DISAPPEARED, 6min., Canada, Comedy/Sci-Fi
5m 30s
On the day he plans to propose to his girlfriend, Wes, a lowly shipping clerk, finds a fountain pen that cause objects to vanish. He embraces the strange phenomenon as a novelty, until it threatens to impede his romantic plans, and very existence.
Directed by Jon Silverberg
Director Statement
Growing up in the 1980’s, my Dad had a collection of hundreds of older films and television series. I loved the science fiction stories – particularly The Twilight Zone. While creating Disappeared, the series was on my mind - not only for its wonderfully bizarre stories, but also for its rich and often everyday characters. Sometimes it was comedy, sometimes it was drama, sometimes it was romance, but it was always science fiction. These are the stories that I love tell.
All of those elements blend in Disappeared, lead by a charming period performance from Leo Award-winning actor Mackenzie Gray (Fargo: TV Series, Man Of Steel, Metallica Through The Never). Gemini Award-winning actor Philip Granger, and my Associate Producer and wife Alayna Silverberg provided the voiceover roles.
I wrote the script in one night, and due to budget constraints, it was shot in just four and a half hours – in the morning before another production. We shot on the RED Epic in 5K, and as I wanted a lot of movement, nearly everything was on steadicam.
In addition to finding the right retro look for the visual effects in the film, I had great fun on the score with longtime collaborator Christopher Arruda. The score feels vintage, it’s very playful and it’s also delightfully foreboding – much like the film itself, and the work it pays homage to.