Eliminated

“An intriguing idea and takes on new virtual technology in order to achieve it…”

A member of a military unit, Victor is one of the few people left on planet Earth after the mass evacuation. The planet’s air is contaminated and everyone has already left the planet, but Viktor believes it can be fixed. However, one day he runs into someone he didn’t expect.

Writer/Director Tomáš Krauz delves into a bleak future with his short film Eliminated that really showcases his talents and imagination. Clearly having an eye for Sci-Fi, Krauz explores an intriguing idea and takes on new virtual technology in order to achieve it.

With the arrival of virtual studios, we’re not surprised to find filmmakers utilising this seemingly limitless technology into short film. The ability for filmmakers to see digital backgrounds live and shoot is a milestone in the industry that will continue to evolve. Krauz makes full use of this and explores a big story with great results.

Our hero Viktor played by Martin Písařík was well cast as he holds the film on his own with little dialogue, something not any actor could accomplish. Considering he’s in every scene, you don’t get tired of seeing him continue his journey and you really get behind wanting him to succeed.

The story is solid, albeit not totally original. It was a good choice not to add needless dialogue and exposition, instead relying on the strong visuals. Where Eliminated really finds its mark is in the attention to detail with the production. The cinematography, performances, props, locations and everything in between is very well produced.

Production quality overall is good and is beautifully captured by DOP Marek Vohryzka who manages to make the film feel big. The shot seqeunces within the fight scenes were well thought out and believable.

The fight choreography is very tight and of a high standard, something that’s very hard to do. Krauz, Vohryzka and the performers blocked out the scenes well. There also wasn’t excess fight sequences for the sake of it, something we see a lot of in European films. The action was needed in the film and added drama to the heroes mission.

The score from Sam Carey had purpose and grace, adding a dramatic tone to a high concept story that was really needed. It’s delicate and thoughtful which adds to the sense of isolation felt in the lead character. But when the action scenes pick up, Carey delivers.

We see time and time again with filmmakers that focus too much on visuals, ending up with sizzle reels rather than films. Eliminated is not one of those. Krauz has a clear vision and has assembled a talented team to execute it. We highly recommend watching this exciting Sci-Fi…

— APEX Film Awards