How a School Exam Became a Short Film

While rummaging through some old carboard boxes left in the back of a closet my mother recently discovered some old school documents I’d written long ago. One was an article dating back to 2008, my last year in Ungdomskolen—the Norwegian equivalent of Junior High School, where I detailed the broad strokes of the history of time travel in fiction. Much to my surprise, however, stapled to the back of this report was a five-page short story simply titled The Time Loop.

Hardly a masterpiece, but not terrible for something written by a Norwegian teenager in about an hour.

It was written in English and was part of my final exam that year (I got an A if you were wondering). It tells the story of an Oxford student named Ian McDougal who is accidentally sent three decades forward in time while working on an experimental device being developed by an eccentric professor. In the future Ian stumbles upon a lecture being held on a now common teleportation device. He decides to steal one of these devices and take it back to the present, figuring it will make him a rich man. The lecturer, who’s also the inventor if this device, catches him in the act and chases after him. Ian succeeds in getting back to the time machine and subsequently back to the present with the stolen device. In the following years he claims the device as his own invention, patents the idea, and becomes one of the richest men in the world. Then, one day thirty years after his time travel incident, while lecturing at his old university he sees someone trying to steal his device, chases after him, only to realise that the young man is his younger self, thereby bringing the circle of events to a final close.

Fourteen years after I wrote this story, in December of 2022, I released a short film on my YouTube channel titled Paradox, and if you’ve already seen it you might have recognised that the plot I described above is nearly identical to the plot of this film. 

This is obviously no coincidence, though you might be surprised to know that until this recent rediscovery by my mother, I was convinced this document had been lost.

Paradox actually started in late 2018 at the London Film Academy, when I was encouraged by the joint principal, Daisy Gili, to write and direct a 10-15 min. short film that would be co-produced by the school. I was at the time getting ready to travel back home to Norway in just a few days and would have to hand in a script before leaving. This didn’t give me much time to come up with a story. Luckily, I remembered the basic plot of The Time Loop, and the following day I handed her the first draft of the script. Ian was now Morgan, Oxford had changed to London, but all the story beats remained pretty much the same. She was pleased with the script and felt it was doable within the agreed budget, so we set a date for the following year when I would return to London to shoot the film.

The shoot itself went quite well, but the post-production can only be described as one of the most frustrating things I have been through. I will keep it short, but suffice it to say that Covid-19 caused many delays and that I did not get a proper “final” cut done until early 2021. Initial screenings to friends and family forced me to admit that I’d made a pretty serious casting error and the following year I decided to reshoot every scene with the middle-aged version of the protagonist, a process requiring multiple green-screen set-ups in London (which was shot by a second unit), something which created many time consuming VFX shots, and the final film was not completed until December 2022. Keep in mind that during the more than three years that had passed between the shoot and the final release, I had written a whole novel, started work on two more, not to mention written, produced, shot, edited and released a whole other short film earlier that year. It’s safe to say that this is by far the longest I have ever worked on a single story—for better and for worse.

Despite all this, I must say it was a fun experience once more hold the original short story in my hands and being able to read the original idea for the first time in sixteen years (even if the writing wasn't very good).

The film crew, plus lead actor Perry Jaques, on wrap day in August 2019.

Dawn of the Karabu Lore: The Children of the Light

The following text is taken from a "fact sheet" I made to assist me during the writing process of what would become my 2020 novel, Dawn of the Karabu. This first part is a summary of the culture, religion, social hierarchy and geography related to the faction known as The Children of the Light, of which the novel's main character is a part of.

Whether this is merely a reminder or your first time reading about the world of my novel, I hope you will find it interesting. 

I do, however, want to make it clear to anyone who has not yet read the book that this article is in no ways required to understand the world depicted in the novel. I took great care to reveal the lore piece by piece through the narrative in a natural manner, so please consider this as either reference material or as trivia.

NOTE: No story spoilers have been included in this first part. The text has also been partially altered and updated from the original to fix some minor incongruities between the final novel and the original document. Most of the reference photos originally used had to be removed for copyright reasons and have been replaced with stock images.

 

Before the Light, there was darkness ⁘ And the darkness is Karabu; the man-beast

- from the Book of Ascension, Chapter I, Verses 1-2.

THE TRANSCENDED as seen by the humans

The Transcended, now referred to as Legion, are the humans of the past who achieved perfection of both body and mind and evolved beyond the physical form into beings of pure thought and energy; Enlightened beings.

The first humans who transcended wished to share their achievement with the lower human forms and made a religion to aid them in achieving enlightenment. They created the cycle of rebirth and the caste system to encourage humans in their quest for perfection and transcendence. Those who work against it are punished by being reborn in lower forms, and those who achieved perfection are allowed to keep it in the next life.

A common symbol depicting the many helping hands of Legion.

Before the first transcended beings there was a war of conflicting ideals. Some humans perversely wanted to return to animal form and even uplifted the animals by giving them human qualities. This perversion of perfection angered the humans striving for perfection and war broke out. The war was eventually won as the transcended moved beyond physical form. Those who supported the Transcended were rewarded with karma and rebirth so that they could also one day achieve perfection. The enemy was punished by removing their ability to gain good karma, but nonetheless cursed with rebirth. They will forever be reborn as the animalistic abominations that they created.

