FINITE revisited

I first crossed paths with Dusty & Eric a couple of years ago when they asked me to review their short film FINITE. Of course, I said I'd check it out. I just didn't know what to expect since neither of the guys had been to film school. To make a long story short, FINITE blew me away; and, to this day it's still one of my all-time favorite short films.

My initial review: http://www.leftfromhollywood.com/ (under the "You Asked For It" link)

Anyways, when I was going through some old boxes, I ran across a stack of old press kits from various screenings I had been to over the last couple of years and found my original FINITE notes. Wow. I had forgotten just how anal-retentive I was when I initially reviewed the film. I'm talking about 7 pages of handwritten notes dissecting it shot … by shot … by shot. There were even a few diagrams where I had sketched out the mise-en-scène (placement within the frame) of two separate sequences just to follow thematic elements. What's even more pathetic is the fact that I was only being that anal because I wanted to know the meaning behind one particular CGI effect used at the end of the film.

Even though it was interesting to go back and re-examine my thought process at the time, it also made me realize some of the other motifs I saw but failed to mention in the initial review: the importance of the color desaturation used, the white visual design, and the carefully worded dialogue. I even went back and watched the film again on YouTube (for the hundredth time) after I re-read the notes and I'm still impressed. So many filmmakers forget that it's the careful attention to small details like these that turn a good film into a great one.

FINITE is one of those rare films that packs an emotional punch, especially for anyone who has ever experienced a significant loss. Maybe I'm just a little more sensitive to the subject matter now that I've lost 3 people I cared about within 4 months of one another, but Dusty & Eric's little 9 minute film has definitely had some staying power with me.

Nice work guys.