‘The Raven’, A Stylish Chase Through A Futuristic Los Angeles

“The Raven”, a new short by director Ricardo de Montreuil, is a stylish thriller in which a man with mysterious powers is pursued through a futuristic Los Angeles.

The movie was shot on a RED camera and color graded with Blackmagicdesign DaVinci Resolve (the same system that was used on films like Avatar, Star Trek, and King Kong). To keep the crew as small as possible, De Montreuil wrote and edited the film himself, and performed his own compositing and visual effects work.

Eighteen years ago, aspiring director Robert Rodriguez launched his career with the ultra-low-budget film “El Mariachi”, which he made for only $7,000. Although a compelling action film, the guerrilla production values of “El Mariachi” were evident throughout. In contrast “The Raven” has the same polish as any modern blockbuster.

The differences between these two DIY films is a testament to the incredible advances in cinema technology during the intervening years, as well as the enduring opportunity to realize one’s vision despite a lack of funding.

Hopefully, “The Raven” will open as many new doors for de Montreuil as “El Mariachi” did for Rodriguez in 1992.