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HUM
WRITTEN BY IVAN CUSH & DIRECTED BY MO O'CONNELL
Following a heated discussion with his partner, Tim seeks refuge in an empty gallery space. He prays for silence and solitude. However, his prayers are ignored, as gallery regular Cecil takes him on an abstract journey of interaction and appreciation.
hum trailer
Status
World Premiere at the Cork International Film Festival 2020 & finished fesival run, sold to RTE
Festivals: DIFF 2021, Fastnet 2021, Emerging Lens Film Fest Canada 2021, Bloomsday Film Fest 2022, Women Directors Carnival 2022, Makers & Shakers London 2021, Waterford Film Fest 2021, Richard Harris 2021, Dublin International Short Film & Music Festival 2021, Louth International Film Fest 2021, Disappear Here FF 2021, Culture Night Screen Ireland 2021, Still Voices FF 2022
Nominations:
Best Outstanding us of a Location – Makers & Shakers BAFTA Picadilly, London UK 2021
Best Short Fiction at Louth International FF 2021
Best Irish Short at DISFMF 2021
Best Male Lead Actor for Barry John Kinsella as young 'Tim' at DISFMF 2021
Best Director at Directed by Women, Turkey 2021
Awards:
Audience Award at Emerging Lens FF Canada 2021
Aer Lingus Discovery Award for DOP Burschi Wojnar
Status:
Sold to RTE Shortscreen and screened in October 2022.
World Premiere at the Cork International Film Festival 2020 & finished fesival run, sold to RTE
Festivals: DIFF 2021, Fastnet 2021, Emerging Lens Film Fest Canada 2021, Bloomsday Film Fest 2022, Women Directors Carnival 2022, Makers & Shakers London 2021, Waterford Film Fest 2021, Richard Harris 2021, Dublin International Short Film & Music Festival 2021, Louth International Film Fest 2021, Disappear Here FF 2021, Culture Night Screen Ireland 2021, Still Voices FF 2022
Nominations:
Best Outstanding us of a Location – Makers & Shakers BAFTA Picadilly, London UK 2021
Best Short Fiction at Louth International FF 2021
Best Irish Short at DISFMF 2021
Best Male Lead Actor for Barry John Kinsella as young 'Tim' at DISFMF 2021
Best Director at Directed by Women, Turkey 2021
Awards:
Audience Award at Emerging Lens FF Canada 2021
Aer Lingus Discovery Award for DOP Burschi Wojnar
Status:
Sold to RTE Shortscreen and screened in October 2022.
starring
bosco hogan as 'cecil'
barry john kinsella as 'tim'
some stills
COLOUR PALETTE
I want the men's costumes and surrounding tones to reflect the texture and colours of the Scully paintings that surround us.
The colours should enhance the feel of earthiness and mystery.
I want the gallery to have an otherworldy feel to it, like Tim has just walked into a prehistoric cave.
The colours should enhance the feel of earthiness and mystery.
I want the gallery to have an otherworldy feel to it, like Tim has just walked into a prehistoric cave.
VISUALS
HUM STORYBOARD
(CLICK ON EACH PIC & READ LEFT TO RIGHT - & I AM CLEARLY NOT THE GREATEST DRAWER IN THE WORLD...)
Link to seán scully talk about his work
researching sean scully's work
vIDEOS OF film location SPACE
1. SHUTTERS
on this video, my phone doesn't pick up the humming sound from the shutters opening & closing very well but our mics will be able to! it's a lovely 'hum' sound to open the film on.
the shutters as they open throw a wonderful shadow onto the gallery wall beside the paintings. it actually looks like a sean scully painting; all lines of light and lines of shadow with circles.
i want to open the film using these shutters and the sound they make.
2. trying a tracking shot
on this video, i was trying to see what a tracking shot up from the floorboards to the giant painting might look a little like. i love the floorboards too; their lines and differing lengths are also seemingly in tune with the lined paintings of sean scully's gallery.
