Introduction:
Bulb is an abstract comedy about a family that only owns one lightbulb.
Inspiration:
The intent with Bulb was to make a film that really explores the absurd. There’s a lot of humour to be found when powerful figures, such as Bryan (who is Godlike to his family as he literally controls the light), are juxtaposed by their pathetic character. Stylistically, the film has taken a lot of inspiration from Yorgos Lanthimos’ earlier works such as Dogtooth and The Lobster in terms of dialogue and tone.
The Process:
Bulb is very far from a high-budget short, and so we had to squeeze everything we could out of what we had. The film was shot in a house in North London, and the entire concept, premise and shotlist was done in such a way to simplify the shooting process as much as
possible.
The entire film being illuminated from a single bulb made a real challenge for the camera team, headed by DoP James Handley, as there was no room to introduce secondary light sources without breaking the immersion. The decision to shoot in 4:3 was a simple one as it added to the claustrophobic feeling that we wanted the audience to experience.
It was an interesting challenge with the actors too, as they almost had to “anti-perform” and go against their acting instincts to provide a flat delivery which, in tandem with the absurd situation, results in a comedic effect.
What It Means to Be a Finalist:
It is always a pleasure to be recognised for your work and even more so at a festival such as Worcester Film Festival where there’s a clear passion for the craft of filmmaking.
Where to Watch / Follow:
@gattonfilms is the best place to follow our work, including other short films that we’ve produced. Currently, a feature film version of the short is being written with the intention to shoot in 2027.
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