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The Writer

A writer confronts his demon... literally

  • Margaret M. MacDonald
    Director
    #1 at the Apocalypse Box Office
  • Anthony Vercoe
    Writer
  • Margaret M. MacDonald
    Producer
    Enter Sanctum
  • Anthony Vercoe
    Producer
  • Caroline McQuade
    Key Cast
    "Karen-Maree"
    Atomic Kingdom
  • Seaton Kay-Smith
    Key Cast
    "Anton"
    Science+
  • Ben Hamilton
    Key Cast
    "Narrator"
    A Blaster in the Right Hands
  • Paul Chambers
    Key Cast
    "Creature"
    Pseudomonas
  • Anthony Vercoe
    Key Cast
    "The Writer"
  • Clinton Dessmann, Creature Design & Practical FX
    Special Effects
    Pseudomonas
  • Mitchell Charman, Digital Effects Artist
    Special Effects
    Indigo Lake
  • Margaret M. MacDonald
    Cinematography
  • Fawaz Hamawy
    Cinematography
  • Vitaly Zolotarev
    Music
  • Lara Cross
    Sound
  • Margaret M. MacDonald
    Editing
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Horror, comedy, dark comedy
  • Runtime:
    6 minutes 25 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 30, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 AUD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    iPhone 11 Pro digital 4k
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • A Night Of Horror International Film Festival
    Sydney
    Australia
    October 18, 2021
    Audience Award
  • Global Indie Film Fest
    Glasgow
    United Kingdom
    October 14, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Another Hole in the Head Film Festival
    San Francisco
    United States
    December 13, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Shockfest Film Festival
    Las Vegas
    United States
    December 10, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Haunted House Fear Fest
    Bradford
    United Kingdom
    March 19, 2022
    U.K. Premiere
    Semi-Finalist
  • Oz Indie FIlm Festival
    Melbourne
    Australia
    Honorable Mention
  • Lit Laughs Comedy Film Festival
    Yorkshire
    United Kingdom
    Semifinalist
  • South Texas Underground Film Festival
    Corpus Christy, Texas
    United States
    December 3, 2022
    American Theatrical Premiere, Texas Premiere
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Margaret M. MacDonald

Margaret's 20 years of experience spans several roles, including writing, directing, producing and production design, which has helped to hone her uniquely visual style of storytelling, and earned some laurels along the way. She loves creating films that are character driven, and enjoys the challenge of infusing them with a mix of genres and a twist of the fantastic. She is passionate about telling stories which transport people into other worlds, and help to make this one a little more extraordinary.

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Director Statement

This quirky comedy/horror short was created as an opportunity to showcase the talent of the handful of emerging filmmakers who loaned their skills to the film. Shot over two days in my apartment in Sydney, The Writer features some great special effects, highly stylized cinematography and design, big comedic performances, sumptuous sound design, and a score that contains a happy blend of classic horror and retro comedy. Shooting on my iPhone not only made for easy access to the camera throughout planning, but also made it possible to shoot tricky angles from tight spots. The Writer brought together a very small crew of dedicated filmmakers who each put their all into the production. The result is a snappy, stylish, short that packs in a lot of fun and fright. I hope audiences enjoy watching The Writer as much as I enjoyed making it.