Vimeo Short of the Week - A Film by Vera Vaughn
In this ghost story for the digital age, filmmaker Vera Vaughn works late into the night, editing her suspense/thriller about a woman jeopardized by a mysterious home intruder. But when she's interrupted by a knock at the door, Vera’s world takes a frightening turn toward the surreal as life threatens to imitate art — or is it the other way around?
Interview with Director Sorrel Brae
Watch A Film by Vera Vaughn here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thank you very much. This film came partly from creative frustration with my day job as a director of TV commercials and partly as the result of a "proof of concept" test for a feature. Co-writer Zeke Farrow and I had developed a film with some of the same psychological and technical conceits and I wanted to see how effectively we could create suspense with just an actress, an apartment, and a computer screen.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Well, even though it poses larger psychological, even philosophical, questions, it's designed first-and-foremost to be an entertaining genre film. So, if you dig mysterious psychological thrillers with creepy Twilight Zone undercurrents, this film is for you. I'd also add how proud I am of the craft that went into Vera Vaughn: Jeffrey Kim's cinematography is both lush and claustrophobic; M. Brennan's edit keeps the pace while holding everything just long enough to make you squirm; and Leanna Primiani's score creates a discordant yet oddly pleasing tension.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I prefer to let people bring their own interpretations to the film but I will say that the creative process itself and how we define/invent our identities are both major themes.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
For the most part, the film plays much as the script reads. Given the technical complexity required to create the symbolism I was looking for, the production had to be meticulously planned. For example, each shot in Vera's apartment (the dark world) was horizontally flipped in post to contribute to a vague, unconscious feeling of discomfort. But because she's interacting with her computer screen (and I didn't want to do screen replacement), we had to pre-flip all the computer content ahead of time.
One thing that did evolve as I was writing and then prepping the shoot was the realization that these two women needed to be quite opposite from each other. That they needed to represent what the other was lacking. That made for some fun choices as I pushed them into opposition directions.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
People seem to either really love it and want to discuss what it means and unpack the structure or they just don’t respond at all. Kind of a polarized response in that way.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I think I’m most surprised by how often viewers judge the film based on its genre without looking deeper. Sure, it’s a creepy, dark thriller but it’s also a mediation on the power and danger inherent in the creative process, the fluidity of our identity in an increasingly digital world, and the role of perspective in our personal narratives. Everyone wants their work viewed thoughtfully but the reality is our lives are so over-stimulated now that we have to quickly categorize things into familiar boxes to make it through the day. This creates really cool opportunities for subversion in art but it also serves to isolate audiences into safe and comfortable experiences.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
More conversation! Let’s talk about it. I want to hear what people think. Good, bad, and ugly. And maybe someone will also want to give me money to make the feature script!
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Great question. For this film, there are two aspects to that. In the US, there isn’t much of a market for short films so the making of them is truly a labor of love — you’ll never get your money back. So journalists, festival directors, and anyone who can champion the short to new audiences become really important. Because this is also attached to a feature script which could be made inside a (semi) healthy market, I’d also want to hear from producers who are excited to see this expanded into 90 minutes.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Mostly I just want people to leave the theater thinking and arguing about what they saw. Every frame is intentional and things that may seem to be mistakes (like the already burning cigarette in the opening scene) are actually clues toward a more complex reading. I want people to ask themselves what it’s supposed to represent and then, maybe, even ask themselves what other people they may have lurking inside their own psyches.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Who made who?
Would you like to add anything else?
These were all great questions… thanks for asking them.
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
My co-writer, Zeke Farrow, and I are working on the feature version of this short. I’ve also just completed another short film called TITAN which will be released next year. It’s inspired by a survival/adventure feature script I’ve developed with writer Austin Bunn about a young woman who finds herself stranded atop a 300 foot Redwood tree in the Pacific NW. Fun!
Interview: October 2016
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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A Film by Vera Vaughn
In this ghost story for the digital age, filmmaker Vera Vaughn works late into the night, editing her suspense/thriller about a woman jeopardized by a mysterious home intruder. But when she's interrupted by a knock at the door, Vera’s world takes a frightening turn toward the surreal as life threatens to imitate art — or is it the other way around?
Length:
10:30
Director:
Sorrel Brae
Producer:
Stephanie Haberman
Writer:
Sorrel Brae & Zeke Farrow
About the writer, director and producer:
SORREL BRAE : director / co-writer
Sorrel Brae has received numerous accolades for his commercial work including the Young Director Award at Cannes. His short films have been featured on the Sundance Channel and screened at festivals around the world, collecting awards for Best Film, Best Writer, and Best Director.
ZEKE FARROW : co-writer
Zeke Farrow won The Peabody Award for writing and co-producing the film Best Kept Secret and was nominated for a WGA Award for 21 Below. His films, which also include Gayby, Woman in Burka, and Slo-mo, played over 150 festivals, winning several awards, a Sundance Grant, a Skywalker Grant, and were nominated for two Gotham Awards and an Indie Spirit Award. Zeke just completed Before the Sun Explodes which he wrote and produced with director, Debra Eisenstadt.
MARIN IRELAND : starring as Vera Vaughn
Marin Ireland is well known for her roles on stage and screen where she recently starred in The Family Fang, which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. Other credits include The Phenom, Bottled Up, and 28 Hotel Rooms. She starred on the NBC miniseries The Slap and played recurring roles on HBO’s Girls and Showtime’s Masters of Sex. She will next appear on the Amazon series, Sneaky Pete, produced by Bryan Cranston. On stage, she received a Tony nomination for her performance in Reasons To Be Pretty. Recently, she completed a run in Lincoln Center Theater’s Kill Floor and Roundabout Theatre’s The Big Knife.
STEPHANIE HABERMAN : producer
Stephanie Haberman is an independent film & commercials producer from Brooklyn, NY. Her recent projects include the Emmy nominated show The Poisoner's Handbook and the upcoming Murder of a President.
Key cast: Marin Ireland
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): All of the above!
Funders: Self
Made in association with: My friends
Where can I watch it?
Short of the Week: https://www.shortoftheweek.com/2016/10/19/film-vera-vaughn/
http://www.afilmbyveravaughn.com/