1. Plot
     Multiple Endings  

2. Cast

3. Production

4. The Artistic Themes and Undertones of the film
     Mental Illness    Agoraphobia    Obsessive Compulsive Disorder    Astral Projection    Sleep Paralysis  

5. Techniques and Trademarks
     Single Nicholas and Double Nicholas  

6. Trivia

7. References

Will Lightburn

Alex Willis

Alex Willis

Xander Phillips

The Granary is a UK biographical, experimental, drama film directed by Eveshka Ghost.

The film stars Eveshka Ghost and tells the story of an agoraphobic trapped in The Granary by his own inner demons who learns to fight back through his inspiration.

The Granary was the first feature film that was Filmed and Premiered in East Grinstead^[1] and was the directrorial Debut of Eveshka Ghost

Plot

The film follows a protagonist named Pan recalling his story to a Psychiatric Doctor who has come to visit Pan in hospital to recall his attempted suicide and what stopped him from trying again.

The story begins with Pan explaining he found the abandoned Granary and originally he came there to commit suicide, after his failed attempt he finds himself unable to leave due to his fear of the outside world. Whilst here he stumbles upon a farmer's journal and discovers that the farmer was the previous owner of the Granary.

Pan learns that the farmer had a son named Tom who was in a similar situation to Pan as he also struggled with Agoraphobia, Pan becomes inspired by his story and decides to explore the granary learning more about their similarities.

Much of the film is set inside Pan's head and follows conversations he has with his inner demons and how they prevent him from living his life. The personified senses within his mind are controlled by one single emotion, Fear. Fear is personified by a suit of armour without a face and spends much of his time taunting Pan.^[2]

Upon Pan's talks with the doctor we find the reason behind his agoraphobia is due to not being accepted to wear what he wants to wear. Pan feels he'd find acceptance in Brighton and spends much of his life driving with his friend Jimmy until Pan can finally find acceptance in the place he feels he belongs.

Jimmy tries his best to help Pan to be accepted by telling him to "start closer to home". Upon doing so Pan is bullied and Jimmy stands up to the bullies and is killed by them. Pan's guilt is the final reason that convinces him to kill himself and in term confines himself to the granary.

whilst Pan is taking refuge burglars enter to steal from the granary, whilst this happens Pan has a last conversation with Fear and wonders why Fear won't strike him but only intimidate him. Fear takes off his mask and it's revealed the face of Fear in his mind is Jimmy. After this meeting Pan finally faces the burglars with a new found sense of confidence, where a fight ensures, after defeating the burglars they leave.

Pan recalls this event to his doctor and realises that Fear is a neccessity to him to keep him safe.

Pan reads more of the diary and discovers that Tom killed himself and took a picture of himself as he died almost to show Pan what his life could have been.^[3]

Pan realises that Tom's story is over and in turn Pan's story is also coming to an end but he doesn't know how it will end his doctor tell's him "you're a creative person make it up" before vanishing along with the hospital setting, Pan's doctor was but another figment of his imagination as the voice of reason.

From here we as the viewer have three endings to the story, and it's down to our interpretation of which we believe is canon.

Multiple Endings

The first ending Pan Leaves triumphantly after his conversation with his doctor full of hope and off to get Tom's film developed. upon leaving he is abruptly stopped as he is hit by a car leaving Pan to die after finally dying a free person.

The second ending continues from this where after being hit by a car Pan ends up in a hospital. The nurse explains to Pan that the hospital is in Brighton. He quickly leaves and goes to explore Brighton, in this ending we as the viewer don't know if he is alive or this is merely his interpretation of heaven with the hospital acting as purgatory, and Brighton representing heaven.

The last ending continues from this but this time Pan wakes up from all of the previous endings being dreams and Pan seeing the visions of what could have been, and that is what inspires pan to walk out of the door and finally live his life.

Cast

Eveshka Ghost as Pan.

Alex Willis as Doctor Reason

Becky Kentfield as Heather

James McClusky as Tom

Will Lightburn as The Farmer

Xander Phillips as Jimmy / Fear

Martyn Eade as The Burglar

Jay Pearson as Young Burglar^[4]

Production

The Granary was filmed exclusively on three Canon 550D cameras due to their portability needed in different scenarios.

many of the props were recycled from uncompleted past projects, due to time constraints and actor difficulties it was required that almost all crew members played a role in the film.

