‘Small Talk’ wins best comedy at Shorttakes Student Film Festival
Winning the best comedy category in this year’s Campus Events Commission Shorttakes Student Film Festival, the short film “Small Talk” was written and directed by third-year film and television student Ryan Elkins. He said he was intrigued by the simple concept of two people sitting on a park bench, sharing their differing opinions on romantic relationships.
(Courtesy of Ryan Elkins)
By Samantha Mannis
May 19, 2014 11:45 p.m.
Determined to stake its claim over the perfect park bench that would become the film’s centerpiece, the student crew of “Small Talk” ventured out at the crack of dawn to begin a long but ultimately rewarding day of filming.
Made with the UCLA chapter of the professional film fraternity Delta Kappa Alpha, “Small Talk” was one of four UCLA student short films honored at the Campus Events Commission Shorttakes Student Film Festival on Thursday, winning the best comedy category. It earned the title of campus finalist at this year’s Campus MovieFest.
Written and directed by third-year film and television student Ryan Elkins, “Small Talk” is about an elderly man and an overly curious yet endearing young boy who meet each other while sharing a bench at the park.
The two find themselves in a conversation about romantic relationships, the man offering his cynical wisdom to counter the boy’s youthful, naive outlook. Elkins said his inspiration for the film was sparked from an interest in a simple concept.
“I liked the idea of two people talking on a bench and meeting – two opposite sorts of people, a grumpy old man and an annoying kid. I sort of played around with it from there,” Elkins said.
As the short progresses, the man, initially clearly reluctant to speak to the talkative boy who is disrupting his quiet reading time, finds himself slowly won over by the boy’s surprisingly penetrating vigor.
“In a way, they both can teach each other about relationships and bring their own perspectives,” Elkins said.
Elkins said that he did not pursue film in high school, but had a passion for the subject, interested in a career as a writer or director.
When he came to UCLA, Elkins met many people with a common passion for filmmaking. After joining various film clubs, Elkins began making films his first year.
Elkins said that this year in the fall, while simultaneously working on another film for Campus MovieFest, he and his crew went 48 hours straight without sleep to edit “Small Talk.”
Assistant director of “Small Talk” and second-year communications student KJ Knies, whose responsibilities ranged from managing the production schedule to operating the second camera and lighting, said that ultimately, the crew was there to execute Elkins’ creative vision.
Knies said that although the film’s conclusion had Elkins’ central voice, the crew members brought in their own interpretations.
As the cinematographer for “Small Talk,” third-year film and television student and Delta Kappa Alpha president Nerris Nassiri said it was a pleasure to work with Elkins.
“The way that Ryan worked with his actors, and the whole process of seeing the actors unfold and really find the lines and their characters was pretty inspiring,” Nassiri said.
Having made several short films with Elkins, Nassiri said he has become a defining character in his life and the two have a great creative relationship.
“When Ryan showed me the script over the summer, I really liked the dialogue that he wrote – it was really witty, but also really heartfelt,” Nassiri said.
Although his film won the best comedy award, Elkins said he neither considers himself a particularly funny person nor a comedy genre filmmaker.
“I normally view this film as more of a ‘dramedy,’ and less of a funny type of comedy. Though it definitely has its moments that get people to laugh,” Elkins said.
Elkins, who was impressed by the fierce competition, said that the victory at the Shorttakes festival came as a surprise. He said he feels a good boost of encouragement from the win to begin working on other films.
Knies said that it is invigorating to win a film festival, but he and his fellow filmmakers feel the push to keep creating.
“At the end of the day, that’s what short films are for – they are essentially for learning,” Knies said. “We’re always going to be constantly learning, moving forward, writing new scripts, casting new actors and working with a new crew, just to hopefully extend our outreach and extend our experience in the filmmaking world.”
Although he is looking forward to pursuing new projects, Elkins said that he is proud of his accomplishment.
“It’s a nice little short that makes you smile,” Elkins said. “I think the whole point is (that) you don’t give up on relationships and you have an open mind.”
