The Project

Written by and starring Amelie Edwards

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The Cull is a short psychological drama about a woman’s unsettling encounter with a modern day smart speaker, exploring how AI can be used as a tool of manipulation and control.

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As the cinematographer, my visual approach was designed to reflect the film’s tense, claustrophobic atmosphere. I leaned into the natural geometry of the space, deliberately keeping the framing off-centre and filling each shot with visual clutter to create a constant sense of unease. The room always felt occupied even when it wasn’t.

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For lighting, I used the windows to cast sharp shapes across the walls, introducing contrast and depth that gave the space a dark, ominous tone. Doing this with a mix of hard and soft light which helped created a dramatic yet naturalistic feel. Importantly, all the light came from outside the space, there were no artificial interior lights. Helping turn the location itself into a kind of silent antagonist.