DUAL SHORT FILM

by Nona Valkova in Bournemouth, Dorset, United Kingdom

We did it
On 8th December 2022 we successfully raised £5,159 with 75 supporters in 27 days

What does it mean to be uncomfortable in your body? This film viscerally explores the effect of poor body image and eating disorders.

by Nona Valkova in Bournemouth, Dorset, United Kingdom

 New stretch target

THANK YOU! Your extra money will help us push the potential of the film while creating a comfortable environment for the cast and crew! 


1668035767_concept.jpg

DUAL is an experimental short film with documentary elements that seeks to explore the experience of being constantly against your own body. Through interviews of people who have experienced eating disorders and body dysmorphic disorder, we will construct the voice of The Creator as we watch them desperately try to perfect The Creation. As they become obsessed, distorting and taking parts of themselves to add to The Creation, we ask ourselves how this can represent to our struggles with body image in a world that asks us to conform to the 'ideal body'. The Creator and The Creation further represent the idea of the mind and the body. 


1668035876_why%3F.jpg


Although the film focuses on the experience of those with eating disorders it also speaks to wider societal discomfort or dissatisfaction and a belief that if we could change our physical appearance we would be happier and fulfilled. Despite this being a common problem, the media often represents this experience as happening to only a specific group of people. With the use of interviews, that are then distorted to sound like one voice, the film takes gender, race, ethnicity and class away from this topic highlighting how poor body image is a plight that effects us all. The metaphorical approach of The Creator and The Creation hopes to create a universal experience that all can relate to and interpret in their own way. 

 

1668036733_vision.jpg


The film takes an experimental approach, prioritising the audience’s experience while watching the film rather than having any conventional narrative. We aim to create a visceral piece using the production design, cinematography, sound design and editing to immerse the audience into the world of The Creator and The Creation, using their metaphorical relationship to construct the feeling of being uncomfortable of your own skin.


CINEMATOGRAPHY 

1668039676_cine.jpg

The main approach for the cinematography will be implementing experimental techniques to best convey the themes of the film. We will use dream sequences containing unconventional frame rates, uncomfortable compositions and a ‘black void’ studio set up to create a unique aesthetic language for the film . An emphasis on visual metaphors and experimental camera and lighting techniques means that we are tackling the subject of body dysmorphia from a new angle and understanding, and I am very excited to bring the vision we have been creating alongside the director and rest of the crew to life.

Dual is an experimental film demonstrating the distress and trauma felt by ED’s or body dysmorphia. The aim for the lighting is to draw the audience into the film, helping them experience, close hand, the processes that The Creator is inflicting onto The Creation yet going through it together. To communicate the themes and conflicts effectively we need to get the lighting right in order to tell the story successfully and visually. The themes of body dysmorphia and putting audience members into those shoes of discomfort and suffering needs to be conveyed well and determined through the atmosphere. We aim to demonstrate a good balance between body horror and gore happening simultaneously with narrative. With our DoP and crew this will be done effectively. 


PRODUCTION DESIGN

Within the production design, we aim to create a detailed and alluring set for the story to shine in. With the centrepiece as the operating chair that The Creator moulds their Creation upon, we plan to surround it with previous experiments, scientific equipment, embryo-esque shapes in jars, and a contrasting atmosphere of growth and decay. The walls leading up to where The Creation sits will be peeling and festering with oversized fungi, chains hang from the ceiling with hooks suspending sheets of oozing flesh, but surround the Creation itself the set will look much tidier – neatly arranged shelves, organised tools, and an angled light bathing the workspace. Building a space based outside of reality, inside a mind, allows for an unlimited number of possibilities for the look of this film, and we can’t wait to develop our ideas further and craft a beautiful and captivating set.

1668040708_pd.jpg


COSTUME

The Creator: The creator represents the human mind, a fragmented and unknowable thing, so we aim to create a patchwork bodysuit of sorts for this costume. Being comprised mainly of strong canvas alongside other heavily textured materials (thick wool, denim) in varying browns with parts of fraying stitches and exposed sections where we see the bandaged and bloody body underneath. We envision it fastening at the back, maybe with crossed lace such as shoes or a corset.  They will also be wearing black rubber boots and bandages covering most of the skin we see, including the face.

1668039406_creation.jpg

 

The Creation: The creation is an amalgamation of textures that represents the body, and not just any body, but the ideal body which the creator is attempting to build. Through use of prosthetics and costuming we want to create a grotesque collage of flesh-like materials covering different parts of the body. One such part is inspired by a technique used in The Blob (1988) where they used a combination of silk and food gel to create a viscous, slimy sheet of fabric. The textures for the creation should be an exciting task of experimentation to craft a grotesque but beautiful combination of textiles and makeup.

