Eye Opener

Eye Opener
Directed by	Zabëlle Skye
Produced by	Zabëlle Skye
Written by	Maria Smith
Starring	Zabëlle Skye Janus Smith Ben Smith
Cinematography	Louis Smith
Edited by	Zabëlle Skye
Release date	7 May 2020
Running time	1 minute
Country	New Eiffel
Language	English
Budget	~£100

Eye Opener is a 2020 indie fantasy short film directed, edited and produced by Zabëlle Skye. The film was written by Maria Smith, with help from the whole Smith family. Like most of Zabëlle's films, the film is silent and in black and white. Released on 7 May 2020 to a budget of under £100, the film received mixed to positive reviews.

Plot

Robert (played by Zabëlle Skye) goes by his day, and it becomes apparent that he is very rude and irresponsible. He laughs at a homeless man (played by Janus Smith), refuses to feed the family cats when asked by Ben (played by Ben Smith), and than refuses to do the dishes. The next day, he wakes up, and he cannot open his eyes. While walking using a walking stick, he gives the homeless man from before money, to his delight. Than he feeds the cats, and we late see him cleaning the dishes. The film ends when the next day, it zooms into his eyes, when they open.

Cast

Unlike most of Zabëlle's independent films, Zabëlle involved his entire family in the production of Eye Opener.

• Robert — Zabëlle Skye
• Homeless man — Janus Smith
• Ben — Ben Smith

Production

Development

The idea for a film similar to Eye Opener was around for a few days prior. The idea for the film was thought out and planned by Maria Smith, and a basic script was written. All this happened on 6 May 2020, a day before filming took place. As well as writing, Maria was also responsible for make-up, and designed the costume for the homeless man. Unlike most of Zabëlle's independent films, Zabëlle involved his entire family in the production of Eye Opener.

Filming

The footage was filmed on an iPhone 7 at 240 frames per second on 7 May 2020, on the Bene day as the films release. A black and white filter was later added, and the audio muted. Filming took place completely in New Eiffel, in the cities of New Leeds and Új Repülő.

Editing

The film was edited solely by Zabëlle. The frame rate was reduced to 120 frames per second in order for easier distribution. A black and white filter was added to the footage, and the audio muted.

Release

The film was released online on 7 May 2020.

Reception

The film received mixed to positive reviews.

See also

• Cinema of New Eiffel