A lonely Catholic school girl wants to become friends with the popular girls but winds up chloroforming them and transforming them into pig monsters.

Interview with cinematographer and co-writer Sarah Anne Pierpont

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Using visual design to communicate emotional subtext is my favorite part of being a cinematographer, so when a story needs to be told and certain storytelling elements (dialog, for example) are intentionally removed, I see an opportunity to make even bigger choices for the audience to perceive and interpret visually. As part of the AFI Cinematography curriculum, HOOF is a Visual Essay - a story told on film in 3 minutes without dialogue and where the images and visual design are doing all of the talking.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

Were you a bully? Were you bullied? Did you ever retaliate? What if you had done so using bizarro science magic? If any of the above resonates with you, you should watch this film.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

Many people can identify with the feeling of not fitting in at some point in their life - this story is inspired by my own experiences learning to navigate social settings in my all-girls Catholic school upbringing. In HOOF, that growth experience is framed within a cinematically classic setting - high school - but the emotional experience of the protagonist (or is she the antagonist?) is manifested in an extreme measure. It's fun to see how the crazy things we may imagine doing out of anger or embarrassment might play out in the real world.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

The script was co-written with director Neil Ferron and had many, many lives and forms over the course of its writing as we worked to refine the nugget of truth that anchors the story within the construct of its plot. Ultimately, through storyboarding and loads of drawn images, we found that the most concise and clear way to communicate such large emotional feelings visually was often the right one.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

HOOF seems to make people laugh, which I love because the story is quite dark while the tone of the film is rather absurd and self-aware. The lead's journey has been easy for people to connect with.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

I'm just happy for the opportunity to share this story!

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

This film is looking for more places to screen right now. After that, a life on a digital platform would be wonderful!

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

Is revenge justifiable?

Would you like to add anything else?

This film would not exist but for the collaborative genius and energy of the people who worked so hard to bring it to life - especially director and co-writer Neil Ferron, producer Doug Barden, production designer Nia Maksimova, choreographer Genna Moroni, makeup artist Rachael Wagner, editor Camilla Bartoli, colorist John Daro, and post sound engineer THE GHOST.

Interview: August 2021

We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. 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

Hoof

Length:

3:37

Writer

Neil Ferron and Sarah Pierpont

Director

Neil Ferron

Producer

Doug Barden

Key cast:

Serena Kashimir, Madison Davis, Courtney Coffey, Tiffany Chen

Looking for:

film festival directors

Instagram:

www.instagram.com/sarahpierpont

Hashtags used:

#panavision #shotonfilm #35mm #aficonservatory

More info:

https://www.sarahpierpont.com/hoof

Made in association with:

AFI Conservatory