Behind the scenes: The filming of "Hitchhiker"
As with every filmography project, experience is key. That is why when we came around to our third short film, we had a working understanding of the process, start to finish, the requirements, and had the means to pull off something much better than before. So when Marko and I started to think about our next short film, the idea came swiftly.
We knew we wanted this short film to include an aerial scene, advanced camera movement, and a more defined conversation. On the story board, everything came together, and we were ready to begin filming.
The film required three sessions, two in mid October, and a final one in the beginning of November. The dusk, which provided the right atmosphere for the film, was problematic, as it left only an hour long time frame to film. Actor L.D. was brought along on the final shoot, as a last minute change, and I was taken out of the film to assist with the actual filmography. This last minute change proved spectacular, as both the actors meshed and played their roles perfectly.
[Spoilers below]
Hitchhiker is set in North Dakota, in the farm land of Bowman County, but filming took place on the outskirts of Calgary, Alberta. The hitchhiker is played by Deniel A., and the driver is played by L.D.. The two meet in an unlikely instance, on a rural dirt road, and have a brief conversation. As the driver accepts the hitchhiker, a radio announcement indicated a murderer is on the loose. The scene following engages the audience without being obvious, because as the camera pans into the driver's seat of the car, it is not the driver driving, but the hitchhiker, who is fully dressed in the driver's outfit. While there are multiple interpretations or conclusions to be reached regarding the motivations of the hitchhiker, the obvious point is that the driver fell victim to hitchhiker's murderous ways.
If you haven't already given it a watch, check out our latest short film, Hitchhiker!
