‘The Trebek Technique’ Australian Short Film Makers

As an Australian with a love of cinema, I feel obligated to keep an eye out for short filmmakers who produce locally. Damien Harris is one such filmmaker who wrote and directed a couple of short films. I was asked to take a look at The Trebek Technique which was released online in April 2018 after some previous titles— Narrators (2015) and Diffraction (2014) under the umbrella of Elfenshot Films. Australian short films are something I can definitely get behind.

Who is Damian Harris

Damien’s from Melbourne and when I first laid eyes on the short film, I instantly got that Aussie vibe from it. The Trebek technique was filmed in Victoria on a budget of just AUD 3000.

Elfenshot Films is located in South-East Melbourne and they produce short films, web series, and, music videos.

Elfenshot Films have a few projects in the pipeline such as a working title called ‘Ridgeway,’ a music video for a Victorian heavy metal band called ‘Morth’, and, a stage play adaptation for a musical horror called ‘Babysitter Massacre ’78: A Musical.’ I wonder if they will be making any more Australian short films for us.

Australian Short Films

Looking for more Australian short films to watch? Mother of Movies has a great collection of recommendations. Watch Mother Tongue (Australian Horror) | Grounded | Count Fungoula or Apprev. next.

The Trebek Technique Review

I like short films, I do because they’re…well short. What I also like is a good story, most of the reviews you find here on Mother of Movies throw a lot of praise towards the narrative of a film and a lot of shade towards stories who have giant meteor-sized plot holes, inane characters, or superficial connections. I have no issues with generic tales if they are still entertaining.

The Trebek Technique, the story is the thing that made this worth even tapping on my keyboard. It basically tells the story of Gracie, who gets hit in the face with a netball. What happens next is strange, however, Gracie discovers she has a real problem. She answers questions just as if she were a sports commentator.

I’m Not Sports Minded

I really must point out here, that I am not sporty. Strangely, I don’t watch sports and I don’t follow sports. I had to google Alex Trebek and struggled to come up with some names of other sports commentators I know exist that do those comedic voice-over commentaries for cricket and football so I gave up. It’s a certainty that some of the football-centric jokes included in this short film went sailing over my non-sporty head. I do like Yoga though.

The Trebek technique takes a really cute concept and tells a great story and I love where the film ends up in the final scenes. I also like the idea of Gracie utilizing her affliction in ways that both help and hinder her in life such as when being given a pay rise in a male-dominated work role. I really had a giggle when her two bosses seemed impressed with her newly masochistic demeanor and I wouldn’t mind having Gracie’s disability from time to time myself. Car-talk-itus would definitely come in handy, but it begs the question of whether one needs to be hit in the face with a tire to acquire it.

What the film lacks in pacing, it makes up for in being different and enjoyable and certainly wasn’t forgettable.

IMBd.com actively encourages viewers to leave a review after watching a movie, so make sure you do that on IMBd.com.

I give The Trebek Technique

3 it’s not a waste of 15 minutes of your life out of 5

The Trebek Technique Streaming

Watch the short film on the website at www.elfenshot.com.

• If you like the short film and want to throw some funding their way you can also reach out to Harris, through the official website.

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