WORLD PREMIERE OF THE SHORT FILM "SCARS"

[read_meter]

“Scars” premiered last week on short film curator Omeleto’s YouTube page to their 3.5 million (and change) subscribers. This public launch was a long time coming for a project that began at the start of 2018. But after navigating the many pitfalls that come standard with any short film and mixing in a global pandemic, the film’s transmedia campaign - a multifaceted media blitz that aims to provide viewers with a variety of ways to engage with a story - needed to become just as nimble as the filmmakers themselves.

Watch the full movie at the end of this article!

Originally written as a response to a writing prompt on reddit, the short story was shared globally on social media and was read by over 1 million people. Director Jonny Zeller and producer Tim Frazier gained permission from the author to develop it into a short film, and from there began to build a massive cinematic universe.

The story (and film) takes place in a world where every lie a person tells leaves a permanent mark on their body. When one cadet discovers a single, massive scar across the back of her new commanding officer, everyone on base begins to wonder what terrible lie could have created something so gruesome.

Quality IP, talented actors, and high production value are mandatory components of any successful film. Having found the story, the filmmakers secured actors Toni Trucks, Meg DeLacy, and other top-tier talent. DP Alex Jacobs used his Alexa Mini along with a set of Cooke Anamorphics and a Steadicam to help maximize production value. Then, Zeller and Frazier leaned into their advertising background, planning a sweat-equity transmedia approach to get the word out.

f-stop was proud to help where and how we could. We love unique ways of storytelling, and the more we learned about “Scars,” the more we wanted to support it. In fact, sharp-eyed fans might notice our Kalamaja bag from the Urban Series featured once or twice…

Zeller and Frazier devised a complex set of deliverables designed to augment their reach while remaining true to their source material (and checkbook). Fake ads based on fictional in-world products, Snapchat and Instagram filters to accompany festival screenings, and an easter egg blog site written as one of the main characters are just a few of the creative avenues utilized to garner attention for the piece. Appropriate, perhaps, for a film that was based on a short story discovered on an internet message board. While the effects of these nodes may be difficult to measure on a project of this size, each serves as a viable entry point for new and existing fans. And that, after all, is the true objective of any transmedia campaign.

Over the last two years, the evolution of media hit fast forward and content creators of all shapes and sizes have needed to adapt accordingly. Now that these campaigns have ended and the film is finally launching publicly, what’s next?

Undoubtedly the film’s performance on Omeleto will help to determine its future. However, the filmmakers behind “Scars” are already discussing a feature film and a series of online novellas, amongst other less traditional distribution opportunities.

They say that as the content landscape continues to change, they plan to do the same.

You can see “Scars,” starring Toni Trucks, Jeremy Shada, Meg DeLacy, Avy Shamala, Adam Kang, Ted Larkin Jr., Terry Virts, and Adi Shankar, and learn more about the film at the links below:

Official Film Link

Scars Behind The Scenes

Scars The Movie on IG