Jimmy Marbles’ latest film, What on Earth, a short that highlights the complexities and anxieties of living in the digital world through analog spaces, premiered on Nowness Friday, September 15th. The director’s enthusiasm for weaving together stories left-of-the-middle serves him well with this over-the-top comedy that infuses his singular personality into each frame.
“Short films are my favorite,” says Marble. “They allow me to experiment with new ideas and really use film as a medium of self-expression.”
What On Earth probes into the modern day’s relationship with social media as it follows madcap Zizi and her absurd attempts to abate trauma, isolation, and self-doubt with a social media account dedicated to marbled smoothies. But first, she has to patch things up with her roommate (a table lamp), spend some time with her imaginary boyfriend, and, well, actually be able to leave her apartment without having a nervous breakdown.
Always resonating with his film’s storyline and characters on a molecular level, Marbles’ connection to What On Earth is palpable. Written in a stream-of-consciousness manner that reads slightly autobiographical, the filmmaker hopes to have the audience reflect on its considerable need to be seen and loved consistently. He asks what happens when faced with the reality that none of it is tangible. What can happen to the human psyche as coping mechanisms and true, actual interaction resources dwindle?
Everyone’s experience with isolation during the global pandemic aside, in Jimmy Marble’s estimation, Zizi is all of us:
She is just trying to survive.
She is just trying to break through.
She is trying NOT to break down.
She is simply trying to be whole.
Whatever it takes.
Aside from writing and directing the film, always closely involved with every production aspect, Marbles was responsible for the casting and even chose the music. Many of the film’s other participants were people he has always loved working with. Still, it was also his first opportunity to work on a scripted narrative with Golden LA, just after joining their roster for commercial representation. The multidisciplinary creative studio gave Marbles carte blanche for the film: “Collaborating with top-level producers who understand where I’m trying to come from creatively and who help me execute my wild ideas at a high level is a blessing.” Marbles stated.
With his fresh take on pop culture and modern times surrealism, Jimmy’s portfolio includes commercial shorts for Target, Coca-Cola, and Marc Jacobs. Each project faithfully serves up a unique perspective with adept storytelling at its core.
“My hope for most things I create is not only to highlight absurdity,” says Marble, “But also how beauty, sadness, and fragility are all happening simultaneously. You know what we’re all going through. Like all the time.”
Watch (or embed) the film here: https://vimeo.com/858767820
- Nowness film premiere piece: https://www.nowness.com/series/just-kidding/what-on-earth-jimmy-marble
- View Jimmy Marbles’ reel here: https://www.golden.la/director-posts/jimmy-marble
Stephen Arnold Music Collaborates With WETA to Create a Memorable and Adaptable Sonic Brand
WETA Arts, the award-winning, magazine-style arts and culture series returns for its 10th season on the PBS flagship station with an elegant new sound. The latest collaboration between WETA, PBS’s Washington DC-based flagship station, and Stephen Arnold Music (SAM), the new music package reflects the show’s insightful take on DC’s diverse art scene in an understated and memorable way. “It’s a unique sound,” says WETA creative director Dylan Wilbur. “There’s a lovely calmness to it that perfectly complements the show’s new art deco visual look. I first listened to SAM’s demo while driving in my car. I hit play and instantly fell in love. I thought, wow, that’s beautiful.” WETA Arts is also the first show to leverage WETA’s first ever sonic branding. Created by SAM, the world leader in sonic branding, last year, the classically inspired signature sound is designed to give WETA a unified, instantly recognizable audio identity across each of its sub-brands and all touch points, broadcast and digital. It can be heard in different stylistic and mood treatments in promos, IDs, teasers and other marketing media for WETA PBS, WETA UK, WETA PBS Kids, WETA World, WETA Metro, and WETA Classical. “The sonic branding evokes our values: trust, intelligence, quality and enrichment,” observes Wilbur. “WETA is different from commercial broadcasters in that many of our viewers are also supporters. We wanted to convey the pride of ownership they feel for the station.” WETA’s sonic branding is also integrated into Signal in the Static, a longform spot celebrating the station’s historic leadership in news, documentary and educational programming. Airing in prime time through the fall political season, the spot features clips from... Read More