When Duncan goes camping he can let Oscar, his dog, who wears a bell so he can be kept track of. But when the wind is blowing in the trees, the sound they make can play tricks on the ear.
This is a delightful short that uses the sound as a major feature in the story telling. Anyone who has been camping where there are large trees blowing in the wind at night, knows already there is a certain level of eeriness. Chris Cronin (director and co-writer) captures that feeling and kicks it up a notch from eerie to suspenseful horror.
Oscar's Bell was screened at the 2019 FilmQuest film festival (website). It was nominated for Best Sound.
I recommend Oscar's Bell for those who are looking for a new scary story to tell around the campfire.
Synopsis: Duncan and his dog Oscar have gone on their weekly camping trip into the wilderness together. However, when Duncan looks out into the woods, something else looks back.
Chris and Sam Cronin wrote Oscar's Bell. Chris shares what inspired them for this film, what they are looking forward to and some of their other inspiration and drive in becoming a filmmaker.
What was the inspiration for Oscar's Bell?
We wanted to create something more akin to classic horror of the 70s than more modern horror. Simple, stripped back and with a supernatural threat that tied into the theme. The influences were a combination of spending a lot of time watching classic horrors and going down the rabbit hole on Reddit's horror forums such as 'Creepypasta' and 'No Sleep'. Oscar's Bell is an amalgamation of those two sources of sleepless nights.
My brother came to me with a scary story on Reddit and told me to give it a read, not to turn it into a project but just for fun. I thought the story was spooky but not all that scary. He said now read this comment response at the bottom of the story. Someone shared in two paragraphs what happened to them in the woods with their dog and that idea was much scarier than the story it was replying to! We spoke to the person who commented and that become the origin of our film. "Duncan and his dog Oscar have gone on their weekly camping trip into the wilderness together. However, when Duncan looks out into the woods, something else looks back."
What project(s) do you have coming up you're excited about?
I'm currently in post-production with a sci-fi short called All The Imagined Echoes. It's a human spirit story with elements of thriller and it's got a brilliant lead performance by up-and-coming actress Winnie Southgate. I should be dropping a trailer on my website in a week or two.
What was your early inspiration for pursuing a career in film?
I just enjoyed watching films and knowing everything about them at a young age. I used to live in the video rental stores, looking for the next adventure but it took a teacher at college to stick a camera in my stomach and say, "why don't you contribute something?" So, it was their fault essentially.
What would be your dream project?
At the moment, I'd love to dig deep into a dark crime thriller. I've always taken inspiration from South Korean cinema, so I'd love to put it into practice now that I'm feeling more confident. Works like Memories of a Murder, The Chaser and Oldboyhave stood the test of time and I'd love to do a British equivalent to those types of stories. On the flip side, since I was young, I always wanted to do a Cowboy Bebop trilogy, exploring the hybrid of genres as the story progressed. That would be my answer to Star Wars!
What are some of your favorite pastimes when not working on a movie?
I get a kick out of informative and True Crime podcasts. I know that's not a big leap from making films, but I just love anything that's creatively put together. I'm trying to get back into books, but I tend to read Graphic Novels. Ed Brubaker and Garth Ennis are my go-to [authors]!
What is one of your favorite movies and why?
To avoid a glaringly obvious choice, I'll go with Lost in Translation. It's the film that gave me the nudge to want to make movies myself. I obsessed over it and listened to the soundtrack endlessly. I visited some of the locations last year and it's just a mind-blowing place. The way the film was told and made, was quite inspiring for indie filmmakers. The fact that Bill Murray and Scarlett Johannson star in it too make it a permanent favourite for me.
You can see the trailer on Vimeo (link).
And find out more on IMDb (link).
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