1668038618_creator.jpg


EDITING 

Dual is split into two sections: the “real-life” moments vs. more dream-like, experimental sequences. For the real-life sections, the editing will be quite straightforward and slow, letting the film run its course. This will also make the more intense, editing-heavy, dream-like sequences pop even more, for there will be such a contrast between them and the rest of the film. These sequences will display many editing techniques, such as layering, mirroring, superimposing etc to convey the more intense emotions from the creator and creation, as well as creating an aura of discomfort for the viewer. 


SOUND

Built on the motif to split, DUAL’s soundtrack will contrast organic fleshy sounds with artificial, machine-like rhythms. Using contact microphones, we can record the mechanical sounds of the human body, giving the audience an inner perspective into body dysmorphia. Rejecting and wanting to warp your figure because of its image means only seeing it as an instrument of the aesthetic. DUAL’s audio will create a repetitive atmosphere of industrial, bodily function to place the audience in this mindset, turning our protagonist’s (Creator’s)  body (Creation), into the machine they see it as. Furthermore we will be experimenting with voice manipulation in order to make the narrating voice of the Creator, constructed from interviews.


1668038688_help.jpg

We need your help to make Dual the film that we envision it to be. We want to make this a film that resonates with audiences through its subject matter and offers an experience and perspective that perhaps most audiences haven’t seen before. By donating to this film, we will be able to give our talented crew the means to achieve this goal and potentially more.


1668038767_crew.jpg


For our crew portraits we each creating our own mini Creation using clay. On our instagram @dual_film_bfs you can see us crushing them, destroying the pressure we feel to look a certain way!

WRITER/DIRECTOR - SCARLETT PIVARO MONAGHAN 

1668003469_8o8a6322.jpg 

Hey, I’m Scarlett, the creator and director of DUAL. The film came from a need to express an experience I went through. After recovering from an eating disorder, I realized how much I had let what others thought about my body impact my happiness and sense of self. I constructed the Creator and the Creation as a way of interpreting what had been going on in my head, but since the film has developed into something that I hope anyone can watch and interpret in their own way. The way our society pressures us to look a certain way and feel like a failure if we don’t is something I am strongly against and with the film I hope to spread this message.  

PRODUCER - NICK MERCIECA 

1668003668_8o8a6461.jpg

Hi, my name is Nick, I am one of the producers of Dual. The experimental nature of this  film will help shed light on the subject matter of body image and eating disorders in a different way than normally perceived and will offer a more personal perspective for our audience. As someone who has always felt insecure about their body image and always felt the pressure to look a certain way,  I feel that Dual carries an important message for our audience and I am excited to help bring it to life, along with the talented crew working with me on this project. I aim to help make Dual an experience that will remain with the audience even after the film is over.

CO-PRODUCER - NONA VALKOVA

1668003621_8o8a6407.jpg

Hi my name is Nona and I am co-producing Dual. I’ve had the opportunity to bring a number of films to screen and explore my passion for producing films that have the ability to teach about experiences outside our own perspective, inspire and raise politically charged questions.  When Scarlett told me about her graduation film idea, I knew immediately the importance of this project. As someone who has many times in their life experienced self-rejection and body image insecurities, I recognize the vulnerability of the environment in which this project would be developed. My aim is to be able to create a safe space in which creativity and collaboration will flow in order for us to craft a memorable and meaningful experience for the audience.  I am extremely proud and excited to be producing Dual and can’t wait to see this film come to life. For everyone out there struggling with their relationship with their body, this film is for you! 

1ST ASSISTANT DIRECTOR - TYLER HARVEY 

1668003730_8o8a6555.jpg

Hi, my name is Tyler and I’m the 1st  AD on Dual. With a background in producing and a focus on political filmmaking, I am confident I can help fully realise the themes of Dual and work to create a final film that is as powerful as the stories being told in it. For me, Film is at its best when it's challenging complicated topics in an imaginative and receptive way. That's one of the things that drew me to Dual, beyond the striking visuals is a really personal story about self-realisation. When a film has the ability to connect to countless individuals but each in a unique way, shaped on their own personal experiences, you have something really powerful

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY - JED WARREN

1668003756_8o8a7076.jpg

Hi my name is Jed and I’m the cinematographer on DUAL;. I was drawn to the film for it’s content and the experimental approach the director was taking to portray this content. The absence of dialogue and traditional narrative opens up exciting ways to communicate the themes of the film in a visceral and impactful way through visual metaphor and unconventional cinematic structure and form. The combination of elements from the horror genre, documentaries and experimental subcultures of film-making will be a main focus for us throughout the project as the crew and I try to make the film as impactful and important as possible. 

