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Moving Picture

Posted: 21 Aug 2017 12:09 PM PDT

A reclusive filmmaker discovers that he does not have control over his own creation.

Creative team

Writer/director/producer: James Mor

Filmmaker’s statement

Moving Picture is my 1 1/2 film (previously I had made a student film which I consider 1/2 film). I wanted to make a strong impression with this debut and challenge myself to the limit of my artistic expression and insight. The result is a film with a unique aesthetic.

In this short I wanted to explore the relationship between an artist and his creation. More specifically I ask the question whether an artist has control over his own work once it is created. The creative process is violent and unstable by nature. Once an artist starts this journey he finds himself in a lonely and desolate landscape.

In such an unwelcoming environment he never ends up with a work of art that will match his original intentions. Any artist (whether painter, composer, writer or filmmaker) has to come to terms with it sooner or later. He must let it go and take on a life of its own.

Being a film of such abstract and lofty concept, I decided to tell my story with sound and vision but no dialogue. I wanted the images themselves to convey the idea to the viewer.

The film was shot on 35mm and Super 16mm formats for a more organic look. I and my cinematographer are both happy with this decision.

In my approach to the execution of the film, I had a loose final script and no shot list. I composed most of the shots on set as we went along and adjusted the script as it best suited the locations and sets. I knew I was taking a big chance (as most of my crew warned), but this being my first venture I wanted to have fun and experiment.

It worked out quite nicely. With this approach one is able to discover new angles and expressions on set but it also has many drawbacks.

Being my very first short film, it was a stressful experience but in the end I reaped the rewards many times over. I don’t regret a minute of it. If anything, it has further strengthened my passion for this art form.

About James Mor

I am a latecomer to this profession. I immigrated to Canada in 1978 . Looking back at my adolescent years, I remember I always wanted to be a filmmaker as I constantly used to tell visual stories in my head. The challenges and problems (financial, emotional) of being new in a society forced me to take a different path in life.

However, the flame never died inside me. It was not until the age of 50 that I finally decided it’s now or never.

Having no background at all in this field (other than my genuine passion), I enrolled in several filmmaking and camera courses to get a good theoretical background.

Yet I understood that there is no substitute for experience. So I dived headfirst into this project by surrounding myself with a professional film crew. I had no expectations from it other than gaining experience and putting my own vision on film.

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