·2021·
After being assigned to present the ceremonial pie, an 11-year-old confirmand must enlist the help of the town baker to master the recipe or she’ll be expelled from this society.
"The Secret in the Old Clock" is a short film project sharing seven stories of transformation, outlining the process of overcoming different fears and inner demons. Five of these are told in a series of 42-second microshorts, while we follow the final two with Judy Mae’s tale.
INTRODUCTION
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1
The woodland was quiet and still—then I heard them. Thunderous and disorienting, I realized the pack was nearing but saw nothing yet through the trees. In a gnawing, marrow-deep terror, I followed the white-haired rabbits' trail and ran as a woman hunted, paying no mind to the laughing, treacherous twigs that snapped loudly underfoot as I retreated.
There, I called, but she did not answer my cries. I raced until I found the stream, slowing down only to swallow a mouthful of the sweet relief, letting it soothe the avenue between cracked lips and hollow chest. In my short respite, I watched as a tear ruined the surface of the teal, clear pool.
But, too soon, the Volkswagen roared again in my peripheral, a bus eager, desperate to claim more passengers, and I stumbled back to my feet. Somehow, though, I was on a path I no longer recognized. Swallowing harshly, I knew they were right behind me, and everything went cold when they growled. I will be theirs.
Suddenly, I felt panic turn to peace when she whispered: "Call out their names, and all will be okay."
LETTER
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2
"Greetings, confirmant Judy Mae,"
She reads with a slight quick.
"May this serve as invitation
To this weekend's banquet.
As a bright, promising student
And dutiful daughter,
We ask that you prepare the pie,
The day's greatest honor."
RECIPE
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3
"everything you need to know now
is on this recipe.
to start, grab these ingredients
over in the pantry."
MENU
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5
MENU
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7
RECIPE
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9
course 6 & 7
le fromage & le dessert
APPENDIX
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10
Credits
Cast
JUDY MAE
Helena Goodrich
MISS BLEAKE
Jennifer Richards
MOTHER
Anastasia Oganov
FATHER
Pete Evans II
LEADER
Tim Davis
TEACHER
Michael Fulvio
ADDITIONAL ROLES
Mary Fontenot
Anna Reynolds
Esha Shah
Crew
DIRECTED BY
Jordyn Gum
WRITTEN BY
Jordyn Gum
PRODUCED BY
Sarah Layton
EDITED BY
Jordyn Gum
Sarah Layton
BOOM OPERATOR
Jeff Melvin
PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS
Mary Fontenot
Anna Reynolds
Esha Shah
DIRECTOR'S NOTE
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11
Years ago, my mom told me a story of her sister, Judy. When she and her two younger sisters were very young, their parents would give them a bath after dinner. My mom and her sisters are only a year a part in age, so when they were toddlers, their parents would bathe them together. They had a good system—my grandma would do the washing up and then pass off the clean child to my grandpa, who was in charge of drying and dressing.
One night in the midst of the evening hubbub, Judy—somewhere between bathroom and bedroom—slipped out of the front door unnoticed. Minutes later, much to my grandparents’ mortification, a neighbor rang the house, asking if they were aware that their middle child was running starkers through the neighborhood.
There’s something about that image, the very picture of the kind of reckless abandonment only children have—of freedom—that’s stuck with me ever since.
“The Secret in the Old Clock” is a project about acknowledging, wrestling with, and conquering inner demons. When I started working on this in October 2020, I only had the bare bones of an idea, but the story of Aunt Judy kept on coming back to me.
We all have inner demons; but, in order to find inner peace and be free, we must learn to identify and understand who they are and what they want. This project shares seven stories of that kind of transformation, outlining the process of overcoming different types of fear and defeating different types of inner demons. Five of these are previewed in the piece’s opening sequence, while we follow the final two with Judy Mae’s tale.
For Judy, she’s fearful of breaking the rules, of stepping out of line and being ostracized from her world. It’s worked out for her so far—the rules are understandable and reasonable—but this all changes in the days leading up to the most important moment of her young life.
Jordyn Gum
BEHIND THE SCENES
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12
behind the scenes
photos by Sarah Layton
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