The Quiet World

Our short film, "The Quiet World," draws inspiration from Jeffrey McDaniel's poem of the same name, exploring themes of modern isolation and the allure of digital distraction. We aim to mirror McDaniel's message by highlighting how our reliance on smartphones often blinds us to the richness of life unfolding around us. Through our narrative, we follow a protagonist who becomes so absorbed in her phone that she overlooks the beauty and experiences of the real world. It's only when she herself falls victim to this cycle that she realizes the depth of what she's been missing. Our film serves as a gentle reminder to pause, look up from our screens, and truly embrace the world and connections that surround us.

My Role in the film:

Director | Camera Operator | Location Manager | Preproduction

Role/Contribution of other team members:

Harsh Boken - Cinematographer, Actor, Set Designer, Pre-production

Jacob Tang - Video Editor, Sound Editor, Colorist, Pre-production

Jami Gandhi - Casting Director, Actor, Vanity, Costume Designer, Crafty, Pre-production

The film was made as a project at Simon Fraser University's School of Interactive, Arts and Technology, and was worked upon in a team and under the guidance of Dr. Kate Hennessey and Kenneth Karthik.

Pre-Production

Director's Vision

My vision was to create a vivid, immersive narrative that juxtaposes the cold, isolated nature of our digital dependencies with the warmth and richness of real-world connections. I aimed to employ a visual style that sharply contrasts the sterile, blue-tinted glow of screens with the vibrant, dynamic hues of nature and human interaction, symbolizing Cherry's transition from digital isolation to real-world engagement.

The Process

Starting with a mood board to encapsulate "A Quiet World," we merged images, colors, and textures reflecting the poem's serene vibe. Transitioning to a shot list, we aimed to visually narrate these emotions. Unexpected challenges like actor replacement and location changes tested us, yet our adaptability ensured our film's vision remained intact, enriching the project with unforeseen creativity.I held collaborative meetings with my team where I shared mood boards that visually represented the thematic contrasts I envisioned. We shared and went over the shot list and discussed how each scene could visually and emotionally convey Cherry's interaction with her phone versus the shots that capture her interactions with the world and people around her, guiding the team to craft a visual storytelling language that mirrors our narrative's exploration of disconnection and reconnection.

Challenges Faced

Our first hurdle was to rework our script and make it more metaphorical since the film is based on a poem, however, the poem had a very literal meaning to it. Hence translating the abstract concepts and themes from the poem and making a more metaphorical film was a challenge for us.
Our script needed just one main character, we had finalized our cast and location and were ready to film on the weekend. The lead character backed out from filming just a day before the weekend.
Our film required multiple locations - restaurants, house, park ; and also needed to get some extras to be a part of the film. It was my responsibility to tackle this challenge.
Coordinating schedules, managing ourselves as a crew and getting prepared for the production were challenging as we had a tight production schedule, many deadlines which we also had to organize wit our lead actress.

Solution to the Challenge

Dive deeper into the themes of the poem and identify core metaphors that resonate with its essence. Use brainstorming sessions to explore various interpretations and how these can be visually represented. Incorporate symbolic elements, visual metaphors, and nuanced character actions that parallel the poem’s themes, transforming literal concepts into a metaphorical storyline.
We had a backup plan by maintaining a shortlist of potential replacements who fit the profile of our lead character and could be contacted at short notice. The casting director immediately reached out to our backup actors, explaining the urgency and significance of the role. We altered our script keeping in mind the strengths of the new actor, making the transition smoother.
I went to the locations near my house and requested permission from the restaurant managers, to shoot at those places, after explaining the gist of our film and the time we would take most of these locations were ok with filming and even agreed to have some of their employees act an as extra.
Keep open communication lines with our lead actress and crew, ensuring any scheduling conflicts are addressed promptly. Flexibility is key, so build buffer times into our schedule for unforeseen delays. Lastly, we prioritized tasks and focused on the most critical elements of production to ensure efficiency under tight deadlines.