An Industry Case Study
Narrative | Dramatic Features
Film Name: Second
Genre: Thriller
Length of film: in word(s) / number(s)
Date: the completion date for the film 20xy
Director: Karl Richter
Producer: Karl Richter
Executive & Creative Producer: Karl Richter
Writer: Karl Richter
Cinematographer: Cynical Smile
Editor: Karl Richter
Composer: Cynical Smile
Production Company: Chromosomes
Budget: $4000
Financing: Self-funded
Shooting Format: RED Dragon 6K
Screening Format: 4:3 2K
World Premiere: GenCon 2021
Awards: NA
Website: NA
The Official Trailer for Second
Watch The Trailer for Second directed by Karl Richter
A Short Biography of Karl Richter
Karl Richter is known for Second (2021), Mirror Site (2020) and Rhythm & Pace (2021).
The Karl Richter Interview
indieactivity: What is your film about?
Karl Richter (KR): Second is about twin sisters Sybil and Sasha. They are coming to terms with their dynamic as twins through a supernatural bond. Sybil is an addict, Sasha is not. The addiction has plagued their lives since they were teens, obviously in different ways for both sisters.
The story came from a music video idea I had written many years ago. One that I want to develop into a feature. I began development on the feature version of this idea with a writer-friend of mine during lockdown. As I was doing that I realized I could shoot a proof-of-concept. This I did with little to no crew and one actor in a free location.
I’ve always leaned into darker material as my preference and taste. Yet had never really stepped into the genre with previous short films. So, this was the perfect opportunity to do that. When I begin pitching my feature film, I will needed to show my grasp to execute this genre tangibly. This was the perfect opportunity to do that.
Tell us about the festival run, marketing and sales?
Karl Richter (KR): The festival run is only just beginning. So far SECOND has been selected for GENCON Film Festival 2021, and Origins Film Festival 2021. Also the Nightmares Film Festival with more pending. That, combined with Hollyshorts, is actually enough for me as its been recognized by such an iconic festival. Hollyshorts is one of those ‘on the list’. I attended it back in 2017. Now I’ve seen my work play at the festival amongst a lot of great films. Given the subject matter, I’m aiming for festivals that lean into the genre of thriller/horror.
Give the full Official Synopsis for your film
Karl Richter (KR): Twin sisters Sybil and Sasha try to come to terms with their differences. But only to discover a haunting supernatural tragedy. Unaffected by distance, Sybil and Sasha share a supernatural bond, one that manifests as projections in each other’s heads. Despite that bond, they’re very different sisters. Sybil is an addict and her addiction has been both sisters’ struggle since they were teens. Sasha is an upwardly mobile adult, successful in her career. She is once again required to support her sister who is trying to get clean.
Their relationship is continuously strained as Sasha is incapable of empathy for her sister. Her sister feels that judgement at every turn. This dynamic reaches a breaking point as Sybil relapses, leading to a physical struggle. And Sybil’s accidental death at the hands of her sister. Unleashing Sybil’s spirit into the house to torment her sister forever.
Development & Financing?
Karl Richter (KR): The story started as a music video idea many years back. I always thought it was a great story idea. So I began development of the feature during lockdown last year with my very talented writer friend Aisha Evelyna. We were doing ZOOM calls weekly. I realized I didn’t have anything in my portfolio that I could point at. A proof of something that says ‘yes, I can make a thriller’ as a Director. On top of that, my roommate had moved out due to COVID. So I had an empty room in my apartment. That’s when the germ of the short film was formed. The writing was fairly easy for me in a way. I had been thinking about this idea of twin sisters that share a psychic bond for a while.
My challenge was how I would show that in a unique way. I didn’t want to have their heads glowing or anything like that. Generally, I like abstraction in my work. Which is where the ‘projections’ (the ocean pier, the walls changing colors) come from. The script was built around the goal of having very little dialogue and as much visual symbolism as possible. SECOND became a proof-of-concept short film for that feature. Though the ages of the twins in the feature will be different. SECOND provides a glimpse into what a feature could do. I wanted to create a tense atmosphere and dark tone in simple ways and all of that is on the page.
A crucial step is always feedback. No one should write in a vacuum. Usually I ask other actors or writers about clarity and dialogue in my scripts. Given I only had one actor. It seemed she’d be the best person to get feedback from to make sure it was clear. That the dialogue doesn’t sound awkward. As part of the writing process I would send her drafts and she had a few great notes. That helped shape the script. It’s not easy to find funding for a short film. Going through the process of crowd-funding was not going to work with my schedule, so I carefully self-financed. The script was written knowing what I was capable of as Director/DP/ Editor and what could be accomplished on a very small budget with a lot of time given by my small crew.
Production?
Karl Richter (KR): I’ve used every short film to try something new that I hadn’t done before. SECOND was a direct response to all of my previous work that had been shot hand-held. I wanted to do something that was deliberately composed and fairly still and smooth, with a specificity to the transitions between scenes. In the past I had approached my films by scouting locations on my own many times to figure out general blocking, knowing that I would find a lot more of the scene on the day with the actors.
