Nox

NARRATIVE SHORT

OCTOBER 5, 2021

USA | 2 minutes | 2019

Thriller, horror short film directed by Evelyn Lee
Starring Evelyn Lee

A young woman walking home alone in the night may not actually be alone…

Interview

CineAsian Films (CAF): What made you decide to make a film like Nox?
Evelyn Lee: I was walking home alone one night down a particularly dark street. It was a bit windy, too. Fallen leaves were being blown around and making a lot of strange noises, and the shadows of branches and leaves danced around, which did not help my imagination. And I thought that would make for a suspenseful moment to be captured in a visual and audial way.

CAF: What were some challenges you faced during production?
Lee: Definitely wanting and needing to shoot in the dark of night. The film IS called Nox (Latin for night) after all. So I knew that it would be a very low light look, dark and atmospheric, but I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to pull it off. I also knew that I would be playing with a lot of different sounds to help create that atmosphere, so I needed to get the right visuals that would work with the sound design.

CAF: The sound design is very specific, with a very haunting score to accompany it. What was that process like in post?
Lee: After locking picture, I spent a lot of time trying to build an unsettling atmosphere. Strange noises, wind, footsteps, rustling, all sorts of outdoor noises that would heighten fear especially at night (and especially for women walking alone), and an ambient score that builds on those strange noises. I included a unique scratching sound in the score, too, to add to the discomfort. There are also some flashes of specific frames through the end credits to build on the audio working with the visual.

CAF: Do you have plans to expand on the universe of Nox?
Lee: Funny you ask! I absolutely do. I have toyed with the idea of exploring this story as a feature film, and I’ve been writing a draft of a script. I see this short film, really a short and mysterious moment, as something similar to an opening of a much bigger story.

Nox is one of the many great projects shared with CineAsian Films through our submissions process. If you’d like to join them, submit your film.

Credits

Director, Writer, Producer, Editor, Composer, Sound Design: Evelyn Lee
Producer, Cinematographer: Shirley Lee

More from Evelyn Lee: recapture, Wish, Mother Daughter