Cannes Short Film Corner 2018 - City Lights
A maintenance man discovers that replacing a lightbulb might be a bigger task than he originally thought.
Interview with Writer/Director Cat McDonnell
Watch City Lights here:
Main image: Roy, the main character of City Lights is startled awake by the phone.
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
In our senior year of college at SVA in the BFA Computer Art department, we are given the opportunity to produce a short film, either on our own or with a partner or small group. I chose to work on my own, and I chose this story in particular because the idea of taking such a simple idea—changing a lightbulb—and turning it into something kind of ridiculous really appealed to me. I knew very early on that I wanted to make something more comedic and lighthearted.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
I think it’s just a quirky, lighthearted film you might get a chuckle out of. The biggest goal and victory would be for someone to take away from this film the entire idea of something so simple being turned into a crucible of a task.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I chose comedy as a vehicle to deliver the idea of someone overcoming something, no matter how seemingly small, and hoped that someone could maybe connect with that. I feel like a lot of people can relate to the experience of something seemingly so simple being just so difficult for them, and again, I chose to deliver that through comedy so maybe the deeper ends of that metaphor get a bit lost and murky, but that was how I connected to my own character, and how a lot of people potentially could as well.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
There was a lot of simplification throughout the process. We start the process of developing our final year film at SVA in our Junior year, and I think the general majority of us are fairly bright eyed, bushy-tailed, and ready to make the next Oscar-winning short film. Sometime late into our Junior year, going into the summer before our final year, I think most of us realize that we may have bitten off more than we could chew, especially for those of us who were working on our own.
We’re able to get help from friends and peers, but when you’re the sole director of your final year film, it is a fairly daunting task, and the more people you have helping you, the more time you need to spend managing them and all the assets of the pipeline. So even if you’re able to have a lot of people help out on your film, trimming the fat and bringing the story to its essentials becomes pretty pivotal to completing the film.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Throughout the process of creating my film I received loads of feedback, from feedback focusing on story to feedback focusing on technical aspects. Since completing the project, most of the feedback I’ve received has mostly revolved around technical aspects. Things I could refine and polish up to make better.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Not particularly. The entire process of creating this film was a learning experience, so any feedback I received I did my best to remain open minded to and didn’t really close my viewpoint to anything.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Just generally more visibility.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Again, I would just like for someone to have a good time watching it. Have a chuckle at the expense of this poor maintenance man character that just needs to change a light bulb.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
“How many maintenance men does it take to change a light bulb?”
In all seriousness, it’s not a film made to spark debate, which in itself could turn into a catch-22. But I never intended for this film to really have a “big picture” meaning that people could take away and debate about. I really just wanted people to just sit back and enjoy for a few moments.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I’m currently working on expanding my personal portfolio.
Interview: May 2018
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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City Lights
A maintenance man discovers that replacing a lightbulb might be a bigger task than he originally thought.
Length: 02:22
Director: Cat McDonnell
Writer: Cat McDonnell
About the writer, director and producer:
Key cast: Martin Filipowski, Gavin Slyman. Music by Hylton Mowday
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): N/A
Made in association with: School of Visual Arts
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?: Currently available online at https://vimeo.com/212816196