Philips sponsored Short Film contest: Parallel Lines

Ridley Scott’s production company RSA Films has teamed up with Phillips on a short film project called Parallel Lines to promote Philips’ Ambiplayer and Ambilight technology.  Each film had to follow the same script, but were free to interpret the material any way they chose and in any genre they desired. Despite the commercial purpose, the results have been pretty astounding. On April 8th, 2010 Philips will release all five films that were chosen for the project, but you can see three of them below now.
First of all, I think the Ambiplayer is terrific. Philips should be proud. But these filmmakers should really pat themselves on the back as well. I am particularly taken with Carl Erik Rinsch’s The Gift and Dark Room by Johnny Hardstaff. Hi-Sim’s Jun and the Hidden Skies is a well conceived and beautifully rendered animated short, but it pales in comparison to the other two films. Nevertheless, if these are the filmmakers of the future, fans of film should rejoice and say hoorah. Or something like that.
Check out Philips official Parallel Lines website here, and also take a look at their dedicated Facebook page. Pretty awesome stuff. Thanks to /Film for the heads up.

Dark Room’s future-noir setting seems vaguely reminiscent of Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, and I found myself wondering if that was intentional. Considering these directors are among Scott’s stable at RSA, it’s probably likely. The visuals and conceptual designs in The Gift were simply amazing! This is what happens when talent, vision, and providence come together at the right time and in the right place. Presto chang-o! Magic!

But enough with my opinion. What did you think?

Kirk out.

***EDIT***

I forgot to mention earlier that the robot in The Gift drags its leg after it wrecks the bike the same way that the T-100 endoskeleton does towards the end of James Cameron’s The Terminator. Anyone else catch that? Gave me goose bumps.

Kirk out out.