Subscribe to Cranked Up Films on YouTube for new shorts every Friday!
Crank: How did you get your start in filmmaking?
Yonatan Weisberg: I started making films as a kid starring myself as Spiderman and my mum as the damsel in distress.
What’s been your biggest lesson as a filmmaker so far?
You never stop learning. Each shoot throws up new challenges and it’s a constant challenge to keep overcoming them. Fortunately, having a great crew will make that a lot easier.
Where did the idea for your short film come from?
I’ve always had this desire inside to make something which was a stark criticism of cubicle, office jobs and the mindset they try to squeeze people into and this film was my attempt at that.
How did you unite with the team behind this film?
I’m fortunate to have worked as a director for a few years now – predominantly making commercials, music videos and the like. That meant everyone we worked with on this film was someone I’d already had the pleasure of collaborating with on previous projects.
How long — from start to finish — did it take to make this film?
I suppose that question could have a few answers. The turnaround from idea to shooting was quite short. But post production took quite a long time.
I was eager to make a film which I felt really represented who I am as a filmmaker and when I shared this idea with my producer we knew we should aim to shoot it within a couple of months.
So from first draft to finishing the shoot was only 12 weeks. But the post production took about 10 months. That’s because we were relying on favours from a lot of incredibly talented people and in short films, that’s often the way.
How would you describe your filmmaking style? How does it differ from others?
Honestly, I think we’re all different. I like to spend a long time nailing story, working out the beats of the script in my notebooks before I ever start on the script. Sometimes it can be slow but I need to know it all forwards and backwards before I even write a first draft, even knowing it’ll all change once I start writing the script.
What’s a behind-the-scenes tidbit from making this film?
One thing I’m very happy with is that I got involved in doing some of the ADR sound effects towards the end of the film. It really gave me a slight window into how all-consuming any sort of performance can be.
What advice would you give to first-time filmmakers?
Be creative within your limitations. Pick something you have really great access to – maybe you know of a brilliant location you can access, or you’re friends with a stellar actor – pick one element you can rely on and build a fantastic story around that. Sometimes limitation can be the best way to encourage creativity.
What are you working on now?
I’m currently developing a number of shorts and I plan to shoot one this year. Other than that, I have a number of commercial projects in the pipeline which I’ll be shooting over the next few weeks and months.
Subscribe to Cranked Up Films on YouTube for new shorts every Friday!
About the Filmmaker
Yonatan Weisberg studied film and graphic design, specializing in camera and lighting. He works as a commercial and music video director and has films that have won awards in various film festivals. You can follow his work on his website at yonatanweisberg.com, as well as follow @thirdhandshort on Twitter and Facebook.com/TheThirdHandFilm.
