The Covid-19 pandemic brought about many drastic counter mechanisms. While not everyone could adapt easily to these measures, some found it a boon in disguise. When two filmmakers get on to a video conferencing call, to catch up and to discuss the future of their projects, thing get quite out of hand. Unable to shoot and produce the script they had earmarked, Max wants them to do some productive work during the quarantine period, while his friend resigns to the helplessness of the situation. Exploring new avenues and ideas for their films, they run into creative differences. Soon their debate becomes an argument regarding financial conduct and things travel further south. What starts off as a simple Face time call, develops into something much more dire.
‘Face Time’ is a narrative short by Director Trey Murphy. Murphy uses the new craze for filming through screen capture, acknowledging blatantly that the technique will soon be overused and would not hold its novelty value for much longer. He chooses a very un-cinematic premise for the story of two filmmakers discussing their next production and creates an interesting film within the boundaries drawn by restrictions of movement and public gathering. For a film that depends only on its screenplay to entice, ‘Face Time’ creates the conflicts at the right points in the script, moving on from simple differences to grave issues between the two as the story progresses.
‘Face Time’ is a bona fide Lockdown Film that tells stories from this phase of human history, something not seen in a hundred years. Using available resources, and within the permitted framework, ‘Face Time’ is an ode to the filmmakers who have worked creatively during the ‘shelter in place’ period, highlighting the various issues that dictated their creative choices during this phase.
