Look (2009)
Encyclopedia
Look is an award-winning avant-garde short film shot on the Red One and directed by award-winning filmmaker Ryan Pickett
.
) who gains the attention of John. Emma is unsettled with the loss of John's imaginary love and she pursues him. When John shows up at the model's photo shoot and sneaks inside a struggle ensues. John as well as Emma are locked out of the model's beautiful world while the desire for beauty reveals an unsettling emptiness.
Director Ryan Pickett
says in an interview with Matthew Saliba of Rogue Cinema, "I feel so alive as a director when making films like this. It's pure emotion. What can we tell you from just our eyes? What are you seeing with yours? Essentially what "Look" is about. Perception and how it works in our lives. The story was just part of the whole, I knew what I wanted to accomplish in this film and worked on a story that would allow that. There actually was a bit more dialogue in the film that I decided to cut out. The story is what you create in your head while watching it, not one I wrote. Or that was my intention." While being interviewed by Saliba of Rogue Cinema, Theresa Meeker
says, "Ryan really left its meaning up to interpretation. There are so many different ways that people could think about Look
without being wrong in their analysis of it."
in the spring of 2009.
, John Ferguson and Theresa Meeker
. Director Ryan Pickett
appears in a small role as well.
in Los Angeles.
The co-writer was Spenser Fritz and the cinematographer was Shane Bartlett. Look was shot on the Red One 4K in Nashville, Tennessee.
Writer Terra King reviewed Look and said that it is "deep and full of metaphor." The Four Word Film Review summarizes the plot of Look by saying "Pickett picks apart beauty." Studentfilmmakers.com, the premier educational resource for filmmakers, as well as Filmsnobbery.com, feature a press release about Look winning the Best Shorts Competition award in their online news section. Brian Skutle of Sonic Cinema says that Look features a "lovely score by The Other Deepak" and he says "Pickett has a great eye for visuals and subtle storytelling that I’ll be curious to see more of." Author Matthew Saliba of Rogue Cimena called the character that Theresa Meeker
plays a "ravishing bombshell" and he says that Look is "directed with an exceptionally keen eye for detail and color by Ryan Pickett
." Saliba then says "The film definitely feels like the "visual poem" the press release makes it out to be insofar as the cinematography (the film was shot on the Red One 4K camera) is stunning and the pacing of the film is almost dreamlike with some interesting sound design work where we catch snippets of conversation and the beginnings of dialogue before it fades out while the character is still speaking. Ryan Pickett won an "Award of Merit" for "Best Student Film" in the 2009 Accolade Competition
. While it may not have been for his gift of storytelling, it was certainly awarded for his strong command of visual metaphor and the ability to use film as a way to address social issues without being too Oliver Stone
about it." In an interview with Pickett for Rogue Cinema, Saliba says that Look
"is an exquisite experimental narrative short film that evokes feelings of a Lynchian nature in regards to its masterful use of visual metaphors as well as a Coco Chanel
ad in terms of its costume and set design." Mark Bell of Film Threat
webzine says, "I think it is better that folks see it and come to their own conclusions. Just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the relevance, resonance and power of Look resides entirely in the eye of the person watching it."
Although most reviews have shown positive characteristics of "Look," a main criticism is that the plot gets confusing, which can be typical with experimental narratives. Pickett utilizes experimental sound techniques to create almost a silent film, which leaves the audience wondering whether they turned their volume too low. For intense, Michael Roberts of Atypical Tales says, "I will confess to having to watch it twice to make sure that I caught all of the subtleties. Look does not rely on conventional storytelling techniques but instead uses emotion and visuals as the narrative. The film uses very little dialogue, and viewers are largely left to draw their own interpretations on the work. The work itself easily sweeps the audience into drama of the characters."
Ryan Pickett (filmmaker)
Ryan Pickett is a Nashville, Tennessee based American filmmaker. Pickett has created award winning films, such as Look, which received an important 4-star review from Film Threat, while he has appeared in television shows, including an appearance on Lifetime series Strong Medicine where he played...
.
