Award of Merit – “A Conversational Place” (USA)

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Title: A Conversational Place
Runtime: 12 min
Country: USA
Director: Bob Giraldi
Writer: Jason Cicci
Placement: Best Actress (Marilyn Sokol) + Best Screenplay (Jason Cicci) + Award of Merit
Competition: December, 2015

Synopsis: Directed by Bob Giraldi, “A Conversational Place” is a short film starring Emmy winner Marilyn Sokol as a narcissistic voice over coach who makes a startling discovery about her student.

WRITER Q&A

OR: What was the inspiration for your film?

JC: The film was made in conjunction with Bob Giraldi who teaches live action short film at School of Visual Arts. At the time, his students were assigned to create a film based on one of the Ten Commandments. When he asked me to come up with one, I remembered a story I had heard about a teacher becoming enraged when she discovered that a student was studying with another coach, which suggested “Thou shall not have no other gods before me”. As I own a voice over studio, it was natural to shoot the film in the recording booth.

OR: When did you conceive the idea for your film and how long did it take before it was realized?

JC: The film came together very quickly. From idea to production, it was probably only a matter of a few weeks.

OR: What was the most challenging aspect of working in a short film format?

JC: Trying to create fully realized characters with a backstory and driving intention is always a challenge, but especially so when working in short film.

OR: What was the most challenging aspect of your production?

JC: Shooting in the close quarters of a recording studio.

OR: Do you have any advice for first-time filmmakers?

JC: Just do it. Make mistakes. You will learn how to do it better each time.