HIDDEN LIABILITIES
We started working on this project immediately after last year’s film festival. Our experience last year working on Benedict Sexton was extremely enjoyable, so we figured we ought to make another short. The first idea we developed related to film noir. The film noir genre, especially from the 40s and 50s, make up some of our favorite films, so we wanted to see if we had enough talent to create a similar film. The reason this genre interests us is that it is distinct from other styles of filmmaking with its exaggerated reproduction of life through a dark perspective. There is something about this way of viewing the world that resonates within each of us.
"The most difficult aspect of creating a film noir work is writing the story, especially when it is supposed to be a short film. Short films already take an incredible amount of skill to write well, so a hard-boiled crime story is a good bit tougher. Hopefully we have succeeded with this script; however, we are aware that we do not compare to Dashiell Hammett or Raymond Chandler.
"In making this film, we hoped to push ourselves as directors and writers. We wanted to learn from the many mistakes we made in our previous attempts at filmmaking and to give ourselves many more opportunities to learn. There were many struggles throughout the process, but we have gained valuable instruction in the areas of organization, collaboration, and assertiveness.
"The greatest thing we can offer the audience is a view into the lives of the characters, to show the world through their perspectives so that the audience may see the world in a new light. Perhaps we can also encourage everyone to watch film noir pieces, which account for a significant percentage of the greatest films of all time."
Dusty Jenkins and Michael Popp, Co-Directors