Plot
Look is about an unsightly barmaid Emma (Starina Johnson) who is searching for the meaning of beauty while she imagines a man who is attracted to her, John (John Ferguson). This dream is interrupted by a lost model (Theresa MeekerTheresa Meeker
Theresa Meeker is an Italian-American actress who appeared in several films.-Early Life and education:Theresa hails from Williamson County, Tennessee although she was raised in Sumatra, Indonesia by mother Judith Meeker and father Dr. William Meeker MD...
) who gains the attention of John. Emma is unsettled with the loss of John's imaginary love and she pursues him. When John shows up at the model's photo shoot and sneaks inside a struggle ensues. John as well as Emma are locked out of the model's beautiful world while the desire for beauty reveals an unsettling emptiness.
Director Ryan Pickett
Ryan Pickett (filmmaker)
Ryan Pickett is a Nashville, Tennessee based American filmmaker. Pickett has created award winning films, such as Look, which received an important 4-star review from Film Threat, while he has appeared in television shows, including an appearance on Lifetime series Strong Medicine where he played...
says in an interview with Matthew Saliba of Rogue Cinema, "I feel so alive as a director when making films like this. It's pure emotion. What can we tell you from just our eyes? What are you seeing with yours? Essentially what "Look" is about. Perception and how it works in our lives. The story was just part of the whole, I knew what I wanted to accomplish in this film and worked on a story that would allow that. There actually was a bit more dialogue in the film that I decided to cut out. The story is what you create in your head while watching it, not one I wrote. Or that was my intention." While being interviewed by Saliba of Rogue Cinema, Theresa Meeker
Theresa Meeker
Theresa Meeker is an Italian-American actress who appeared in several films.-Early Life and education:Theresa hails from Williamson County, Tennessee although she was raised in Sumatra, Indonesia by mother Judith Meeker and father Dr. William Meeker MD...
says, "Ryan really left its meaning up to interpretation. There are so many different ways that people could think about Look
Look
Look or The Look may refer to:- Busineses and products :* Look , an Israeli modeling agency* Look , a French manufacturer of bicycle frames and equipment* Look!, a candy bar made by Annabelle Candy Company...
without being wrong in their analysis of it."
Premier
The movie premier for Look was at the Regal Cinemas theatre in Green Hills, TennesseeGreen Hills, Tennessee
Green Hills is an area in Nashville, Tennessee. Although there were some preliminary plans toward making it an incorporated town in the late 1950s and early 1960s, these plans were never completed....
in the spring of 2009.
Awards
- 2011 Best Shorts Competition- Winner Award of Merit Best Experimental Film
- 2009 Accolade CompetitionAccolade CompetitionThe Accolade Competition is an international, non-traditional, virtual awards venue. Awards go to those filmmakers who produce fresh, standout entertainment, animation and compelling documentaries....
– Winner Award of Merit Best Student Film
Cast
The cast of Look includes Starina Johnson, Alison ParsonAlison Parson
Alison Parson is an American country singer and songwriter based in Nashville, Tennessee.-Early life:Parson hails from Corinth, Mississippi where she attended Alcorn Central High School, graduating in 2002. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Recording Industry/Music Business and a minor in...
, John Ferguson and Theresa Meeker
Theresa Meeker
Theresa Meeker is an Italian-American actress who appeared in several films.-Early Life and education:Theresa hails from Williamson County, Tennessee although she was raised in Sumatra, Indonesia by mother Judith Meeker and father Dr. William Meeker MD...
. Director Ryan Pickett
Ryan Pickett (filmmaker)
Ryan Pickett is a Nashville, Tennessee based American filmmaker. Pickett has created award winning films, such as Look, which received an important 4-star review from Film Threat, while he has appeared in television shows, including an appearance on Lifetime series Strong Medicine where he played...
appears in a small role as well.
Production
Look was directed, co-written, produced and edited by Ryan Pickett, who was a top 5 finalist in the Race to BE entrepreneurship competition hosted by Russell SimmonsRussell Simmons
-External links:** * * * * * * from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum* *...
in Los Angeles.
The co-writer was Spenser Fritz and the cinematographer was Shane Bartlett. Look was shot on the Red One 4K in Nashville, Tennessee.