Herein lies the Animal Clans’ contempt for humanity and their perfection.

Before the doctrine of Light, yet after the age of the Beast, there was the Talos ⁘ The Talos rejected the darkness, but the Light was yet out of reach: and they pondered on matters of transcendence for centuries ⁘ The age of Light began when the Talos, once many, became One: Legion ⁘ Light and Mind became One, formless and pure  

- from the Book of Ascension, Chapter II, Verses 1-2,4-5.

THE CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT

A karma-based spirituality that teaches that your caste is determined by your accomplishments in your previous life.

The High-Caste is the reborn form of previous members of the Middle-Caste who strived for perfection and transcendence.  The beauty, strength and intellect gained through their hard work is rewarded as a permanent feature in the next life. Thus, they retain their achievements of perfection in birth, unless they commit sin or embrace non-perfection. Then they will be reborn in a lower caste.

The Middle-Caste consists of the neutral individuals who neither deserved reward nor punishment for their past deeds. Their past life was one of indifference towards perfection. Thus, one remains in the middle.

The Untouchables consists of those who have been punished for past evils and have therefore been given animalistic features and must work hard to redeem themselves. In their past lives they stood in the way of perfection or broke the holy laws. Their punishment is slavery and the shame of being cursed with animalistic aspects. By living up to their caste's responsibilities and hard work they will be reborn in the Middle-Caste after an honourable death.

A simple breakdown of the hierarchy of the Children of the Light.

Then Legion spoke unto man and said; grieve not, for Transcendence will be thy legacy, and our teaching ⁘ Thou shalt reject the darkness, and embrace the Light: that is perfection of thy mind and body ⁘ All that is dark shall remain dark, and all that is Light shall remain Light ⁘ Though the task be difficult, thou shalt be blessed by death temporary, and thou shalt live again until purity of body and mind is achieved ⁘ Then Legion went silent: And thusly the doctrine of Light was founded 

- from the Book of Ascension, Chapter III, Verses 2-5, 8.

THE HIGH-CASTE 

They are the most genetically perfect among the human castes. Possessing the highest achievable physical form, they are the highest of the earthbound states of being. In addition to extreme physical beauty, they are stronger and more intelligent than the other castes. Their aging process is considerably slowed down, and a youthful appearance is maintained until death. The average life expectancy for those in the High-Caste is about 200 years. Only the loss of hair colour (into silver grey) and some level of strength and vitality separate the old from adult. 

Classes

Though simple soldiering is reserved for the Untouchables, it is common for High-Caste individuals to become Knights and Pilots. There are many classes(/occupations) available for the Highest Caste, most of which are also available for the Middle-Caste:

Monks are the most revered and respected members of the caste. Only the genetically perfect are allowed to seek final transcendence.  

Priesthood is a very prestigious position in society. Unlike the Monkhood it is possible for Middle-Caste members to teach the gospel.

Knighthood is the most popular and prestigious position in society. Knights are commonly former athletes or pilots. Only a member of the royal family can grant the title of Knight, and it is not uncommon for Middle-Caste member to be awarded this title. The Knights serve under the King or Queen as the generals and military strategists of the royal army. They are easily identified by their polished steel-plate armour, commonly forged to accentuated the shape of their athletic bodies. The higher the rank, the more ornate and elaborate the designs will be. The image of the brave Knight in shining armour is one of the most enduring symbols of the Children of the Light.

Pilots consist of the best athletes and intellectuals of society. Like Knighthood it is not uncommon for Middle-Caste members to become pilots. As piloting requires intellect and skill, rather than brute strength, it is a revered skill to be able to pilot a fighter jet. It is worth noting is that piloting is a field overrepresented by women. Pilots are identified by their dark-blue coatee dress-uniforms when off-duty. Otherwise they are usually seen wearing somewhat bulky, but practical flight suits. Higher ranking officers, such as Captains, do not have to adhere to any dress code and are generally more elaborately dressed, often embellishing their fashionable outfits with their medals. Cadets refer to this as "Captain's privilege." Only the golden epaulettes that signify their rank are mandatory.

Athletes consist of the fittest members of both the High and Middle-Caste. Athletes are more or less celebrities in society, always competing to entertain the masses. The class exist as a testament to the virtue of the individual’s journey to perfection. It serves as both entertainment and as encouragement to the masses. Most athletes become Knights or pilots, many become actors. It is uncommon for someone to remain an Athlete more than a decade or so.

Magistrates are the head of the law in each respected region and is attainable by both High and Middle castes.

Archons are powerful nobles who operate as provincial governors. Although the position is achievable by both upper castes it is rare for a Middle-Caste member to reach such a status. The Archons rule their respective regions according to the law and answer only to the King, and the Grand Archon council in the Capital city.

Companions are men and women who act as hosts and whose skills include performing various arts such as classical music, dance, games, conversation, sex, and religious rituals for individuals of high standing. The qualifications for becoming Companions are very high, both in terms of education and physical attractiveness, and as a result Companions are nearly exclusively High-Caste.

