Distant Space is a short fiction film.
Synopsis: Robbie Scott is working for a commercial mining company on Mars. The vicissitudes of the alien Martian world and the commercial space base have dissolved his sense of humanity. He is morally and physically lost. Through an apparition of his daughter, his sense of humanity is restored and he can be hopeful of rescue and redemption.
Research statement
Background
Distant Space investigates the new film production methodology of virtual production (VP) in low budget short film making. The project asked the question how can VP be used to articulate the psychology of protagonists in low budget short film production? The psychological struggle of the film’s protagonist articulates two distant behaviours that were evident in men through the pandemic – the drive for alpha domination and the capacity for sensitive, familial love. VP allowed the story to be set in a space that reflected the story, a space of extreme isolation, including isolation from social and cultural norms the make humanity.
Contribution
As Producer I led the production, designing a project that was innovative. This included building a physical set replicated digitally so that the two versions could be matched seamlessly to be more than the physical or digital space on their own. This space is the exterior of the protagonist’s psychological struggle. The film showcases how VP in low-budget filmmaking can address the needs of a story arc and invites a reconsideration of criticisms of screen acting such as in Narremore (1988:3) Carnicke (1999:86) and Leberg (2022:133) by demonstrating the centrality of actors bodies in making VP spaces meaningful.
Significance
Distant Space has been screened and exhibited in six international film festivals.
It has won the Best Male Actor and Best SciFi Film and awards at the Stockholm City Film festival, June 2024. Was selected and screened in Australia’s leading short film festival, The St Kilda Film Festival , June 2024. The producer, director, production designer and VP Supervisor were also invited to participate in two special workshops at the St Kilda festival, one on production design and the other on new production technologies.
Extent
1 x H264 video file.
Recognition, awards & prizes
Winner, Best Actor & Best SciFi film, Stockholm City Film Festival, June 2024
Winner, Best SciFi Short Film, London Horror Film Awards 2024
Selected and screened;
St Kilda, June 2024
Stockholm City Film Festival, June 2024
Milan, Metropolis Film festival, May 2024
NZ Indi Film Festival, August 2024
Tokyo Lift Off Film Festival
Short Stop Film Festival, June 2024 (18th edition)
London Horror Film Awards, October 2024
Goa Short Film Festival, October 26, 2024
International Kolkata Short Film Festival, January 2025