Outline:
InfirmaryDirector Nicholas Pineda began considering the idea several years ago while observing numerous real-life horror incidents captured on police body cameras, thinking he should create a horror film shot from a body-cam perspective.
He sought assistance from fellow USC film school graduate Katy Krauland, who penned the script and co-produced it with Pineda. At one stage, they considered setting it in an office building, as numerous ones were empty during the Covid lockdowns.
But soon they discovered an extremely eerie place: a deserted hospital. This find altered the entire course of the film that eventually becameInfirmary, which debuted Friday night to widespread acclaim atDancing With Films New York.
Krauland and Pineda choose not to reveal the location of the facility in the Los Angeles area, as it is often a target for break-ins and they wish to avoid increasing its visibility.
“It’s similar to a 200,000-square-foot hospital. It took us a long time to persuade them to allow us to film there. We didn’t need to alter it much. So it was a very disturbing experience,” Pineda said on Friday during a post-screening Q&A.
The movie incorporates surveillance camera footage to show extended scenes of deteriorating corridors, filled with debris and medical dummies, and occasionally illuminated solely by flickering fluorescent lights.
However, the most terrifying scenes are captured through the body cameras of the two main characters, Paul Syre and Mark Anthony Williams, both of whom deliver outstanding performances, along with Danielle Kennedy in her role as a hospital administrator.
Syre portrays Edward, a young individual beginning his first night shift at an old infirmary with a puzzling history. Williams takes on the role of his fellow guard and supervisor, Lester, who finds enjoyment in frightening the newcomer. Both actors used real body cameras to record the scenes.
“We could have used a DP credit,” Syre joked.
Shooting InfirmaryIn a Truly Abandoned Hospital
Williams mentioned that although he has been acting for 30 years, this was his first time participating in a horror movie. His agents provided him with the script, he attended an audition, and he and Syre had a good rapport during the chemistry read.
And then when we arrived at the location, we were like, holy cow,” Williams remembered during the Q&A. “They had medical records from people dating back 50 years, still in the building. It was really quite eerie.
The genuine abandoned hospital, similar to the one featured in the movie, needs constant security throughout the day and night due to individuals entering after hours. The movie directors sought out the actual guards and included their most terrifying tales in the film.
The filmmakers self-financed InfirmaryOn a very limited budget, most of the funds were used to cover the hospital’s fees, Pineda said.
He mentioned at the premiere that the movie has attracted significant initial interest from distributors. It would be prudent not to rush its release onto streaming platforms, as it is best experienced in a dark theater with an audience and without interruptions.Infirmary quickly becomes mesmerizing.
Cinematographer Donald Nam delivers a remarkable performance by maintaining engagement through the use of found footage, embracing the darkness and dirtiness of the setting without compromising on visual clarity.
The only area where the filmmakers let the movie deviate from realism is in its audio. The continuous sounds of lights, air conditioning, and other enigmatic building noises eventually transition into a flood of noise.
Creating the sound was quite difficult, as it was one of the rules we deviated from regarding the film’s authenticity,” Pineda explained. “We truly aimed for the sound design to be diegetic, coming from elements that would naturally occur in the scene. So we took a bit of a shortcut and hired a composer to create a score, but it ended up being very atmospheric and somewhat diegetic.
Krauland and Pineda also have plans for a follow-up.
“There are many aspects to the film,” Krauland suggested on Friday.
You may read more of ourDances With Films New York coverage here.
Main image: Infirmary. Provided by Dances With Films New York.