Last month we posted a 9-minute first-person short film which appeared on YouTube titled “What’s In The Box?” The special effects-infused short gained traction online, with many of the impressed viewers trying to unlock the mystery. Could this be a viral marketing campaign for a movie? a television show? a video game? a cell phone? Many speculated that the film might to promote the video game Half-Life, as it featured some imagery from the series.
The use of Michael Giacchino’s Lost score lead others to believe that the short might be connected to the JJ Abrams-produced television show. Websites connected with the video (or possibly fan created add-ons to the experience) also featured Lost-related Easter eggs like a pass code using the famous numbers 4 8 15 16 23 42 and a link to The Hanso Foundation website, the company which finances the Dharma Initiative.
Lost producer Damon Lindelof has finally gone on record to confirm the the video is NOT connected in any official capacity to the popular sci-fi television series.
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What’s in the box? We’re honestly not sure. This 9-minute first-person short film has appeared on YouTube this week and is beginning to gain some traction in the Alternative Reality Game world. What we do know is this: The short was shot in the Netherlands, Nijmegen to be exact, using a bunch of assets taken directly from Half-Life, and music from the television show Lost. The YouTube page says that “This is a early temp version. Will be deleted soon” and the video’s title is What’s in the Box? - Test Film 2009.” The informational sidebar also provides the following url: www.whatsinthebox.nl. When you go to the site, you will find a box with a blinking question mark which sporadically glows red. Many people think it’s the start of a viral. Some have even suggested it is for Half-Life 3… but I think it might actually just be a very well put together special effects demo. Either way, it seems to me that whomever created this, put a lot of time and effort into it. Thanks to /Film reader Zach for the tip.
We’re back with another batch of movie trailers for some of the smaller independent films playing at the 2008 South By Southwest Film Festival: Barry Jenkins’ meet-cute drama Medicine For Melancholy, Jennifer Phang’s cosmic family saga Half-Life, Kevin Ely & Beau Leland’s rock opera Rainbow Around the Sun, Harmony Korine’s celeb-impersonator fantasy Mister Lonely, Marco Ricci and Michael Canzoniero’s comedy The Marconi Bros., and a scene excerpt from Liz Mermin’s Bollywood gangster documentary Shot In Bombay. We have also have included the huge growing list of links to all the SXSW movie trailers we’ve posted thus far.
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