Reflection & Expectation

Film project: Pandora's Box, a surrealist urban-horror retelling of an ancient story for a modern audience.

As I read over my project proposal for the course, I still felt happy with my concept I had for the film project I wanted to make this year. The idea for this film emerged from my desire to examine storytelling, environmental anxiety and feelings of existential dread. It's based on the myth of Pandora's Box as I feel that this story contains so many interesting themes which can be explored through the lens of horror, to comment on the modern world.

Pandora's Box is a myth I've been fascinated in for years. The themes of curiosity, consequence and horror are appealing to me as they are universal experiences but can be felt in different ways. I often felt that Pandora's vilification for being curious was not deserved, and a direct comparison to Eve in the garden of Eden can be made across the mythological spectrum. In my re-imagining, I want to frame these themes in a way that assist in my commentary on the climate crisis and the everyday horrors of the world.

A few years ago I made a three minute short, in which I started to experiment with ideas for this film. It’s a simple low budget, high concept piece, and I think it’s done really effectively. My goal was to make something spooky and suspense filled, using classic techniques of Hitchcock‘s “Bomb Under The Table” to really create that tense atmosphere. Every person I have showed this to has jumped at the end, so I’m glad that my intention in building that tension to breaking point paid off.

Watch below…

Expectations for this semester are:

- to finalise narrative of the film so I have a strong basis for next semester.

- to experiment with various techniques and just have a go and see what works.

- to create some interesting shorts that demonstrate elements of my film.

- get comfortable with equipment I haven’t used much or at all. Definitely try out shooting in 4K!

- collaborate with others and brainstorm together to improve my learning.