Storytellers have long understood that contrast creates intrigue. And so we David & Goliath; Icarus and Daedalus; King Kong & Ann Darrow (Fay Wray). The power of contrast works not only with characters but also when juxtaposing two different scenes. A celebrated example is the baptism/murder sequence in “The Godfather.” For a contemporary example, we consider “HomeSkool,” a short by Blake Calhoun produced for the Film Riot Stay-at-Home challenge.  In just 60 seconds, Calhoun creates scenes that differ strikingly in terms of emotion, action, and light. You’ll find a brief interview with the director following the movie.

Interview with Blake Calhoun

MobileMovieMaking: How long did the production take?

Calhoun: Two days, but not full-time. I shot most of it in one afternoon for a few hours. Because it was overcast and chilly, I had to wait a day to shoot the pool stuff.  The editing, sound design, and other post activities took an afternoon.

MobileMovieMaking: What was the impetus for making “HomeSkool”?

Calhoun: Since my wife and I are actually homeschooling our two daughters I thought it would make a good family-friendly “quarantine” movie.

MobileMovieMaking:  How did those terrific young actors feel about the movie?

Calhoun: Those are my two daughters and they really liked the end result. Although, they are way too young to get the “what do you want to do with your life” line that was an homage to the famous 1980s Twisted Sister music video “We’re Not Gonna Take It.” I ended up showing them that video and their reactions were hilarious . They didn’t know what to make of an 80s rock band like that. 

MobileMovieMaking: Was this a solo production?

Calhoun: I had some help with the sound design from a frequent collaborator, Cliff Richhart. He did a great job adding all the retro sounds from the “Six Million Dollar Man“ and other sources into the scenes of the the kids playing outside. That added a nice layer to those shots. Cliff also created the cool stop motion title for the movie.

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The editors of MobileMovieMaking have chosen “HomeSkool” as the Mobile Movie of the Week.

Calhoun’s work is incredibly varied. We’ve previously showed several of his films including the gritty thriller “Miranda” and the delightful romance “First Dance.” In addition to making movies, he also teaches mobile moviemaking at iPhoneographers and has a popular YouTube channel.