Kick Off the Weekend by Visiting The Spirit Machine
Timothy Plain’s sci-fi/adventure short film The Spirit Machine premiered online today; and to save you from having to search for it, we have it available in its entirety right here along with more info, artwork, and a few stills.
The Spirit Machine was the most-funded short on Kickstarter after raising $96,000 in just 21 days. It was brought to life by 120 accomplished artists already working in the commercial and film industry. “Our intention was to make a Hollywood-style film on an independent level,” says writer/director Timothy Plain. To pull it off, Plain tapped into a community of professionals he met while producing television commercials.
The story revolves around a device that was first reported in Scientific American in October, 1920. In the article Thomas Edison claimed to be working on a machine that could communicate with the dead. This machine was again referenced in a 1921 New York Times article (see both articles below). However, to this day, the stories of this machine have not been confirmed.
Taking cues from Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., and Poltergeist, The Spirit Machine pays homage to the films Timothy Plain loved as a kid. “Those movies didn’t use special effects as a replacement for story; they used effects to tap into an emotional truth.”
To achieve a unique look for the film, the effects team employed a combination of old school special effects and CG, drawing from their broad range of experience on films like The Fly (1986), Galaxy Quest (1999), and Avatar (2009).
“We had such a great time making this film, and we’re really proud it was made in the Bay Area,” Plain says. “We hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it.”
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