3. paintings in the space in storyboard
on this last video link, we see the paintings one by one as they are in the storyboards. so, the first painting we see, is the painting i refer to in the storyboards as 'painting a' (red), the next, 'painting b' (green), then 'painting c' (orange), 'painting d' (blue) & finally 'painting e' (yellow).
SFX
The sound effects are so important in this film. it is, afterall, called "hum".
the space will have its own sound; that of breathing, in & out. this will be very low, almost subliminal but will lay a foundation for the whole piece.
each painting will have it's own sound. these sounds will be taken from the space itself and manipulated slightly here & there.
for example, the blue painting will have the sound of wind. this sound of wind will be heard through the partly glass panelled ceiling above us.
both tim and cecil will have their own sounds. cecil's movements and sounds will be more legatto and tim, more staccato.
then, obviously, the men will give their own interpretation of the paintings energies/vibrations/sounds through their humming.
SOME 'HUM' TRYOUTS WITH OUR MUSICIAN EXTRAORDINAIRE;
FERGAL LAWLER
these are vimeo links
FERGAL USES TIBETAN BUDDHIST BOWLS TO CREATE THE BACKGROUND SOUNDS TO THE GROWL.
hum (angry growl) 1
HUM (ANGRY GROWL) 2
ON THE 2ND LINK, FERGAL PUT MORE OF A DEEPER SOUNDING ECHO ENCOMPASSING THE GROWL.
what i love about what fergal has done here, is that these sounds bring to my mind prehistoric man in a cave. so, there is something primal and aggressive here. it is a layer of sound i hadn't thought of before. i think it will be an interesting layer of sound within the piece.
these are just starting points. when the actors are cast, we will work with them on the humming.
WE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING & WORKING ON THE SOUNDS FOR EACH PAINTING. EACH PAINTING WILL HAVE IT'S OWN UNIQUE SOUND.
HERE IS THE SOUND FERGAL HAS CREATED FOR
THE BLUE FEMININE PAINTING
CLICK HERE
i LOVE THIS SOUND. IT REMINDS ME OF SPACE, THE STARS AND THE VASTNESS OF TIME.
OBVIOUSLY, THESE SOUNDS ARE MERELY STARTING POINTS AND WILL BE SHORTENED AND THEY WILL BE PLAYED WITH SO THAT THEY BECOME PART OF THE OVERALL SOUND DESIGN.
NEXT UP, FERGAL HAS CREATED SOUND FOR THE GIANT PAINTING, THE FIRST PAINTING ON THE GALLERY VIDEO. THIS IS TAKE 1.
CLICK HERE
AND FERGAL PUT MORE BREATHING SOUNDS INTO THIS VERSION. TAKE 2.
CLICK HERE
wHAT i LOVE ABOUT THESE TWO VERSIONS IS THE ALIVENESS OF THEM BOTH. THE BREATHING AND THE FEELING OF POWER IS SOMETHING I THINK WE CAN REALLY USE.
WE HAVE TO CREATE THE SPACE. WE HAVE TO BRING THE PAINTINGS TO LIFE. AND I THINK FERGAL'S WORK SO FAR IS REALLY HELPFUL IN DOING JUST THAT.
HUM
Directed by Mo O'Connell
Carl Jung believed that humans produce in art and story the inner images the soul needs in order to see itself and to allow its own transformation.
Directed by Mo O'Connell
Carl Jung believed that humans produce in art and story the inner images the soul needs in order to see itself and to allow its own transformation.
Hum is about connection & about how art can transform the individual for the better.
It is about how energies can interact & change each other’s vibration.
And what is humming if it is not vibration? Our vocal chords vibrate to make the sound of humming.
We see Tim enter the gallery in a low mood. He is surrounded by extraordinary pieces of art that seemingly watch him and want to connect with him. Whomsoever made these pieces of art made them to connect with those who gaze upon them. However, Tim is too absorbed in what he is stressed about to notice. Tim is closed & so he cannot connect & as a result he cannot take the opportunity that is presented to him via the paintings to elevate or enliven his mood/energy/life.
It is about how energies can interact & change each other’s vibration.
