Park Love

Featuring Grady Drummond Words by Nastasia Khmelnitski

Park Love is a short film created by Grady Drummond with Pablo Garrido Carreras as Director of Photography. Soft camera movements, the use of slow motion, music, the scenery in nature, and the heat of the sun contribute to the feeling of uncertainty of the viewer, who is trying to decipher the storyline. The protagonist’s mind wanders between the states of reality and dreams or memories in which the person he loves appears. The romantic layer is created through colors, the movement of hands, and the light softly touching the young lovers' faces.

We discussed the work on this project with Grady and the atmosphere the team wanted to create. “To convey this feeling of yearning for a loved one whom it’s impossible to be with, we hear the inner thoughts of the protagonist. We wanted it to remain unclear if it’s all a product of his imagination, his memories, or just some kind of lovesick-induced hallucination.” — Grady explains. Shooting on 16mm, the feeling of a dream-like setting was achieved, while the questions raised by the viewer are emphasized through the ephemeral type of narrative. The film closes with an open question of whether the lovers will meet again. 

Directed by G. Drummond  Director of Photography Pablo Garrido Carreras  Assistant Director Pedro Torres Barrios  Focus Pullers Andrés García Coello & Pablo Ayala  Grading Mario Lorson  Graphic Design Pablo Bonelli & Fabio Florez  Music Contacto & De Cos  Boy Javi Bloemen Girl Eva Gatox

Special thanks to Antonio Munáiz Andrés García Coello Lenso Films

‘The idea actually came pretty organically when I stumbled upon an image of a split screen with a girl on one side and a boy on the other, each in a different location. I imagined they were ex-lovers who could no longer be together.’

The Theme

Soon enough, the viewer realizes that the main topic is love, as suggested in the title, or Philia, ‘the highest form of love’ coming from the Ancient Greek, as follows in the first seconds of the video. Where did the idea to shoot a short film on this topic originate from? 

The idea actually came pretty organically when I stumbled upon an image of a split screen with a girl on one side and a boy on the other, each in a different location. I imagined they were ex-lovers who could no longer be together and started to wonder what their thoughts about each other might be while apart. I then visualised what it would be like if these thoughts were only travelling one way without a response from the other person, not knowing where they were or what happened to them. The highest form of love makes reference to those very special people we come across only a few times throughout our lives, but with whom at times, for whatever reason, it doesn’t work out. They cease to be by our side, leaving behind a pile of beautiful memories and an empty gap that can’t be easily filled.

‘To bring about this dreamy atmosphere, we wanted everything to feel as if the viewer was softly floating through the different scenes. For this reason, we chose to use very smooth camera movements, a relaxed rhythm, and, at times, slow-motion shots.’

The Elements

There is a thin line between the themes of daydreaming and memories approached in this short film. We see the protagonist alone in nature, thinking about a girl and their relationship. The closing frame with a tear slowly going down from the outer corner of his eye suggests the missed chance at a better version of reality. Which elements were important to integrate (such as camera movements, cuts, music, etc.) to create the feeling of dreams/memories for the viewer to experience?   

To convey this feeling of yearning for a loved one whom it’s impossible to be with, we hear the inner thoughts of the protagonist. We wanted it to remain unclear if it’s all a product of his imagination, his memories, or just some kind of lovesick-induced hallucination. Upon closing his eyes, for a while, it seems like it’s actually happening, that she is finally there with him; only for him to open his eyes again as if he was waking up from a dream and landing back in a lonely reality where they can never be together. As he realises this truth, a tear slowly rolls

down his cheek. And then, as if stuck in an eternal loop, he closes his eyes again in the last shot to repeat the cycle and be transported to the only place where they will ever be

together: his imagination. To bring about this dreamy atmosphere, we wanted everything to feel as if the viewer was softly floating through the different scenes. For this reason, we chose to use very smooth camera movements, a relaxed rhythm, and, at times, slow-motion shots. As for the location, we wanted a place that felt calm and secluded, where the protagonist could let his mind wander. The magic yet slightly melancholic music also played a big part in the pace and cuts of our short film.

‘We shot this on an Arriflex SRII using 16mm film stock. This medium offers a very organic feel that pairs well with the topics in our film. It also provides great colour and texture, which can be tricky to obtain as easily by shooting digital.’

16mm Film

Which camera did you choose for the project, and what were some cons and pros to get to the final result you wanted that came with this decision?

We shot this on an Arriflex SRII using 16mm film stock. This medium offers a very organic feel that pairs well with the topics in our film. It also provides great colour and texture, which can

be tricky to obtain as easily by shooting digital. These advantages come at a cost though, as film has many limitations, such as having a very restricted amount of minutes to shoot — especially in lower budget projects. This required us to plan all details very precisely and shoot as few takes of each shot as possible.

The Team

Could you take us to the set and walk us through your approach to teamwork? What was the best part of the shooting process? 

Well, another thing about using film is not being able to playback shots, which affects the dynamic on set. Everyone is paying more attention to the actual action instead of shooting and then gathering around a screen to check the result. In fact, our camera didn’t even have a monitor, so only one of us could be viewing through the small viewfinder at a time. You have a very low margin for error too, so everyone on set becomes hyper-focused on doing the best they can.