Reviews
According to author Sean Kernan's article "Look is an Elegant Examination of Beauty," captivating visuals show why Look is an award-winning film.Writer Terra King reviewed Look and said that it is "deep and full of metaphor." The Four Word Film Review summarizes the plot of Look by saying "Pickett picks apart beauty." Studentfilmmakers.com, the premier educational resource for filmmakers, as well as Filmsnobbery.com, feature a press release about Look winning the Best Shorts Competition award in their online news section. Brian Skutle of Sonic Cinema says that Look features a "lovely score by The Other Deepak" and he says "Pickett has a great eye for visuals and subtle storytelling that I’ll be curious to see more of." Author Matthew Saliba of Rogue Cimena called the character that Theresa Meeker
Theresa Meeker
Theresa Meeker is an Italian-American actress who appeared in several films.-Early Life and education:Theresa hails from Williamson County, Tennessee although she was raised in Sumatra, Indonesia by mother Judith Meeker and father Dr. William Meeker MD...
plays a "ravishing bombshell" and he says that Look is "directed with an exceptionally keen eye for detail and color by Ryan Pickett
Ryan Pickett (filmmaker)
Ryan Pickett is a Nashville, Tennessee based American filmmaker. Pickett has created award winning films, such as Look, which received an important 4-star review from Film Threat, while he has appeared in television shows, including an appearance on Lifetime series Strong Medicine where he played...
." Saliba then says "The film definitely feels like the "visual poem" the press release makes it out to be insofar as the cinematography (the film was shot on the Red One 4K camera) is stunning and the pacing of the film is almost dreamlike with some interesting sound design work where we catch snippets of conversation and the beginnings of dialogue before it fades out while the character is still speaking. Ryan Pickett won an "Award of Merit" for "Best Student Film" in the 2009 Accolade Competition
Accolade Competition
The Accolade Competition is an international, non-traditional, virtual awards venue. Awards go to those filmmakers who produce fresh, standout entertainment, animation and compelling documentaries....
. While it may not have been for his gift of storytelling, it was certainly awarded for his strong command of visual metaphor and the ability to use film as a way to address social issues without being too Oliver Stone
Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...
about it." In an interview with Pickett for Rogue Cinema, Saliba says that Look
Look (2009)
Look is an award-winning avant-garde short film shot on the Red One and directed by award-winning filmmaker Ryan Pickett.- Plot :Look is about an unsightly barmaid Emma who is searching for the meaning of beauty while she imagines a man who is attracted to her, John...
"is an exquisite experimental narrative short film that evokes feelings of a Lynchian nature in regards to its masterful use of visual metaphors as well as a Coco Chanel
Coco Chanel
Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel was a pioneering French fashion designer whose modernist thought, menswear-inspired fashions, and pursuit of expensive simplicity made her an important figure in 20th-century fashion. She was the founder of one of the most famous fashion brands, Chanel...
ad in terms of its costume and set design." Mark Bell of Film Threat
Film Threat
Film Threat is a former print magazine and, now, webzine which focuses primarily on independent film, although it also reviews DVDs of mainstream films and Hollywood movies in theaters. It first appeared as a photocopied zine in 1985, created by Wayne State University students Chris Gore and André...
webzine says, "I think it is better that folks see it and come to their own conclusions. Just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the relevance, resonance and power of Look resides entirely in the eye of the person watching it."
Although most reviews have shown positive characteristics of "Look," a main criticism is that the plot gets confusing, which can be typical with experimental narratives. Pickett utilizes experimental sound techniques to create almost a silent film, which leaves the audience wondering whether they turned their volume too low. For intense, Michael Roberts of Atypical Tales says, "I will confess to having to watch it twice to make sure that I caught all of the subtleties. Look does not rely on conventional storytelling techniques but instead uses emotion and visuals as the narrative. The film uses very little dialogue, and viewers are largely left to draw their own interpretations on the work. The work itself easily sweeps the audience into drama of the characters."
External links
- Ryan Pickett Productions
- Look at Rotten TomatoesRotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
- EPK for Look
- Student Filmmakers Article
- Film Threat Review