Finding meaning in your life through mentoring. Some do it with their children and others do it by teaching something they know how to do. Steel Cut Oats is a deliciously made short film that pulls at the heart strings of anyone who worked to make their dreams and feel they fell short. Passed along their knowledge as a mentor and parent to find out they did well after all.
Steel Cut Oats was screened at the 2019 FilmQuest Film Festival (website). It was nominated for Best Fantasy Short, Best Ensemble Cast, Best Production Design/Art Direction, and Best Visual Effects.
This is a film I can openly recommend to everyone for the reasons mentioned above.
Synopsis: A washed-up boxer builds a giant monster out of oatmeal... and raises is as a son.
Harry Chaskin, the director provides some thoughts about their film, what they are working on and their inspiration for pursuing a career in film making.
What was the inspiration for Steel Cut Oats?
I grew up watching classic Ray Harryhausen movies and wanted to make something that combined stop-motion and live action in a similar way. But rather than focusing on spectacle, I tried to combine these techniques to create an emotional bond between two characters. From there, I wove in various elements that inspire a lot of my work—folklore, pulp noir stories, and 50s sci-fi television, to name a few.
What project(s) do you have coming up you're excited about?
I'm currently developing 3 feature scripts. The genres are very different from one another, but they all aim to tell character driven stories that employ practical, handmade techniques. I also just released my first graphic novel, The Happiest Place, about a jaded security guard at a Disney-esque theme park who uncovers a web of cartoon corruption!
What was your early inspiration for pursuing a career in film?
I've been watching movies with my dad since I was very young. He showed me everything from Young Frankenstein to Citizen Kane before I was 10 years old, and I was hooked! I soon got my hands on a super 8 camera and the first thing I remember doing is animating matchbox cars crashing into one another on our driveway, then dousing them in lighter fluid and setting them on fire to get the 'perfect shot.' I got in trouble for that one.
What would be your dream project?
There are so many. Really, I think the 'dream project' is any original endeavor collaborating with talented, kind people. I hope to continue doing this as much as possible.
What are some of your favorite pastimes when not working on a movie?
This is honestly something I struggle with. I'm a bit of a workaholic and very fortunate in the sense that my profession and favorite pastime overlap most of the time. That said, I like to draw, build plastic models, play guitar, and hang out with our dog and cats.
What is one of your favorite movies and why?
The list is long, but my favorite movie of all time is probably 2001: A Space Odyssey because there is simply nothing else like it. Conventional structure and formula go out the window to create a sensory, emotional experience. It simultaneously broke the mold and pushed the technical envelope in ways that still boggle my mind, and I still find it deeply emotionally affecting.
You can watch the trailer on Vimeo (link).
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