And what is humming if it is not vibration? Our vocal chords vibrate to make the sound of humming.
We see Tim enter the gallery in a low mood. He is surrounded by extraordinary pieces of art that seemingly watch him and want to connect with him. Whomsoever made these pieces of art made them to connect with those who gaze upon them. However, Tim is too absorbed in what he is stressed about to notice. Tim is closed & so he cannot connect & as a result he cannot take the opportunity that is presented to him via the paintings to elevate or enliven his mood/energy/life.
In walks Cecil. Cecil acts as a bridge of sorts for Tim to cross so that he can open and connect with Cecil and via this connection to the paintings vibrations & make his way out of his own funk.
Cecil is a type of conduit for the paintings energies.
Cecil appears whacky and perhaps out of touch with reality but the opposite is true. He is more in touch and alive to reality than most and as a result, is wired by the excitement of connection to art and life itself.
Cecil is a type of conduit for the paintings energies.
Cecil appears whacky and perhaps out of touch with reality but the opposite is true. He is more in touch and alive to reality than most and as a result, is wired by the excitement of connection to art and life itself.
Rehearsal
I would very much like to work with the actors on backstory and how they got to the gallery that day. What is going on in their lives that has led up to this point? What is Tim upset about? How does Cecil understand art so viscerally?
These characters- and indeed their own 'hum', 'resonance' or 'vibration/energy'- is vitally important to get right as it will in turn feed into everything else in the piece.
I would very much like to work with the actors on backstory and how they got to the gallery that day. What is going on in their lives that has led up to this point? What is Tim upset about? How does Cecil understand art so viscerally?
These characters- and indeed their own 'hum', 'resonance' or 'vibration/energy'- is vitally important to get right as it will in turn feed into everything else in the piece.
Visual Style
General Overview
The film would begin with slow wide tracking & jibbing shots introducing the gallery and as the film progresses, we would get closer to the characters faces & the speed of the edit would quicken and shots become tighter and tighter as Cecil clicks his fingers and points speedily around the room until the very end when Tim asks Cecil to carry on and we would pull out wide again.
More specific
Without getting into huge detail of how this script would be shot, I would like to give an idea of some sequences to convey a feel for how it might end up looking.
I would like to shoot HUM beginning with lots of high angle shots as though shooting from the paingtings own POV's or O/S. Jibbing slowly downwards, almost floating, as Tim enters.
Slow jibs from from high angles coming downwards and jibs starting low and moving upwards would give a sense of energy rising and falling about the room. I want to give a sense of otherworldliness in the gallery. The space itself has an energy & character and this energy has its own awareness and is observing the men in a playful & curious manner.
However, before Tim enters, we hear him. He is marching. I would like to get MCU's of Tim's shoes marching and banging on the galleries carefully shined floors and then cut back to the floating jib.
I would use shallow depth of field to bring the audience into Tim's world. We are very close to his eyes and face and profile as he sits on the bench. He is obviously suffering from high levels of stress at the beginning of this film.
Then, very slowly, rack focus from Tim's profile and slowly reveal a large painting looming on the wall; the painting is watching him; and then very slowly rack focus back on Tim's profile. He is still absorbed in his worries.
I would shoot the paintings POV's and use these POV's eventually to introduce Cecil.
The film would begin with slow wide tracking & jibbing shots introducing the gallery and as the film progresses, we would get closer to the characters faces & the speed of the edit would quicken and shots become tighter and tighter as Cecil clicks his fingers and points speedily around the room until the very end when Tim asks Cecil to carry on and we would pull out wide again.
More specific
Without getting into huge detail of how this script would be shot, I would like to give an idea of some sequences to convey a feel for how it might end up looking.
I would like to shoot HUM beginning with lots of high angle shots as though shooting from the paingtings own POV's or O/S. Jibbing slowly downwards, almost floating, as Tim enters.
Slow jibs from from high angles coming downwards and jibs starting low and moving upwards would give a sense of energy rising and falling about the room. I want to give a sense of otherworldliness in the gallery. The space itself has an energy & character and this energy has its own awareness and is observing the men in a playful & curious manner.
