The FFA Martyr- a short film made in 3 days!

The result of Ideation (a 2 week interdisciplinary class between the film and theater departments at CalArts) was the creation of a short film! In the final week, referred to as the “cooking and construction” period, we were divided into groups and challenged to devise a piece that addressed the theme of power vs. powerlessness.

With only 1 day to brainstorm and the following 2 to shoot and splice footage together, my group expanded upon the idea of “social justice warriors” and discovered how comedy could arise in a confrontation between an authoritative figure and a self-righteous civilian.

This led us to collaboratively write, direct, act in, and edit THE FFA MARTYR, a comedic short about a man pulled over by a police officer. Inspired by the mockumentary work of Christopher Guest, this piece explores how status can shift dramatically because of a person’s desperate (and often ridiculous) attempts to hold power over another.  

Watch the short at the video link below and let us know what you think!