Elijah Allan-Blitz invites us to enter a world of pure imagination – literally, as Oscar-winner and MCU regular Brie Larson rediscovers what it means to be young in the new short REMEMBERING.
Film And TV Now spoke with the film-maker about the short.
FILM AND TV NOW: The evolution of visual effects has made all kinds of storytelling possible. What are the key things you have learned from fusing storytelling with FX?
ELIJAH ALLAN-BLITZ: This was something I was told was impossible for 5 years but I’m dyslexic so when I’m told NO, I hear “ON” It wasn’t until connecting with the Disney StudioLab that they said, “I think we can figure this out.”
FTVN: Sometimes there is a misunderstanding of storytelling. When did you realize that film could be a viable point of reference?
EAB: I’ve been making movies my whole life. To me, it’s not only the most collaborative art form, but also a combination of almost every other art form. At the end of the day, it always comes back to storytelling.
FTVN: How did you get Brie Larson on board?
EAB: Brie and I wanted to stay creative during the pandemic so I wrote a short script we planned to shoot with our neighbor in our backyard. Then Disney got involved and it became something much bigger than our backyard.
FTVN: Tell us about your production team.
EAB: We worked with many incredible teams to make this project possible. The Disney StudioLab helped lead the charge to bring on companies like Magnopus for all the virtual environments and AR experience, Crafty Apes for our VFX, and we filmed the entire short at NANT Studios with their incredible LED walls.
FTVN: Where did you shoot and for how long?
EAB: NANT Studios. It was a 4-day shoot.
FTVN: Tell us about your relationship with your composer
EAB: I worked very closely with Sunna. We’d sit together for days going back and forth to find the perfect tones to help shape the emotional arc of the story.
FTVN: Who and what are your key artistic and cinematic influences?
EAB: Steven Spielberg. Watching E.T. when I was little was the closest my family had to religion.
FTVN: This is a Disney+ production. How much guidance did you receive from them, given their legendary status as a producer of imaginative stories on all levels?
EAB: The Disney StudioLab with our EP Justin Springer have been the best creative collaborators I could ask for.
FTVN: Tell us more about THE MESSY TRUTH VR EXPERIENCE and how has that project helped you evolve?
EAB: That project began when Van Jones and I decided we wanted to try to use the power of new technology to bring people closer together instead of drive us apart.
FTVN: Would you like to expand the ideas and themes explored in this short into a feature project?
EAB: Absolutely! We’re not sure if it’s a feature or a series, but there’s so many more ideas to be explored!
FTVN: Where do you seen the virtues of VR in the future of storytelling?
EAB: It’s such a powerful medium. When your peripheral vision is taken up, there’s a part of your brain that believes what you’re seeing is real. I feel a great responsibility when creating VR experiences because of that.
FTVN: What issues and themes are you keen to explore in future work?
EAB: Empathy, creativity, and love.
FTVN: Finally, what are you most proud of about this short film?
EAB: I’m so proud of the teamwork that made this possible. Starting with Brie. None of this would have happened if it wasn’t for her.
