Experiencing Interruptions?

A Conflict Afoot

Two dudes share a controller and some snacks, but things get out of hand when the vegan girlfriend makes a frightening discovery.

  • Hunter Long
    Director
  • Hunter Long
    Writer
  • Hunter Long
    Producer
  • Daniel Garvey
    Key Cast
    "Harold"
  • Wendy Olmos
    Key Cast
    "The girlfriend"
  • Justin Charles
    Key Cast
    "The best friend"
  • Hunter Long
    Director of Photography
  • Wendy Olmos
    Production Assistant
  • Joshua Fitzpatrick
    Audio Operator
  • Hunter Noah Long
    Editor
  • Hunter Long
    Lighting
  • Hunter Long
    Sound Design
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    4 minutes 45 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 7, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    50 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 - William Paterson University
  • Hawthorne, New Jersey
    United States
    April 29, 2022
    27th Annual William Paterson University Film Festival
    First Place: Advanced Category
Director Biography - Hunter Long

Hunter Long is a 22-year-old LGBTQ+ filmmaker who specializes in directing and cinematography. He has experience directing 2 feature-length films and 4 short films as well as being a director of photography for 9 other young directors' work. Born and raised in northern New Jersey, Hunter stayed local and graduated in May of 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication - Media Production and a minor in both Film Studies and Art Studio.
During his time in college, he was the president of the William Paterson Student Film Association and made it his goal to help bring other passionate creators' work to life by assisting in the directing, camera work, writing, lighting, and audio of his peers' films. The financial assistance from scholarships allowed Hunter to obtain filming equipment so that he and any other passionate creators he worked with had the tools to create independently.
Hunter has served as a screening technician for the Garden State Film Festival since 2022 and has coordinated two university film festivals. He continues to work freelance in the pursuit of a career in filmmaking.

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Director Statement

When I pitched this film to my professor, he advised against it. I care a lot for his opinion on my work but I was certain that this film was worth making. It later came in first place at my university's film festival. This film challenged me to create something out of my comfort zone; typically the work I do is emotional and explores themes within traumatic experiences. A Conflict Afoot is a satirical horror comedy.
A Conflict Afoot is an experiment to see how far I could go to manipulate an audience into opposing a character they know nothing about. When the big reveal comes at the end of the film, the audience is left flabbergasted, laughing at the absurdity hidden in plain sight. The title is then revealed, being a wordplay that satisfyingly comes together to playfully mock the audience for their blissful unawareness of who the true villains are.
My goal was to introduce a character and frame them as blatantly as possible to be a villain, so as to distract the audience from considering them as anything but a villain. Some cues and hints foreshadow the reveal at the end, but the main character and his friend are performed so charismatically by the actors, that it goes right over the audience's head.