Short Film Showcase: Red Door
Red Door plays out like a great episode of The Twilight Zone, and even without Rod Serling’s smoky monologue to introduce the tale, it’s a great flick. Its strength lies in the central mystery presented at the very beginning: What the hell is behind that Red Door? The question, however, is not the only thing that keeps the film going.
Red Door is the story of Todd Transoma and what seems to be the worst work day of his life. His descent into a hallucinatory madness is over by the 30 minute mark, which is more than appropriate. Through the use of audio/visual flashbacks and visual symbolism, Red Door paints a picture of hell with much grace.
David Pike, the director of Red Door, wears his inspirations on his sleeve with the bright color palette of a Dario Argento film and a haunting piano score reeminiscent of Lucio Fulci’s The Beyond. The set-up is very well explored here, blood is plentiful, and, thankfully, it’s not a torture film.
The technical aspects of the movie, editing, audio/visual, etc. are all very slick for being done on such a low budget, and the acting, for the most part, is servicable. Bilal Mir does an excellent job as the film’s lone protagonist/antagonist, Todd Transoma.
Red Door is a great example of how to tell a good story on a low budget. Just because your film lacks the funding of other productions does not mean that you can’t put together an effective narrative.
I throroughly enjoyed myself.
Interview with David Pike, director of Red Door:
Short Film Showcase [SFS] How long did it take to film ‘Red Door,’ and how did you fund the production?
David Pike [DP] It took about a year from script to screen. The actual filming process took about a month and a half shooting at nights til 3 in the morning. We all had day jobs, so we weren’t getting a lot of sleep. Funding for Red Door came from various sources. I put on a show with local bands to raise money for the film. It was a good way to get funding and gain awareness for the film. Then several days before shooting was to begin, I ran into Gus at Skyfire Pictures. He loved the script and wanted to help make Red Door, so he took on the cinematography and editing. Gus and Alex at Skyfire Pictures put so much into Red Door: without them, it wouldn’t be what it is today.
[SFS] What lessons did you learn in the process of making this film, and how did you come to learn them?
[DP] I learned if you do 1 shot 15 times and don’t get it right, take a break, and do it again in a different way. If you still don’t get it right, then move on, it wasn’t meant to be. There will always be better shots later down the line. And, oh yeah, if it’s 2am, and your crew wants to go home, bring a gun, and they’ll stay an extra hour or so.
[SFS] Communicate the ultimate message of the film in one quick, clean catchphrase.
[SFS] What’s Your Favorite?
-Font
-Season, Location, Time of Day
-Song, why?
[SFS] If you could change one scene in any film, what would it be and why?
[SFS] Where can I see or buy a spiffy copy of ‘Red Door’ for myself, or, better yet, where can I attend a screening?
[SFS] Any tips for those novice filmmakers out there?
[DP] If you think you can make a film, make one. If you think that you can’t make one, make one anyway. And if you gave up on filmmaking and have money to blow, fund my feature film!If you would like your film featured on the site, contact us at ptkruz@jojevis.com. No submissions ignored!
[...] Click here for the entire review and and interview with Director David Pike. [...]
Great interview!