If you know indie actor Timothy J. Cox, then you already know he's a serious actor. So, he's perhaps the ideal actor to play a camera test subject in writer/director Sean Meehan's ultra-short film aptly titled Camera Test Subject. 

In the film, Cox is an actor called upon not to act but to serve as, you guessed it, a camera test subject for a photographer trying out new equipment. Rather than act, Cox's role is essentially to simply "be."

That's not always that easy. 

Cox has always had a bit of an "ordinary joe" aura going on about him. He's comfortable playing a wide range of characters and he's not beyond going way out of his comfort zone when the script calls for it. Cox fits in on the city streets where the film takes place, though his well coiffed hair and shiny persona perhaps giving away he's not quite like everyone else whom he passes by. 

Cox is the engaging narrator of this less than 3-minute piece, thoughtful dialogue provided by Meehan and brought nicely to life by Cox's wandering inner monologue and slightly distracted thought patterns. There's subtle humor to be found here, not necessarily laugh out loud but definitely entertaining. 

The film's production is pretty much a one-man effort for Meehan, whose lensing for the film feels urban and fresh while the editing is crisp and casual. Camera Test Subject is never less than engaging, a bit of an unusual effort that would fit quite nicely in the indie/microcinema fest world whether the fests are virtual or, maybe one day again, back in person. For more information on the film, visit its official IMDB page linked to in the credits.

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic