Rainsford University

Rainsford University is an immensely enjoyable horror short about two science students being hunted down by a malignant entity haunting the corridors. This stripped-down and elemental piece of filmmaking makes sure to be consistently fun. And it can be enjoyed on a few different levels, for its story provides some unexpectedly original little ideas regarding its high-concept notion. Where the piece proves to be slightly less successful than its ambition is in the technical department. But even still, this is an engaging work with a lot of interesting choices.

The film opens with some mysterious shots of photographs, fossils and plaques which dress the white walls of the hallways; but as the plot progresses, we come to realise that these objects represent some lurking memory of the past, a past which is seeping into the present. During the first conversation between characters Billy and Derek, they jokingly reference the dark myths of the university, while introducing the themes of the picture. There's some discussion of sci-fi concepts which play a role in the horror to come, with the murder of one scientist and her botched experiment leading to some sort of cross-dimensional apparition.

The script itself is most interesting, and especially effective when considering the fact that it manages to fit a great many genre ideas and a sturdy plot into its seven-minute runtime. You could argue, however, that the film is operating at its very best when there’s no dialogue at all; when it's utilising its form, scenario and the camera to impact the audience. And yet, to get to this point, it’s intelligent to have built the foundations of the story’s dramatic conceit in those conversational couple minutes at the beginning. One also admires the fact that the ghost in this horror short isn’t simply a ‘ghost’--but a ghost with a past and a relevance to the unfolding plot.

Sadly, the camerawork on display is a mixed-bag, but not without merit. What lets this film down to a certain extent is the occasionally flat, digital look. The unfortunate fact of a couple of shots being out of focus also causes some additional problems. Despite this – and towards the film’s end – there are some absolutely impeccable moments of cinematography. Specifically, the movie takes a stylistic turn into monochrome, and it's within this black and white sequence that the most inventive and dynamic compositions take place. There’s a shot of a bloody hand in the foreground, and the camera racks focus to the terrified character in the background. This is terrifically inventive work; frightening and effective.

Other strong cinematic decisions I haven’t mentioned include: the use of a whip-pan as an editorial transition; Dutch angles to create an unnerving sense of impending threat; and POV shots from the monster’s perspective so as to build incredible terror. All of these are signs that the filmmaker understands fully the power of the camera and film form, even if the film itself isn’t always absolute perfection. A great effort from this budding group of artists.