Working Title - 'The Isolator'
Expected Duration - 20-30 minutes
Genre - Surrealist short-film

Logline - On the eve of his 21st birthday, Gregor is thrown into a surreal adventure.
Exploring a strange circus, an encounter with his childhood friend, and a birthday party that seemingly never ends, he is faced with the quiet horrors of becoming an adult who has forgotten how to dream.

Note - This is my graduation film to finish off the Film Production Bachelor at SAE Institute in Amsterdam. It aims to illustrate the strange stage between childhood and formal adulthood, and explores the themes of 'fear of growing up', nostalgia for the past and the harshness of conformity in the adult world.

Visual References:
- Strawberry Mansion (Audley & Birney, 2021)
- Big Fish (Burton, 2003)
- Coraline (Burton, 2009)
- Don't Hug Me I'm Scared ('Time' Episode)
- Hopper's paintings

Textual References:
- The Metamorphosis (Kafka, 1915)
- The Little Prince (de Saint-Exupéry, 1943)

Style References:
- Italian Commedia dell'Arte
- Puppetry
- Theatre conventions in general

What do we offer?
Budget is unfortunately limited, which means no payment for services is offered.

Catering on production days is provided, as well as networking opportunities. Travel expenses can potentially be covered (depending on the amount).

Film will be sent to festivals, depending on the final quality of the product.

Type
studentenproductie

Location
Amsterdam

Description
I am looking for 3 main actors - the gender for 2 characters is unspecified, as I am open to altering it based on casting submissions. Think you don't fully fit one of the descriptions? Feel free to still apply!


LEAD ACTOR - Gregor / Isola (named based on gender of cast member)
Age: 20 - late 20s
Physicality: No specific attributes required
Notes: Face will be smashed into a cake
Archetype: The Hero / The Everyman

Inspired by Gregor Samsa (from Kafka's The Metamorphosis), this character has an internal conflict: the youthful world they lived in vs. the adult world they must now enter. Highly nostalgic about the past, and resigned to the conformist norms he/she has to adopt to fit into the new 'adult' world, this character seems dragged towards an uncertain future as he/she tries to hold on to scraps of childhood happiness.


SECONDARY CHARACTER - Moonboy / Moongirl
Age: 20s - late 20s
Physicality: No specific attributes required
Archetype: The Alter-Ego / The Fool

Inspired by The Little Prince, this character is the alter-ego of Gregor/Isola who never grew up. Still filled with creative and grandiose ideas about the world, they peacefully spend their days on the Moonfield. Highly poetic, this character tries to show Gregor/Isola the good things about the future, and to push them to remain youthful and full of ideals.


SECONDARY CHARACTER - Clown or Magician
Age: 30s - 40s - 50s
Physicality: Long beard/stubble prefered to showcase age, but not required
Gender: Male
Notes: Would ideally know how to juggle; perform with cards; do some sort of trick
Archetype: The Mentor / The Fallen Ideal

Representing corrupted joy, and the literal embodiement of comformism, the clown acts as a sort of broken mirror for Gregor/Isola's character. Once filled with motivation, this character ended up comforming to the first-come opportunity and now is stuck in a repetitive-loop of play-pretend and deception for an audience that does not exist. His negative and pessimistic warning-like tone towards the main character sparks fear in them. He is what Gregor/Isola fear they will become.

Language requirements
English

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