The art of criticising VS the art of getting things done
Are you passionate about horror films and think you’ve seen it all? Then take the time to watch Claw, a short film made in 2023 by ESMA students. In this parody of the slashers of the 80s and 90s, we follow the story of Andrew, a young film buff, who sets out to methodically criticise the serial killer in the horror film he is watching. Through a mystery that escapes him, the killer becomes exasperated, and eventually crosses the screen to challenge the young man. The roles are reversed: Andrew becomes the protagonist, and is forced to take up the challenge by trying to kill the remaining victims.
So it’s a far-fetched premise that amuses and surprises, with elements that gradually put the critical spectator’s posture to the test, confronting him or her with the challenges of creation. “The art of criticising is one thing, but the art of making is quite another,” says one of the students involved in this collective adventure.
By drawing on references and codes firmly rooted in the culture of the genre, the film fully assumes its parodic identity, and manages to appeal to horror film fans and neophytes alike.
Selected for the Annecy 2024 Festival
While they claim a great deal of creative freedom, the directors confess that their biggest challenge was directing the film. To find the tone that best suited their narrative intentions, they had to do a great deal of viewing, gleaning the references they chose and carefully distilling them throughout the story: “We tried to play with the codes and clichés of horror films and twist them around. So it was important for us to incorporate as many iconic references and shots as possible that would speak to and satisfy as many people as possible. We had to deconstruct each film in order to divert the elements that interested us, and manage to stick to an aesthetic of classic horror films from the 80s and 90s.”
A series of clichés abound in Claw, some more obvious than others, and the characters are an eloquent example: “We’re thinking in particular of the bimbo or the black sportsman” explain the directors, “who are usually the first to die in this kind of film. This time, they have a different outcome! Finally, the work on the music was not to be outdone: it had to coincide with the artistic vision of the film. The offbeat, dynamic style that the directors opted for contributes fully to the parodic atmosphere and accentuates the intended breaks in tone throughout the story.
The gamble paid off: at the 2024 Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Claw was selected in the ‘Graduation Films’ category. It’s a fitting reward for the promising collective work of this young team, and a glimpse of a bright future for each of its members.
