Black Button - Short Film

Click here to watch our latest short film, 'Of Land and Bounty':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tS4kQx...

PLEASE READ BEFORE COMMENTING
'The Box' is NOT a rip off of 'Black Button', nor vice versa. More details below.

-YouTube Awards 2007 - Top Six Finalist, Best Short Film
-WINNER: Fitzroy Short Film Festival (Melb, Aus)
-WINNER: DearCinemaFest Short Film Festival (Int.)
and more...

Mr Roberts finds himself awoken inexplicably in a white room. A man sits before him at a desk and in between them stands a black button. If Mr Roberts pushes it, he will receive a briefcase filled with millions of dollars. Or he can take the key to the door and leave penniless. The catch? Pushing the button will result in the death of a human being. What would you do?

EDIT 1: Some people have observed a similarity in the premise of this film and an revival episode of The Twilight Zone in 1986. Please note (1) We had never seen the episode and only learned of it long after we'd finished the film. (2) The Twilight Zone weren't the first to do it. There was a short story before that, which was in turn based on an old premise called the 'Faustian Bargain', around since the 16th century (deal with the 'devil'). An almost identical premise exists in several cultures. Richard Kelly is even making a film with this premise called 'The Box'. (3) Our film is similar in premise, but different in plot, characters, dialogue, aesthetics, setting, moral meaning, religious undertone, twist etc. Each version, including ours, aims to bring something new to an old idea. Please have the respect to not accuse us of plagiarism.

Additionally, we have no particular religious affiliation; this is a fictional work and its ideas are designed to encourage thought and debate, not comment on any particular theology.


Our first professional short film. We made it for $200 and shot it on the stage of our old school in Melbourne, Australia. Fortunately, professional actor Robert Grubb agreed to act in it for free after reading the script. This film took nearly a year to put together, working on it in stages and creating the 'white' effect on a home PC. Please note that the younger actor, unlike his father Robert Grubb, has no formal acting training whatsoever.

The Making of "Black Button" is now on YouTube.

Two of our other shorts have been released on YouTube, 'Campsite' and 'The Window'. Click on our profile if you'd like to see them and subscribe for updates on new films. Thanks!

• Category

  Film & Animation

[Yannic Hansen]

Like if you came here cause you love Short-film.

[Cameron Wilson]

Docks sent me here :)

[ScattySafari]

Robert Grubb(God's Filter) is a trained film and theatre actor.Hayden,his son is not.

[ScattySafari]

He's not British.Both are Australian.Grubb snr has the more refined accent because he went to NIDA and has the Australian equivilent of a Received Pronunciation' accent.

[ScattySafari]

Australian.

[ScattySafari]

Yep.Robert Grubb is a famous Australian actor,best known for films like Gallipoli and Breaker Morant.Hayden is his son.

[ScattySafari]

Hayden REALLY needs to work on his diction.Robert may have the vestiges of the NIDA RP accent,but you understand EVERY word he says.He's not in every major Aus film for nothing.

[TinyPple45]

wow

[Michael Bowley]

Who else thinks the guy in the suit is kinda like Liam Neeson?

[KatorNia]

That was an LED.

[Joe Ker Bane]

Why Was There A Red Button Above The Black Button? What Did It Do?