Synopsis
Jason, a young businessman, awakens in a barren private office space with only a mysterious stranger to keep him company. Put off by his situation, he exits the room - only to enter a completely identical office, with the same man inside. Jason discovers he and the stranger have a past he doesn’t recall, but every time he goes to the next identical room the stranger remembers less and less about him. After a futile escape attempt, Jason realizes he must make the difficult decision to stay and help the man remember their relationship.
Our Review
Liminal is a short film directed in its literal sense. The film Liminal follows Jason who wakes in a room with a stranger. He keeps entering the place repeatedly like a doorway in a physical sense, an emotional transition between the past and present and a metaphorical transition like delusion. The reason behind the looping isn't disclosed towards the end as it would really be the highlight of the film. Editing is highly commendable, sequencing is engaging and original throughout. Overall a great attempt in taking a complex concept like this.
Director Biography - Eli Waddell
Eli Waddell is a 20 year old filmmaker, screenwriter, and editor out of Atlanta, Georgia.
Director Statement
Greetings everyone, Eli here! “Liminal” started as a simple one sentence note on my cell phone: Man gets trapped in liminal space. The film took shape over the course of a few months, beginning in September of 2022 and releasing in December that same year. After about two months of pre-production, we shot "Liminal" in one 10 hour day inside a single room, and the final film is entirely a product of the great work and effort that the cast and crew put in. In the production process we discovered some incredible ways to enhance the story, such as a fantastic twist in the form of memory loss, shifting aspect ratios, and creating a unique original score worthy of a liminal space.
Credits
Eli Waddell Director
Eli Waddell Writer
Parker Eskew Key Cast "Jason"
Colby Robison Key Cast "The Man"
Calvin Bowers Director of Photography
Kaleigh Higgins 1st Assistant Director
Eli Waddell Editor
Blake Garza Composer
Chandler Thornton Gaffer
Benjamin Berrier Camera Operator
Erin Johnson Production Sound
Austin Turmel Production Sound
Colby Robison Digital Colorist
Specifications
Project Type:Student, Short
Genres: Thriller, Drama
Runtime: 5 minutes 25 seconds
Completion Date: December 10, 2022
Production Budget: 0 USD
Country of Origin: United States
Country of Filming: United States
Language: English
Shooting Format: Digital
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Film Color: Color
First-time Filmmaker: No
Student Project: Yes - University of North Georgia
