CINCINNATI — Spencer Lamb is talking too much.
He says it himself. And so he starts coloring.
The 25-year-old draws a picture with markers and a pack of construction paper he bought for $2.99 this morning. Then, he opens a four-pack of crayons — the kind kids often get at restaurants.
“When we reach a certain age, we lose that childish wonder,” Lamb said. “And I hope the film expresses that.”
WATCH: Go coloring with this Cincinnati filmmaker
Lamb’s new short film is a comedy about self-serious artists trying to make it into a stuffy art world using crayons and markers. In a way, it’s about his pursuit to make a movie at 25 years old.
“It has sometimes been so humiliating,” Lamb said. “But the first step to being good at something is sucking at it.”
But if you ask the people who run Cincinnati’s independent film festival, he does not suck at filmmaking. "Coloring" is nominated for two short film awards and screens at Cindependent on Sept. 17.
When asked about the film, Dahlia Kressler covers her mouth and laughs. She's the festival's associate director and tells me she watched 40 short films to help decide what should make the festival.
“Oh my God, I loved that one,” Kressler said. “If we don’t program this, I’m going to be genuinely upset.”
In Eden Park, Lamb takes three crudely-drawn pictures to hand out to strangers. He tells me it's how he made much of the film.
“Hello,” Lamb said. “Are either of you interested in art?”
He shows the pictures to two people sitting on a bench.
“Did some kids draw them?”
“No," Lamb said. "Me and this gentleman did.”
Want to watch it?
Lamb's film screens on Sept. 17 at 11a.m. in Memorial Hall. More information can be found by clicking this link.
