This is how Shelmerdine pushes boundaries in
Shelmerdine’s obsession with immersive narrative
cinematic experience—by removing them. “You’re fully
goes back over twenty years to his studies at London’s
immersed, and that’s ultimately what fans of genre
Central Saint Martins, where he experimented with “a
always look for when they go to the cinema. By putting
huge ball of cinema with projections inside so you could
them in the shoes of the protagonist, you’re not only
be inside that ball and see 360 degrees of images.” With
capturing the emotion—you’re really feeling it.”
the launch of the Oculus platform, Shelmerdine found
Rather than simulate an unbroken long take in real
a new opportunity to conceive his peripheral visions.
time, Shelmerdine delivers his films as “cinematic worlds,
Filming Catatonic involved rigging eight GoPro cameras to
at least equal to what we know from the traditional
film in different quadrants before seamlessly combining
medium of cinema,” as he puts it. He utilizes exceptional
all the footage through intensive post-production. For
sound design (powered by Mach1™) and jarring edits to
Dark Corner’s newest “ball of cinema,” Mule, the director
evoke atmosphere, build tension, and disrupt perception.
developed a custom Sony a7s II rig to convey the journey
Catatonic’s wired wheelchair installation delivers the
of a man’s dying body from a seedy motel to…well, there’s
coup de grace to the nerves by recreating the vibrations
a “choose your own adventure” element to the narrative.
of rolling along the floor…and past maniacs.
Or, more accurately, a “dig your own grave” construct.
Though the medium advances each and every
day, Shelmerdine concedes a dedication to the current
experience. “Right now, I’m tailoring ideas to the
limitations of the technology,” he says, namely the brevity
of the pieces and the passivity of the protagonists. Which
is why Dark Corner’s content toys with insanity and
mortality in order to leave a mark: “Because the medium
is so new, we definitely try doing things that are more out
there. We’re pushing the provocative nature.”
While creating new worlds for audiences to enter,
Shelmerdine intends to enter theirs by fortifying home
entertainment using 360 storytelling without compromising
its transporting, disquieting effects. So, fans of the odd,
obscene, and overwhelming: get ready to darken the
corners of your home. And prepare to get pushed.
ABOVE: STILLS FROM CATATONIC; RIGHT: STILL FROM MULE;
OPPOSITE PAGE: TOP: SHELMERDINE ON THE SET OF THE MUSE VR MUSIC VIDEO; BOTTOM: PHOTO BY KEITH COLEMAN