watch "Pinata"

"Pinata" is now online at undergroundfilm.org
http://www.undergroundfilm.org/films/detail.tcl?wid=1014758

For some of you that know the history of the feature-length "Pinata" that wasn't completed and turned into short films, this is quit obviously one of those films.

Unlike "A Normal Life", which was edited differently when it was changed into a short, "Pinata" was a scene taken directly from the movie with no editing to accomadate the short film format. It was merely given a title and end credits. Shane had faith it would work as an experimental short after a film school teacher snuck a peak of him screening it to some friends and said it was good enough to stand on it's own because the imagery was so unique.

"Pinata" would have been the opening scene of the full feature.

It has played in more than 10 cities world wide and made back its whopping $28 budget.

Michael-Brian
Alter Ego Cinema
www.alteregocinema.com

Ummmm. Imagery is OK, but honestly to me it doesn't seem very experimental.

Also some shots were in 4:3 and other in 16:9. I just don't get why it's called Pinata and there doesn't seem to be any clear connection between the girl and guy.

Some insight would help, but all in all "eh"

alterEGOcinema said:

... the imagery was so unique.

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That's what I was gonna say ... Shane has an eye for some striking images, no doubt.

loyfilms said:

... it doesn't seem very experimental.

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How is it not experimental? An experimental film is one that contains little to no narrative thread, it consists of random images. That's exactly how I would discribe this short.

loyfilms said:

and there doesn't seem to be any clear connection between the girl and guy.

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I think the guy killed the girl ... just a thought.

Poke

It's not experimental as in it's not pushing the envelope at all nor exploring any new techniques. It may be experimental in the sense that the director is still trying to work a camera and editing suite, but I don't think that's what is intended.

Now if it is an abstract film, then I'm fine with it. An abstract film is a series of random images with no narrative connection. I'm just not clear on the intentions of this film and what its trying to be.

Hello, thanks for the responses, thought the film kinda passed by the forums.

I'll say a couple things but I don't really want to stand up for this film again (uh oh, that sounds bad!?).

No, really, like mentioned originally this was a clip from a feature but Shane never thought of it as a film until people told him it was more than just a scene. He looked at it further and realized it told the story or message of the whole movie "Pinata", the original feature title. The title of the movie was there for the fact that the movie explored the things in life you don't see, the things covered behind what you see and the things you just don't want to admit you see. How simple gestures (like smoking a cigarette) may be not just that, but a mask covering up something much worse (i.e. the blood). Sometimes a cigarette is a cigarette. Somebody smoking. Somtimes it's not. It's somebody stressed, depressed, under pressure. Other times it's simply they're nicotine addiction.

That's really bout it, I guess. The whole movie explored that, and this originally being an opening scene, hinted at the rest of the movie, which is why "Pinata", the orignal title, was kept.

But I'd much rather suggest "Isolation" (@ www.studentfilms.com) if you missed that on the thread, or even "A Normal Life" (@ www.undergroundfilm.org).

Cheers,
Michael-Brian
www.alteregocinema.com

loyfilms said:

It's not experimental as in it's not pushing the envelope at all nor exploring any new techniques.

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But that's not always what an experimental film is ... I mean, an experimental film can be pushing the envelope or exploring new techniques, but it doesn't have to be. An experimental film can be one that is a string of images designed to prtray a feeling or even an underlying story.

loyfilms said:

It may be experimental in the sense that the director is still trying to work a camera and editing suite, but I don't think that's what is intended.

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This comes off as highly condescending, and please correct me if that was not your intent, but it's kind of like you are saying that the only way you consider this film to be experimental is for the fact that the filmmaker was trying to learn how to shoot something ... and he failed. But I believe Mr. Ryan knew how to shoot and this was not an experiment in that context. In this film alone, there are some well composed shots (girl's eye in the opening shot, girl walking through gate, boy holding cig in the foreground with mouth in the background) and some highly inventive techniques (the fast motion spin around the girl as she swings, accentuating the connection of ball to bat with flash frames of something else).

I just don't like the tone of this comment, it implies that someone picking up a camera and learning how to shoot it is a bad thing. Besides, we are all in a learning process. He who stops learning, stops growing thus becoming useless. I apologize if you meant no condescension, but it came across that way.

loyfilms said:

Now if it is an abstract film, then I'm fine with it. An abstract film is a series of random images with no narrative connection. I'm just not clear on the intentions of this film and what its trying to be.

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Yes, it is asbstract as well, but I think a better definition of abstract would be the one you gave for experimental - "pushing the envelope ... exploring any new techniques". I think this film does that in a small way. I mentioned the techniques explored, and it pushes the envelope in aw ay that we are not quite sure the relationship between boy and girl, but there is implied violence.

Poke

Wow! Pretty interesting discussion going on bout this film. That's a suprise.

I'd just like to say how informative and mature and respectful you guys are being though. This movie caused a war on another forum (although there were other issues as well) and lots of nasty rude comments.

This has always been one of the best forums as in memebers are respectful of each other and honest, whether they like a movie or not. That's the way to go. Thanks guys.

Mike-B

Yeah ... we like to keep things respectful here ... the great thing about art is that more often than not it comes down to what is in the eye of the beholder.

I should also mention that the fact that this is Shane's first film does show through ... in Isolation he has honed his skills a little more, but that doesn't take away from this short.

Poke

Maybe you missed the second part of my (for some reason misunderstood) statement. I wasn't putting the guy down for suspectly using a camera for the first time. What I said was that it may be experimental in that sense, but it wasn't, and was not meant to be taken as a condescending opinion.

I don't attack people for trying to express themselves, I only express my feelings on the film itself and not the person who directed it. Besides, an opinion is an opinion and nothing more. I urge the director to continue filmmaking, perhaps even a longer version of Pinata so as to flesh it out a bit and make something more of the fantastic imagery accomplished.

loyfilms said:

... not meant to be taken as a condescending opinion ... I don't attack people for trying to express themselves, I only express my feelings on the film itself and not the person who directed it. Besides, an opinion is an opinion and nothing more.

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Fair enough. Like you said, "an opinion is an opinion" ...

Poke