In the Bedroom
@inthebedroom_film
Sound Designer’s Statement (Adam)
Working on In The Bedroom was certainly a challenge, however, doing my part in creating an effective soundscape for the film was an experience I very much enjoyed. I have been collecting sounds over the years and saving them all into sound libraries on my devices for occasions like this where I can mix and alter them accordingly to match the requirements for the desired atmosphere. For example, the oppressive ambiance in some scenes was created from a combination of flies buzzing, screams, whispers, and drops of water. The latter three were pitched down to achieve the desired, claustrophobic, effect. I also made sure to make full use of the sounds recorded on set. One scene required erratic breathing from Jesse - I used sound recordings of the actor from filming, cut out every breath he took, and then put the breaths together. What was especially helpful was a detailed document that stated exactly what sounds were needed and where they were to be placed, providing me with a clear direction for the film’s soundscape. Overall, everything went smoothly, and working on this film has been wonderful.
Connell and Jesse, In the Bedroom’s central characters, navigate self-loathing, co-dependency, and emotional availability hanging by a thread. Simultaneously, the nature of their relationship remains deliberately liminal and ambiguous. I was interested in the current epidemic of loneliness that people in their late teens and early 20s grapple with; I was inspired by our increasing absence of collective memories and experiences; on a more personal level, I wanted to explore stigma around same-sex male intimacy. In our story, sound takes precedence.
Composer’s Statement (Bailey)
In the Bedroom relied upon feelings of eeriness, uncertainty and ambivalence as Connel and Jesse cautiously battle emotional and physical turbulences through the spiritual and the metaphysical. I knew that the score would come to play a big part in realising these meldings of sensations – I believed that familiar qualities of orchestral and film music that have become abnormalized could parallel this notion. The mortality of choral voices created an intimate yet strange timbre which served as the foundation for all of the motifs throughout the film. I was inspired by György Ligeti’s ‘Lux Aeterna’ and its micropolyphonic instabilities – gradual changes of harmony from individual voices that fold into themselves – a fated volatility. Microcosms of varied articulations from the choir and also some strings created grotesque reverberations that characterised an overall transcendent sound as Connel and Jesse eventually overcome the demonic presence that has upset their lives and their relationship for so long.
✿ Festivals selections:
1. Golden Lion International Film Festival: Best Fantastic Short Film
2. Lancaster International Film Festival Official Selection
3. LA1 Shorts Official Selection
4. San Francisco Arthouse Short Festival: Semi-Finalist
5. Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival: Best Student Film Honorable Mention
Film Synopsis
n the Bedroom is a contemporary drama with fantastical and horror elements. The film seeks to tackle the increased isolation and loneliness in the wake of lockdown and the digital age. It tells the story of two young men of polar opposite personalities: bookish and reserved Connell paired with the outgoing and athletic Jesse. Despite their differences, Connell and Jesse share an emotionally intense but out-of-sync bond. The two fall prey to a supernatural entity that feeds off Connell’s feelings of isolation and self-loathing, as well as Jesse’s volatility.
Cast
Jesse — Alex Candlin
Connell — Neill Maxwell
Spirit — Felicia Chu
Concerned Whisperer — James Brook
Lonely Whisperer — Nick Goldwin
Crew
Writer & Director — Antoni Konieczny
Producer — Nick Goldwin
Assistant Directors — Bailey Newington, Jessica Whibley
Cinematography by — Bailey Newington
Editing by — Bailey Newington, Joe Saunders
Casting by — Antoni Konieczny, Nick Goldwin
Sound Designer — Adam Lawrence
Assistant Sound Designer — Bailey Newington
Composer — Bailey Newington
Colour Grading — Bailey Newington
VFX Artist — Konrad Kobus
Production Designer — Alisa Wang
Assistant Production Designer — Crystal Zhang-Teng
Wardrobe and Makeup — Lili Kurzfeld
Sound Recordist — Keeley Ribchester
Boom Operator — Tom Kennedy
Gaffer — Ella Watson
Assistant Camera — Antoni Konieczny, Lucas Liu
Still Photography — Thea Rowland-Evan
Credits Single — The Roving Chess Club
Cast and Crew
Nick’s only other film credit was as director of The Least Unhappy People in Morecambe (2023), so taking on the role of producer was an intriguing yet intimidating challenge. He made sure the production stayed on top of its paperwork and kept things efficient and organised.
This is the first production that Neill has been a part of, and the experience to him was more beautiful than he could ever have expected it to be. He hopes to have many more like it in the time to come.
Keeley was an editor in early 2023 for another university film and did some minor promotional projects for Sixth Form. She found working on In the Bedroom to be a fun yet challenging experience. She found working with a compassionate team to be its best aspect.
Joe was the continuity coordinator in pre/post-production. This involved storyboarding and keeping track of continuity on set. Additionally, he was the editor during post-production, which primarily involved assembly, transition-making and cleaning up dialogue.
His other film credits include serving as the co-editor and producer on Don’t Look Clown (2023) and as the director and editor for Final Film Script (2022).
Felicia has acted in multiple student short films in Lancaster and Singapore. She loves shapeshifting! From a housemate who gets suffocated by cling wrap to the female lead in a meet-cute that ends devastatingly, to a protagonist getting over a breakup through the power of Kung Fu... In the Bedroom was the first time Felicia danced for the film. Director Antoni Konieczny collaboratively choreographed the piece with her.
Coming from an art and sound background, Bailey believes this gives him the tools to realise a narrative both visually and sonically, along with a creative attitude and inclination to utilise nonstandard filmmaking techniques. It was important to have this kind of ambition for the story.
Antoni grew up in Warsaw, Poland and moved to Sofia, Bulgaria as a teenager. He worked on several micro short films in high school, but In the Bedroom was the first short film he made with a larger crew. He's a proofreader for a contemporary Central and Eastern European art magazine, an Assistant Programming Intern at the Dukes, and a fan of all things horror. His main filmmaking goal is to direct a feature werewolf film with a Slavic twist.
Alisa found her part to be a very rewarding experience. It was her first time taking up the role of production designer. She learnt how to set up a scene and prepare the props for the shoot.
Alex is a Lancaster-based journalist who has appeared in local short films and stage productions since he began his pursuit of acting following the conclusion of lockdown. Having often played sinister or cruel characters in the majority of the short film projects he was involved with, In the Bedroom was a welcomed change.
He credits Antoni’s dedication and understanding of direction as being vital to the creation of the films. Alex remarked that having such a talented and playful crew in support of such a director was exactly what he needed to get the most of out of his performance.