COMPACT
A meticulous young man cannot help but find his girlfriend’s presence in his room disruptive. A friend’s EP scores a tired argument between them, which could spell the end of their relationship.
2022 / 8 min / English / Watch on Vimeo
Crew
Writer/Director/Producer – Maddison Maurdev
Cinematography – Dan Coates
1st Assistant Camera – Matt Jones
Production Design – Jiayi Fu
Editors – Guanyu Chen and Maddison Maurdev
Sound Recordist & Designer – Minghong Cai
Original Score – Luke Jones
Caleb – Jack Glass
Abby – Chelsea Mackenzie-George
Official Selection
Fantastic Film Festival Australia: Lido Short Stack 2023
Setting Sun Film Festival 2023
North Bellarine Film Festival 2023 - Emerging Filmmaker Award Nomination
Melbourne Lift-Off Film Festival 2023
Cast
Director’s Statement
“Compact” depicts a dysfunctional relationship through the actions of a young couple. Fearful of being a student filmmaker cliche, I aimed to operate outside of a specific genre, shoot in real-time, and apply minimalist techniques to approach the topic with realism.
The film utilises one location, little dialogue, and a diegetic score in the form of a cassette, playing throughout. It’s the same length as the film, sonically guiding the audience through the arc of the argument.
“Compact” is a representation of the distinct style I've developed throughout the course, showcasing my love of music, human drama and grounded narratives. The project was green-lit by a jury of Deakin staff and was produced for the degree’s capstone unit.