‘BY HIS STRIPES’ is a short-film written by Nelson Scott who also co-stars alongside Denise Dowse and Robbie Danzie. Meiko Taylor directs this story about a mother who is diagnosed with cancer and the difficult decisions that will need to be made in terms of treatment. While also exploring the affects her diagnosis will have on her family, specifically with her son.
Many often dismiss a film when they discover it’s not a full-feature. I tend to give them more credit when they succeed. With limited time constraints, usually a smaller budget, and a minimal cast, the film is stripped of a studio feel. The project is then forced to rely on the backbones of good film-making. The writing, the performances, camerawork, and overall creativity.
All traits that this film utilized to capture a story with full-feature substance inside short run-time. The writing was concise and took advantage of every second to build weight to the situation the characters were dealing with. While at the same time creating a personality for each of them that enabled me to quickly grasp the decades of history between a mother and her son.
The cast continued in building a connection with the characters through very natural, and down-to-earth performances. They had great chemistry, and all felt genuine in their delivery of the dialogue. This created an impression that at times made me forget I was watching actors deliver lines, and not looking in on real people dealing with a tragic event that any normal person can relate to.
Everything just fit nicely with this film. The dramatic impact, the splashes of sense-of-humor, the moments of heartfelt sensitivity. They all wove together with a nice balance that allowed for the emotional tole of the situation to evolve like it would if any of us were struck with his news from the doctor. This all results in a connection to the story and the characters that resonates with you because of the ability to put yourself in their positions, and to genuinely care about the outcome.
The direction was subtle but perfectly tailored for the tone of the story. The scenes were nicely framed up to capture the intensity of specific moments effectively. Something that was complemented with nicely timed editing. In a short-film every second counts and certain scenes need to deliver multiple dynamics to build substance in little time, and ‘By His Stripes’ accomplished doing so. It grabbed me from the first minute and left me thinking long after watching which is something to be proud of for a film of any size.
About the Film
Nelson Scott wrote this film and saved for three-years to fund it on his own. He is also seeking any distribution opportunities for this well-crafted project so it can reach the audience it is deserving of. For more information on ‘By His Stripes’ check out the Link Below!
http://www.actornelsonscott.com/-by-his-stripes-.html