Nearly every aspect of their society is a celebration of the human body and spirit.

You who are willing to die, I salute you ⁘ You who sacrifice thy body, I salute you ⁘ I who salute you, will be honored to be thy Mara; thy death and rebirth incarnate ⁘ I am honored to guide thy body on its journey to perfection through death temporary 

- selected excerpts from the lengthy Marana ritual, generally performed on the eve of battle (provided a Companion was available).

THE ROYAL FAMILY 

The current head of the Royal family is the King Regent Ozymandias II, the third ruler of the Nineteenth Dynasty (also know as the "Modern Era"), son of Menmaatre I, and grandson of Ozymandias I; also known as "The Pilot King" or "The Aviator."

His wife, the Queen Amarantham (“eternally beautiful”), comes from High-Caste Nobility. She is a veritable fashion icon and is considered to be the epitome of the “Modern Woman.” She is often used in propaganda as the symbol of High-Caste purity. When it became apparent that Amarantham (nicknamed “Amara”) was being courted by the Prince Regent Ozymandias, there came forth a lot of speculation regarding her distinct purple-coloured eyes. Some argued that such an unusual colour must be the result of a genetic mutation, ergo an imperfection, spurring much religious and scientific debate. While the Monks and Priests tirelessly argued over what she might have done in a previous life to deserve an imperfection despite her High-Caste, the scientists were scratching their heads over how such an abnormality could have occurred among the High-Caste to begin with. After much deliberation, it was eventually concluded that her purple eyes were in fact not a mutation, nor a karma punishment, but rather a rare and unique sign of beauty, which in fact only made her even more perfect than most people. Her fans even started to describe her eyes as “The Queen’s Blessing” implying that she’d been unusually perfect and pure in her past life. A popular rumour even suggested that she might actually be the reincarnation of the mythical Aglea; the First Queen. She is often referred to as Callisto; the “most beautiful.”

THE MIDDLE-CASTE

The Middle-Caste consists of ordinary humans without any form of genetic improvements. They are practically identical to the humans of the pre-enlightenment past, possessing average lifespans, physical strength, intellect, and beauty.

Individual improvement is key to the Middle-Caste as the strongest, prettiest, and smartest individuals get rewarded with distinctions in society. Those who live up to the perfection of the High-Caste has their caste restrictions removed and can even become Knights and Priests. Although the Middle-Caste acknowledges their imperfections, they revel in the opportunity to improve and transcend. Middle-Caste individuals must be accepted by the High-Caste in order to enter their settlements/cities and live with them.

The Middle-Caste lives in towns and small villages. They enjoy a much more simple and natural lifestyle than those living in the cities. The elevated members however tend to live in the capital city, unless they return to rule as local Governors, Magistrates or Priests.

High-Caste members have unlimited access to Middle-Caste settlements and must be treated with reverence. Unlike the Untouchables, the elderly do not have to hide from the High-Caste but must treat them with the utmost respect.

Their past life was one of indifference towards perfection ⁘ Thus one remains in the middle 

- excerpt regarding the Middle-Caste from the Helios Praxis.

THE UNTOUCHABLES

“The Untouchables” are the lowest of the human castes. They are the descendants of the humans who, in the ancient past, altered themselves with long forgotten dark arts to have the abilities of certain animals. A side effect of these abilities is a degree of animalistic appearance and behaviour. Being the furthest away from achieving physical perfection they are stigmatised in human society and perceived as a lower form of humans. In fact, they are barely considered human at all.

In their past lives they stood in the way of perfection or broke the holy laws ⁘ Their punishment is to labour all their days and to live with the shame of their grotesque forms ⁘ By fulfilling their caste responsibilities they will be reborn in the Middle after an honourable death 

- excerpt regarding the Untouchables from the Helios Praxis.

Classes

The caste is divided into two groups; Warriors and Labourers.

The Warrior Class is always required to always wear their armour while on duty to spare their superiors of their animalistic appearance. Their animalistic features depend on their role in the military.

The Foot soldiers have the higher muscle density, agility & aggressiveness from chimpanzees. They possess mammalian Endotherma as well as the 340-degree eyesight of goats. They are hairy to the point of having fur and their eyes are noticeably goat like.

The Berserkers have the higher muscle density of gorillas and the extreme aggression of baboons and boars. They too are extremely hairy. Many of them are known to grow tusks.

The Sharpshooters have the heightened eyesight of eagles and the night-vision of owls. They possess large birdlike eyes.

The Assassins have the sonar abilities of bats, night-vision from felines, Poikilotherma from snakes and the camouflage of octopi. They have noticeably feline eyes and grey skin.

It is considered shameful for an Untouchable to be seen without helm or face covering, especially by a member of the High-Caste.

The Untouchables are sometimes given the derogatory nickname “Karabu”, a reference to a heathen mythological character of the past that embodied both human and animal features. Many people, especially those that are particularly religious, believe the Untouchables to be a curse upon humanity for their impure past.

