A Love Letter to the B Film

To whom it may concern,

There's something to be said about the conflicts between constraint and desire, almost an apparent disconnect between the two. We want for something so badly, yet the realities are so apparent. It's inherent in many of the aspects of our lives, all the way down to the differences between the mind and the body. I believe in this struggle is where art has something of an advantage. We're able to, no matter the constraints in our own world, be one with our desires when we see a painting or read a novel. This is why film is so magical. Here's an entity that feels so real, in its ability to tell stories and introduce us to worlds that we so desperately want to feel a connection to, we forget for a moment the realities in front of us; the events aren't actually taking place, the people we see aren't real, even the concept of a 16:9 aspect ratio attempts to box in what we so desperately want to believe. Sure, you could put some type of logical spin on how a film works, complete with 3 act structures and special effects, but those things are not what give it the spirit it possesses.

It amazes me all the more when a film can strip itself down to bare essentials and still be so engaging. This is why I have such respect for the B Film. On little to no money, a film can be so charming and try so genuinely to tell a story. It's an all too appropriate model of filmmaking that would relate to a senior animation student who's about to embark on an artistic career with much desire and even more (financial) constraint.

This book will be where I showcase the labor for that love of the B Film. Everything from original sketches and storyboards to film reviews to shot compositions and dialogue that just scream "B."

So here's to a fruitful year for a boy and his stomach, that I hope will feed desire.

Bennett Rust