I cut this shot into the film yesterday, replacing one of the Winter Park Art Festival superspreader shots. One of those shot had one guy in flames holding his girlfriend’s hand and then the next shot was pf the entire crowd on fire. Since the shots were so identical they started to feel like a mistake rather than a progression. That section of the film features scenes which are engulfed in flames. I decided this worked fine since it has the gentle romantic glow of Christmas candles. This replaced the first shot, offering a gentle glow and then the inferno to follow.
I was considering walking all these characters toward the camera, but with the depth map added, I so far feel like there is enough motion already offered in the shot which is less than a second long. I pulled out another shot which had vaguely cloaked nudity with the thought that the single shot might keep some judges from considering screening the film. My best bet however might be to look for film festivals that embrace horror and shock value in their screenings.
COVID was rejected by Leeds International Film Festival in Ireland today.