Fridays AdLab is brought to us from the Milan Film Festival. This teaser for a short film which brings together an interesting mix of concept and execution... Check it out: filmgood.sm/en/milano-film-festival-je-ne-suis-pas-un-grand-acteur/ Written and Directed by Jean-Guillaume Bastien (Les Films 4C Productions, Quebec) Among the participants at the Milan Film Festival, which closed on 14 September, a short film stands out as a striking example of how two highly visible shooting techniques (‘handheld’ and ‘single continuous take’) highlight the central theme of the story, the fragility of a stage actor. Directed by French-Canadian Jean-Guillaume Bastien, Je ne suis pas un grand acteur is a twenty-minute continuous take, the duration of the film coinciding with the timescale of the story, communicating a sense of stage fright based on personal insecurity. Every evening Thomas plays the part of a Commedia dell’Arte Harlequin. He arrives at the theatre only twenty minutes before curtain up to dress and make-up before going on stage. But he is oppressed by the fear of mediocrity, by a sensation of solitude both on stage and in his life. The single continuous take, with five invisible cuts, is shot entirely handheld, the camera following Thomas from his arrival at the theatre to his elaborate bow as the curtain rises. With its inherent unsteadiness and sense of urgency, the handheld camera conveys the stress and tension of the protagonist. It is a sort of ‘transferred POV shot’, with the camera always following Thomas, never anticipating his actions. Often the single continuous take can be overwhelming and exhibitionist, while the story takes second place: the ballet between actor and cameraman becomes its raison d’etre. Bastien, however, uses it as a countdown to curtain up. A few minutes into the film, the viewer realizes that there are no cuts and no escape from the tension that he shares with the protagonist, breathing in his state of mind. Thomas lacks self-esteem. He feels an impostor. It is only when he is concealed by his Harlequin mask that he feels self-confident. At the same time, and despite the sense of melancholy that superficially pervades the film, the story is a declaration of the love of the director for the theatre and its interpreters. “Actors are courageous and fascinating people. Performance is a very fragile art. Each actor has his own way to find the right balance between emotions and physicality. I simply admire them. I find them brave and beautiful.” https://vimeo/83001667
Posted on: Fri, 19 Sep 2014 11:13:45 +0000
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