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Spectrophobia

While in quarantine a girl discovers her reflection has a mind of its own.

  • RJ Collins
    Director
    Simi Valley
  • RJ Collins
    Writer
  • Jenna Lex
    Key Cast
    "Sam "
    Simi Valley
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    1 minute 48 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 17, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    150 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:4
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - RJ Collins

RJ Collins is an LA-based director who - for as long as he can remember - has relentlessly been in search of the beating heart at the center of every story. Since a very young age his curious nature and burning desire to create have been his driving force. He believes extraordinary people are the secret to success, and with the right ones anything is possible.

His mini-series Simi Valley, which he directed and co-created, came out on VICE & BlackPills and was nominated for Best Drama at the Streamys. He is directing a series for Adam Goodmans Invisible Narratives and is gearing up to direct his feature Left Alone, a post-modern mystery that takes place entirely on screens.

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Director Statement

Amidst the shutdown of Los Angeles and the entertainment industry, writer/director RJ Collins and actor/writer Jenna Lex put pen to paper and created a horror short film in their apartment in Glendale. Spectrophobia follows a young woman, appropriately quarantining solo in her apartment, as she discovers her reflection has a mind of its own.

The idea for Spectrophobia came from a hike around the neighborhood when both RJ and Jenna were frustrated their current projects were on hold and they felt unfulfilled artistically. Within 24 hours, they came up with a quick, easily digestible horror short that can be watched in the amount of time your coffee brews in the morning. At 90 seconds, there’s barely a chance for audiences to catch their breath as they follow this young woman and her defected reflection.

The challenges they faced figuring out how to practically shoot one actor as her reflection rebels against her in one consecutive shot was highly technical. To achieve the effect RJ and Jenna created a dance-like counting system to replicate the movements in each shot, thus allowing them to double Jenna's actions.