The script was written in three days and the script was 62 pages long and was filmed in 34 sessions.

The majority of the film was shot on set with some exceptions being Brighton and East Grinstead.

The final budget of the film was $1200 and it was relied on Kickstarter to help fund the BBFC Licence and Promotional Materials.^[5]

The soundtrack was composed by Director Eveshka Ghost. who was previously a composer under the name Chalcedony.^[6]

The Artistic Themes and Undertones of the film

Mental Illness

The film was written for people who believe they are suffering alone. The Granary is meant to give hope to them and show that life can go what ever way you choose. The film's multiple endings and the choice the viewer chooses is almost a diagnosis of showing the viewers outlook on life. This harkens back to Doctor Reason (the voice of reason) saying " You're a creative person, Make it up"

Agoraphobia

Eveshka states that he has been agoraphobic for 3 decades, and the idea of the film came from a day in the life of an Agrophobic and the Reason Pan goes to the Granary isn't out of any illness but simply to commit suicide and he blames himself for everything that has happened in his life. Particularly the death of Jimmy.

Pan only wanted to be themselves and Eveshka wanted the viewer to connect on a personal level for being harassed by dressing a certain way similar to how victims often blame themselves for incidents.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

The scene with the painting and ordering the paints is meant to show how someone with OCD will develop habits, and positions for items, in order to feel safer. Pan put them on the table to show how h's beginning to feel safe and then snapped out of his mental state and put them on the floor, to prevent himself from getting too attached.

Astral Projection

Eveshka wanted to include the scene of Astral Projection with his own experience for anyone who may experience something similar he states "Whenever I come out of my body, the first thing I usually do (if gravity is correct and not spinning) is go over the wall and expect a mirror there. I’ll look in it, and one eye will be cross-eyed and the other will be looking forward. The distorted eyeball can even be shifted inside the socket, making a gap visible with darkness. Pretty scary, but spectacular. This happens every time, without fail, even if I’m not thinking about it."

Sleep Paralysis

The Cat scene is something he refers to "The Realm of Cats", Eveshka's interpretation of Sleep Paralysis. The cat's are what he sees as demons a dark shadow. the picture has been flipped to draw more imperfections and make the viewer feel uncomfortable and make an alternate reality.^[7]

Techniques and Trademarks

Single Nicholas and Double Nicholas

Due to a small budget Eveshka found ways for the films budget to look bigger than it really was. One of the techniques he developed he calls the "Single Nicholas" and "Double Nicholas", these are lighting tricks to make the lighting look wider and give the effect of big lights when in reality they are small lights in strategic angles. This is due to needing to move the one camera around without having to relight the shot and risk lighting continuity errors, This would be Specifically apparent due to the majority of the film being in Black and White.

Eveshka states this is why he never light's the subject or set less than 90, or say, 70 degrees from the camera. this technique is particularly apparent during Doctor Reason's Therapy Sessions.

The "Single Nicholas" and "Double Nicholas" have been used heavily in both The Granary and The Bastard Sword to help develop a stylistic trademark.^[8]

Trivia

The film was the fourth project to be attempted by Rusalka Pictures^[9] after much of the shooting time at the location being spent on other projects which were unable to be completed due to unforeseen circumstances.^[10]

References

• University of the Witswatersrand
• University of the World
• University of Tibet
• University of Tilburg
• University of Timbuktu
• University of Toamasina
• University of Tokyo Library
• University of Tokyo Press
• University of Tokyo School of Medicine
• University of Toledo College of Medicine
• University of Toledo's University College
• University of Toronto
• University of Toronto at Scarborough
• University of Toronto Campus Community Police Service
• University of Toronto Faculty of Arts and Science
• University of Toronto Medical School
• University of Toronto Mississauga
• University of Toronto Rowing Club
• University of Toronto, Scarborough
• University of Toronto Southern Observatory
• University of Torun
• University of Toruń
• University of Toulon
• University of Toulouse-Jean Jaurès
• University of Tours