"Stimuli" (1991)

"Stimuli" is a short student film directed by Clarke M. Smith, starring Thomas Findlow. It was produced by TimeAxis Entertainment. It was completed in January of 1991 via one 16mm film camera from the University of Arizona. It was shot in color and was the second of three 16mm student films. The class was Intermediate Film Production, taught by director Rob Sabal. The point of the project was to act as a trial run for the final project ("Foresight"), utilizing the same lighting and shooting techniques.

## Realizing the Script

10 months after making his first 16mm film “Roadkill”, Smith next ventured into color film.  As before, there was no sound to be recorded, and therefore no dialogue or any sound that had to specifically match. Enamored with the idea of shooting in dark locations (which video could not handle), and having intricate lighting in films like Alien (strobes, etc), he wrote a simple visual story to take place in his apartment at night.  Sound in post production could be used, generally only a music score if desired.

Smith brought back his lead actor from past projects, Thomas Findlow, known most notably as the lead in “Arizona Smith and the Lost Ore House”. This was a solo film with no other actors.

## Shooting Details

Shot in one evening with no crew (just Smith and Findlow), the film utilizes strobe lights and sirens to over-emphasize the light coming from the television (based on how stations at night would go off the air at a certain time after midnight). This was also influenced by the television-lit opening scenes of “Poltergeist” (1982).

### Music

The musical score for Stimuli was minimal.  The music in the original until the TV/radio goes crazy was from Halloween III, composed by John Carpenter.  This was removed in the recut version, and there is no music in this section.  When the radio/TV goes nuts, it was a bunch of quick cuts from various songs such Everybody Dance Now (C+C Music Factory), The Abyss (Alan Silvestri), Fatal Tragedy (Dream Theater), YYZ (Rush), Let's Groove (Earth, Wind & Fire), Like to Get to Know You Well (Howard Jones), The Lion Sleeps Tonight (The Tokens), Stayin’ Alive (The Bee Gees), Raiders of the Los Ark (John Williams), (Endless Dream: Silent Spring (Yes), and some random 90s late night house music recorded on a New York radio station.

## Film Analysis

Very simply, the film is about too much stimuli in our world; too many remotes; too many channels; too much confusion. Too much stimuli will boil to the breaking point, as the character blows his entire system away with a shotgun, and goes back to sleep.

Its rare for Smith to do comedic material, but this one was humorous, and Findlow’s performance was well done.  Outside of "A Short Basketball Practice" (1985), this was Smith’s shortest film, at 2 minutes, 26 seconds.

## Aftermath

Sadly, there was no public screening in this class.  It was very disappointing to Smith, as all the films, including the final, was screened to the class on a moviola.  During the same class, this project was the precursor to lighting techniques and story elements of the final project.

## Video Links

"Stimuli" (1991) (Full Movie)

1999 Visual Audio Commentary