This weeks featured video is one that Jehu came across on a few days ago while browsing thru vimeo. It’s called JACK AND THE DUSTBOWL. It was produced by Whitestone Motion Pictures. It’s a short film about overcoming adversity and making the impossible possible.
This was really a great film. Like one of our guys (Paco) in the shop said immediate after we finished watching this. “That’s me, I see myself in Jack” I have to agree, I think we all have gone thru something similar where you just need someone to believe in you, and you’re abilities, even if it seems like everything is against you. Sometimes you need to be able to push thru and keep moving forward, and keep trying to success. I feel that way most of the time, there’s plenty of things I wanna accomplish and believe I can, and a lot of the time, other’s negativity hold you back from really giving it your full effort. The benefits can be great if you just push thru the hard times and you just believe in your self.
Stay tuned for next week’s featured video.
It’s rare to find quality like this online. I honestly felt as if I was in a movie theater watching a full-length feature film. The Quality of the film was really exceptional. The actors were phenomenal. I have never seen such brilliant acting from a short film before. The actors were really at one with their characters and brought such an intensity to the story that you couldn’t help but be drawn into it…
As for the story, It had all the right elements needed to keep you entertained. It had drama, suspense, the precise amount of humor and emotion. I really appreciate the message this short gives you. To be sincere, the world is full of issues and negativity. It is sometimes truly helpful to see something that can lift our spirits. Perhaps we are feeling down on ourselves due to the problems this world eventually offers us. If we set our minds to it, we can find that treasure inside of us. It might sound corny for some, but its true. Nothing is impossible when you truly have the right set of mind and attitude. The creators of Jack and the Dustbowl did a remarkable job.
When I started watching this film the theme seemed all too familiar. As you continue to watch you realize that it resembles Jack and the Beanstalk (the name is a huge hint). I found it interesting that this English folktale was adapted to the time period of the Dust Bowl.
What was great about this film is that everything involved with it from the costumes to the actors to the set and the effects; all of it was cohesive with each other. This is possibly why the message was conveyed quite impressively. You feel for Jack and his family. You route for him not to give up and to continue to be optimistic.
Despite all of the character development and the great writing; I am not sure why I did not feel partial to this film. I am not saying that this film was not well crafted; it just was a little too Happy-Go-Lucky for me. I guess it is the tiny cynical negative person in me that makes me feel that way.
As for the underscoring; if I am not mistaken I believe that was bluegrass. I am not a huge fan, but I got to say I found myself wanting to listen more. The music was just a little tad bit exaggerated; I figure it was necessary in order to capture the emotional response wanted to be inflicted.
In all, I would recommend it to those who love a heart-felt story about a father who did not give up on something he held dearly.
Jack and the Dustbowl… at first glance the name doesn’t sound so appealing, but this short film is more then meets the eye. The story and the message that is transmitted Makes you wonder, relate and even self examine your self. The idea of not giving up no matter what the odds are, helps us understand that life takes turns but if we challenge and use the resources that we have available, the possibilities are endless.
The cinematography through the out film, the color grading, the look, the script and the acting made the film look very realistic, it also allows you to capture detail and expressions through out the film. Over all I think this film was great and inspirational.
The character Jack was a positive, hard working man, someone I respected in the film. I like the fact that he believed in himself when others didn’t which can be hard to do at times, when you don’t have the support of those around you, like his wife, which was a irritating at times. Jack clearly cared for his family, the future of his son and he cared about being a good father. His wife Marilyn was a realistic woman, and wanted the obvious solution, but in my opinion she should have had more faith in Jack and showed some support. For my particular taste I needed more emotion from this film, it was too happy and positive which is not bad but I wanted to feel more than I did.
This was an incredible short movie. The story, while not something new, is told in a refreshing way. It’s a great plot line of believing in oneself and taking risks, while some risks don’t pay off, sometimes we can be pleasantly surprised with the outcome. The entire 20 minutes were filled with strong and fast changing emotions. You laugh with the characters, feel concerned for their outcome, and feel joy and hope for their future in the end.
From a technical side, watching the behind the scenes you notice how many people were involved in the making of this movie. Its great to see how a very organized collaborative effort pays of in the end. You can also see the talent of the writers shine through, to be able to create this characters, and have the audience really care for them all in 20 minutes. It was beautifully edited and the color and tone of the movie really worked to sell the story.
Loved this short film! You immediately sympathized with the protagonist. Visually it was beautiful and the story was enthralling. One of my favorite themes in this piece was family. All the main character, “Jack,” wanted was to leave something behind for his son, and to provide for his family. This is relevant from the time period when this was set to today.
Overall, I really enjoyed it. Everything was put together very nicely, and the story was wonderful.
My first impression of Jack and the Dustbowl was that they did a good job depicting the era that the story took place. I’ve always enjoyed history and this film with its brillant dialogue, costumes, and music; really helped me to appreciate a time in history that I had solemnly thought about. I would recommend this film to anyone. I enjoyed it despite not being a genre I would choose to watch.
Wanna know more about this film? Check out the Behind the Scenes.
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