I love short horror films. The rush of a full length feature in a five minute window is one of the most difficult talents there is in my book. Italian short film director Davide Melini is brilliant at this craft; the proof is in the short film "The Puzzle". I got to chat with him in this edition of the Dollar Bin Horror Spotlight.
Q: How did you get into filmmaking?
A: My uncle worked in the cinema for 25 years and sometimes I’ve been to meet him, while he was working. So I began to attend the cinema world since I was a kid and I can say that I loved it from the beginning. For me it was incredible to see the entire job there “behind” a movie. I was like a kid in a funfair! Step by step (and very slowly), I started to study it and around 10 years ago, I wrote my first screenplay. I’ve continued to write, until I directed my first short, in 2006.
Q: I don't want to give anything away before people watch the film, but the ending as amazing. How did you come up with the concept for "The Puzzle"?
A: “The Puzzle”, for me, means “the fate”. Every one of us makes some puzzles in our life. We can try to make them fit the way we want, but there will be always a piece that doesn’t fit.
Q: I really love the way you can give the viewer the feeling of dread in such a short time, but I loved it so much I wanted it to be longer! Any full length features in your future?
A: I really hope soon as possible. Making a feature will be the dream of my life. I think the only way I have for working in them is making short films: they are my business cards!
Q: The camera movements and editing reminded me a little of the original SAW movie, but with a completely
unique story line. Could you tell us a little about the production?
A: Yeah, of course. Two years ago, an Italian house production called me for giving me the direction of a film project. We had to present it to Italian Department (sited in Rome). But, in that time, I didn’t have anything to present them, because my last short was two years old. So, I spoke to some producers and one of them gave me the opportunity to shoot something in one day. What should I do with only one day? I wrote a lot of treatments, but in the end I wasn’t happy of any of them. So I’ve thought about a puzzle and I wrote the screenplay in a few days. We spent three months on pre-production, we shot it in one night and we edit it in three days. When I work on a movie, I’m a maniac. I really don’t like improvising I study every single shot, every light, the acting of the actress, etc. I had, in the end, something to present to Italian Department.
Q: What other projects are you working on now?
A: I’m actually in post-production of my new short film, called ‘The sweet hand of the White Rose’. I wrote this story on 2007 and the idea was talking about street accidents and trying to analyze the driver’s behavior. It’s a drama movie, that also teaches the fantasy and the terror. We spent four months for the pre-production and we shot it in five days in eight locations. Now we’ve completely finished the video and we are working on the audio. Everything will be ready for the beginning of 2010.
Q: Is there anything else you want the readers of this blog to check out? Any self promotion lol?
A: I want to say you thanks, Rhonny, to permit me to be interviewed. All the people that love the cinema like me can contact me: all are welcome. The way is very long, difficult and full of hurdles, but I’ll try the best I can to work in the cinema. This is my world!
And now for your viewing pleasure, I present "The Puzzle"
