Experiencing Interruptions?

Hum

A recently retired woman begins hearing a strange noise her husband can’t hear. Is it all in her head or is there something out there?

  • Ryan Kilbourne
    Director
    Night Out, Sleeping Elephant
  • Ryan Kilbourne
    Writer
    Night Out, Sleeping Elephant
  • Lianne Graham
    Producer / 1st AD
    Pray The Gay Away
  • Dawnie Finn
    Key Cast
    "Mary"
    Chip, Switched At Death
  • Mark Starratt
    Key Cast
    "Bill"
    Inland Freaks, The Bostonians
  • Shawn Vincent
    Key Cast
    "Paul"
    Let's Go Viral, Void of Joy
  • Ryan Kilbourne
    Director of Photography
    Fugue, Benson
  • Ash Hardman
    Camera Operator
  • Maria Glover
    1st AC
  • Sam Burns
    Drone Operator
  • Brenda Andrade
    Hair / MUA
  • Luka Reshmi
    Hair / MUA
  • Chanelle Berlingeri
    Costumes / Set Dresser
  • Aaron Kothiringer
    Grip / Electric Swing
  • Andrew Osawe
    Grip / Electric Swing
  • Luka Reshmi
    Grip / Electric Swing
  • Aaron Kothiringer
    Boom Operator
  • Andrew Osawe
    Boom Operator
  • Ryan Kilbourne
    Editor
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Thriller
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes 11 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 14, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    4,500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    9:16
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Ryan Kilbourne

Ryan Kilbourne is a Toronto based writer, director and cinematographer. He graduated from Concordia University's Mel Hoppenhiem School of Cinema in 2016. Previous credits include Sleeping Elephant (2020), Benson (2020), Fugue (2022) and Night Out (2022).

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

The Worldwide Hum is a real-life phenomena I heard about on a podcast in 2022. I thought it was fascinating that something could be so wide-ranging and yet no one could nail down the source of it (if there even is a singular source). It's like a horror story but the monster isn't something you can see -- only hear. And most people don't hear it too, so you begin to doubt yourself. Is it real? Is it all in my head?

Around the same time, my parents had finally began to wind down their professional lives and enter retirement. So much of our self-worth is tied into our profession. Leaving that life feels like you're losing a big part of yourself.

I thought the two stories meshed well with each other: the wife who's husband refuses to retire begins to hear the Hum. He's out at work all day still and when he's home he can't hear it and begins to doubt her.

I wanted to shoot in a vertical aspect ratio in order to isolate characters in their own frames. It's hard to share experiences with fellow people (like a new sound you can't stop hearing) when you can't exist in the frame as them. Whether that's the literal cinema frame or a frame of mind.