Experiencing Interruptions?

The Purkinje Effect

After returning from an expedition to the Black Rock Desert, Jessup, the world's leading expert in extinct toads, shares the story of his meeting a Czech anatomist living with a lost tribe of hippies. The anatomist has discovered a unique and very powerful psychoactive substance derived from a rare toad and a specific dung beetle fungus. Jessup returns to campus and replicates the substance, which he names Obliterene. He summons his tight-knit group of academics, all of whom studied together at Bard, to attend a mysterious, Obliterene-fueled experience, that he believes will happen during a total solar eclipse on the winter solstice. The five uber-academics revel in one-upping one another about their accomplishments, and lament the loss of the sixth member of their group. Finally the Obliterene is consumed and the eclipse begins. At totality they are thrust into a portal, which draws Jessup alone to confront a dead friend, find the forgiveness he has craved, and to entirely miss an opportunity for personal growth.

  • Craig Trumbo
    Director
  • Mary Beth Eversole
    Director
  • Craig Trumbo
    Writer
  • Craig Trumbo
    Producer
  • Andrew Dixon
    Key Cast
    "Jessup"
  • Erik Thurston
    Key Cast
    "Becker"
  • Mary Beth Eversole
    Key Cast
    "Thersa"
  • Ashley Arroyo
    Key Cast
    "Jen"
  • Jata Street
    Key Cast
    "Gina"
  • Craig Trumbo
    Cinematography
  • Craig Trumbo
    Soundtrack
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes 47 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 24, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    1,700 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States, United States
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Craig Trumbo, Mary Beth Eversole

Craig Trumbo operates VuJa de Industries, in Fort Collins, Colorado. Within this one-man production company he creates films in the auteur tradition, as writer, director, cinematographer, composer, and editor. Topically his work began with an emphasis on political and environmental issues, with earliest projects being music videos. More recently he has moved more squarely into dramatic narrative and experimental modes, pursuing broad themes of irony using visual approaches drawn from abstractionism and surrealism. He was previously a university professor in the field of journalism and communication.

"Ideas are like fish." -- David Lynch

Mary Beth Eversole (Assistant Director, Casting) is a multifaceted actress, host, voiceover artist, musician, filmmaker, teacher, author, and philanthropist. Based out of Colorado her wide-ranging accomplishments include everything from a YouTube podcast on food allergies to major motion pictures.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

As it often seems to happen, the origin idea for this project arrived in the news, as a feature story just before the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse that was visible, clouds mostly not permitting, across much of the US. The story was about the Purkinje Effect, named after the Czech anatomist Jan Evangelista Purkyně, who explained it in 1819. It had been long observed that as the light level fell at dusk colors would shift toward blue. Intrigued, he worked out the physiology of this quirk in human color perception. Back to the feature story: hey, if you wore some bright colors to the eclipse you might be able to watch them turn blueish! Never mind the eclipse. Never mind you might as well do this in the comfort of your living room with a dimmer. Nonplussed by this little "science feature story" my imagination ran amok, seeking to conjure up a more interesting effect. An opening in my schedule appeared, a cool vintage lens arrived, and after fermenting for a while in my Big Folder of Loose Ideas, The Purkinje Effect hit the drafting board like a simmering bowl of Czech Carp Soup, kapří polévka. After coincidentally suffering through an acute flashback to an especially tedious faculty meeting some years ago, the story emerged.