LOOPY: A QUARANTINE SHORT FILM
by Max Cianci & Anthony Peduzzi
Drawn to a mysterious window, a man (Max Cianci) decides to investigate a seemingly abandoned building. Once inside, he discovers a series of trails that hint that he may not be alone. As he makes his way to the source of his curiosity, what he uncovers is worse than he could ever imagine.
Written, Produced, & Directed by:
Max Cianci & Anthony Peduzzi
Loopy is a short horror film made during the early days of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Inspired by the seemingly endless mundanity brought on by a life in quarantine, the filmmakers set out to capture the feeling of this new normal; a feeling we’ve all been forced to become painfully familiar with.
Here’s what Max Cianci and Anthony Peduzzi said about making this short film in an interview for our blog.
Where did you guys shoot and when?
“We shot the film in Pittsburgh, PA. Our goal was to make something exclusively with what we had available; no outside crew or gear, just us and a camera. We thought it would be a fun way to challenge ourselves and pass the time during all of this.”
How long was production?
“The building is located in our neighborhood of Polish Hill. It’s an abandoned catholic school that’s been thoroughly vandalized over the years. We didn’t have permission to film there, but we snuck in and shot the short in bits and spurts over 2 1/2 days. Production was from April 2nd – April 4th. “
What was your post-production process like?
“Post took 2ish weeks. We made our apartment into an editing suite, working from Anthony’s Macbook. Assembly to picture lock took 2 days, and color took another. Then, we worked off-and-on for a week or so on sound. We mixed the film using our TV’s sound system. Very DIY. Our plan was to create a crisp soundscape and a haunting silence inside the building. Almost all of the sound was recorded afterwards in the basement of our apartment building. As far as we know, our neighbors didn’t mind.”
What’s your favorite shot in the video?
“My favorite shot in the film is the zoom in on the window when our protagonist has reached the room with the two dust trails. This shot feels really foreboding, and is a good representation of the mood of the story. It’s also reminiscent of some great creepy zooms from the original Wicker Man, which is a film that was referenced throughout the filmmaking process.
Anthony likes the shot when I scream and spit out the dust. It’s very funny to him that I did that.”
What are you looking to direct next?
“We both were in the middle of our own productions before the pandemic, so once this all blows over I’m finishing a short – titled The Sale – about a backwoods robbery gone horribly wrong, and Anthony is wrapping up a music video for local band Animal Scream.”