Australia/New Zealand | 2014 | Directed by Bryn Tilly
Logline: A Mortal is seduced by a Vampire and transmogrified into an Immortal, her final hours engulfed in a tenebrous fever dream as she slips across the boundaries of Life and Death.
Umbra is a redux project in collaboration with my editor, Michael O'Rourke, who helped shape this grimy, supernatural descent into an atmospheric fever dream, and my brother, Miles Tilly, who co-composed the brooding, transcendent score with me.
The key players are Fraser Gray as The Vampire, Charlotte Antonievich as The Mortal, and Melissa Snater as The Immortal.
Umbra was shot in, around, and under Wellington, New Zealand, and delivered on the smell of a coppery rag.
A very special thank you to Martyn Roberts, my original collaborator, and to the Wellington crew.
Umbra screened at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival, as part of the Mini MUFF Session 1, Saturday, September 13th. It won the award for Best Short Film.
Location and on-set photos taken by Floyd Fairchild (Andrew McArthur), except where noted.
Charlotte Antonievich as The Mortal.
Melissa Snater as The Immortal.
Fraser Gray as The Vampire, with his Brood (l-r: Alice Frost, Jacob Munz, Geina Toscano, Melissa Snater, Yuri Frusin, Alexandria MacKay, Torben Tilly.
The Vampire ... and director Bryn Tilly, camera operator Martyn Roberts, and sound recordist Daniel McLaren
Directing the dinner scene.
Art director Andrew Foster, production assistant Dra McKay, and Melissa Snater.
Makeup artist Suzanne Styche applying Torben Tilly.
The drama of the undead, Jacob Munz, Geina Toscano (obscured), Melissa Snater, Alexandria MacKay.
The director looks on as The Vampire strikes a pose.
A dead rose. From the original promotional artwork.
Photo by Torben Tilly
© 2014 Cult Projections/Bryn Tilly