Press kit - The Masque of The Red Death

Description

The Masque of the Red Death based on the short story by Edgar Allan Poe Making Guillaume MOITONShort film by Guillaume MOITON Running Time: 17 minutes Internet link: http://www.2017flms.fr/ Production Produced by 2017 FILMS - Lyon Vincent MICHAUD, Sylvain REBOUX Year of production: 2013 Available formats: DVD, digital fle (AppleProres, H264, MKV, ...)Synopsis French with English subtitles A strange epidemic has invaded the country of young Earl Prospero. With some well-chosen cour- tiers, he has entrenched himself in his magnifcent Contacts castle in order to escape this evil. A few months Guillaume MOITON later, ignoring the disease, he decides to organize a 06 62 95 11 27 - [e-mail] great masked ball, excusing all excess... 2017 FILMS – Lyon Death, however, is indifferent to all these tricks… Vincent MICHAUD 06 61 19 91 24 - [e-mail] Muriel KAY 06 20 66 81 81 – [e-mail] 2 PA G E The Masque of the Red Death based on the short story by Edgar Allan Poe The Short Story by Edgar Allan Poe This short story was published for the frst time in 1842. A revised version was published in 1845, part of a collection of «Extraordinary News Stories» translated into French by Charles Baudelaire. It is part of the tra- dition of the Gothic novel, and was often analyzed as an allegory about the inevitability of death.

Informations

• Publié par: 2017Films
• Publié le: 14 mai 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 178
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

The Masque of the Red Death

based on the short story by Edgar Allan Poe

Short film by Guillaume MOITON

Running Time: 17 minutes Internet link: http://www.2017films.fr/

Synopsis

A strange epidemic has invaded the country of young Earl Prospero. With some well-chosen cour- tiers, he has entrenched himself in his magnificent castle in order to escape this evil. A few months later, ignoring the disease, he decides to organize a great masked ball, excusing all excess... Death, however, is indifferent to all these tricks…

Making Guillaume MOITON

Production Produced by 2017 FILMS - Lyon Vincent MICHAUD, Sylvain REBOUX Year of production: 2013 Available formats: DVD, digital file (AppleProres, H264, MKV, ...) French with English subtitles

Contacts Guillaume MOITON 06 62 95 11 27 - [e-mail] 2017 FILMS – Lyon Vincent MICHAUD 06 61 19 91 24 - [e-mail] Muriel KAY 06 20 66 81 81 – [e-mail]

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The Masque of the Red Death

based on the short story by Edgar Allan Poe

The Short Story by Edgar Allan Poe

This short story was published for the first time in 1842. A revised version was published in 1845, part of a collection of «Extraordinary News Stories» translated into French by Charles Baudelaire. It is part of the tra- dition of the Gothic novel, and was often analyzed as an allegory about the inevitability of death.

Summary of the short story

The story takes place in a fortified abbey, in which Prince Prospero locked himself, with a thousand of his courtiers, to escape the devastating epidemic of Red Death, a terrible plague that has hit the country. They are indifferent to the suffering of people affected by the disease, while they lead a safe life of vice and pleasure behind the walls of the abbey. One night, Prospero holds a masquerade ball in seven rooms of the abbey, each decorated and illuminated in a different color: blue, purple, green, orange, white, purple. The last one is lined with black and lighted with a blood-red light. It inspires so much fear in the guests that few people dare to venture into this room. Inside is a large ebony clock that sounds so eerily every hour that each one stops talking and the orchestra stops playing.

During the evening, Prospero notices one figure in a dress that looks like a shroud, with a mask similar to a skull depicting a victim of the Red Death. Feeling severely insulted, Prospero demands to be given the identity of the mysterious guest. But as no one dares to obey, he draws a dagger and follows him through the seven rooms. When he arrives in the seventh one, the mysterious figure turns and faces Prospero, who collapses, dead. e courtiers, scared and furious, fall upon the unknown man and tear his mask off to discover that the suit is empty. Everybody understands that it is the Red Death itself, and they succumb to the disease shortly aſter.

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The Masque of the Red Death

based on the short story by Edgar Allan Poe

Intention

We have chosen this short story in order to develop the close and mysterious atmosphere, that inspired us in the fantastic tale. The story lends itself to a very strong visual adaptation, through the scene (which by turn is vast and luxu- rious then tortuous and worrisome castle tower), the costumes, the soundtrack chosen to reflect the threat of disease, and of course, the masks, each revealing the character of the wearer. But the story tells, in the form of a macabre tale, something universal and timeless.

Though this story can be read simply as a story, it mentions several important issues, whether philoso - phical (the desire to ward off death), social (the rich, indifferent to the suffering of the people, will suffer the consequences, despite their tricks and their supposed superiority) or psychological (the importance of masks referring to the unconscious). Our screen adaptation differs from the short story in the sense that the Red Death (the plague, the epidemic) is not personified. It is invisible but palpable, through noises, feelings (visions of characters) and sounds of breathing. It surrounds the castle, gradually taking possession of it (see the scene in the basement), oppressing its inhabitants.

