One Of Us continues our showcase of emerging artists with our Showcase of Jordan Cobb’s short film ‘Special Delivery’.
Continuing our interview from earlier, Jordan opens up about the film.
It (‘Special Delivery’) came about in my senior digital filmmaking in the fall semester. Our first real assignment of the class was to do a three-five minute silent short. I was kinda nervous about it, cause at that point, I had done dialogue work. I loved silent pieces, Charlie Chaplin and the sort and I loved and respected those but I couldn’t think of doing a whole silent production, maybe a scene or such of the kind but not a whole script so I had to think quick. Then I thought about, hey this seems fun, interesting, and can be knocked out in an afternoon.
Well I did and I had a wonderful cast, I had to reshoot it actually the next weekend for a couple pick ups and well my teacher, who was also my advisor at UCA, suggested it for the better and well it turned out good. Of all the works I done, this is honestly my favorite. My first work, Magical Circumstances, I admit is far from my best. I wish I could do that over, and I feel like I might in a longer way given the plots I come up with, I usually have work as either shorts or feature length ones.
Special Delivery was also a fun set, I shot it at the university, around it, and at my own house. I lived at a duplex at the time so I used both back and front doors for the delivery scenes. The cast was fun to get along with and between takes we would just screw around and talk about what else we’re working on or what movies and shows we seen.
Tell me about the process – from writing to shooting to editing.
Well I honestly focus first on the idea. What do I feel like is worth telling? What story would I want to see as a watcher or a reader? I have a wide range of things I wanna do and see because I have a huge range of things I love and love to watch. Once I get my idea I get to writing, drafting, revising, all the steps in writing. Storyboard too, which is honestly tedious as hell when doing it yourself. Also watch a couple films of certain TV episodes that help out with your what writing. Inspiration comes from anywhere.
Shooting, I’m in the zone. I talk to everyone on set, I want a nice, friendly environment, but sometimes on set to get things done, you will have to be a bit of an asshole, you need things done when they need to be done because you’re already working such long hours on location or on a built set, you have to make sure you get things moving. I’m also very open to my actors wanting to try anything they want to, within some reason of course, cause I want them to feel good about being on set and working. I absolutely love being on a film set, that’s the biggest thrill in the world to me.
When I edit, I try my best to obviously stay with the best takes and how I think it looks in my head via storyboards but I often go against myself and choose different shots, angles, takes because I think it fits right into the story I’m putting together. Often not getting what you wanted helps, cause it might be better than what you intended. Also I sometimes go for what’s visually cool. Sometimes you just wanna go for that. Editing I think I love most after being on set because Its just me, I’m putting all the puzzle pieces together, and having a ball doing it.
What did you learn as an artist
What it means to be collaborative, now I thought I already knew that before I got into film school but it taught me how well groups and contacts are important, you get business that way, through the right people. But also how great art can impact people, movies can have various impacts and meanings to so many people. It did to me but seeing it first hand on the sets, it was really eye-opening. I’ve also learned how to truly be a better person because of it and to enjoy what I’m doing.
what do you really like/are proud of about it
I like how it all came together. I love that we had actual rain to help out with. I’m proud of all my works so far, well safe for my first short, Magical Circumstances, which I wish I could do over. But pertaining to this, everything. I honestly find this to be my best work.
what perhaps didn’t work as well for you
I will say as much as I love I didn’t have to use a rain machine, the rain was trouble because I was using school equipment and they charge out of pocket if anything is ever damaged and at the time of making that, I was a film school senior student, so I was broke as shit. Also the “cocaine” was a bitch to get together, I used powered sugar cause, yeah. It was kind of difficult to handle. If I had to do it again, crushed up B-12 vitamins. The weather as a whole didn’t work, it was constantly cloudy, had to work extra hard for the right look of it. Again I mentioned, my first short, I’d do that again in a heartbeat, maybe even really extend it into a feature length.
Check out ‘Special Delivery’ below and let us and Jordan know what you thought about it. You can check out more of Jordan’s work on Youtube and follow him on Twitter.
