CAUSTIC GULP by Bryan M. Ferguson: The Skinny Short Film Competition 2015
Shortlisted in The Skinny Short Film Competition 2015, director Bryan M. Ferguson explains the inspirations and processes behind his film, CAUSTIC GULP
Filmmaker's statement:
"When a mysterious chemical reacts with the chlorine of a hotel swimming pool, a young resident starts recruiting followers for her strange cult."
CAUSTIC GULP was shot in Florida at the start of 2015. It's a project thats allowed me to unspool my fascination with the eccentricities of human behaviour. I developed the film for an audience to study the irregular behaviours of strangers in an unusual situation. I think we're a generation of perverts and I find it thrilling to watch an audience of regular people transforming into a crowd of peeping toms. The film was constructed to keep its viewer at a distance but to quickly engage them while slowly leading them in to the film's darkly comic but disconcerting situation.
Q&A
What do you do and why do you do it?
I make odd short films and take photographs. I’m not sure why I do it, it seems to be instilled in me.
I’ve been working with visuals and telling stories since I was in single digits, so it’s been a part of my life almost since birth. It’s just something that’s in my blood.
Where did the initial idea for your film come from?
I have absolutely no idea. I guess I have images in my head that fascinate me at the times when I'm focusing on a new project. I already knew I wanted to explore strange human behaviours and then that snowballed into cultism and from there I was intrigued by the notion of creating a bizarre cult that would seem plausible but quite absurd.
Describe your film in five words?
A weird, wet & colourful viscous.
What excites you most about filmmaking?
Everything. I normally take on most of the roles behind the camera on my projects so I find each stage of the process quite a fascinating experience in their own ways. From experimenting with story structure in the scripting stage, then playing with the visuals during production, to stitching it together in post-production. Every aspect of the process is addictive.
What advice would you give other filmmakers?
Grow a thick skin and don’t let rejection crack your knees.
Credits:
Production
A film by Bryan M. Ferguson
Cast:
Nat Di Resta
Bryan M Ferguson
Gerard Bonner
Learn more about The Skinny Short Film Competition and watch more short films at our Short Film Competition portal, and check out the full shortlist for The Skinny Short Film Competition.