The project was shot entirely on Kodak Motion Picture Film, which lends it its gorgeous color and grain. The majority is 16mm, and the opening sequence was shot on Super 8.
We chatted with the writer/director, Wes Ellis, ahead of his SXSW premiere to get advice on using film and crowdfunding your passion project, among other important tidbits. If you’re prepping your short film, read ahead for inspiration. (And enjoy the trailer premiere below, exclusively on NFS!)
- YouTubeyoutu.be
No Film School: I’d love to hear a bit more about your background and how that has prepared you to take on this ambitious short.
Wes Ellis: Despite always dreaming of becoming a filmmaker when I was a kid, my background has been primarily in still photography. I learned Photoshop when I was 12 (in 2006) and picked up a camera at the age of 15. I spent several years feeling inspired.
It wasn't until 2016 that I took this pursuit of making a career out of my obsession with photography/film seriously. I landed a full-time still photography job at Rooster Teeth Productions in 2017 which opened up so many doors and opportunities for me to find my voice as an artist. While I had my day job of taking headshots, merchandise photos, key art... I spent my evenings and weekends experimenting with different lighting techniques, collaborating with peers/friends, and utilizing the access we had to all the gear and production space. I always say this was my film school.
Not only was I learning the technical side of being on set but I was also getting reps in directing actors, collaborating with crew (having hair & makeup and stylists on these shoots), and just overall bringing a vision to life. It was an obsession that really allowed me to refine what my "style" was photographically.
When I sat down to write and dream up Neuro, I knew I wanted to expand upon these photographic trademarks such as mid-century wardrobe, using hard light, ’70s science fiction, etc. While this is technically my first real narrative short, I feel like the reps I put in with the still photography made it much more familiar territory. Still nerve-wracking, hard, and scary, though!
NeuroCredit: Wes Ellis
NFS: This is a beautiful work, shot entirely on film. From a practical standpoint, what does prep look like when you're about to shoot a film short? What challenges should filmmakers be aware of when they want to work with film?
WE: Thank you so much. I really love the process of shooting on film. While I, of course, do love the visual aesthetic of it, I really love what environment it creates on set.
We knew going into the production we'd only have max three days of principal photography to capture a lot. From the very beginning, I worked really closely with Erik Gatling, who is my DP and one of my best friends. We love that film requires us to be extremely intentional in pre-production in order to not blow up our budget or schedule.
This film being so heavily inspired by ’70s sci-fi, we opted for longer takes and less coverage. I'm not sure of the exact average shot length but there are several sequences within the film that are long, single-shot scenes with just a zoom-in over the course of about 30 seconds. This level of intention is totally possible on digital but, that day we were running a little behind schedule, so the fact that our film was finite we opted for just two takes and then moved on. Ended up wrapping early on the day. So you get really, really specific when you're on film.
I'd say working on film just really requires time to prepare. I really recommend finding a camera crew that has experience. If it weren't for my DP and his camera assistants having extensive film experience, I would have felt a lot less confident in committing the entire production to it. Lastly, if you're like us and don't live near a lab that processes motion picture film (Fotokem was our lab), then maybe just rent a car and drive the film across the country.
I know this sounds insane but we had a small hiccup downloading the last magazine after we wrapped so I drove from Austin to Los Angeles. It was so therapeutic!
Behidn the scenes of NeuroCredit: Wes Ellis
NFS: The sound is another big part of the short. How did you achieve that unique audio?
WE: Yeah, I am so proud of the sound design and mix on this film. I worked with my longtime collaborator and friend Jacob Camitta to bring the sound alive. I feel like he and our foley artist Quetzel Herzig really brought the sound to the same aesthetic level as the 16mm film brought visually.
Talking with him, we knew we wanted the sound to transport the viewer while still feeling cinematic. He applied various vinyl filters from different eras (depending on the sequence) to muffle up the dynamic range. He also added a lot of depth and detail to every shot—some of my favorites being the background soundtrack during the documentary sequence as if it were coming from speakers in the environment. So fun. Sound really brings everything to life.
NFS: You crowdfunded the film on Seed&Spark. Do you have advice for running an effective crowdfunding campaign?
WE: Crowdfunding can be really daunting. I was advised by a friend who is a crowdfund guru on a lot of the do's and don'ts. One of the genius ideas he had was launching the campaign on my 30th birthday and starting the video with, "All I want for my birthday is for you to watch this..."
Sounds cheesy, but it really worked and our campaign video gained 247,000 views organically on social media. He also warned me of the inevitable periods during the campaign that we'd get nervous—it’s like a reverse bell curve and that middle couple of weeks is really anxiety-inducing.
I think the most effective tool I used was just being genuinely enthusiastic to my network about this project. This film was something I dreamed of making and knew it wouldn't be possible without the support of my friends and family. I had to shake off the fear of embarrassment from putting myself out there and just do it. At the end of the day, I got to make the film of my dreams in exchange for 30 days of shouting to the rooftops. Not a bad trade-off!
Behind the scenes of NeuroWes Ellis/Provided
NFS: What advice do you have for someone about to tackle their proof-of-concept short?
WE: Take bold swings. Do something different. I was really afraid that what we were doing with Neuro both structurally and aesthetically would feel too different and weird. It turns out that's what made it stand out and get accepted into SXSW.
I think more than ever when you're trying to cut through the noise with something that will inevitably be your "calling card,” it's important to get weird. Also, maybe hire a first assistant director... you won't regret it.
NFS: Anything you'd like to add?
WE: If you have an idea for something, just go try to make it with what you have. Last April, we made a two-minute version of Neuro using resources we had available whether it's gear we owned or could borrow from friends/peers. This two-minute version of the film was so helpful when getting our cast and crew onboard for the longer short. I think had we not made it, our crowdfund wouldn't have been as much of a success.
I think the best thing you could ever do for your project is just start chipping away at it now. Don't wait!
I'm eternally grateful for the support we received via Seed&Spark, the Austin film community, and the cast and crew of this film. Last year my job at Rooster Teeth was dissolved when the company announced it was shutting down... the week of SXSW 2024. The past year has been such a rollercoaster, and I'm just so excited to have been able to bring the weird little story to life with the help of hundreds of people both on set and via our online support.
NeuroCredit: Wes Ellis
Behidn the scenes of NeuroCredit: Wes Ellis
Behind the scenes of NeuroWes Ellis/Provided