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The Masque of the Red Death

based on the short story by Edgar Allan Poe

Eddy BIGNARDI - Prospero

Romain ARMAND - Victor

And...

...Patrice LE MEHAUTE ...FMOaUudASSIER ... Aurélien TIMONIER  ...Magali LEON…

Héloise LEVEAU - Isabelle

Yann GUILLARME - Edouard

Team

CINEMATOGRAPHY Julie PRIEST, Ludovic TOBALDI

PRODUCTION DESIGN & ART DIRECTION Dorothée DUBARD

MUSIC Eric VIDAL

EDITING Benjamin MOUGINOT

SOUND Studio MIROSLAV PILON

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The Masque of the Red Death

based on the short story by Edgar Allan Poe

Biography

After studying cinema at the University Lumière Lyon 2, where he was able to train to film making thanks to three short films, Guillaume MOITON decided to adapt, with some friends, a short story of Guy de Maupas- sant, La Main d’Ecorché. FOOTPRINT (2003) a short film with costumes, shot in black and white, in which we follow a young man gradually possessed by the power of a rather special relic. Produced with very low budget, this first shortfilm depicts a progressive fall in madness, and displays a special atmosphere between fantasy and the supernatural. This was followed by a new adaptation of a famous writer, Edgar Allan Poe. THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH portrays Prospero, a megalomaniac Prince running his court with an iron hand, and thinking to be over all rules. When the plague circles his land, he prefers to lock himself into his castle to celebrate, ignoring the reality that will soon catch him up... Laureate of the “Défi Jeunes” , the project got a higher budget. Once again, this movie released an atmosphere on the edge of fantasy, marked by a more aesthetic control (costumes and masks were created for the film). It will be shown for the first time at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival (Short Film Corner) Along with the making of music videos, Guillaume MOITON also produced DVDs of fashion shows for the International Fashion School: ESMOD LYON. Guillaume MOITON returned to fiction through a competition organized by Philips Cinema and Ridley Scott Associates with a short film called MEMORIES. This project was an opportunity to mix formats and shoot both HD and Super8: The film tells how an amnesiac man tries to get back his memories through everyday objects. Since 2011, Guillaume MOITON regularly took part in the films of Robin ENTREINGER as a first assistant director for the first two feature films: VICTIMS (psychological thriller - 2011) and SADIK 2 (horror comedy - 2013). In April 2012, Guillaume MOITON completed a 30 minute short film, LINDA, which was presented to Cannes Short Film Corner 2012. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, this is a “closed-door” movie, an encounter between a man and a woman. Oscillating between tension and contemplation, the film focuses on their relationship, and how it evolves in a hostile environment. After two projections in Lyon and Paris, the film began its career in short film festivals. Guillaume MOITON is currently working on a feature film project, with a shooting scheduled in October 2013.

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FICTIONS

The Masque of the Red Death

based on the short story by Edgar Allan Poe

Filmography

2013 FEATURE FILM PROJECT UNTITLED In preparation. Shooting scheduled in October 2013

2013 THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH (17min, DVCam) Co-writer, director. Adapted from the eponymous short story by Edgar Allan Poe. “Défi Jeunes” Laureate.

2012 LINDA (30 min, HD) Director, writer & editor. Participation in the Cannes Short Film Corner 2012. Screenings: Cinema PATHE Cordeliers, Lyon, July 2012 Courts Bouillons Péniche Cinema Paris, February 2013

2012 THE MARTIN (11min, HD) Co-writer, co-director, co-editor.

2010 MEMORIES (3min, HD) & MEMORIES Extended Cut (7min, HD) Written, directed & edited. Participation in the competition Parallel Lines (organized by Philips Cinema, Ridley Scott Associates) Diffusion Apéro-Projo February 2013 (Paris)

2003 L’EMPREINTE / FOOTPRINT (20min, miniDV) Adapted from the short story by Guy de Maupassant “La Main d’Ecorché” Co-writer, co-director, editor

2002 EXYTS (10min, DVCam) Experimental short film, co-produced during the studies at the university

2000 L’ADDITION / “THE CHECK” (3min50, VHS) Tribute to Caro & Jeunet, co-produced during the studies at the university

OTHER MOVIES

2012 SADIK 2 (Editor Robin Entreinger, 75min, HD) 1st Assistant Director, Actor

2011 VICTIMS (Editor Robin Entreinger, 85min, HD) 1st Assistant Director, Actor

2008 FRENCH FILM (Editor Jackie Oudney, 87min, 35mm) Location assistant (Paris)

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