Among the animal clans however, the Untouchables are referred to as “Lumasi” (“Apsasû” in the case of the females) their own reference to ancient gods that combined human and animal features. To the Animal Clans the Untouchables are seen as respectable beings.

TECHNOLOGY

The beginning of the Nineteenth Dynasty marked more than just a change of royal family, but proved to be the beginning of the Children of the Light's industrial age. As a society focus on perfecting the body and soul, as well as being deeply traditionalist and cautious off anything that might resemble the technological monstrosities created during the fabled Age of the Talos, innovation has generally been slow. This all changed after the coronation of King Ozymandias I, the so-called "Pilot King," who uncharacteristic of his forebears, had a strong passion for technology, particularly aviation. A bit of a rogue in his days he sought inspiration from the birds, an idea which initially drew criticism for glorifying the features of a lesser being; a beast of the wild, with many sceptics arguing that the new regent was flirting with the evils of the mythic Karabu King during the pre-enlightenment age who consorted with the Animal Clans. But Ozymandias rejected such claims, being more interested in the mechanics and physics of bird wings, arguing that such a boon must be replicated by humanity in order to truly claim to be the superior being. 

The King eventually succeeded in creating the first aeroplane, an innovation which was quickly adapted by the military for use against the Animal Clans, giving them, for the first time in centuries, the upper hand in the war. 

Following this invention Helios and the regions around it quickly entered the early stages of an industrial revolution which quickly produced everything from advanced firearms—a huge improvement to the crude flint-locks used previously—to the first automobiles. Soon followed other inventions such as radio and photography, both of which were quickly embraced by the relatively new Ministry of Propaganda (an off-shot of the much older Inquisitorius) which had mostly kept a watch over the printing press for the past few centuries. 

The son of Ozymandias I, Menmaatre I, did not share his father's passion for technology, but was wise enough to never actively discourage innovation, a tradition maintained by his son, the current ruler; Ozymandias II. In the centuries since his grandfather, aviation has blossomed into a bona fide armada which stands in stark contrast to the still traditionalist army of Grunt Soldiers and Knights who still operate much according to tradition, often charging into battle on horseback armed with a sword and a pistol.  

Despite the still primitive technology of the Animal Clans, they quickly devised clever anti-air measures that continues to make aviation nearly as dangerous as being a ground trooper.

GEOGRAPHY 

The Seven Regions

The land of the Children of the Light is divided into seven regions.

Helios is the smallest but most important region, known for housing the capital city of Heliopolis. The land surrounding the great marble city is primarily made out of plains, they it borders on the shrublands near the borders to the Animal Regions. Helios enjoys a humid subtropical climate. The people that reside here are referred to as the Helosians and are primarily High-Caste.

Hyksos borders with Helios to the north. The land here is lush and tropical, with the southern regions consisting of the same plains that stretch down to Helios. The culture here is very much an extension of Helios and is a popular place for the ruling elite to establish their villas away from the capital city. The people that reside here are referred to as the Hyksonians and are primarily High-Caste. The capital city of Hyksos is called Avaris.

Byblos (meaning "Well of the Gods") borders with Helios to the west and is the region that borders with the strip of desert that separates the Children of the Light from the Animal Clans. The environment here is mostly shrublands, arid plains, mountains and some grasslands near the Helosian border. The people that live here are called Byblosians and has at all times a roughly 70/30% divide between High and Middle-Caste. The majority of the military, not counting the cadets of the capital city, are located somewhere in Byblos, either residing in one of the border cities or stationed in one of the many permanent military forts. The capital city is the ancient walled settlement of Tanagra.

Argolis is another fairly small region which borders with Byblos to the north-west, Helios to the north, and Edonis to the south. The climate is mild, bordering on temperate and the land consists mostly of grasslands. Like the region of Edonis a large percentage of the region is farmland, however, it's most famous export is technology. Due its close locations to the military settlements in Byblos, while also having land more suited for agriculture, which also makes it self-sustainable, it has become the centre of most weapons manufacture and military research. Much of this research is highly classified, making many of the settlements insular communities consisting of researchers and their families sworn to secrecy. It is as such one of the least recreationally visited regions, with the exception of the Outlaying Regions. The farmlands here also cater to the settlements of Byblos and to a lesser degree, Helios. The people here are referred to as Argosians and are primarily High-Caste. The capital city is called Argo.

Harari is one of the largest regions and lies to the north-east of Helios, almost as far away from the capital to the east as the Outlaying Regions are to the south, making it one of the more distinct regions. The population here is primarily dark skinned rather than the bronze hues of the Helosians and Hyksonians or the pale skin of the people of the southern regions. The climate is similar to the northern parts of Hyksos, being primarily tropical. The people here are referred to as Hararians and are primarily Middle-Caste. The capital city of Harari is called Harar.

Edonis is located south of Argolis and borders with the Outlaying Regions in the south. The climate is temperate and the land mostly consists of grasslands and forests, making it the most agricultural of the seven regions. It has the largest percentage of farmland and is the source of most imported produce. The people here are referred to as Edonisians and are primarily Middle-Caste.

