Film. Basel, Switzerland.

The Escape

A visual metaphor to portray suffering from mental health. Attempting to escape the ever approaching darkness. The ever ongoing internal fight between darkness and the light.

#mentalhealthawareness

Multiple black and white and color images showing a mysterious scenario involving a girl in a blue dress, a shadowy hand, a sleeping person, and a hand reaching through a wall, creating an eerie and surreal atmosphere.
A person loading items into the trunk of a dark gray/black car parked on a grassy area next to a forest with tall, leafless trees in the background.

BEHIND THE SCENES

DAY 01

November 2020, First shoot day… We set sail and headed up into the hills of Basel-Landschaft to the secluded beautiful location, discovered due to the help of a good friend and local of the land ‘The Woodsman’.

We setup and prepared for the shoot ahead. Farah Ulmann plays the darkness, I had no influence in how the dance was preformed, only giving a brief basis on which to work from. I wanted Farah to bring her own style and ideas to this film.

She did not disappoint.

All BTS photography from Max Jordi.

Hair and make up from Alessia Pennetta

Seth Bates and 2 others in outdoor winter clothing standing near a car in an open field at dusk, with one person sitting on the ground looking at a phone, and a camera rig with a mounted camera and stabilizer hanging from a pole above the others.
A person with long, curly hair wearing a black jacket and a mask is having makeup applied to their face by another person with long hair, a red hat, a black jacket with a fur-lined hood, and a face mask, in an outdoor setting at night.
A woman with sunglasses and black clothing poses outdoors while someone takes her photo in an open field with a farmhouse and trees in the background.
Seth Bates wearing a brown beanie and a black puffer jacket is looking through a professional camera in an outdoor setting with a blurred mountainous background.
A woman in black leaning backward, posing dramatically for a camera held by a person in a black jacket and orange beanie, outdoors in a field.
Person in black jacket taking a photograph of a woman in black dress standing in a field with a house and trees in the background landscape
A man stands with his back to the camera, facing a woman in an open field during sunset. The woman looks towards the camera with a serious expression. The scene is backlit by the setting sun, creating a hazy, atmospheric mood.
A person sitting on a foldable chair near a black car with its trunk open, located in an open grassy area with a dense forest of leafless trees in the background.
Seth Bates the Photographer and filmmaker, filming a woman in a forest with dark makeup and a black outfit.
A man and a woman outdoors in a forested area during winter. The man, wearing a brown beanie and black jacket, is looking and smiling at a camera on a tripod. The woman, wrapped in a patterned blanket with a fur-lined hood, is smiling directly at the
A woman with dark brown hair and wearing a black coat and scarf stands outside, with two people in the background one of whom is holding a camera.

BEHIND THE SCENES

DAY 02

March 2021, Emma Lebat is the protagonist in the film. She is running from the darkness through specific locations in Basel city. Emma took on everything I asked and excelled. Always pushing to achieve the highest results possible. We had luck on the day with the weather. Snow added to the atmosphere extremely well.

All BTS photography from Max Jordi.

Hair and make up from Alessia Pennetta

Two women sitting on the ground; one woman holds a beige wooden box with a hashtag symbol close to the other woman who is looking into it.
A woman dressed in black running down a city street with buildings and parked bikes in the background.
A woman jogging on a city street with European-style buildings, puddles on the ground, and a bicycle parked nearby.
Two women joyfully dancing together on a cobblestone street in front of a white building with blue street numbers, one wearing a black coat and the other in a white coat with a red beanie.
Two women are working together outdoors on a skateboard. One woman, wearing a red beanie and a beige jacket, is standing behind the other woman who is sitting on the skateboard holding a camera, dressed in a black vest, gray pants, and a black head c
A man in a black cap, jacket, and jeans stands on a skateboard, holding a camera, while a woman in a beige jacket, red beanie, and black pants pushes him from behind on a city street.
Three people look down at a camera Seth is holding, blurring the background, in a dimly lit setting.
People walking down a city street staircase with buildings on either side, some carrying bags and a skateboard.
Seth Bates operating a professional camera mounted on a tripod indoor, wearing a cap and sunglasses on his head, dressed in a hoodie and a vest.
A woman is sitting outside, having her photo taken by a professional photographer using a professional camera. The camera's screen shows her portrait, and she is wearing black clothing and white earphones.
A woman in a white dress and lace jacket being photographed outdoors during sunset with trees and a partly cloudy sky in the background.

BEHIND THE SCENES

DAY 03

April 2021. The natural world is slowly waking from its winter sleep and the signs of spring are arriving. Exactly what I had hoped for. I wanted this segment to show contrast to the shoot in November. From the harsh winter vibe to spring and the sense of warmth.

Ladina Federspiel is the light and free spirit in the film. As with Farah, I gave Ladina no instructions, only the music before hand and a brief explanation of my vision. Though it was sunny, the wind was cold, Ladina was wearing no shoes and small thin clothes, but this didn’t stop her. She was determined to give her best and the results are more than I could of asked for.

All BTS photography from Max Jordi.

Hair and make up from Alessia Pennetta


A woman with closed eyes receiving makeup or face care from another woman, outside near a vehicle.
Two women are outside next to a black car on a grassy field, one sitting in a wheelchair and the other standing, applying makeup. The car's trunk is open, and there are bags and a camera on a tripod nearby. The background features a field and trees u
A girl in a white dress dancing or spinning in a grassy field during sunset, with trees and a hill in the background.
A woman in a white dress running barefoot across a grassy field while a photographer kneels nearby taking her picture.
A woman in a white dress running barefoot across a grassy field, with a man in black running behind her while holding a camera.
A woman sitting on the grass, smiling with a woman standing near her, in an outdoor grassy area.
Two women and a man examining something on the ground outdoors, with a camera nearby, on a grassy field, during daytime.
A woman wearing a white dress dancing or twirling in a grassy field during sunset with a small barn and trees in the background.
A woman with blonde hair and red lipstick is having her photo taken outdoors, illuminated by sunlight, with a dark background of trees and grass.
A woman in a white lace dress standing on grass in an outdoor field during sunset with a dramatic sky behind her.

POST PRODUCTION

Below are some screens from the post production work that was also involved. I wanted to add as little VFX as possible, and what was used to be very subtle. Also some screens of the colour grading process.