Chisel
Black and white closeups of construction equipment.
White screen with black text: A Robert Steven Mack film.
Black text: Featuring: Alexandra Jones. Anderson Da Silva.
A warehouse contains construction equipment.
Black text: Composer Isaak Liu.
A warehouse contains construction equipment. Shot is still.
Black text: Choreography Michael Vernon.
Shot of the warehouse from a lower floor.
Black text: Director of photography: Caleb Allison.
Warehouse is seen with slightly shaking shot.
Black text: Produced and directed by Robert Steven Mack.
Black text: Chisel.
A landscape is seen with silhouettes of trees in the distance.
A closeup of a woman’s face as she lies on a surface. She blinks and lifts her head. She rises, and the audience sees that she is atop a table surrounded by mirrors, perhaps underground.
She swivels her legs and hops off the table. The woman looks into a mirror and examines her clothes and hair. She looks over her shoulder.
She walks toward a white mask hanging from construction equipment.
She puts the mask on and looks around.
A man appears in a white tank top and a black mask.
She walks away and looks at her soundings. The man follows her, and she hides.
The ground shows pebbles.
She throws a rock at the man. A mirror shatters.
She picks up a shard of broken mirror.
She cuts her finger.
She holds up the shard and sees the man behind her.
A closeup of the man.
A closeup of the woman.
She walks toward him and he backs away,
He begins to dance.
Audience views them through a broken window.
The two begin a choreographed dance.
She runs away and spins looking for him.
They continue to dance.
A closeup of her hand reaching toward his face.
Their hands intertwine.
The man steps back out of frame.
Fades to black.
The woman is seen lying. She blinks awake on the table on again surrounded by mirrors in a warehouse.
Her finger bleeds in red. The rest is black and white.
White screen. Black text: Chisel.
White screen. Black text: Featuring: Alexandra Jones. Anderson Da Silva.
Text: Crew. Director, producer and story: Robert Steven Mack. Director of photography: Caleb Allison. Choreography: Michael Vernon. Composer: Isaak Liu. Digital cinematography: Matt Jacobs. Editor: Caleb Allison. Sound design: Luke Cherchenko. Gaffers: Samantha Gee. Stefan Buba. Grip: Tucker Piedmont. Additional dance direction: Robert Steven Mack.
White screen. Black text: Special thanks: Susanne Schwibs. Alex and Diana Mack. IU Jacobs School of Music ballet department. IU Jacobs School of Music. IU Media School. One World at Woolery Mill.
White screen.
Black text: Shot on glorious 16mm.
“Chisel,” directed by Robert Mack, is about a young woman who wakes up in a desolate landscape and encounters a stranger of unknown intentions. She wakes up surrounded by mirrors. As she dutifully puts the mask on, a mysterious figure appears to be stalking her. Afraid, she picks up a rock and hurls it at her stalker, which turns out to be a reflection. Curious, she picks up a shard, cutting her finger. The two dance together, connecting briefly before the woman wakes up again, the only evidence of the past evidence the blood on her finger.
Featuring Alexandra Jones and Anderson Da Silva
Director, Producer, Story: Robert Steven Mack
Director of Photography: Caleb Allison
Choreography: Michael Vernon
Composer: Isaak Liu
Digital Cinematography: Matt Jacobs
Editor: Caleb Allison
Sound Design: Luke Cherchenko
Gaffers: Samantha Gee, Stefan Buba
Grip: Tucker Piedmont
Additional Dance Direction: Robert Steven Mack
This film was featured in the Cinema Academy’s spring 2022 student showcase, Montage: A Celebration of Moving Pictures. The showcase celebrates top cinematic work produced by student filmmakers.