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Rock of Liberation.

'A short film about how, when the world seems a dark place, and the weight of your sorrows are on your shoulders, there is always hope'.
http://vimeo.com/91173313

This idea came from looking into what people do when life gets rough. Some take it on the shoulder, others to heart, but when all else fails there seem to be only two options: You chose to live, or you die. But there are too many deaths in the world today, and far too many suicides.

 “Did you really want to die?"
"No one commits suicide because they want to die."
"Then why do they do it?"
"Because they want to stop the pain.”
― Tiffanie DeBartolo, How to Kill a Rock Star

If one is willing to look for it, 'hope' is not far away from any of us. This film looks into this, but there is no narration or speech.

The film starts with a black screen and a cupboard door is opened. This is the introduction to the main character, (who happens to be the only character in the film). As the girl reaches into the cupboard the audience can see the word 'Sinner' written on a piece of paper. Throughout the beginning of the film, this word is a constant - reminding the character of who they are and what they have done. As the film goes on, the character becomes more and more stressed and depressed by this reminder and suddenly decides to take action.

There was no lighting used for the film, and any sounds were only the sounds picked up by the camera (a compact Canon IXUS). As the day for filming was generally bright, lighting was not a problem and the exposure was just right.

On this particular day, a vital scene was left out - partially because it had been forgotten about! In theory, this was a disaster because without it the film would not have made any sense. When the girl runs into the porch to get her coat, she stares at the paper on the door. When this was first filmed, the actress didn't pick up the note - she simply grabbed her coat and went out of the door. So, when I decided to re-edit the film two years later, I found this hole in the storyline. Two shots were needed to correct this. The first was a close up of the paper being snatched from the door; the second a mid shot of the girl looking at the paper and screwing it up in her hands.

The running sequence, however, was more difficult to film. Having no mount, or steady cam available, it was a simple task of simply running whilst trying to keep the camera as steady as possible. In total, the entire film process took approximately 10 hours, 3 of which were spent outside.

The music for the film, (which does not belong to me) was particularly hard to find and mix. In the end, the pieces 'Cold Summer Landscape' by Blear Moon, and 'July' and 'December' by Marcel Pequel were used. 

You can watch the finished film here: http://vimeo.com/91173313

Psalm 62 v 1 and 2
My soul finds rest in God alone; my Salvation
comes from Him. He alone is my Rock and
my Salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

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