Bonkers Dystopian Sci-Fi Horror Short Film CONTENT: THE LO-FI MAN
I’ve got a wild short film for you to watch today titled CONTENT: Low-Fi Man and it takes you on a bonkers unexpected journey.
The film starts as a documentary about a beloved cult film, then turns into a youtube video until it escapes into a dystopian sci-fi adventure, upon which it transforms into a body horror film resulting in a kaiju battle finale. It wages war on the word "content" and fights for cinema!
The movie comes from writer and director Brian Lonano, and below you will find an interview with them talking about the project. This is shared in collaboration with FilmQuest Film Festival.
What was the inspiration for your film? How did you come up with the idea?
I'm a big fan of Tetsuo: The Iron Man and not a fan of the word "content." I wanted to make a film that declared war on the word when it's used to describe art.
Tell us about yourself. What is your background? How long have you been a filmmaker?
I've been making films for the past 18 years and have 17 short films to my name. Other films I made include "CROW HAND!!!", "BFF Girls" and the infamous short "Gwilliam."
What inspires you to work within genre cinema and tell these kind of stories?
Escapism to strange worlds, absurdly over the top gore and people in robot and monster costumes inspire my work. I love to embrace the artifice of filmmaking.
What was your favorite part of the filmmaking process for this project?
Storyboarding, shooting the film and editing the film were my favorite parts...so I guess all the stages of production were my favorite. Even the foley recording was fun.
What are you most proud of with this film?
How the film changes from one thing to another in a matter of minutes.
What is a favorite story or moment from the making of the film you'd like to share?
Filming the transformation scene was probably my favorite moment from making the film. We shot in a garage with a black back drop, fog machines and fans blowing and shooting on video and super 8 film was a lot. Even though it was hot in the garage, we were feeling really creative when shooting that sequence.
What was your most challenging moment or experience you had while making your film?
The film was shot in 7 days but it was 7 days over 2 years. There was a couple of weekends where we were shooting all day but then we had to stop and then do a pick up on an afternoon months later.
Because the film had so many different types of effects and lots of sound work to do, it extended how long the film was taking to make. It's probably one of the most difficult films I ever made.
If it did, how did your film change or differ from its original concept during pre-production, production, and/or post-production? How has this changed how you'll approach future projects as a result?
There were some elements from the original script that didn't make it into the final product, which was probably for the best because it would have made the production more difficult.
Some shots had to get cut due to crew availability and we had to do a lot of sound post production ourselves because certain people we used were unavailable.
Who were some of your collaborators and actors on the film? How did you start working with each other?
Blake Myers was my co-director and fellow producer on the film. We've been making films together since 2013 and he's a wonderful collaborator. He often does Production Design and Make Up FX on my films. Gary Powell and Tony Reames shot the film.
Gary and I have been making films together since 2006 and this was my first time working with Tony. Both are wonderful people to make films with. Kevin Daniel Lonano is my brother and we've been making films forever. I think he did a fantastic job editing this film.
And Toniet Gallego who designed the costumes is a wonderful artist and collaborator. Blake introduced me to her in 2013 and we've been making films ever since. She was actually nominated twice at FilmQuest Film Festival for her costume design for CONTENT: The Lo-Fi Man and for BFF Girls.
What is the best advice you've ever received as a filmmaker and what would you like to say to new filmmakers?
Don't be afraid to ask your collaborators for help if you don't know the answer. You have to strike a balance between knowing what you want without being a dictator on set. Be nice. Say thank you. Feed you team. Schedule your shoot days. Make shot lists. Have fun.
What are your plans for your career and what do you hope this film does for it? What kind of stories would you like to tell moving forward?
I have an idea for a feature but I am very proud of all the short films I have made and would love to see them on Blu Ray from a boutique distributor in the near future. 17 short films on one Blu Ray would be cool!
What is your next project and when can we expect to see it?
Not sure when you'll see it but I have an idea for a narrative feature and a few documentary ideas as well as some shorts. I just want to keep creating until my hands fall off and my brain turns to scrambled eggs.
Where can we find more of your work and where can interested parties contact you? Do you have a website or YouTube/Vimeo channel? Social media handles?
www.brianlonano.com, youtube.com/brianlonano and you can find me on instagram @brianlonano
Bonus Question #1: What is your all-time favorite film?
Silence of the Lambs. It's a perfect film
Bonus Question #2: What is the film that most inspired you to become a filmmaker and/or had the most influence on your work?
Jurassic Park. I saw it in theatres when I was 10 and my mind was blown. I was a fan of Spielberg and Lucas and then grew to appreciate David Lynch and the Coen Brothers and then it just kept expanding and expanding to Japanese Genre Cinema, US and UK Horror and B Movies from the 1930s-1960s and I'm now getting into Mexican Genre cinema and outsider filmmakers who fly under the radar.
Enjoy the short film!