By Keri O’Shea
The majority of short films which we encounter are put together, in the broadest sense, to entertain. More often that not, this means that they have a tale to tell, however brief it may be. However, this isn’t the only way to use the medium of the short film at all, and in the following two shorts directed by filmmaker Jeremiah Kipp, there’s a little of two different approaches. In the first of the films we have for you, Crestfallen (2011), there is some evidence of a story arc but no conventional development or resolution. The result is a very economical, yet visually impressive five minute film.
Crestfallen (2011) from Codebreaker Productions on Vimeo.
The nameless woman at the hub of the film is represented as a person in turmoil, but it’s not immediately obvious why – at first all you really see of her is the prelude to, and then a strangely painterly suicide attempt, a scene which is deliberated over by the camera. In fact, and surprisingly, the suicide bid is the most painterly moment in this very painterly short film – Shipp even conflates the character’s blood-soaked limbs with a sex scene, so quickly does it follow on from the earlier scene. Can a suicide be picturesque? It looks that way here, which some folk may find problematic. It’s a bold move to make the film dialogue-free too – or rather, sound-free, as lines are obviously being spoken but remain unheard, and the reveal of what has driven the central character to her actions is very subtly done.
Crestfallen is not a story as such; it’s more of a snapshot, albeit strikingly well-presented. The Harry ‘Friday the 13th’ Manfredini soundtrack lends weight to proceedings too, sounding for all the world like Angelo Badalamenti’s work on Twin Peaks to me. I can’t call this entertainment as such, and I would usually prefer a punchline, but nonetheless there is much to respect here. Even less of a conventional film, though, is the second of Shipp’s films which we are featuring here – Drool (2011)…
Drool from Slick Devil Entertainment on Vimeo.
Drool is a film which has not come any form of plot, character or action; instead, this is a more like a performance art reel. And there really is a fetish for everything, eh? Here we have two people who seem to enjoy (or are they enjoying?) writhing around in spit. Each to their own and all. Shipp himself terms this ‘experimental’, and you get the impression that the purpose here is to showcase some nifty camera work and interesting visual material, without taking too much of an interest in anything else. Does it generate atmosphere? Yes. Would it have an interest for most horror fans? Probably not, generally speaking, so I’d definitely recommend the first of these two shorts. However, this is just a small selection, and Shipp also has an extensive filmography to his name, so if you’re keen to see what else he can do, be sure to check out his website.
http://kippfilms.com