OR: What was the inspiration for your film?

BI-S: I was very inspired by being in quarantine. I wanted to convey the same feeling of isolation we were all feeling but put it in the form of a young man in a spaceship. I also thought about communication and relationships, and how that was especially affected by the pandemic. 

OR: When did you conceive the idea for your film and how long did it take before it was realized?

BI-S: I thought about the original idea and some parts of the introduction while I was outside. I’ve always wanted to work with the theme of childhood, and whenever I was out, I would just let my brain wander to what I’d use to play. I remember asking my dad to carve out “windows” in leftover cardboard boxes, and considering I had to do this production myself, going the DIY-route would fit. 

OR: What was the most challenging aspect of working in a short film format?

BI-S: The most challenging aspect of working in a short film format is definitely the length. I found myself having to cut down the runtime while still maintaining the heart of the project. Writing the script itself is fine because it’s just a condensed story, but trying to compromise which shots to use to move the story forward is difficult. 

OR: What was the most challenging aspect of your production?

BI-S: The most challenging aspect of the production was definitely filming myself. I had to make this project entirely in quarantine so I only had one tripod and couldn’t rent out a monitor that I could look at. It’s really helpful to not have to worry about how you portray the character on camera, because you’re your own director. The real challenge is when you need close-ups of yourself “focusing” on something, but also have to mess with lights and reflectors out of frame. 

OR: Do you have any advice for first-time filmmakers?

BI-S: Pre-production planning is your best friend! Whenever preparing for a film, I like to print out my script and annotate what items are in the scene, when to shoot (day or night), and what kinds of angles I might want to use. It’s also especially useful if you know how you have to shoot before you write. I knew I had to make this film in quarantine, so I wrote my script to accommodate that.