THE EVALUATION
Produced with a skeleton crew of no more than two or three at a time and for just under $300, The Evaluation received over ten nominations world-wide, including an official selection at TIFF, semifinalist in AFF’s Produced Digital Series Competition, and multiple first place awards. Below, please find the original Festival Cut as well as a more stylized Director’s Cut.
Inspiration
The Evaluation draws from many sources for inspiration, but like many things, it was mainly a byproduct of my surroundings at the time. It was the height of the 2020 Covid outbreak, California wildfires were burning hotter than ever, Texas was underwater, I had a particularly depressing article stuck in my head, and I had recently left a job for which I had a great…dissatisfaction. I needed something to distract me from real life so I sat down to write a short story about real life, but also worse.
What I came up with was a "Western Sci-Fi", as I like to think of it, complete with sci-fi technology, wardrobe, and appropriately drab world situations, but the cinematic tone, pace, and feel of a Western. The content of the short lends itself to both genres effortlessly, as it is explores an idea as old and familiar as time: what the f*ck am I doing here?
Story
The world stage is that of turmoil–war, famine, disease, natural disasters. Companies blame the government and the government, or what is left of them, blame the corporations. It doesn’t really matter though as the corporations are the only inhabitable areas. Companies’ mega complexes, small cities in their own right, had been the norm for a while. When much of the world became uninhabitable, it was these superstructures that came to the rescue, like giant glass and steel arks, but with a price tag. Those that couldn’t afford the ark cities could either fend for themselves outside their walls or be forced to live within the cities’ superstructure–the overpopulated slums that every dystopia is incomplete without.
The Evaluation follows Adrian, a disgruntled member of these slums and employee of The Company as he tends to his rotational job. As an improper resident, Adrian and every other member of the slum must partake in these rotational jobs that aid in maintaining the superstructure and its proper residents. One of these jobs is fetching old technology from the deserted wasteland that most of the world has become. In his ear, Adrian has a companion from back inside the company complex. With the help of a satellite, David navigates Adrian through the harsh terrain as he searches for parts, maintaining Adrian’s faith in the company as well as his sanity.
Making Of
As far as cast and crew, it was an extremely small production due to covid, as well as an indie budget. With the help of a few friends on the weekends and an enormous effort by my awesome parents, I was able to DP while acting as the lone physical role, Adrian. A friend voiced the role of David and we did a lot of ADR after filming was complete since there as no audio operator. We had some awesome locations due to covid and filming was complete in under 10 short days. I tacked the editing as well as color, sound, and FX and the final product was produced in about 3 months. The total budget was under $300 and I submitted it to film festivals world wide.
Film Festival Circuit
Past Projects
Enjoy projects dating back over a decade.