The Outlaying Regions, officially named Memnon, is the oldest of the seven regions, and is known for its many ruins dating back to the pre-enlightenment age, during which it was named Achoris. It was once under the rule of the infamous Karabu King, the last king of the blasphemous union between man and beast before Aglea the blessed became the first queen of the first dynasty and founded her new kingdom in Helios. The most famous ruins are the Two Colossi and the ruins of Abydos (former capital of the Karabu King). The climate is fairly temperate, with cold winters and mild summers. The landscape is mostly mountainous and has limited vegetation (though the norther parts bordering with Edonis is mostly grasslands and forests), resulting in scattered settlements with makes this the poorest and least technologically advanced of the seven regions. It is the only region which borders the great ocean to the south-west. The largest city, which is generally treated as the capital, is called Luxor. The name means "fortified camp" suggesting it was once a military outpost. The people that lives here are almost exclusively Middle-Caste and there is only a tiny population of Untouchables, who mostly acts as private servants to the few magistrates and archons who reside here. 

The Capital of Heliopolis

The most important members of the High-Caste live in the capital city of Heliopolis (meaning “City of the Sun”). It is located not far from the desert borders and lies east of the majority to the Middle-Caste settlements.

The capital of Heliopolis is a marvellous marble city. The splendour and white marble stand as a testament to the glory and purity of those who have achieved physical perfection. The city exists as a celebration of this accomplishment. No member of the transgenic caste can enter the city unless they’ve performed a cleansing ritual and wear full body suits at all times. Even Middle-Caste individuals that have not been granted permanent citizenship must partake in a minor washing ritual before entering the gates. The city’s most important function is as the location of the Royal House and for housing all the major political centres representing all the human castes.

The city is often referred to as the "Great Marble City," in reference to its white pinnacles which can be seen coruscating in the light of the sun from many miles away.

Tanagra & The Border Cities

A minority of High-Caste members consisting mostly of Knights and Pilots, as well as their families, live alongside Middle-Caste citizens, also mostly Knights and Pilots, in the border cities near the military forts that guard the edge of the desert strip that serves as a neutral zone between the land of the Children of the Light and the Animal Clans. These moderately large population centres are all located within exactly 20km from a fort.

These cities are infamous for their large populations of Untouchables who serve as both grunt soldiers and labourers. Every border city has their own unique “grunt quarters” which, rather than being separated from the main settlement, surrounds the High/Middle-Caste quarters to serve as protection in case of an attack. In such a situation the grunt soldiers will protect the outer walls, while the High and Middle-Caste Knights will hold the centre. Although no Apes have gotten near a border city in centuries, it has in the past proved an effective method to limited High and Middle-Caste casualties.

The oldest, largest, and most famous of these border cities is called Tanagra. Built during the first dynasty it is the template from which the other border cities were based. The nearest military fort, which relies on Tanagra for supplies and reinforcements, is called Fort Hadrian. 

The Desert Strip, The Shield Wall & The Forbidden Lands

This thin strip of desert, roughly 40km across, pours out from a gap in the great Eukyklos mountain range, colloquially referred to as the Shield Wall, that protects the lands of the Children of the Light, as well as the lands of the Animal Clans, from the toxic desert of the Forbidden Lands that was once the domain of the Talos in the pre-enlightenment age. Little is known of the toxic desert other than what is told in myth and legend. All that is truly known is that it is a barren land in which the very air itself is so poisonous that no living thing can survive there. As for legend, it is said that giants roam the desert; automaton left behind by the Talos. They exist now for a single purpose; to pull apart and moulder the materials of the once great cities of the forgotten age so that no token of their dark crafts can corrupt the Children of the Light.

From a gap in the Shield Wall, said to have been blasted by the mythic weapons of the ancient Talos, the sand has poured out over the centuries, creating a 'strip' of arid desert that reaches all the way to the sea. Unlike the toxic desert it can be crossed, though like any desert, it is barren and inhospitable. It has effectively served as a border between the Children of the Light and the Animal Clans for several thousand years, though at times in the past land has been occupied on either side. 

Each side of the desert is guarded by strategically placed military forts and look-out posts. 

Much blood has been absorbed into the sands of the Desert Strip which have served as battleground for untold millennia. 

 

Cliff Town

The easternmost of the villages in the Outlaying Regions, "Cliff Town" rests about 2km from the edge of the cliffs alongside the coast. About 50km north of the village lays the eastern mountain range connecting to the desert neutral zone.

Although the Apes haven’t attacked by seaway in several centuries the Town and its smaller outlying villages still man and maintain the old Cliffside cannons. Although the population is fairly small it could hold back a large-scale attack for weeks due to the dangerous reeves and the hard to climb cliffs. Even so, any large-scale navy would be spotted by the northern mountain villages along the coast well in advance. Cliff Town also has a decently large airstrip and enough fighter jets to do massive damage to an attacking fleet.

The beach at the bottom of the eponymous cliffs are lined with ancient statues depicting monstrous chimeras. They have stood for so long that most have worn down beyond recognition, appearing almost as natural rock formations. 

