Gap Weekend

The "Gap weekend" is a fancy title chosen by the writer-director of the short film to increase the degree of engagement of the audience. Todd Norwood explores this new concept by building an enjoyable storyline that keeps the viewers hooked on to the narrative. The unexpected twists and turns in the story surprise the audience and the comical element of the film helps balance out the mood of the cinematic piece. The camera department is handled by Mike Barroga. In opening sequence, he uses the tracking shot to introduce the protagonist Ben to the audience. The landscape captured during the road trips from the suburbs of Los Angeles to Coastal Califonia is very beautiful. It also symbolizes the charm of Ben's journey during the small get-away. The background music is very well suited to each subplot in the storyline and keeps changing according to the various scenarios in the screenplay of the movie. The elements like set design, costume, makeup, lighting are kept simple so that the characters and subject matter seem relatable to the audience. The dialogues are very well written to mimic a day-to-day conversation allowing a reasonable evolution of the script as it progresses.

The plot of the short film revolves around a heartbroken guy who meets a girl after posting a dating manifesto online. As these two very different people come together to spend a weekend in a pretend relationship, both of them start bonding. Will they be able to heal in the process or end up complicating the situation further-more as they gear up to return to their real lives will be an interesting watch?

Now let's talk about the performances in the film. Art Hall plays the role of Ben the protagonist who is a heartbroken travel blogger. He is struggling to deal with the pain of an incomplete love story with his childhood sweetheart. The actor effortlessly portrays how difficult it can be to endure loneliness at a later stage of life after losing a life partner because of his short-sighted decision.

Nicola Graham is Sandy, the ever-supportive sister to Ben. Sandy and Ben share a beautiful sibling bond which becomes very strong when the story is heading towards its climax. Nicola understands the various layers of her character and delivers them on point. The audience continuously relates to Sandy but gets stunned and intrigued to know more about the unusual development in her character arc.

Rosie Koocher as Emily is a complete contrast to Ben. Both these characters going for an adventure in the storyline adds a fun element to the script. The character of Emily is put into the plot to get Ben out of his sulking mode and provide a new perspective on life but the viewers start to notice the depth of the character in terms of emotions this offbeat girl is hiding within in the latter half of the screenplay.

The short film tries to tell the audience that it is okay to take a break from your daily routine to identify the aspect of one's personality which can give a fresh zeal to deal with life. It also emphasizes how important it is to keep the ones who care, close to you for a life time. This cinematic piece highlights the sibling bond so organically making it so retable for the viewers. It also shows the changes in the dynamics between a brother and sister after marriage. 'Gap weekend' makes us realize that everyone has their set of problems in life so one should accept all the flaws and work towards making life better and aiming for growth at an individual level.