Viewers who tuned into CBCs competition last Saturday and caught s Hop the Twig would probably be surprised to learn 1) the ambitiously conceived and confidently executed piece is the experienced 麻豆传媒映画actors first effort as a writer-director and 2) he somehow managed to pull it off on a miniscule $1,000 budget.
Taking its title from the 18th Century slang equivalent for kick the bucket, Hop the Twig transports us back to a Gothic mansion where young Audrey (Emily Kozak) has just figured out that her mother (Kelly Metzger) will die one day. As she fixates on the various fates that might befall her mom, were treated to comically macabre vignettes rendered in varied visual styles and augmented by animated flourishes.
I did actually have a moment when I was younger, lying in bed and realizing, Oh my gosh... One day, my mother is going to pass away. It really terrified me, says Rideout, who readily admits that he didnt share his protagonists colourful imagination. I definitely embellished a lot there.
Somewhat surprisingly, a few of those embellishments came courtesy of Bard on the Beach. While starring as Romeo, Rideout and the actress playing Juliet killed time by cataloguing crazy ways of dying.
Of course, bringing these absurd death scenes to life required considerable resourcefulness on Rideouts part. We shot for seven days, which is a long time for a [10-minute] film. It was because it was shot over 30 locations, he shares. When Audrey was in her room and then goes down the hall to her moms room, thats three different houses all combined... The moms bedroom is my grandparents. The hallway is Hycroft. And then her bedroom is a church. Its amazing what you can do with film.
With two shorts to his credit (the other was Wait for Rain), Rideout has now set his sights on his first feature film: an 1800s psychological drama. The Short Film Faceoffs $40,000 grand prize (based on online votes) would certainly allay the costs associated with a period piece with animals and children and all the stuff that makes your budget increase.
But regardless of whether Hop the Twig walks away the winner, Rideout is confident that its prepared him well for the task that awaits. People tell me that this is the most expensive sort of film to make. But I say, Look at my first film. We can make it for cheaper.
Hop the Twig can be viewed at . Voting commences at 8pm on June 30 and is open for 24 hours.
The film was nominated for five Leo Awards and took home three: Best Production Design, Best Costume Design and Best VFX. The film also won Best Dark and Comic Short at the Okanagan Film Festival, named Film of the week by Exposure Films, and was nominated for Best International Short at the Beloit International Film Festival.
