From the moment the film begins, the viewer is treated to rich, stunning visuals. A strumming guitar sets the stage for the desert surroundings. A closeup of ants shows an ideal of unity that is broken in the reality of regular existence. A.L.I.C.E. (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) grips the audience via music, dialogue, and nuance as a husband and his young wife cope with the onset of Alzheimer's and the presence of an attractive new young man who enters their lives. The tale is told in approximately fifteen short minutes, but might leave you thinking for decades.
The Technology Behind the Short Film
In an email interview, director Dawn Westlake, who also directed The Imp in the City, stated that she felt really fortunate to have the full support of Canon USA, Inc. in the camera department. The filming team had two 5Ds and a 7D at their disposal. The 5D in particular really 'blows up' facial expressions. Not only did Westlake have their fabulous HDSLR technology and fine lenses, but she had a DP (Francesco Uboldi) and a Second Unit Photographer (Brandon Bondehagen) who both really knew how to get the most out of the equipment.
Working with the Canon gear and having department heads who really knew what they were doing with it reinforced the lesson “Don’t act. Be.” which Westlake learned in 1995 from Jeff Perry of Steppenwolf-West, a scene study teacher. The other actors and Westlake were really helped in their performances by having to be extremely subtle for cameras that picked up the smallest details.
Expressing Real Emotion for Film Festivals
When you make a short for the film festival circuit, you have to pack a lot of emotion into a little space, yet do it realistically. Westlake has a gift for delving into tricky human emotions that are appropriate not only for the characters, but also all humanity. She teams together the “Don’t act. Be.” concept with the principle of “Yes, and...” taught to her by improv teacher David Razowsky. Westlake adds:
I find that both schools of thought work in tandem to help me get to the crux of conflict and resolution between characters. Another thing in my 'arsenal' is just a quote that I keep at eye-level at my desk. It's by the photographer Diane Arbus. She once said about her creations, "The more specific you are, the more general it will be." Meaning, to me at least, that if your characters speak in specific, honest voices, more people will relate to them because we are more alike in our needs and desires than we are different. Finally, another good piece of advice was from Al Hall, the producer of "The Bozo Show" on WGN-TV where I was a writer for a couple of years. Sometimes he'd mark my scripts up with "Less talk. More action." We do have to remember that tv and film are visual media. A gesture, an expression, a way of behaving can all be much more powerful, interesting and efficient in telling a story than a lot of 'blah, blah, blah'. In fact, with words, we often lie. Actions are usually pretty honest.
Info for Dawn Westlake Fans
Following Westlake’s career is almost as exciting as watching the films themselves. Right now she is going to try to continue to work on her "Over a Cheever" series. This particular short film highlights the talents of: Joey D'Auria, Aketza Lopez, David Razowsky, Francesco Uboldi, Brandon Bondehagen, Gregory Johnson, Fred Stuben and Teresa Pilar Huarte, and Tim Smith of Canon USA, Inc.
There are three possibilities for the "next" one. As you wait, though, you can see her previous films that are inspired by either Cheever's personality quirks, such as in her 2008 film Project Ion, or by stories he wrote, such as her 2009 film, The Catalyst. You can view the trailer for A.L.I.C.E., too. If, like me, you can’t get enough of Westlake’s work, you can view a compilation of her work on her single Seven & Seven DVD or check out her website to learn all about her films.
Christine Pollock - Christine Pollock loves to tell people that she watches TV for a living - a true fact that’s also appreciated by her ...
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