The cold, misty mountains of the Outlaying Regions stand in harsh contrast to the warm and sunny flatlands generally associated with the Children of the Light.

And it is here the story of the Dawn of the Karabu begins, with a young Middle-Caste pilot on the day of her ascension; the day of her acceptance into the military academy in Heliopolis. 

However long the night, the dawn will break. 

- from the Helios Praxis.

CONTINUED IN PART TWO: THE ANIMAL CLANS.

Making the Book Trailer for The Starseed

NOTE: This article references the full-length book trailer for The Starseed in a way that assumes you are already familiar with it. If you have not seen it, or if you'd like to re-familiarise yourself with the video, you can do so by clicking HERE.

INTRODUCTION

My biggest passion as a creative person has always been filmmaking. Although I did write fiction as a child, I was not much of an avid reader until later, and once I started making amateur films with my friends at age 12 it quickly became apparent to me that I wanted to be a filmmaker.

Of course, filmmaking, even in its simplest form is still an expensive and labour-intensive process requiring a fair amount of people, and the fact that I’m drawn towards sci-fi, fantasy and historical fiction hasn’t exactly made things easier.

In this case literature has been a real blessing for me. Granted, making a novel isn’t exactly free, especially if you want it to be up to professional standards. Though in the case of The Starseed I managed to save some money by designing the cover myself—one of the many benefits of a Media & Communications education. But, compared to a making a film, writing a novel is about as financially freeing as it can be, and you are only limited by your imagination. There are no actors’ fees, no location permits, no props, no sets. If you can write it, the audience can (hopefully) imagine it.

Of course, a book still requires some marketing if you want people to become aware of it. So, I decided to put some of my filmmaking skills to good use and make a book trailer. Most trailers that are out there, even the “professional” ones, are in my opinion, quite lacklustre, often relying on bland stock footage. I wanted to make something that would stand out.

THE CONCEPT

I was still working the novel when I started work on the trailer (final rewrites, spell checks, fact checks, that sort of thing), and not wanting to distract myself too much from finishing the very thing I was going to market, I decided to avoid anything that could accidentally turn it into an expensive short film. I therefore decided to make the video entirely out of still images, something which also had the added benefit of making it unlikely that it would be mistaken for a trailer for an actual film. Stills of real people and locations would provide me with a certain degree of authenticity, but it would be different enough to not give a false impression of the “product” I was advertising.

Naturally, as often is the case with any creative process, I started with many different ideas, some good, some bad, not to mention some very ambitious, until out of discipline and, unfortunately, in some cases, out of plain bad luck, I eventually managed to whittle it all down to something simple and surmountable.

GOING ANALOGUE

I have always been a sucker for the analogue aesthetic. Digital technology has served me well in the past (and still do), and I would not have been able to do most of my short film work without it, but there is simply something special about celluloid film. I have been fortunate enough to have shot one of my short films at the London Film Academy on super 16mm film, and I very much hope to one day be able to upgrade to full 35mm film as I genuinely see it as the superior medium for filmmaking. There is simply a richness to the colours, a depth in the collection of silver crystals, a sharpness of the interplay between light and shadow that simply cannot be fully emulated digitally. Of course, digital video has reached a level of quality that makes it a more than worthy alternative, though I am adamant that it is not a substitute.

However, for this book trailer 35mm film provided me with several benefits, and in this case it did admittedly have very little to do with image quality. Here it was simply a case of instant authenticity. I have several SLR cameras, all of which belonged to my mother, ranging from the simple to the complex. For practical reasons I went with complex and chose to use two Canon SLR cameras from the late 80s. Not entirely authentic to 1975, but I did not want to risk anything going wrong with the “cheaper” cameras from the 70s. I knew I would have to be economic with my 35mm film, though my initial, and frankly naïve, assumption that I could pull off the entire trailer with just one roll of film quickly escalated to four.

My Canon EOS 650 & Canon EOS 5 cameras.

FINDING PROFESSOR KORRIGAN

I had originally planned to find local actors, models, or just anyone who was willing to be photographed, to portray all of my main characters, not just Professor Korrigan, but Marshall, Hagen, and even Bergström as well. Suffice it to say that this didn’t work out, so I was forced to simplify things to just Korrigan.

That solved three problems, but still left me with the most important one, and a big one at that; where do I find someone in the Stavanger region that looks like an English professor with an Imperial moustache? I actually considered buying, or even commissioning, a fake moustache at some point, but I was sure that I had seen someone with an appropriate moustache locally. But where? And when? I searched and I searched, and at one point, through a friend who knows a lot of interesting people, I seemed to have found a near-perfect match; a true anglophile who could provide me with not only the moustache, but tweeds, hats, pipes, the whole works. Unfortunately, he had just taken ill and declined my offer. After more futile searching I decided to call someone I knew personally. He was a far cry from the dandy Englishman I pictured in my head, but he did have a moustache that was close-enough, and being a local actor who worked for a revue he could provide me with his own costumes. I asked him and he was willing to take some time off to pose for me. I counted my blessings. At that point I considered this a huge victory in a project that had been nothing but setbacks and compromises.