However, before Tim enters, we hear him. He is marching. I would like to get MCU's of Tim's shoes marching and banging on the galleries carefully shined floors and then cut back to the floating jib.
I would use shallow depth of field to bring the audience into Tim's world. We are very close to his eyes and face and profile as he sits on the bench. He is obviously suffering from high levels of stress at the beginning of this film.
Then, very slowly, rack focus from Tim's profile and slowly reveal a large painting looming on the wall; the painting is watching him; and then very slowly rack focus back on Tim's profile. He is still absorbed in his worries.
I would shoot the paintings POV's and use these POV's eventually to introduce Cecil.
I would introduce Cecil very gradually visually.
We would see Tim sitting on the bench, facing us, right of frame, still stressed and cursing to himself. A large painting looms behind him. We would see the back of Cecil as he steps into this shot, left of frame, admiring the painting on the wall. He would then pad lightly out of shot to the next painting.
An extreme CU of profile of Cecil's nose as he admires the paintings, his sensitive nostrils taking in the paintings aromas.
We would see an extreme CU of Cecil's eyes taking in the energy of the painting. And a CU of his fingers almost touching the painting, but not. His hands leave frame & again very quietly Cecil moves to the next painting.
We see CU's of Cecil's feet very quietly padding round the room.
In a wide low angled shot on tracks we glide by a stressed Tim and reveal the back of Cecil nodding to a painting and moving on.
Finally, we see Cecil.
Cecil steps into frame, stops, and looks right at the audience. The audience is the painting. He is enlivened by what he looks at. He nods at us (the painting) and leaves frame to sit next to Tim on the bench.
Wide low angle on tracks of a two-shot on Tim & Cecil that slowly moves left and right during their conversation. In this shot we would see Tim left of frame, a luminescent painting behind him and Cecil to the right of frame.
This shot would be mirrored by a wide low angle on tracks behind the men as they sit on the bench, and it would slowly track left & right throughout the scene and a different painting would loom in front of the men.
As the two men begin to converse, I would like to intersperse the two-shot with edits of shallow depth of field O/S from mid-conversation onwards.
We would break from this with CU shots of Cecil's fingers clicking and the wider and higher angles of the paintings POV's which would jib slowly upwards or downwards conveying the paintings surprise as they are pointed and looked at.
Light & Shade
I would like to use light and shade in the space too to convey a sense of Tim's gradual opening up to the paintings.
It is a white space more or less filled with light. But the ceiling has a line of what is in effect windows or glass that lets in the natural light and so the space changes as a result of how much light can filter in at any one time or if the clouds suddenly cover the sun etc...
We would see Tim sitting on the bench, facing us, right of frame, still stressed and cursing to himself. A large painting looms behind him. We would see the back of Cecil as he steps into this shot, left of frame, admiring the painting on the wall. He would then pad lightly out of shot to the next painting.
An extreme CU of profile of Cecil's nose as he admires the paintings, his sensitive nostrils taking in the paintings aromas.
We would see an extreme CU of Cecil's eyes taking in the energy of the painting. And a CU of his fingers almost touching the painting, but not. His hands leave frame & again very quietly Cecil moves to the next painting.
We see CU's of Cecil's feet very quietly padding round the room.
In a wide low angled shot on tracks we glide by a stressed Tim and reveal the back of Cecil nodding to a painting and moving on.
Finally, we see Cecil.
Cecil steps into frame, stops, and looks right at the audience. The audience is the painting. He is enlivened by what he looks at. He nods at us (the painting) and leaves frame to sit next to Tim on the bench.
Wide low angle on tracks of a two-shot on Tim & Cecil that slowly moves left and right during their conversation. In this shot we would see Tim left of frame, a luminescent painting behind him and Cecil to the right of frame.
This shot would be mirrored by a wide low angle on tracks behind the men as they sit on the bench, and it would slowly track left & right throughout the scene and a different painting would loom in front of the men.
As the two men begin to converse, I would like to intersperse the two-shot with edits of shallow depth of field O/S from mid-conversation onwards.
