A mysterious individual takes action against a pack of bloodthirsty outsiders whose thirst for dominance is thriving
Brace yourself for a spectacular half hour of cinema. The Neolith is a self-proclaimed new kind of short film. Stretching the boundaries and definitions of how a ‘short’ is typically identified. Knowing a thing of two about shorts, we can definitely vouch for this assessment. Masterminded by filmmaker Daniel Boocock, his intent from the very beginning was to create an high-end, visually based subjective short that was ambitious in scope, yet loaded with substance.
There is more going on in the film than may initially meet the eye. On the surface it is one thing, though The Neolith is layered and contains subtext for those who may see. On a personal level I find that the majority of short films feel very familiar in the way they look and flow or play into certain types of trends. My intent was to avoid that and make a short that arguably changes the definition of how a ‘short film’ can typically be identified in a way which is unique to me. Going forward my aim is to make big projects with substance that can win over crowds so I feel creating The Neolith the way I have sets a benchmark for that. The response so far has been tremendous.
The Inspirations
You know the rules, the longer a short film is, the more cinematic it needs to be. Daniel certainly checked all the boxes while stretching his timeline to an impressive half hour. His inspirations for the ambitious story came from many things he says, his own creative instinct being the primary influence. Though aspects of mysticism, Jungian theories of the shadow self and Gnosticism all play their part. Of course, the landscape also plays a major part in the inspirations.
All these aspects mirror certain conflicts and dynamics within the human psyche. The Neolith is not defined to one specific time. Some have interpreted it as being set in the past, others believe it is set in the future or a different realm entirely. Though certain drives within the films individual characters can be recognised regardless of time or place.
“Too much animal distorts the civilized man” wrote Jung “too much civilization makes sick animals.”
The Neolith is for film fans
the idea had been in my mind for some time along with several other influences, (aspects of mysticism, Jung, gnosticism) though the predominant influence however ties in to me not being the greatest fan of a conventional day to day lifestyle, parts of it can feel a little bit like a trap, like you can be ‘boxed in’ in certain ways metaphorically speaking. The Neolith is a way of exploding through all that and expressing myself in an authentic creative way out in the open. It wasn’t easy to make. So much went into it for a ‘short’. Beforehand a lot of people doubted it could even be done. I wasn’t fazed at all by the challenges. I took matters into my own hands, made many many sacrifices and just went out and did it.
The Neolith is for film fans. It’s as simple as that really. It was made in a way for whoever sees it to decipher the film however they so choose. The aim is to leave people wanting more. I think regardless of what certain cinematic tastes or preferences an individual may have, when people watch The Neolith they will witness the skill and potential behind it. As a filmmaker it’s all about going forward now. In my eyes I feel The Neolith paves the way for that. I have more content ready to go and I am more than ready to up the stakes once again. Just the thought of it gets me excited.
The Equipment
For the techies, The Neolith was shot on Red cameras, predominantly on the Monstro, though they did use the Gemini for all the firelight scenes. Daniel and Andrew Schonfelder (cinematographer) settled on Zeiss CP2 lenses as they had the range to handle the Monstro, were light to carry and provided the look they were after.
