Written, directed, PRODUCED & starring Enrico Mughetti
In this hybrid live action and animation short comedy, a painter has to deal with a hostile subject.
ABOUT THE FILM
BALL was shot on a camera phone and screened at our Short Film Open Mic. Additionally, festival selections include the XXV Festival Internazionale Corti da Sogni Antonio Ricci, the Lift-Off Filmmaker Sessions, London Cinefest, Deptford Cinema Film Festival, SmartPhilm Festival, and the African Smartphone International Film Festival.
ABOUT THE FILMmaker
Enrico Mughetti started making short films in his hometown (Ravenna, Italy) to express his evergreen passion about cinema. He explored other video forms (documentaries, film concerts and spots) made on commission before moving to London, England for studies. The multicultural background of London and its rich artistic network gave Enrico a renewed creative flair. Enrico does not see short films as a business card to move to more complex projects but as an artform on their own. What fascinates him the most is the expressive freedom that comes from having a limitation from the start (duration of the movie).
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH ENRICO
Welcome to our Short of the Week series. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your filmmaking background?
I was born in Ravenna (Italy) where I started making short films with the help of friends and no budget. Later on I explored other video forms (documentaries, film concerts and spots) made on commission before moving to London for my studies. Having then pursued a career in fire engineering, my passion for cinema never turned to a profession. I deem filmmaking as a means of self expression, not as a job opportunity. In time I realised my interests as a creator lay entirely on making short films where in few minutes an impression and/or emotion is conveyed to the audience via a combination of images, sound and music. I strongly believe in the power of experimentation that short movies have and feature films, not always but often, lack of, as these are burdened by commercial goals and the need for conventional storytelling viewers can easily digest.
Can you tell us about the genesis of Ball and how you came up with the idea?
In conjunction with filmmaking I'm also passionate about painting, which I find is another exciting means of artistic expression but more flexible and, very often, more practical. One of my favourite subjects is still life, which is called "dead nature" in italian. This sparked the idea of a subject, supposed to be "dead", taking on a life on its own and rebelling against its painter. I was also intrigued by the idea of making a sort of "live action cartoon", which is something I never tried before.
What were some of the main obstacles you experienced when making of Ball and how did you overcome them?
One of the main issues was shooting in the very tight space of my studio. Luckily, cast and crew were minimal (only 2 people) and it was a location I always had access to. Blocking beforehand, which I'd always recommend and even more when filming in small rooms, also helped. Another challenge was integrating the animation of the ball with the live action. Meticulous storyboarding to provide clear and effective communication with the visual effects artist and ensure all the necessary footage was captured was the key.
Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences.
I sent Ball to a number of festivals via few platforms (FilmFreeway, ShortFilmDepot, etc...). Competition is very high but with perseverance I was able to get my movie screened in front of an audience, which is my ultimate goal.
We first saw this film at our Short Film Open Mic event. Can you talk about that experience why you think short filmmakers need more accessible open mic type events?
It is a great opportunity to get used to talk in front of an audience and pitch your work. Also, knowing that each filmmaker has a chance to get his/her movie screened is also a very good motivation to create. Furthermore, I find invaluable the possibility to connect with like-minded individuals, who may become future collaborators. One of my short films, Mosquito, was made as a result of a networking event at Kino.
What advice or hacks would you give to other short filmmakers?
Given that filmmaking is a group effort grab every opportunity to network. However, bear in mind there are a lot of people who love the idea of filmmaking but much less people who actually love filmmaking in itself (and, therefore, are willing to make the necessary effort and disrupt their daily routine). Learn to recognise who is really motivated, disregard who is not and trust your instincts: few enthusiastic and reliable individuals are much better than a big team of time wasters. Also, as a director you have the final say but always listen to and respect any advice that may come your way. In the end all team members should share the same goal, which is not displaying egos but producing the best work possible with the available resources. Furthermore, enjoy the process, instead of considering filmmaking as a means to an end. Every short film I made was a passion project and I would not do otherwise. Last piece of advice is: catering. Your movie may be no budget but always keep your cast and crew (who are likely giving up their time for free) well fed!
What's next for you?
I'm writing the script of my next short film, which is intended to be a mix of horror and family drama. As always, I'm going to fund it out of my own pockets and, hopefully, build up a team of people willing to dedicate their time/energy and sharing the same enthusiasm as mine about the project.
Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?
Not many as I spent the past year reading novels (something I neglected for too long), rather than watching movies. However, I'd recommend the works of Kyle Edward Ball (the feature "Skinamarink" and his Youtube channel "Bitesized Nightmares" containing all his short films), which go beyond traditional horror storytelling and provide a more visceral experience.