Though I was, and still am, extremely grateful for his willingness to support this project, I must admit that the end result was such a far cry from what I had imagined while writing the book that I somewhat despondently carried on with the project worrying that the first official depiction of my new recurring character would be so unfaithful to the book—and done by myself no less! Shortly after, however, my salvation finally came in the form of a poster.

Some crude "storyboard" sketches for the Professor Korrigan photoshoot.

Every year, in the town of Bryne where I live, they have a festival called Potetfestivalen (literally translates to “The Potato Festival”), and at the very top of the posters littered all over the town to inform of the upcoming activities I saw a photo of a man that immediately made me think; “that’s Korrigan!” Granted, an English gentleman like Korrigan would never be caught dead wearing a plaid shirt and a baseball cap with a picture of an anthropomorphised potato on it, but the slim face, the hawk-like nose, the dark-grey hair, and of course, the moustache, was perfect. With some help from the people running the festival I managed to track down the man on the poster, contacted him, and was thrilled to hear that he was willing to be the face of Professor Korrigan.

His name is Arne Vagle. He is a specialist in grains and potatoes working for the Norwegian Agricultural Advisory Service in Rogaland, and once I had learned of who he was, it quickly dawned on me that I had seen him many times before and that he was most definitely the moustached local man that I previously alluded to. It turns out that Vagle has been present at every Potato Festival since its creation in 1998, where he always presents a colourful assortment of different kinds of potatoes. Although I am admittedly not much of a connoisseur of potatoes, I had definitely seen him at the festival before and had clearly made some mental note of his distinguishable stache that had partially reemerged at the start of this project.

I met Vagle at his office and decorated one of the walls there with a cheap green tarp I had bought the day before to imply that he was sitting within a tent as a part of the archaeological excavation described in the book’s first chapter. After I had snapped a series of photographs here, I asked him if there was a basement or something to that effect that could be used to represent the machine room of the LNG tanker from the opposite end of the book, and he took me down to a locker room with a large metal cabinet and some air vents that that made for a passable backdrop. These photos, taken more-or-less in the dark, came out a little fuzzy, but that only enhanced the moody and grimy look that I wanted.

Two unused photos of Arne Vagle in costume.

There’s not too much to say about the costume Vagle wore. The tweed jacket I found at a 2nd hand store, and the rest was common enough. The pipe and the potsherd on the other hand are both very special and carry a bit of personal history.

The pipe belonged to my great grandfather and has been in the possession of my mother ever since he passed away in the 1970s. In fact, he had several pipes, two classic bent apple ones, a steel tipped jet pipe, and a foldable vest-pocket one for travel. I chose one of the two classical ones, favouring the one with the most noticeable signs of use as it seemed the most suitable for my well-travelled professor.

The piece being examined by Korrigan is part of a collection of real Native American potsherds found in the Arizona desert by my mother in the early 90’s shortly before I was born. Most of these sherds, which have always been on display in my mother’s living room for as long as I can remember, wouldn’t pass for Viking-era pottery, so I chose one of the most neutral ones. My mother, like myself, has always been quite fascinated by history and archaeology, so when I showed her the original photos I took she quickly reminded me that an expert on ancient pottery would focus on the cross-section of the rim in order to determine the overall shape and size, and thereby also the style and era, of the original pot. So, when I later handed the piece to Vagle, I made sure to relay this information to him.

My great-grandfather's pipe and my mother's collection of Native American potsherds.

BUILDING A CRIB ON A BUDGET

I knew early on that the ominous note left behind in the crib by the eco-terrorists would be an important visual motif in the trailer, so it was clear from the beginning that I would have to recreate the photo that Special Agent Marshall hands Professor Korrigan during their first meeting at the start of the book.

The note itself wasn’t a problem, and my mother provided me with the little teddy bear you can see in the top left corner. But what about the crib itself? I didn’t want to spend time and money buying a whole crib, let alone a vintage one, just for a single photo. The answer was a clever no-budget solution I had picked up at the London Film Academy. For a scene set in a prison cell, the director of photography had the clever idea to create the illusion of a barred window by stretching some black electrical tape over an empty frame that we held up to the light, thereby casting long vertical shadows over the actors. For the trailer photo I simply put a bedsheet over a rectangular foam pad, placed the note, the teddy bear, and a blanket that my mother had kept since I was a baby on top of it, then held a metal frame with a few rows of black tape in front of the window on a bright autumn day and snapped my photo.

Rejected photo where the illusion of a crib doesn't quite work.

AN AMERICAN CAR IN NORWAY

I also wanted to actually show the arrival of Marshall at the excavation, the latter of which I knew would have to be represented with a simple stock image which I eventually acquired through the archive at the University in Stavanger. As for the agent himself, since my original plan to include several actors/models never panned out, I decided instead to emphasise the mystery of the situation and figured that his foot stepping out of the car would suffice. The foot, if you were wondering, is mine.