PRODUCTION DESIGNER - RORY COURTAULD

1668003798_8o8a6631.jpg

Hi, my name is Rory and I am a production designer on Dual. For me, Dual presents an exciting opportunity to explore the experimental film genre through a Production Design lens. With the fluidity of experimental filmmaking, being a designer for a project like this provides a unique creative headspace – there are hardly any barriers as to what we can do, and with such an open-minded team it leads to, what I hope will be, a spectacular, powerful, and important short film.

PRODUCTION DESIGNER - MARCUS DEAKIN

1668003834_8o8a7036.jpg

Hi, my name is Marcus. I am a production designer on Dual. Working on Dual, and within the format of experimental filmmaking particularly excites me as a production designer, being able to let go of any preconceptions and really allowing us to explore the subject matter at hand. As an experimental film, Dual is free to exist on a different level from other depictions of body dysmorphia, allowing us to connect with people in a different and impactful way, and I’m looking forward to working with such a fantastic team to bring this concept to life!

GAFFER - EVIE MACAREE

1668003887_8o8a6981.jpg

Hi, my name is Evie and I am the Gaffer for the experimental film Dual. I am incredibly excited to work on this project! As someone who has suffered with an eating disorder and body dysmorphia, the issues this film is tackling I have experienced close hand. Visual storytelling particularly is something that has always excited me. A type of storytelling not reliant on dialogue I find incredibly moving when done well, something I plan to achieve with Dual. It is an honor to have the opportunity to tell and share such an important film. Our director has a strong vision for a powerful story, being able to visually show these themes and conflicts with a crew so passionate as ours is something I cannot wait for.

EDITOR - ZOE WASHBURN

1668003947_8o8a6841.jpg

Hi I’m Zoe and I’m the editor on Dual. I’m thrilled to be working on this film! Dual is an experimental take of the societal expectations of body image and is an intense look at the emotions behind these experiences. Editing will be a crucial part of bringing this film to life and bringing the right feelings to the surface, which is what I am so excited to take on. Working with the rest of the crew, I believe we’ll make not only a great film, but an important one too!

SOUND - HARVEY GRAHAM

1668079098_8o8a6918.jpg

What do you see in your reflection? Everyone will feel unhappy with the way their body looks at some point in their life. DUAL is a film that dives into this unconscious rift between desire and reality. Filling that void with the split sounds of an individual trapped in a body they reject; I aim to immerse the viewer in this fleshy combination of the organic and artificial. In a world made of mirrors, no wonder we all feel insecure.


Rewards

This project offers rewards in return for your donation. Please select a reward below.

£5 or more

Feed a crew member on set

By donating £5 you would be providing a member of crew with lunch whilst on set

£10 or more

7 of 10 claimed

Digital copy of the film + a poster

By donating £10 you will receive a digital copy of the film as well as an A5 poster of the film

£15 or more

0 of 10 claimed

Pick a sketch or a prop from the set

By pledging £15 you will be able to choose from a variety of sketches or props used for the set.

£25 or more

6 of 30 claimed

Ticket to Bournemouth/London Premier with a +1

Once the film is complete we'll be hosting two screenings in local cinemas in both Bournemouth and North London, a fun event and chance to see the film before anyone else! By pledging £20 you will receive a ticket to the Bournemouth or London premier of the film and the chance to bring a friend.

£40 or more

1 of 30 claimed

Ticket to Bournemouth/London Premier with +2

By pledging £40 you will receive a ticket to the Bournemouth or London premier with the chance to bring 2 of your friends!

£80 or more

0 of 5 claimed

Storyboard & Concept Book

By pledging £80 you'll receive a limited edition book containing storyboards and moodboards from each department chronicling their vision and process behind making DUAL

£100 or more

2 of 10 claimed

A4 Framed Signed Poster

By pledging £100 you will receive a limited edition high quality framed posted signed by all the cast and crew of DUAL!

£150 or more

Name in the Credits

By pledging £150 you will get the amazing opportunity to see your name in the credits!

£500 or more

2 of 5 claimed

Associate Producer Title

By pledging £500 you will receive an Associate Producer title.

£50 or more

5 of 5 claimed

Behind the Scenes Book

By pledging £50£ you a limited edition behind the scene book that documents the whole process of the production!

Got an idea like this?

Over £200 million has been raised from our crowd to support the projects they love! Plus tens of millions more unlocked by our partners.