This was not that. Blocking and camera movement was specific in every shot and written into the script, because it was all shot in and near my apartment. I knew the limitations of the place so the shot-list was very specific. It was about 3-4 weeks between the 1st draft of the script and shooting. COVID was the main struggle. We all wore masks, but actors always take the most risk while shooting their scenes, so there was an added pressure because of the pandemic, despite testing and hand-washing and open windows for ventilation.
With that in mind, I knew I had to cast someone I could trust and Mikki was that actor. Initially I wanted a double for her, but no one had vaccines at that point, so the risk of additional people in my apartment, along with a limited budget, meant Mikki was playing both characters in all the scenes.
I’ve been my own Cinematographer for the last 4 years (except for one short film in 2019) and my own Editor for almost everything I’ve Directed, so the successes and failures of my projects are entirely my own. I say that because, though wearing all the hats is a lot of pressure (and on this I was Producer and 1st AD because of money and pandemic) it does allow me to make streamlined decisions about composition, action and blocking quickly.
We shot two days over a weekend in October of 2020, the second day being quite long. There were some tricks I wanted to do, most of which were match-cuts. The most challenging (and in the end actually quite easy) were the motion-control shots where the camera moves but we see both sisters in the frame at the same time. It’s not something that’s super obvious other than what appears to be a two-shot in two different scenes; one where Sybil sits in the room and Sasha hands her the keys, the other where Sybil exits the main living area, enters her room and slams the door.
That was done using a TALON head, where you can program in the move for a precise pan or tilt. Otherwise, everything else with the sisters in the same shot was done with a fairly simple masking process once I was editing. However, creating those shots required Mikki changing each time to cover both roles, so this added a lot of time to our schedule. Even though it all looks simple, each change requires time you don’t normally have to use in scenes with two actors playing together. Being specific takes more time.
That said, there’s no question that Mikki doing both was the correct decision; she delivers two unique characters flawlessly. I love watching every scene because she’s giving a lot of nuance for each character, in her eyes and how she moves. If I had tried to match her hair and even her physicality, however small it may have been in each scene, it wouldn’t have worked as well.
We shot everything on a RED Dragon at 6K Full Frame, except for the exterior night scenes, which were shot on a BlackMagic Pocket Camera 6K for the additional light sensitivity and the size of the camera. Given how small and lightweight it is, I could create moving shots more easily on a small hand-held gimbal. I was either chasing Mikki running down the street or sitting in the trunk of my car as my Gaffer drove me away from a streetlight.
I prefer to shoot full frame at the max resolution so I can leverage all of what’s available, even if I know the film is going to be finished in a 4:3 aspect ratio in a 2K theatrical resolution. That way I have plenty of room to re-frame or add digital zooms in post, should time not allow the detailed finesse of every single shot on set.
I had a fantastic crew who were very committed and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank them. The Nile brothers; Peter was my Gaffer and Josh my 1st Camera Assistant. Both of these guys gave me so much time and absolutely killed it every hour (and that gets increasingly impressive by hour 14), despite having only one person in each of their departments.
Though we relied a lot on natural light, (again, something I had written in knowing the available light in my own apartment) there was still lighting to be done. So the burden was on Peter and Josh. For those that don’t know, this means Peter was lighting alone, running cables and moving stands and carrying sandbags up and down stairs, while moving in and out of small rooms.
Josh helped him a lot when he wasn’t assisting me on camera, doing basically the same thing except with the camera, batteries, tripod, slider and the lens case. Oh yah, and I dropped the TALON head on him in prep and said “here, learn this” the day before we needed to use it.
Both of these guys are totally focused, to the point where they would remind me of needing to get an additional plate shot of the room or of Mikki on green screen in profile to create the ghost. A lot of our success was because I knew the limitations of the light and was able to plan our shoot days around the best use of that light.
Susie Rose was my Art Director, who provided all the options I needed to hone in on the symbolism of the film. From the type of flowers and vase, to the incredibly messed-up kitchen.
Suzi Hale is a seasoned makeup artist who really didn’t need to be doing a short film but she had done my last short in 2019 and came out again, knowing full well the hours would because they were with many many makeup changes between Sasha and Sybil. She was a total trooper.
Lauren Kleeman was my sound person, who was also on my previous short film in 2019. She’s a gem and also tirelessly stuck by the long hours. As it turns out she’s a great sound designer and has done the mix and sound design for this short and the last one she came on in 2019. My entire crew was incredible, so I’m super grateful to all of them for making this short such a success.
Post Production began quickly and I had analmost-locked cut by December. The specificity I wrote into the script was in the shooting and then came out in the edit as I had intended. This was my fastest edit given each piece fit together so well. That’s also a testament to Mikki’s performance. There was no point in the edit where I found a take that wasn’t on point, despite regular wardrobe and makeup changes for every shot of both sisters.
There were still a few small surprises that I was able to experiment with that I got while shooting the elements (flowers, floating ceiling shots), but for the most part, it was all there. (One quick aside; there’s one shot in particular I did find on the day that I was really excited about when I ‘found’ it. The shot of the mirror and the small cabinet. Everyone was at lunch and I was still shooting on my own because I was behind on schedule and knew I could get these abstract shots on my own.
