The Apartment by Paul Marchiset

The Apartment is a short film produced by Paul Marchiset for a course at Vanier College, built around a single goal: create a distinct atmosphere and pull the viewer into another world. As director I chose tension and strangeness, using staging, shot selection and sound to generate a steady sense of unease. The production drew on a range of cinematographic techniques. I experimented with angles — subjective point of view, surveillance-camera-style wide shots and close-ups — to capture emotion and surprise the viewer. The editing followed a slow but stressful rhythm, reinforced by an anxiety-inducing soundtrack (Anxiety – Horror by Kevin MacLeod) that heightened the drama and the intended discomfort. The project let me develop my writing, storyboarding, filming and editing skills as a videographer and director, alongside a deeper understanding of how visual and audio choices shape the perception of a scene. The Apartment was a real opportunity to explore storytelling through images, and it confirmed my interest in crafting strong cinematic atmospheres.