The Seed
Encyclopedia
The Seed is a 2005 short-film starring Will Yun Lee
and Peter Mensah
, produced and directed by Joe Hahn
of Linkin Park
and Ken Mercado of digital hackerz. It is Hahn's debut as a filmmaker, although he directed numerous Linkin Park
music videos.
. Living along the banks of the Los Angeles River
, he is attacked by masked men in black vehicles, invisible to the eye. To any passers-by, Sung appears to have some sort of mental illness, but as Sung is chased throughout the city, it is revealed to the audience that he is not in fact paranoid, but rather the victim of a government conspiracy. Sung's adversaries are visible to him, yet only visible to the audience part of the time. At the end of the film, a much larger revelation occurs. An alien ship is visible up on the sky, watching all over the scene.
against darker areas of shadow. And thirdly, the shaky camera
technique is used at times to enhance the dramatic effect of confusion for the audience, perhaps to help relate to Sung's conflict.
The plot is linear, but there are several flashbacks. Each cycle reveals something new to the audience, such as Sung's attackers becoming visible or emphasis being placed on certain parts of the dialogue.
, the Beverly Hills Film Festival
, the Malibu Film Festival
, and the Los Angeles United Film Festival.
It is available for download on iTunes
for $1.99.
Will Yun Lee
Will Yun Lee is an Korean American actor.He is best known for his roles on TNT's supernatural drama series Witchblade as Danny Woo and as Jae Kim on NBC's science fiction television drama Bionic Woman...
and Peter Mensah
Peter Mensah
Peter Mensah , is an English/Ghanaian actor, best known for his roles in Tears of the Sun and 300, and more recently on the Starz original series, Spartacus: Blood and Sand and Spartacus: Gods of the Arena.-Early life:Mensah comes from an academic family...
, produced and directed by Joe Hahn
Joe Hahn
Joseph "Joe" Hahn , better known by his stage name, Mr. Hahn, is an American turntablist and director best known as the DJ and sampler for the band Linkin Park.-Personal Biography:...
of Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
and Ken Mercado of digital hackerz. It is Hahn's debut as a filmmaker, although he directed numerous Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
music videos.
Synopsis
The Seed follows the events surrounding a homeless Veteran named Ken Mercado , played by Will Yun LeeWill Yun Lee
Will Yun Lee is an Korean American actor.He is best known for his roles on TNT's supernatural drama series Witchblade as Danny Woo and as Jae Kim on NBC's science fiction television drama Bionic Woman...
. Living along the banks of the Los Angeles River
Los Angeles River
The Los Angeles River is a river that starts in the San Fernando Valley, in the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains, and flows through Los Angeles County, California, from Canoga Park in the western end of the San Fernando Valley, nearly southeast to its mouth in Long Beach...
, he is attacked by masked men in black vehicles, invisible to the eye. To any passers-by, Sung appears to have some sort of mental illness, but as Sung is chased throughout the city, it is revealed to the audience that he is not in fact paranoid, but rather the victim of a government conspiracy. Sung's adversaries are visible to him, yet only visible to the audience part of the time. At the end of the film, a much larger revelation occurs. An alien ship is visible up on the sky, watching all over the scene.
Style
The visual style of The Seed is dominated by three characteristics. Firstly, the colors are quite faded; yellows and greens are more prominent to create a sepia effect. Secondly, the film is very high in contrast due to the frequent appearance of the sun within the frame, causing lens flareLens flare
Lens flare is the light scattered in lens systems through generally unwanted image formation mechanisms, such as internal reflection and scattering from material inhomogeneities in the lens. These mechanisms differ from the intended image formation mechanism that depends on refraction of the image...
against darker areas of shadow. And thirdly, the shaky camera
Shaky camera
Shaky camera, shaky cam, hand-held camera or free camera is a cinematographic technique where stable-image techniques are purposely dispensed with. The camera is held in the hand, or given the appearance of being hand-held, and in many cases shots are limited to what one photographer could have...
technique is used at times to enhance the dramatic effect of confusion for the audience, perhaps to help relate to Sung's conflict.
The plot is linear, but there are several flashbacks. Each cycle reveals something new to the audience, such as Sung's attackers becoming visible or emphasis being placed on certain parts of the dialogue.
Release
The Seed was first released at the Pusan International Film Festival in 2006. It was also shown at the Festivus Film Festival in Denver, CO where it won "Best Short Short" in 2008. The Seed was awarded the "Outstanding Cinematography" award at the 2007 Veneration Film Festival in Newport. Later in 2008 The Seed will be entered at various festivals including the Swansea Bay Film Festival in England, the San Francisco International Asian American Film FestivalSan Francisco International Asian American Film Festival
The San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival presented every March is the nation’s largest showcase for new Asian American and Asian films, annually presenting approximately 130 works in San Francisco, Berkeley and San Jose, USA...
, the Beverly Hills Film Festival
Beverly Hills Film Festival
The Beverly Hills Film Festival is a film festival in the United States founded by award-winning independent filmmaker Nino Simone in 2001. The festival debuted in 2001, and has shown regular growth each year...
, the Malibu Film Festival
Malibu Film Festival
The Malibu International Film Festival is a film festival and non-profit organization, established in 1997, that showcases independent American and international films. The MIFF line-up includes world premieres and U.S...
, and the Los Angeles United Film Festival.
It is available for download on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
for $1.99.