Mental Glitch

By Rhys Marks

A young man elects to take part in a clinical trial labelled ‘EZFix’ in which a technological implant is inserted into one’s brain in the promise of treating mental health issues. In this drama thriller, the young man is forced to struggle through episodes of forced hysteria that make him question his presence in reality.

**WARNING – THIS FILM CONTAINS SCENES OF VIOLENCE AND GORE AND IT IS ADVISED VIEWERS UNDER THE AGE OF 15 WATCH WITH A PARENT**

I really pushed myself out of my comfort zone producing this short film; wishing for my final hoorah in the Future Machina studio to get me to explore and prioritise elements of film-making that I typically overlook. Specifically in this film, I wished to stage abnormal mise en scene and experiment with unconventional cinematography in order to create a unique and disturbing narrative. I wished to highlight the incompatibility of technology and the human mind – what other genre to exercise this than body horror; which forces viewers to question what is right/wrong for a human body to endure. Additionally, the high amount of pre-production planning that was undergone for this project facilitated one of the smoothest productions that I have ever been a part of. My advice for a smooth production, would be to plan the most for areas in which the film will heavily rely on; for example in this film – writing extensive notes for the acting performance and detail surrounding cinematography, saved a lot of time having to make decisions and communicate ideas on-set.

CREDITS

Writer/Director/Editor/Cinematographer – Rhys Marks

Starring – Kane Murcott

Makeup Styling – Patrick Marks

MUSIC

Patrick Patrikios – Feels

Godmode – To Pass Time

Godmode – Traversing

Godmode – Heartbeat

(All music sourced from YouTube Audio Library – no attribution required)