In the movie business, short films can be a way to give audiences (and financiers) a taste of a director’s style and vision for a longer piece. A wonderful example of this is: The Tattooist (directed by Michael Wong). The short has been making its way through the horror film festival circuit, winning in the Best Trailer category at the 2018 Independent Shorts Awards, HorrorHaus Film Festival 2018, Terror in the Bay Film Festival 2018, Cult Critic Movie Awards 2018, Bloody International Film Festival 2018, The Optical Theatre Horror Film Festival 2019, and more.
‘The Tattooist’ follows the dark obsessions of a tattooist whose studio is acclaimed for its exceptional and intricately crafted tattoos. Those who receive his prized masterpiece are drugged, imprisoned, and then forced to fight their fears in a race against the clock to escape. Can they escape or will they become victims of The Tattooist?
This 1 minute 20 second proof of concept micro-short has all the trappings of a standard horror flick – a deranged killer, pleading victims, and a tattoo parlor that hides a sinister secret. While the short itself lacks a narrative (despite the story described in the synopsis), it provides the viewer with a glimpse of what could be coming should Wong create a longer piece with these characters.
What sets this piece apart is beautiful cinematography while in the tattoo parlor set. A bright pink, purple, and blue color palette is a stark contract to the gray and brown of the Tattooist’s industrial torture chamber. In these tattoo parlor segments the camera is constantly moving, mirroring the energetic groove of the jazzy soundtrack. Unlike the generic industrial sets of the torture area, the shop feels fresh and full of possibilities for a vibrant environment for a longer piece.
I would surely check out a longer story with the characters from this short, but my hope would be for more of the bright colors and energy of the tattoo parlor and less of the standard gore from the torture chamber.
Michael Wong is an independent filmmaker with 16 years experience as an ad agency art director and creative director. He has worked with brands such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Unilever, Microsoft, and more.
His directorial debut short film ‘The Story of 90 Coins’ picked up 60+ accolades from international film festivals. This includes Best Direction and Best Cinematography at Malta Short Film Festival, Rising Star Awards at Canada International Film Festival, Best Foreign Short Film at Ukrainian International Short Film Festival, Best Drama and Best Cinematography at Los Angeles Film Awards, Best Foreign Short at Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards, among others.
Michael’s works have been featured in Shots, Trendwatching and Graphis magazine. He has judged at the New York Festivals International Advertising Awards and Ad Stars Festival.
I look forward to seeing Michael’s future works. Hopefully they include a feature-length version of this creative and visually interesting short!
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