Honorable Mention – Boy on the Moon (USA)

Title: Boy on the Moon
Runtime: 10 min
Country: USA
Director: Sam Friedman
Placement: Honorable Mention
Competition: September, 2020

Synopsis: After a long night of partying and a narrow escape from a risky encounter, Ollie and Demsky come to terms with a tragedy from their past.

FILMMAKER Q&A – Jake Lubin – Writer, Producer, Actor

GS: What was the inspiration for your film?

JL: Conversations, emotions, and experiences from my time as a teenage boy served as the inspiration for this film.

GS: When did you conceive the idea for your film and how long did it take before it was realized?

JL: I conceived the idea for this film when Covid first began, back in about March or April I’d say, and I began to write it. We spent about 3 months working on it and then released it mid-August.

GS: What was the most challenging aspect of working in a short film format?

JL: The most challenging aspects of writing a short film are making every line count; relating every moment and every word of dialogue back to a central theme. In the short film format, you don’t have much space to work with – so you’ve got to keep your audience captivated.

GS: What was the most challenging aspect of your production?

JL: The most challenging part of production was probably filming in absolute darkness. We had to come up with interesting and practical ways using location scouting and cinematography techniques to really nail the lighting, and I think we ultimately did a really great job.

GS: Do you have any advice for first-time filmmakers?

JL: Make every word and every moment count for something central. Think logically and like a problem solver, but also creatively. Don’t write a conversation about how good some pizza was – everything conversation must be about two things at once. Underlying themes, motives, and desires will keep the story moving and raise the stakes.