But what of the car? I had a foot (and one to spare), I had some reasonably appropriate footwear, and I could easily find a rural spot to shoot the scene in (there’s plenty of those in Jæren), but you might think that vintage American cars aren't exactly something that everyone has in their garage. Lucky for me, however, I live in the Norwegian countryside, a place practicality riddled with American car enthusiasts. The largest organised group is called Amcar (quite simply short for “American car”). I contacted the local branch and gave a general sense of the type of car I was looking, deciding that this was not a time to be picky about exact models.

I eventually met up with Terje Tytland, the owner of a beautiful 1970 Ford Lincoln Continental. Though fairly different from the Chrysler described in the book, it did have that elongated and blocky silhouette that just screamed early 70s. If Marshall hadn’t gone for the Dodge Polara, this might have been his second choice. So, on an appropriately overcast day we took the car out to a country road where I snapped a few pictures of the car and he snapped a few of me stepping out of it.

A closer shot of the Ford Lincoln Continental that was not used in the trailer.

OILY GEODES

The meteorite shown in the trailer was another lucky no-budget solution. In 2008, while visiting some friends in the US, we went geode hunting in a stream in Illinois. During the drive we were given a rundown of what we might find—our “guides” had done this sort of thing many times before and had practically become experts—and explained that there were supposedly some geodes that contained raw oil, though they had never seen this. We hiked down to the stream, found several stones of varying sizes, cracked a few open, but one proved particularly tough, so we brought it back to our friends’ house and later that evening we took turns trying to break it open. The hammer passed from person to person, sparks literally flew from the rock as the hammer hit it, and eventually, as if it finally yielded to our curiosity, it neatly divided into two almost equally sized halves and a glob of black liquid splotched onto the pavement. It was actually filled with oil! You can still see dried up oil in the cracks of the odd, almost organic-looking interior of this strange geode, and we were told that the larger oil stain remained visible on the pavement for the better part of a year after we’d left.

Although the coarse, grey surface of this river rock is technically another incongruity with the novel, where it’s described as a smooth obsidian-like stone, it did fit most people’s preconception of what a meteorite should look like, and with its weird-looking interior revealed in cross-section, I decided to once again not squander a good opportunity with nitpicking.

The basement of my mother’s workplace just so happened to still have a bunch of furniture and random bits of equipment from the 70s and 80s scattered about, and provided a perfect backdrop for the scene where Bergström, also played by me, sneaks into the geology lab of the drill rig and places the stone on the table. Likewise, the rusty metal floor seen in the background when the stone is picked up (this time by my mother) was simply a small landing between two stairs near a restaurant a few blocks away from where I live that I felt had a nice industrial look to it. Yet another simple no-budget solution.

A normal river stone, a common geode, and a not so common geode. The black marks on the geode on the right are what's left of the crude oil.

THE CHILD

The last image seen in the trailer was actually one of the first things I photographed.

The solution was quite simple, though I must say, quite absurd looking in person. I purchased a baby doll from a 2nd hand store, got some black fishing line from a sports store, and I simply hung the doll from some air vents in the parking garage of the apartment building where I live. I suspended some black blankets with some old clothes hangers (and some tape) around one entrance to this little shortcut passage between two sections of the garage in order to block out the light from one side and to make sure that the bright light from the other would make the doll just a silhouette.

The end result was…reasonable. It was certainly strange.

But with some photoshopping it not only ended up looking quite retro, but had that surreal, X-Files inspired look that I was going for. In hindsight, though, there was so little left of the original aesthetic that I doubt if the B&W film made much of a difference.

Left: Probably one of the oddest BTS photos that has been taken of me. Right: The original B&W photo before it was photoshopped beyond recognition.

ODDS AND ENDS

Finally, just to be thorough, and in case some of you were wondering, here’s a brief explanation of the remaining photos that, in my opinion, didn’t have enough of a story behind them to warrant giving them their own section.

The house and the stairs representing the home of the kidnapped child were two separate locations, with the latter belonging to an artist friend of mine who not only lived in a house from the 70s but who collects all things odd and retro, such as the radio and the old Dole cardboard box that you can see at the bottom and top of the stairs. The house seen from the outside belongs to some old friends of my mother.

The stone circle is an actual pre-historic stone circle in Egersund which I have already written about in detail in my article about the Locations that Inspired The Starseed.

The two photos of the Aker H3 drill rig, and of the petroleum workers within, are historical stock photos generously provided by Norsk Oljemuseum (The Norwegian Petroleum Museum). 

And finally, though I did both the photo and the video editing myself, the rest of the post-production phase was largely done through people I know via The London Film Academy (the sound editing was done in Norway by Bibow Audio, who worked on both of my 2022 short films). The music was composed by Isabel Woodings, who was recommended to my by the co-producer and 2nd unit director of my short film Paradox, Oscar Hewitt, who on this project was also responsible for the voice-over recording.

The narration was done by voice actor David Mander, whom I discovered through an online casting process. The recording took place at the London Film Academy with Hewitt organising what can best be described as "long-distance-directing," meaning I directed the whole affair via Google Meet while Hewitt and Mander were together in the studio in London. Contrary to much of the analogue process used in the making of this trailer, this final step was a very modern solution that worked surprisingly well.