I pointed it into that corner of the room and was rolling on stillness. I cut, then moved the cabinet and went back to the camera to create a different angle. Just before I pan the camera I realize it’s the same frame, but eerily minus the cabinet. If the camera stays locked off, it’s a pretty simple mask over one shot, when I’m editing, to make it look like the reflection is of the same room without the cabinet, in the mirror. It’s a surreal thing to see and something the audience may not even notice, but that is certainly off-putting when you do.) – You don’t have to include that aside, but it could be a fun anecdote.
The only question mark in post-production was the visualFX. I had approached one artist and he did a great job but by the time I got to the score with my Composer Alain Emile, I realized I wanted more depth to the ghost.
The solution evolved naturally out of a conversation with an Art Director I hired for the next short film I shot in March of 2021. (Yes, if you’re still with me on the timeline that means I have 2x more short films, one of which is finished and also going to festivals, the other is in post as we speak.) That Art Director has a great relationship with Replicant Lab, a duo that create 3D everything; cosplay costumes, props, art pieces and installations… and now 3D animation.
The ghost had to be different than what you’re used to seeing; I wanted to update it for our digital era, taking inspiration from the look of Mr. World in American Gods, season one. I had shot plates of Mikki on green screen in a few settings that would match the environments where we see the ghost. Replicant Lab used 3D face scanning software on a phone to scan that footage from their monitor to create a rough 3D version of Mikki’s head they could manipulate into what you see in the film. It’s actually a fairly simple workflow, done with some very cheap tools, compared to what they use for big blockbuster movies that digital re-create actors for vfx work; yet it was perfect for what I wanted.
The score was composed by Alain Emile. This is our fifth film working together. That kinda says enough about the collaborative relationship we have. I trust him implicitly, we vibe together super well and due to that cohesion, you get to hear what I think is his best work in the last cue of the film. (At least, best work so far.) He also lent some time to the foley, which I was like… “wow”, because he went ahead and recorded a bunch of sounds to replace what we got on set that are so much more clean and saved Lauren a lot of time on her end when doing the mix.
The last step is always color and sound mix. Billy Landry is my guy over at Company 3 and now we’re at a point where I write one sentence via text and he sends back an incredible look that I never expected but suits the work perfectly.
Usually as I’m cutting I lay in sound ideas so Alain has an idea of where I’m going. A lot of the time those sound ideas stay to the end of the film because I spend a lot of time refining them as the edit progresses. A lot of people think an Editor is only working with picture, but a lot of the sound work is often done by the Editor to get it to a certain place for tone.
I like to remove the guess-work for people whenever possible, while leaving it open to their input. Then I hand it off to Lauren Kleeman to do the final sound design and mix. There’s some instances where I may have slowed down sound or pitched a sound a certain way that I want to keep. In this case, she created some great elements for the ghost that add to the other-dimensionality of her, as well as up-ing the creep factor.
As it is with all of my personal work, it has to be put aside at times to keep the lights on, which was really the only delay, in the end. The film was basically all finished in July. 2
Festival Preparation & Strategy?
KR: Well, this is where I’m a little on the weak side. The festival strategy is: apply to festivals I’ve already had previous work at, while targeting festivals that lean into genre and a few others that have some legacy or prestige in some form. SECOND isn’t a Sundance film, but it could be a Slamdance film. There are plenty of festivals that have been around for more than five years that I’d be honored to play at. The more exposure the better. Even if I can’t go, or even if they’re smaller festivals, it means a lot to be selected by a legitimate festival. Blackbird Film Festival for one, is an incredible festival.
They’ve only been around for 6 years, but they do a fantastic job supporting their filmmakers. I had a film play with them last year and even during COVID they were wonderful. Along with that, I do whatever I can to request interviews or to be included on panels either virtually or in person if I’m able to attend festivals. I love to talk about my own process and learn about other peoples’ processes. it’s a great pleasure, and at this level, possibly the most gratifying experience, to have finished work selected and seen by your peers.
The Release?
KR: The film isn’t yet released publicly. I’m going to wait for a few more festivals, then I’d like to publish it on a platform like Short of The Week or something genre-specific so it gets seen in an even larger way than film festivals
Advice from the Filmmaker?
KR: Advice is hard, because every path is unique and there are so many variables to making any type of film, even a short film. Preparation is key. You can never over-prepare. Learn how to trust your instincts so you can pivot creatively when something doesn’t quite go the way you had hoped. Don’t drink before you shoot. You’re gonna do long days and even a few drinks the night before is slowing you down. If you think you can ‘do it tomorrow’, just do it now because tomorrow’s gonna have a whole bunch of other things that are on fire.
Actually, the best advice is to know your limits (and push them hard) and give yourself more time to shoot. Take the time for performance whenever possible, over everything else. Your film is not going to be good if your performances aren’t good. And usually for your performances to be good, you have to take the time for your actors. I would much rather have a camera and one light and an additional hour on my schedule (or 3!) then have all the gear, spend hours lighting with a big crew and only have 30 minutes for a scene. Seriously, the more time the better.
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