"Man of the Year" Director's Cut

We are past the halfway mark! Before getting into the specifics of this short, I'd like to mention that there are three more shorts to re-cut after this one. I haven't left the ones I like least for the end - quite the opposite. But what I have discovered is that however much I love these final shorts, they present the most technical challenges. As I am a director and writer, not an editor or post-audio mixer by trade, it's a very valuable lesson in how the technical can define/limit your creative choices. (Something I also have known from the decade I've spent working in production sound. Pay your sound team well, my friends. The fact that you don't understand their job doesn't mean it's not important. And also, if you are a former production sound mixer who is now directing, don't decline to speak up when you see something suspicious in your mixer's method just because you don't want to seem like a micro-manager. You will regret it.)

But what of "Man of the Year?" It's a simple premise, and its humor built on a quick moment of irony. This may the only one of the series where the director's cut is shorter than the original cut; There's a little less set-up and a more whimsical tone; it leans into the performances of Sapna and Donal Thoms-Cappello, instead of the situation and irony. Thus, it aims for more of an eye roll than a laugh.

So, please, enjoy Man of the Year.

You can also see the original here (and the rest of the series). 

Thank you again to Sapna and Anisa for allowing me to use these new cuts as a learning experience and to showcase my directing style.