A sci-fi short filmed by a Scottish art director has become what The Hollywood Reporter calls the "year's first hot short."

Ben Craig, 37, used the short film, titled Modern Times, as an exercise in on-the-job training. The DIY filmmaker "relied on the goodwill of friends, with the ultimate cost of the short being sandwiches and pints at the pub," according to the Reporter's Heat Vision blog.

Watch Modern Times (embedded above) and you'll see a quiet, visually impressive meditation on the future. There are no exploding spaceships, no blue aliens and no lasers. And the decision to skip dialog and go with an operatic soundtrack definitely classes up the clip.

The short film has generated interest from studios including Warner Bros, Fox and Paramount, according to Heat Vision. A behind-the-scenes clip, embedded below, shows how Craig pulled off his Hollywood hit.

[via FirstShowing.net]

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