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Quality Control

Rated: Not Rated

        Imagine, if you will, a world in which scientists have not only figured out how to clone humans, but that clones are now so easy to “manufacture” and are so common that they’ve become disposable. This may be a world in the future, or another planet, or a parallel universe, but that doesn’t matter. What does matter is that the clones are deemed so inferior to their original human counterparts that they don’t even have names; they are merely numbers.
 
        This sci-fi scenario is the basis of the new short film from filmmakers Joe LoBianco and Tom DiOrio, Quality Control.  In the film Clone #36 has been called in for an audit after an “incident”. He tries his best to prove his worth and fight for his life, but his pleas fall on the disinterested ears of Auditor 451, who could care less about the clones, or their fate.
 
        The film is the first for makers DiOrio and LoBianco, but that certainly doesn’t mean it’s an amateur effort. On the contrary, Quality Control has the sort of clean cut production value and special effects that you’d expect to see from industry veterans. For example, the booth Auditor 451 occupies seems to have the latest and greatest technology the people of the film’s world can provide, right down to the “authenticity monitor,” (which monitors the clones and gives readings based on the authenticity of their words and feelings) which is integrated into the glass separating the booth from the room the clones are “audited” in. But special effects and production value certainly aren’t the only reasons to watch it.
Joe LoBianco gets in for a close up of Kenny Mahoney in Quality Control (Photo courtesy of Joe LoBianco)

Joe LoBianco gets in for a close up of Kenny Mahoney in Quality Control (Photo courtesy of Joe LoBianco)

 
        Another great reason is the film’s not-so-hidden deeper meaning. On the surface it’s a sci-fi story about clones being so common they’re disposable, but according to LoBianco, “I want all our films to make you think. This [film] is about prejudice and the abuse of power. Everyone has some sort of power over someone else in some way. How we use that power is what helps define us,” he said.
 
        Quality Control may be a short film, but it evokes as many emotions as its full-length counterparts. Once getting a look into the booth Auditor 451 occupies it’s hard to stifle giggles. The booth contains 451’s favorite toys, which make it easy to pass him off as an idiot at first, but as time goes on he conjures feelings of resentment, anger and frustration. When Clone #36 is on screen emotions like fear, terror, sadness, and finally hope take over. 

        Not every film needs a strong underlying message to be great, but Quality Control is the epitome of a great short film. The actors, the set (an all-black, dark room), the little touches (such as the toys in the control booth), and the myriad of emotions the film evokes, work together to make Quality Control the type of film that is remembered;  and that is no small feat given the plethora of viewing options we are faced with these days.

        Quality Control is not rated. It was written by Ammar Salmi, directed by Joe LoBianco and stars Kenny Mahoney and Charlie Sausa. It is currently making the film festival rounds and is now available on opPrimeTV.com. More information about Quality Control, Joe LoBianco and Tin Mirror Productions can be found here:
  • Quality Control on IMDB
  • Joe LoBianco and Tin Mirror Productions on Twitter
  • Joe LoBianco and Tin Mirror Productions on Facebook
  • Tin Mirror Productions Tumblr