Today sees the release of director Bil Richardson’s experimental cyberpunk movie, Ephemera. Using an innovative filmmaking technique, Richardson has put together a movie that makes use of existing stock footage to create a whole new narrative.

Synopsis –

In a strange future, a national security agent with pyrotechnic abilities is horribly burned in battle and develops a fear of fire. She returns to action but cannot shake her fear. She undergoes experimental procedures to gain new powers and sets out to get revenge on those who destroyed her life. This film is reminiscent of such science fiction classics as Blade Runner and Ready Player One.

There’s an interesting story behind Ephemera. Ephemera began life whilst director Richardson was bedridden in hospital undergoing constant medical treatment. Unable to work physically, he began experimenting with stock footage, cutting together short scenes. Soon, he realised he could cut together enough footage to create the skeleton of a movie. Using this as a base, he wrote a narrative over the footage available to him and turned it into a movie.

This obviously is not the traditional route for creating a movie, but it is not unheard of. The recent Mission: Impossible movies, for example, were constructed by designing stunts and scouting locations first, and then the screenplay’s were then written around what the team wanted to do. The production of Ephemera was basically kit-bashing, using parts to create a new and unique whole. 

The trailer does not give a lot away narratively speaking, but does give a feel for how the stock footage has been used to create a futuristic cyberpunk setting, with gunplay, tech, and even giant robots. Whether or not the innovative filmmaking technique has allowed a satisfying narrative experience remains to be seen, but director Bil Richardson states that it deals with AI, virtual reality, immersive gaming, biological enhancement and more. His influences include Blade Runner, Ready Player One, and other cyberpunk classics.

Ephemera will be available on Amazon Prime Video from today, and as a digital download from further selected streaming platforms from October 2nd. You can check out the trailer below –

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