On The Lot: Episode 6 (Fox Television)
On the cusp of being cancelled, due to continually sinking ratings, On The Lot hangs in with it’s weekly one hour episode. This week, not only do we get to see five new films, but we get to find out which of the five directors from last week gets voted off. Plus, we get another guest judge. This week it’s director David Frankel, mostly known for his TV work, and most recently The Devil Wears Prada.
Quickly into the start of the episode, the non-existing drama was cutting three of the five directors, leaving two. Of course they were Trever James and Hilary Graham, both who got low ratings last week. Of course it’s announced we won’t find out who leaves until the end of the episode. Boy do I love drama.
Another couple hints makes it appear that these films were made before the top 50 contestants were even picked. In fact, it appears these were the three minute films made in a week that picked the top 50.
In case you didn’t know, here’s how the audition process went. Out of 12,000 submissions a small number were called for an interview and a new assignment. That assignment was a three minute film to be done in a week. Out of these three minute films, the top 50 contestants were picked. If this is true, it shows just how unfair the show is. While I feel films technical qualities should not be the judge, I can’t speak for everyone. If one contestant is shooting on film and the other on video, one’s most likely going to look better. The regular viewer may think the digital short was just more poorly made than the other. There’s also the fact that many of these contestants had more resources than others.
Why are the contestants suddenly not making films? Is Fox worried about investing more in the show? Well, with the incredibly low ratings, getting lower each week, it would appear so. Let’s just enjoy the show while it lasts.
Here are this week’s films
Much like his one minute short, Hurt invests quite a bit in one thing. In his first film, he hoped drunken aliens were funny, and this week, he hopes revenge is. In this case, it’s not all that funny, mainly because it’s not enough time to get the full just of the revenge. Hunt does do a fine job directing his main actor, and the film’s almost dramatic tone almost helped it, but it didn’t quite succeed.
Love At First Shot (David May)
May succeeds again, mainly because he decided to approach an everyman situation. In this case, it’s the awkwardness of the dating world, and May explores it with a gentle and caring eye. It’s the complete opposite of Jason Epperson’s Getta Rhoom, because May creates honest characters, and cares for them.
Like Hilary Graham’s film last week, Shalit goes for a slice of rude comedy. Shalit’s isn’t as rude, and the characters aren’t as contrived. But, Shalit doesn’t really do much with the characters or the plot. There’s also a few rather large technical problems, but at this point they aren’t the films biggest problem.
Dance With The Devil (Marty Martin)
While Marty’s film is indeed a stylish victory, in this case it’s also completely useless. The moment you abandon the many aspects film lets you work with to concentrate on one, is the moment you’re no longer filmmaking. Marty’s film is a flashy collage of images and nothing else. Worst of all is the film's use of on screen titles emphasizing the dialogue. Ironically enough, although not a comedy, Marty's film got the biggest laugh out of me. He does show some skill as a director of photography though.
Even more stylish than Marty’s film, Luby’s is a complete mess. If anything, it’s a music video, and not a short film. Then again, Luby does manage to create emotion, both through his actor and through his visuals. It’s quite clear that Luby is a talented artist, although we have yet to see an art film from him.
Surprisingly, Trever James ended up going home. While he did have one of the worst films last week, certainly he has shown more talent then Hilary. At this point it was probably a hometown decision though.
Another surprise, this one good, was Marty Martin barking back at Carrie Fisher’s comments. Surely that was enough to keep him around another week. I have a feeling David May’s lukewarm reception was a sign he won’t be around much longer. He’ll probably be up against Marty or Kenny next week. We’ll that’s if the show’s not cancelled before then.
The full episode, along with all films can be viewed by clicking on the links above or going to the shows official website.
(Thanks to the exceptionally talented Matthew Flute for this On The Lot review)
steven spielberg, on the lot, mark burnett, andrew hunt, kenny luby, david may, marty martin, shira-lee shalit
