The Dialog

The idea behind The Dialog were the expressionist films: The Student of Prague (1913), The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), From Morn to Midnight (1920), The Golem: How He Came into the World (1920), Destiny (1922), Nosferatu (1922), Phantom (1922), Schatten (1923), and The Last Laugh (1924).
These were highly symbolic and stylized films, filmed in what is now known as German Expressionism. The first Expressionist films made up for a lack of lavish budgets by using set designs with wildly non-realistic, geometrically absurd angles, along with designs painted on walls and floors to represent lights, shadows, and objects. The plots and stories of the Expressionist films often dealt with madness, insanity, betrayal and other "intellectual" topics triggered by the experiences of WWI (as opposed to standard action-adventure and romantic films). These were the ideas behind the film version of The Dialog.
The story used in The Dialog is based on a poem by Percy Shelley. His poem explores our feelings towards death. Shelley captures the fear and attraction we all feel towards our inevitable end. The film tries to invoke the same spirit of Shelley’s poem by utilizing expressionist cinema techniques.
Percy Shelley (4 August 1792 – 8 July 1822) was one of the major English Romantic poets, and is regarded by critics as amongst the finest lyric poets in the English language. A radical in his poetry as well as his political and social views, Shelley did not achieve fame during his lifetime, but recognition for his poetry grew steadily following his death. Shelley was a key member of a close circle of visionary poets and writers that included Lord Byron; Leigh Hunt; Thomas Love Peacock; and his own second wife, Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein.
In this short film, I utilized modern digital cinema techniques such as layered compositing to create a slightly off-kilter expressionist world. The film’s three dimensional world is intentionally slightly odd. Real and yet not quite so. This feel enhances the expressionist sentiment I strove for. And it enhances the mood of Shelley’s poem.
After you watch it let me know what you think.

  • David Millett
    Director
  • David Millett
    Writer
  • David Millett Publications
    Producer
  • Kate Greenwood
    Key Cast
  • Nadima Azeez
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    August 31, 2015
  • Production Budget:
    1,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    HD
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - David Millett

David is a filmmaker and author; he is also a producer of paper and eBooks and movies. He loves writing, videography, photography, and filmmaking.

www.david-millett-publications.com

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Premise:
When life is unbearable and there is no love, death is attractive.

Overview:
After a year of planning, then shooting, and finally post-production work my new film The Dialog is complete. Please have a look at it and tell me what you think.
The idea behind The Dialog were the expressionist films: The Student of Prague (1913), The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), From Morn to Midnight (1920), The Golem: How He Came into the World (1920), Destiny (1922), Nosferatu (1922), Phantom (1922), Schatten (1923), and The Last Laugh (1924).
These were highly symbolic and stylized films, filmed in what is now known as German Expressionism. The first Expressionist films made up for a lack of lavish budgets by using set designs with wildly non-realistic, geometrically absurd angles, along with designs painted on walls and floors to represent lights, shadows, and objects. The plots and stories of the Expressionist films often dealt with madness, insanity, betrayal and other "intellectual" topics triggered by the experiences of WWI (as opposed to standard action-adventure and romantic films). These were the ideas behind the film version of The Dialog.
The story used in The Dialog is based on a poem by Percy Shelley. His poem explores our feelings towards death. Shelley captures the fear and attraction we all feel towards our inevitable end. The film tries to invoke the same spirit of Shelley's poem by utilizing expressionist cinema techniques.
Percy Shelley (4 August 1792 - 8 July 1822) was one of the major English Romantic poets, and is regarded by critics as amongst the finest lyric poets in the English language. A radical in his poetry as well as his political and social views, Shelley did not achieve fame during his lifetime, but recognition for his poetry grew steadily following his death. Shelley was a key member of a close circle of visionary poets and writers that included Lord Byron; Leigh Hunt; Thomas Love Peacock; and his own second wife, Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein.
In this short film, I utilized modern digital cinema techniques such as layered compositing to create a slightly off-kilter expressionist world. The film's three dimensional world is intentionally slightly odd. Real and yet not quite so. This feel enhances the expressionist sentiment I strove for. And it enhances the mood of Shelley's poem.
After you watch it let me know what you think.