We would break from this with CU shots of Cecil's fingers clicking and the wider and higher angles of the paintings POV's which would jib slowly upwards or downwards conveying the paintings surprise as they are pointed and looked at.
Light & Shade
I would like to use light and shade in the space too to convey a sense of Tim's gradual opening up to the paintings.
It is a white space more or less filled with light. But the ceiling has a line of what is in effect windows or glass that lets in the natural light and so the space changes as a result of how much light can filter in at any one time or if the clouds suddenly cover the sun etc...
*I DID A LOT OF RESEARCH IN THE SEAN SCULLY SPACE ITSELF AND DISCOVERED THE SHUTTERS HAD A 'HUM' SOUND AS THEY SLOWLY OPENED AND SHUT. I ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THEY THREW LIGHT ONTO THE WALLS AND THAT THAT LIGHT LOOKED LIKE A SEAN SCULLY PAINTING AS THE SHUTTER BARS THREW STRIPES OF SHADOWS AGAINST THE GALLERY WALLS.
SO, I CHOSE TO BEGIN THE FILM IN DARKNESS WITH THE HUMMING SOUND FROM THE CEILING SHUTTERS SLOWLY OPENING AND THEN REVELAING LIGHT IN THE GALLERY UNTIL EVENTUALLY WE SEE THE STRIPES OF LIGHT THROWN AGAINST THE GALLERY WALLS.*
SO, I CHOSE TO BEGIN THE FILM IN DARKNESS WITH THE HUMMING SOUND FROM THE CEILING SHUTTERS SLOWLY OPENING AND THEN REVELAING LIGHT IN THE GALLERY UNTIL EVENTUALLY WE SEE THE STRIPES OF LIGHT THROWN AGAINST THE GALLERY WALLS.*
Actors Bosco Hogan & Barry John Kinsella hang out chatting between set-ups.
As Tim becomes more aware of the space and of the paintings energies and is enlivened out of his funk via Cecil's exhuberance, more light can filter and fall onto the paintings as they are racked into focus and shown in all their mighty glory.
Sound
Silence, sound & the rhythm & pitch of the sounds are very important in this piece.
*As I was thinking about this script & the feeling of rhythm of interspersed sounds & hums, I was drawn to look up Buddhism & the use of gongs, mantras and silence during meditation etc... and found that one of its main mantras is: "Om mani padme hum".
The first word 'Aum/Om' is a sacred syllable found in Indian religions. The word 'Mani' means "jewel" or "bead", 'Padme' is the "lotus flower" (the Buddhist sacred flower), and 'Hum' represents the spirit of enlightenment.
I suppose that is exactly what this piece is about; HUM, the spirit of enlightenment. And Cecil is in and of himself a spirit of enlightenment.*
It is interesting to note that Tim marches into the gallery. He makes noise with his footsteps and the use of the word 'marching' denotes a slightly mechanical mindframe; he is stubborn and annoyed and nothing is going to take him out of feeling this way.
However, Cecil's footsteps are 'gentle and assured' and he 'pads' from painting to painting. Cecil is more aware of his surroundings. He is sensitive and receptive to the energies and vibrations that bounce around him. He is alert.
The sound in this script is very specific. I would like to allocate a type of sound to each character almost like a costume designer allocates a colour to a character, I would do the same with sound.
So, Tim's sounds are heavy and drawn out. Cecil's sounds are light and brief.
Sound
Silence, sound & the rhythm & pitch of the sounds are very important in this piece.
*As I was thinking about this script & the feeling of rhythm of interspersed sounds & hums, I was drawn to look up Buddhism & the use of gongs, mantras and silence during meditation etc... and found that one of its main mantras is: "Om mani padme hum".
The first word 'Aum/Om' is a sacred syllable found in Indian religions. The word 'Mani' means "jewel" or "bead", 'Padme' is the "lotus flower" (the Buddhist sacred flower), and 'Hum' represents the spirit of enlightenment.
