Pre-Production
Writing. Storyboard. Casting
No. Of Days: 80
Softwares used: Studio Binder
Origin of an Idea
The idea of making a film about "Death" came to me when I was in college. I stayed back during mid-semester holidays to explore the geography of the area. I scouted various locations near my university that could create the vibe of a different world, one not directly associated with college culture but with the potential to become something more. This was a big challenge for the team because we wanted to take the audience on a journey that was difficult to follow but thrilling to explore in the world of Cotard qualm, which transports you to a different time.
One of the most joyful experiences for any director is creating the atmosphere of the film, which was certainly true for Cotard Qualm. Another task was to play with time and teleport the audience to different eras.
A lot of inspiration for writing about New England in the 17th century came from my university days, looking at fields and landscapes that seemed independent of time. No one could definitively say which timeline or place they belonged to, which added to the essence of a parallel world.
I believe the most important key to making this film was observing the locations and imagining situations from different perspectives that could fit perfectly. The film also draws inspiration from classics like "The Seventh Seal" and "The Witch."
The Journey
Scripting
16/03/2022 to 25/04/2022
Storyboard
26/04/22 to 02/05/22
Casting
03/05/2022 to 16/05/2022
Rehearsal and camera blocking
17/05/2022 to 05/06/2022
It took total span of 40 days to write the screenplay, along with location scout, the initial costume designing, shooting permissions.
In the previsualization stage, we made storyboard and with that we also made some of the 3d environment, to show them a mock video of the camera blocking and staging.
Most of the casting was done by considering who will be suitable for the particular character from the people I have access to bring them on this project because it was a long term project unlike the short film which we made before.
After the set building we did some of the mockup shoots, rehearsal directly on sets.
Visual Language
Writing the Protagonist
The narrative of the film Cotard-Qualm revolves around a particular character who works as a gravedigger with her mother. The film portrays death as a blanket, as the gravedigger, and as the storyteller. The protagonist is presented as the gravedigger in a world where people are dying due to what the villagers and the storyteller believe to be God's curse. I wrote the character with the 16th-17th century setting in mind, ensuring she is no older than 20. Much of the inspiration for this character came from Robert Eggers's film The Witch.
When crafting the character, I was mindful of the locations we would use for filming, aiming to create a character who naturally fits within these environments. This approach helped us define her wants and needs. To add subjectivity to the story, we introduced her as a second narrator alongside Clay.
During the writing process, I collaborated closely with the fashion department. By the time I completed the draft, the prototype of the costume was also ready. I specified that during grave digging, Phillipa's hair should fall over her face, covering it with her black hair. This visual echoes the iconic representation of Death in classic stories, symbolizing that Death herself digs the graves of all the living.
PHILLIPA
World Building
As a writer, developing a world is one of the most exciting aspects, and Cotard-Qualm is no exception. From the beginning, I focused on crafting a narrator who transports the audience to a different world. To engage the audience, I gave him unique traits such as brilliance, but also imposed limitations, like his inability to see. This limitation becomes a crucial element in the story, raising intriguing questions for the audience, such as how he can "listen" to death.
While writing the story, I was aware that we needed to shoot in three distinct atmospheres, which we titled and classified as WORLD 1, WORLD 2, and WORLD 3. This classification helped reduce confusion for the production team and actors, and it also aligned well with the narrative.
WORLD 1 is where Dr. Clay narrates the story of death to his opponent in a chess game. To create the perfect atmosphere for this world, I envisioned it as a hangar filled with death beds. As the story progresses, the audience will see the impact of the narration and the other worlds on this particular setting.