Music video/commercial director Saman Kesh is building a strong name for himself. On top of working with such artists as Calvin Harris and Placebo, not to mention companies like Taco Bell and Visa, his short film Controller was picked up by Fox for a feature length film. But today marks a new day and a new venture for Kesh as he premiered his newest project, a short film by the name of Hit TV.
A love letter to 80’s action thrillers, the short follows Hunter Thomas, a man who is searching for his wife after she’s been kidnapped by a mysterious organization only known as Hit TV. The organization highjacks broadcast channels to air a seedy and haunting call-to-action where people are identified for murder and priced accordingly.
There are some elements of They Live and The Running Man as well as a bit of The Purge, but it’s all brought together in a unique and exciting way that is beautifully constructed and gleefully violent. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’m just going to say that I absolutely LOVED the “rasping breath” moment. When you watch the short below, you’ll see what I mean!
Now, here’s where it gets really cool when it comes to Hit TV. Talking with The Creators Project, Kesh outlines his vision for the short, saying, “The short is actually going to be a film at first to setup the universe. It will branch off into a tv show that focuses more on other characters instead of our hero.” A feature-length film is anticipated for 2017.
To get that raw 80’s quality, Kesh actually approached it like it would be viewed during that decade. “The show was rendered out and played back on set through a genuine 80s television set in order to capture that authentic quality,” he explains.
You can find more of Kesh’s work on his official website
HIT TV // The Prologue from Saman Kesh on Vimeo.