A short action-comedy narrative exploring a young boy's escape into a fantasy world, with the assistance of his supportive teacher.
The Assignment: Edit a short film that oscillates between action and comedy with heart. Then, cut it down into a concise sizzle that highlights the main elements of the original vision.
Commercial Short. 2024. 03:52.
Roles: Editor, Sound Editor, DIT
Director: Annette Reilly
Deliverables: x1 Full Length, x1 Trailer
FROM THE EDITING ROOM
Sizzles are elevator pitches; get your word in quickly, and leave the audience wanting more. Tabletop Club wasn't always that.
Originally, it was twice as long as the finished product. We spent more time in the classroom, and featured some great comedic beats that better established the dynamic between teacher and student.
You have to kill your darlings. Pitches are intolerant of tangents, no matter how funny they might be, and we had a show to sell. I chopped the length down by half, tightening up the classroom sequence and cutting back to the fantasy action quicker.
The result is a polished statement that captures the balancing act of two narrative threads, without overstaying its welcome.