Experiencing Interruptions?

Marks

With only circles in the short film, Diego Lucano creates an emotional journey of a lonely circle that wants to belong; especially with circles his size or bigger. Despite its eagerness, most of the circles he encounters reject it, but one playful smaller circle comes into its life accepting them. In defiance of this revelation, the main circle rejects the little circle to persist with its attempts to fit in with larger circles. These emotions of love, longingness, guilt, and wonder are all heightened through the powerful music of Oliver Davis.

  • Diego Lucano
    Director
  • Diego Lucano
    Animator
  • Oliver Davis
    Composer
  • Paul Bateman
    Conductor
  • Kerenza Peacock
    Violinist
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Experimental, Short
  • Runtime:
    3 minutes 56 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 31, 2018
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Film Color:
    Black & White
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Diego Lucano

Diego Lucano has won various laurels for his short film Marks, which he directed and animated. But on top of being a filmmaker, he is an actor, singer, dancer, songwriter, illustrator, and more. Diego made his Broadway debut as Lawrence in School of Rock. Off-Broadway: Pedro Pan, Peace Love and Cupcakes. TV: Bad Dogs, 2020 Roger Rees Awards (Finalist), The 70th Annual Tony Awards, Working in the Theatre (American Theater Wing).

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Director Statement

I made Marks when I was 14. My mother wondered why I never finished any of my animations. And so, I came to the horrifying realization that all of the stories I wanted to tell were far too big for me to tackle at that age. I later realized again that at the same time, none of the stories I wanted to tell were too big for me to tackle at that age. How could that be?!

It's not the story that's complicated, but the way that you tell it. So I broke my stories down to their most basic roots and made a film out of the easiest things I could animate: Circles.

I gave myself the challenge to bring life into the ambiguous shapes through actions such as jumping, rolling, squashing, and stretching. The music that I chose by composer Oliver Davis was especially vital to providing the emotion in the film. Eventually, I made something that hit close to home. It was my story.

And when you see it, it's not my story anymore. It's yours. Because the moment you decide to turn these circles into living feeling things, you have plugged a part of your humanity into the film.

Marks is a story. A story that needs nothing more than a few circles flying around on a blank screen. I hope you enjoy it.