Bad Animals

The beauty of this 3 minute short is its simplicity. It sets out to create a single conflict that escalates into something that becomes engaging albeit ridiculous. It's also a great sample of what someone can do with little to no resources.

Obviously shot in the north valleys of Los Angeles on, say, a Sunday morning, the shots are most likely stolen (ie: no permits pulled) and the ancillary characters (extras) most likely just real people. What unfolds is clever and a sound example of the element of plot. There's little character in this piece as we're unsure what exactly the protagonist wants other than to be left alone, but the plot builds and with it the tension. What's onscreen remains true to the world its created, and this is a major plus in creating non-realistic short films.

Any longer than 3 minutes and this tale would be soggy and unsustainable, but the plot builds in tension and the ending is over the top ridiculous. It's not so much funny as it is strange but also quite clever. As a sample of plot for students setting out to write and produce their first manageable short film, this is a solid effort and one worth your three minutes to review. <<