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        I love the creativity that independent filmmakers have when creating short films! They can be serious and dramatic, scary and horrific, or even just plain silly. The recent short, The Answer by filmmaker/ photographer Jared Skolnick, is definitely in the “just plain silly” category.
 
        The synopsis for the film is as simple in concept as the film itself, “One of the oldest questions is settled,” but don’t let that simplicity fool you. What the film lacks in deeper meaning, it more than makes up for in execution and dramatic flair. I asked Skolnick a few questions about how he came up with the idea for the film, how he chose the somewhat ominous background music and how the costumes were created. Here’s what he had to say:
 
        When I asked him how he came up with the very unique idea for the film he told me, “I don’t remember the exact genesis point of the concept, but the idea that kept me going back to it was ‘What if Lars von Trier [the Danish writer behind films such as Melancholia and Dogville] tried to tell a joke?”, and being able to portray an innocuous, eye-rolling joke as something in that graphic, self-consciously ‘Art Film’ method. I told some friends, we giggled, and began making the costumes.”
 
       When it came time to choose the music for the film Skolnick said, “As someone who tries to put inappropriate ‘Barry Lyndon’ [a Stanley Kubrick film] references into all of his work, I chose Handel’s Sarabande as the score. The steadiness of the melody was wonderful to create a comedic rhythm, and the thundering pageantry of it made such a serious atmosphere that the film became twice as funny.”
 
        One of the first things I noticed when watching the film was the delightful clumsiness of the costumes the characters wearing. I asked Skolnick about what the costumes were made of and if they were difficult to make. “The costumes are made of papier mâché, cardboard and patience.
They weren’t difficult [to make], just time consuming. We weren’t trying to make something worthy of the master sculptors. I found it to be funnier the cruder they looked,” he said.
 
       As I said before, the film itself is simple in concept, but it is all of the little touches, such as the music, the costumes and the self-conscious ‘Art Film’ methodology that make the film a great one, in spite of itself. Jared Skolnick has taken the simple idea of “What if Lars von Trier tried to tell a joke?” and turned it into a whimsically absurd, yet surprisingly well done and mysterious piece of film.
 
       The Answer is not rated, was written, filmed, directed and edited by Jared Skolnick and stars Johnny Donaldson, Brett Kelley, Alex Squiers and Colin and Charlotte Allen.  It is available now on Youtube or FunnyorDie.com
 
        More information about The Answer and Jared Skolnick can be found using the links below:

·  The Answer on Youtube

·  The Answer on FunnyorDie

·  Jared Skolnick’s Website

·  Jared Skolnick on IMDB

·  Jared Skolnick on Twitter