Hillman Curtis’ Short Films series is a great example of subtle storytelling. Curtis’ approach to short film is refreshing in it’s simplicity and depth of reality. His short tales feel honest, vulnerable, and sincere. He achieves this humble but intimate arch through illuminating unnecessary elements, and focusing on the heart of the story: the characters’ faces, movements, and words.
Curtis’ shots are primarily hand held, establishing a realistic viewpoint, as if the viewer is in the room. He keeps his shots very close to the actors, avoiding long or establishing shots that are not necessary to the heart of the story. The majority of the shots focus on the actors’ faces. He works from angles that give attention to one character at a time, showing one character’s reaction to the other’s words for an extended time before cutting back to the speaker, letting the listener’s face interpret the words’ meaning.
He shoots close ups of subtle movements as well, telling his story through jesters that imply emotions like nervousness, yearning, or desperation. Two hands fidget before sliding into pockets, arms wrap tight around a back, hands cup a face gently. These close ups that shift into focus grab the viewers’ attention and reveal characters’ humanity. The viewer begins to feel the emotions that are hidden in the non-verbals of the actors, giving deeper meaning to the words shared.
My favorite part about Curtis’ approach to short films is his writing. His shorts open as if you have been there all along. They have no “previously on Grey’s Anatomy…” or “Once upon a time…” boilerplate to update the viewer. The dialogue is loose, casual, but rich with vulnerability. Every second counts in a short film, so Curtis doesn’t waste one word on filler or small talk. The scene unfolds in such an organic way that you may not know the context of what is going until half way through (or never at all), building suspense the whole way. And in that practice, Curtis paints a moment of reality. If I walked in on a couple racked with fear, holding on to each other to keep their world from falling apart, they wouldn’t be rehashing every detail of what brought them to that moment. These scenes are significant enough to feel meaningful, but abbreviated enough to leave the viewer asking questions, internalizing the storyline and reflecting upon its missing pieces. That is what makes them so engaging!
Overall, I think that Curtis’ work is worth studying because he zeros in on the head, hands and heart of storytelling through this series. Plus I like threes.