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Honoroble Mention – “The Proposal” (USA)
Title: The Proposal
Runtime: 8 min
Country: USA
Director: Arun Sahoo
Placement: Honorable Mention
Competition: June, 2018
Synopsis: A man and woman get ready to take their relationship to the next level, so they decide to meet up for lunch to have that special moment together. What could possibly go wrong?
FILMMAKER Q&A (DIRECTOR, ARUN SAHOO):
OR: What was the inspiration for your film?
AS: I had written a feature length script a few years ago and the movie opens up with a guy and a girl out on a fancy dinner date. The guy breaks up with her on the date, but the girl mistakenly thinks he’s proposing to her instead. I thought that the scene alone had the potential to be a stand alone skit as part of a showcase and it slowly evolved into what’s seen on film.
OR: When did you conceive the idea for your film and how long did it take before it was realized?
AS: I was part of a scene workshop in the tail end of 2016 and it was put up as part of a showcase. It got the most positive reaction from the audience out of all the scenes put up, so we filmed it somewhere in the beginning of 2017.
OR: What was the most challenging aspect of working in a short film format?
AS: Honestly, the only real challenge was finding a day where we could get everyone involved together on set. Otherwise, it was a very smooth shoot.
OR: What was the most challenging aspect of your production?
AS: The biggest challenge was the conception. As I had said in a previous answer, it started off as a pretty different scene and I was playing the role of the boyfriend. Because the scene was part of a bigger script, it wasn’t as entertaining on its own, so we tweeked so it that it could stand on its own two feet. Taking on the role as a director, I stepped down from playing the boyfriend. Overtime, the character of the waiter was created, which I ended up playing!
OR: Do you have any advice for first-time filmmakers?
AS: Have enough vision and enthusiasm, and other people will be attracted to help realize your project, even without a budget! Don’t let the lack of money/funding discourage you. Go for it.