Mr. Director by Andy Martin is a beautiful and rather clever short film about the movie industry that says a lot about its state and the all-to-often pratfalls of people who make a bigger deal out of their work than is needed.

In the short we meet the titular Mr. Director, who is very quick to adorn himself with immense amounts of praise. Clips of his films are more of a vessel to take quick potshots at the genres themselves. The generalization of the self-aware characters expresses the theme of the movie in the short lines of dialogue we hear. The cliches we all suspect in the movie industry are confirmed in this universe, from script re-write compromises to loquacious directing notes like “Say the words but don’t say the words.”

The short’s beautiful stop motion and well-paced editing keep the ribbing of the movie industry, which is often so quick you could miss it when hidden in a script writer’s name for instance, is almost under the radar, where it’d be easy to just get lost in how good it looks. The short even takes a shot at itself when Mr. Director scoffs at the insinuation he’s done short films in the past. Not to sound exactly like what the film itself is lampooning, but you have to appreciate the care and drive behind this short and its message when considering the work involved in doing anything stop motion.

The making-of video is daunting in its own right:

What are your thoughts about Mr. Director? What was your favorite jab at the film industry in it? Let us know in the comments below!

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HT: LaughingSquid