I suppose that is exactly what this piece is about; HUM, the spirit of enlightenment. And Cecil is in and of himself a spirit of enlightenment.*
It is interesting to note that Tim marches into the gallery. He makes noise with his footsteps and the use of the word 'marching' denotes a slightly mechanical mindframe; he is stubborn and annoyed and nothing is going to take him out of feeling this way.
However, Cecil's footsteps are 'gentle and assured' and he 'pads' from painting to painting. Cecil is more aware of his surroundings. He is sensitive and receptive to the energies and vibrations that bounce around him. He is alert.
The sound in this script is very specific. I would like to allocate a type of sound to each character almost like a costume designer allocates a colour to a character, I would do the same with sound.
So, Tim's sounds are heavy and drawn out. Cecil's sounds are light and brief.
I want to convey the idea that energy is bouncing round the room off the four tall white walls, the high ceiling, the paintings and the two men so that, when Cecil begins to hum and point at the paintings, any movement the men make will have an added effect to the rhythm of the piece.
I would also like to add to the space the sound of an old creaking ship that will get slightly louder and louder the more Tim becomes aware of the space, the more he opens up to it and connects with it.
Music
The music in this piece would be used very sparingly and subtly. It would be a part of the natural soundtrack ie: using the sounds made in the piece itself and sifting it together with a light jazz drum for instance. It should be difficult to discern the music from the sound in the piece itself. The music should only be used to enhance the rhythm of the sounds created by the space and the two men.
Colour/Production Design
With regard to a colour palette, I would like to use lots of different shades of brown, red and creams & some blue. Obviously white will have to be a major colour as the space itself will be white and the floor will be cream wooden floor boards.
When the two men are sitting together I would like the colours they wear to almost look like a Sean Scully painting.
I would also like to add to the space the sound of an old creaking ship that will get slightly louder and louder the more Tim becomes aware of the space, the more he opens up to it and connects with it.
Music
The music in this piece would be used very sparingly and subtly. It would be a part of the natural soundtrack ie: using the sounds made in the piece itself and sifting it together with a light jazz drum for instance. It should be difficult to discern the music from the sound in the piece itself. The music should only be used to enhance the rhythm of the sounds created by the space and the two men.
Colour/Production Design
With regard to a colour palette, I would like to use lots of different shades of brown, red and creams & some blue. Obviously white will have to be a major colour as the space itself will be white and the floor will be cream wooden floor boards.
When the two men are sitting together I would like the colours they wear to almost look like a Sean Scully painting.
I see Tim wearing a dark brown suit and Cecil wears a long beige coat. I see the palette a little like the lounge area in Wes Anderson's "The Grand Budapest Hotel".
Indeed, this film would take inspiration from Wes Anderson films with his heavy use of symmetry and anamorphic lenses.
Indeed, this film would take inspiration from Wes Anderson films with his heavy use of symmetry and anamorphic lenses.
Theme
The theme of this piece is transformation. It may initially be a subtle transformation but it is a transformation nonetheless.
Cecil has gifted Tim with an awakening. It has changed Tim. And we may only see a slight change in Tim at the end of the film but it is something that will slowly grow in Tim after he leaves the gallery and will change him for good. We will convey this change in Tim at the end by filtering in light from the ceiling onto his face as he says, “Keep going!”
The theme of this piece is transformation. It may initially be a subtle transformation but it is a transformation nonetheless.
Cecil has gifted Tim with an awakening. It has changed Tim. And we may only see a slight change in Tim at the end of the film but it is something that will slowly grow in Tim after he leaves the gallery and will change him for good. We will convey this change in Tim at the end by filtering in light from the ceiling onto his face as he says, “Keep going!”
Tone
The tone of HUM is an offbeat tone. It is quirky, full of humour and uplifting.
Genre
The genre of HUM is drama and comedy. It falls into both categories like Wes Anderson’s “Rushmore” or “The Grand Budapest Hotel”.
The tone of HUM is an offbeat tone. It is quirky, full of humour and uplifting.
Genre
The genre of HUM is drama and comedy. It falls into both categories like Wes Anderson’s “Rushmore” or “The Grand Budapest Hotel”.
