The Camera

The Camera (2008) is a Rickair Productions short film done as Erik Margolin's final project for the Inner-City Filmmakers (ICF) summer program. The film is done without any dialogue as part of a requirement for ICF. The film is also Margolin's first project in which he actually held casting sessions, again requested by ICF. Two of the main actors he had never even met before the film (the boss and the reporter).

Plot
The film starts out with a young photographer/reporter, Scott, who is apparently nearing a deadline with nothing interesting to report. His boss is angered by this and apparently threatens to fire him if he doesn't find something good soon.

Scott is out of luck and doesn't know what to do. Until he stumbles upon something shiny in a trash barrel. He checks if anyone is looking then proceeds to investigate. Inside he finds a perfectly good, and rather new looking, video camera. He plays around with it until a guy walks down the street. He looks at the guy through the viewfinder of the camera and realizes something incredible. In the camera's viewfinder it shows the guy stealing a purse from a girl down the street. Scott then sees the girl in real life as the same event actually happens. He quickly takes a picture.

He cautiously takes the photo back to his boss who's attitude suddenly changes. The boss is very impressed and sends Scott on his way for more. Scott walks away from the boss and takes out the camera. He stares at it curiously. He knows what it can do...

He goes back to the streets where he finds someone with a lotto ticket. He points the camera at them and finds that they will be a winner. He quickly takes a photo.

In viewing all his new photos, Scott looks very pleased. However, an idea suddenly comes to him. "What is my future like?" He quickly points the camera at himself, but just as he is about to find out... the camera blacks out. He messes with the camera here and there but it is now totally and utterly... dead.

He goes back to the trash barrel he found it in, checks the camera one last time, then reluctantly tosses it back inside. As he walks away the camera turns back on and a younger kid finds it. The kid happily picks up the free camera and points it at Scott. A strange look comes over the kid's face. In the viewfinder is an image of Scott, filling the seat where his boss once sat. He looks very successful. The kid's eyes open wide...

Reception
The film was met with much praise. It was screened, along with all the other '08 ICF films, at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater at The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (A.M.P.A.S.) in Beverly Hills. It won 1st place for "Best Sound Editing" by MPSE.