Most consider the film industry to be one full of glamour. Where celebrities are the pinnacle of society and should be looked up to in both personality and for success. We worship celebrities of all sorts in our day-to-day lives, not even specifically in relation to the world of cinema. We idolise those in music, fashion, and visual arts and fall victim to the assumption that these people are those who we should follow and aspire to be like.
Behind that curtain of glamour and high wages, however, is an industry riddled with underpaid, overworked workers and narcissism. We often hear of situations that somehow slip through the cracks and fall into the public eye, but such events are usually tailored to the personal lives of actors, very rarely those behind the camera: the producers, directors, cinematographers, and the rest. We rarely hear of what takes place in production companies, and how the strings that make the puppet of cinema are pulled.
The Beta Test
Actor, producer, and director Jim Cummings removes this curtain and reveals the twisted nature of the film industry of Hollywood. Telling the story of a Hollywood agent that falls victim to modern society's lack of privacy in online data, which spirals into a series of unfortunate events that are fueled by his own lies and hypocrisy. This narrative both serving as social commentary for our complete ignorance towards the ways in which we hand over our entire lives to companies, and how our society lives under a series of lies that promote a version of ourselves that ultimately does not exist.
Using the location of Hollywood and the character of an agent in the film industry, this social commentary works very well. For these individuals roam the streets with a mask that displays a person of glamour and significant importance, where clothing, cars, and homes are a sign of their wealth and pushes them into the forefront of all topics; in reality, our protagonist Jordan Hines is fragile, affording most items through loans and credit. His personality being on a very short fuse and willing to bend the truth to any degree in order to benefit him in one way or another.
The film industry
The first shoot I ever worked on featured a minor British celebrity that I recognised instantly from somewhere -- they turned out to be from some films that were very popular with the youth of the earlier years of the 2000s -- though it wasn't their appearance that stood out at first. It was their personality and very vocal manner in which they expressed their importance and established fame in the industry. The person didn't seem bad at all, and conversations with them were quite nice. What I did find strange, however, was the ways in which those around them would act.
Fast-forwarding over a year, I encountered many situations like this: an actor or celebrity would be practically worshipped on set. Producers and other crew would discuss their talents as if they were the second coming of Christ himself. Outside of work I noticed that people would frequently ask which celebrities I've met and considered the industry to be one full of riches and fame. To a degree, some of it is correct, but a few things I just couldn't understand: do these people really believe this? Are producers and crew just as bad? Is the whole thing just a facade?
Watching The Beta Test, I couldn't believe how much of it I could relate to. While much of it is exaggerated, I couldn't help but feel connected to the ways it referenced and called out the industry for its stark ability to pretend it is something it isn't. I found it profound in its writing and performances that connected this industry to our society in which data protection is pretty much nonexistent. Where we upload our entire lives to the internet with a little icing that adds more depth and flavour to reality, and how utterly insecure we all are when the truth is revealed for what it is: a lie.
We stand there, putting on a welcoming grin, nod in acceptance over things we know are just bullshit. Our mouths release the words of praise and excitement while inside we are tired, stressed, and know that what we're working on sucks.
The Beta Test handles each of these themes so well, that you almost forget which direction it's going in. One moment it refers to the film industry, the next our society, and then the next pursues another direction that feels more fictional: a complex web of lies and deceit and adultery. Each of these elements of the narrative pulling you in more and more, wondering where things are going to go as the suspense and anxiety rises. Though, much of this paranoia that is created within its narrative stems from an actual result of pure guilt. There's fear in being caught, not a fear of false accusations or rumours despite innocence.
Independent film takes on Hollywood
Jim Cummings has managed to accumulate a lot of attention over the last few years for his very strong independent films. The Beta Test, while not just social commentary of the film industry in Hollywood, is a film that takes on Hollywood itself with its creativity that excels the current standard found within Hollywood.
As Hollywood pivots to soulless cash-grabs geared more towards pleasing China than anyone else, the standard of filmmaking has been heavily reduced. This allows for films like The Beta Test to stand out significantly. Where creativity is still present at a much lesser cost of production. Its cinematography and very clean look does not give off the impression of just a $250,000 budget. Its lighting is near-perfected in multiple scenes, which certainly doesn't come cheap and shows knowledge of composition and lighting techniques. There's attention to detail in using a shallow depth-of-field with an up-close perspective of Jordan's face, as we are given a feeling of his guilt and paranoia as it distances him from the rest of the world.
Even those around him are often blurred out, backgrounds shot out of focus even with slight bloom on his face. We see him trapped in his own mind, where he has become a prisoner of his own thoughts and delusions. Desperately trying to think of ways out and to solve his issues despite his guilt. I found this really creative, and a simple way to show that Jordan, while the protagonist, was actually a terrible person.
This is to say that while The Beta Test is a film that calls out Hollywood, it is actually a letter of love to the industry of filmmaking itself. It uses this strong narrative and set of elements to take reign of people's attention and uses raw talent among its crew to highlight itself in an industry that's heavily struggling in recent times. Where such narratives that are truly unique are no longer present or of interest to many film companies. Jim Cummings and PJ McCabe having appeared out of nowhere and cemented themselves in this industry as sparks of innovative light to remind us of what filmmaking should be. Their talent revokes the idea of money and fame over simply telling stories in fun, creative ways.
I even felt some connection to the scene in which one of the main buildings of the city simply crumbles to dust as a method of showing Hollywood's current fragility and seemingly inevitable death with its current path. That Hollywood's own delusions are resulting it in crashing piece of piece.
Charisma, fun, and creativity
Each of the films I've seen featuring Jim Cummings has been made alongside his friends. A group of independent filmmakers that popped out of thin air one day with the highly-acclaimed Thunder Road short film, which led to its crowdfunding and release of the feature of the same name. This group is riddled with passion and charisma. Their on-screen presences show dedication and talent for what they do, but what's most evident is this: they're creating for fun.
This is how filmmaking should be, and it's clear that fun and creativity remains their main focus in The Beta Test. It's a rare film that tells a story but has a lot of meaning to it still. It might have some deep elements but knows how to lighten up and have fun with it; the script is incredible and its performances just amplify how well-written each character and scene is. They know when and where to make some lighthearted jokes, but these are never forced, they're more dark comedy thrown in because they simply like dark comedy.
It results in such a pleasant viewing experience. And this group have found their calling in filmmaking. I sincerely hope they can continue to create, even if the current state of the industry continues to make creating such fun, creative stories more difficult.