Indianapolis International Film Festival 2009

Silent Treatment' is a comedy short in the style of a 1920's silent film. It plays with story logic, film logic, and celebrates the magic of cinema.We see a downtown milieu: PEOPLE at a cafe, two COPS walking the block, and a BUM rummaging through a trash cans.Seeing opportunity, the Bum snatches a GIRL into the alley and demands her purse. Then he falls into a state of panic. He thinks he's gone deaf. The Girl assures him nothing's wrong, that they're in a silent film. There's no sound. 'Fascinating!' he says. And the word "Fascinating" appears onscreen as a dialogue card. Suddenly the card pops from the frame—the Bum has removed it himself! He resumes mugging the Girl—she is helpless because nobody can hear her scream. Suddenly a TECHNICIAN appears in front of the camera: Deus Ex Machina. He looks into the lens and begins his repair. He fiddles with the frame with his tools. We hear bleeps and static and electrical noise. Then he throws the switch. POW! We've got sound! A whole world of sound: traffic, people talking, birds chirping. 'Fixed!' he says. And the Technician disappears.Back to the Bum and the Girl. She screams. This time we hear her! Everybody hears! The Cops come running. The Bum takes off, scurrying from the Cops through the alley like a rat in a maze. Finally the Cops apprehend the Bum. And the Girl skips back down the sidewalk unharmed, happy, and on her way.