Our gaffer and grip were especially amazing for rigging up the lights and tinting the car windows to even out the lighting (inside of the car is very dark compared to the bright exteriors). I also have to credit the production designer/art director for finding a yellow taxi in Atlanta. That was surprisingly difficult to find.

Finally, our actors were wonderful. It was in the middle of summer last year when we filmed it, and because of sound, we couldnt turn the AC on except between takes. They not only were a joy to work with, but I think gave great performances.

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whdigital said:

Very nicely done and poignant to say the least. The first 90 seconds or so is quite comedic and I think it sets up the story perfectly, but I wonder if that's what they based the category on?

Curious what your intent is with it... This kind of short would make for an excellent "Sermon Illustration" video in the contemporary christian market about priorities and focus.

Nice job and thanks for sharing!

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Thanks for the comments. The intent of the film was the same with any film we make - try to entertain and say something about the world around us. Its wonderful if someone of any religion or background can take something from it.

I am so pleased to hear that you felt it was poignant. I am terrified of melodrama and am not sure if we entirely escaped it.

Thanks again.

whdigital said:

Most definitely NOT "melodramatic" at all... I've watched it twice now and want to show it to others. This film strikes a really interesting chord between the child and the cabbie, both in the script and in the cinematography. It keeps growing on me!

This would be great to show to late teens surrounding a talk one the importance of priorities in one's life and and the importance of weighing your own against the realities of those around you. Maybe that's not what you were after, but I'm really loving that message in it, at least for me!

Thanks again for sharing...

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Thank you very much for your kind words. Please share the film with as many people as you can.

CHARLESJUDSON said:

I can answer why it was in the Comedy block.

Drama shorts 1 was focused on African/African American shorts and Drama Shorts 3 was all women directors. That left Drama Shorts 2 to slot Detour in. I could have programmed it there, however, the overall tone of the films didn't lineup with Detour. Some of the shorts in that block are darker in theme and content than Detour. I was pretty sure Detour wouldn't fit in with a film about serial killer family or a short that's centered around an abortion. So to make sure people enjoyed the film as much as possible, it made more sense to program it with some of the comedies.

One of the things we strive to do is to not put films in blocks where they don't fit. It can make for a poor viewing experience for audiences and filmmakers. Leaving people to draw the wrong conclusions about an otherwise great little film.

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Hey Charles!

Glad to hear from you. Our post was never meant to be an insult, we just thought it would provoke interest and curiosity on these forums. It was a fun thing for us to ponder, and the truth is we were honored to be selected in ANY category.

Thanks so much for explaining your rationale and we had an amazing time.

All the best!

T