You’d be surprised at what you can create when given 48 hours to make a short film. Filmmaker Leonardo Valenti accepts the challenge with his film Behind the Door, which competed at the White Rose Film Festival, winning the Best International Creative Family award and receiving an Honorable Mention.
Behind the Door opens with a father on a business trip waking in the morning. He quickly discovers that the hotel door is stuck. When he calls down to get help, the front desk operator plays with him, asking him to ask in his native Italian accent. The voice claims she’s already in his room — and that something is in his bathroom. When he calls home for help, his wife thinks it’s a joke and tells him to go have fun with his girlfriend.
“When he calls home for help, his wife thinks it’s a joke and tells him to go have fun with his girlfriend.”
Considering that Behind the Door was made on a DIY budget and in just 48 hours, we have a complete and confident horror story. Valenti crafts a strong three-act horror/comedy that really builds on both elements.
The film’s weaknesses come from the fact that it was a micro-budget movie shot in 48 hours. More time would have helped elevate the horror elements. Shooting in lower light and layering in creepy sound design would have elevated the final product considerably. These 2-day challenges are great for sparking the imagination for a bigger project, or at least for getting a movie made…period.
What appears to be true about these two challenges is that with an impending deadline looming over your head from the get-go, your best filmmaking instincts come out and you produce a story you can be proud of. Such is the case of Behind the Door.
For more information, visit the Behind the Door official Instagram page.
"…You'd be surprised at what you can create when given 48 hours…"
