Nicolas Fauconnet

Nicolas Fauconnet is a self-taught director, editor, and screenwriter in his thirties, passionate about genre cinema. He has worked in video editing for short formats such as advertising and music videos for about a decade. In 2023, he materializes a visceral impulse that has lingered since his early childhood by producing and directing "ARCHIVE_DPT," an unconditional tribute to the video store horror film culture and the monster film.

Nicolas, how did you strike a balance between presenting the film as a "found footage" story and creating a compelling narrative that engages viewers beyond the mystery of the tapes?

For Archive_DPT, it was essential to find the right balance between the authenticity of a found footage, in order to preserve immersion, and the use of cinematic tools to emotionally guide the audience through the story I wanted to tell. It’s mostly a matter of adjustments. For example, using a subtle sound design at key moments in the film, while ensuring the viewer is still watching a lost VHS from the 90s. The same goes for the VHS treatment of the image. We used an aging method based on actual VHS analog tapes, but with a technique that allowed us to control the level of image degradation. This helped us preserve the colors and details, maintaining the artistic direction we aimed for in this short film.

Were there any specific scenes or sequences that required careful coordination to ensure that the found footage style didn't disrupt the narrative flow or become too chaotic?

The film as a whole has always taken into account the balance between the authenticity of found footage and the artistic direction we wanted to create.

Was there a particular message or theme you hoped to communicate about secrecy, governmental organizations, or even human experimentation through the lens of this discovery?

There is clearly a theme related to manipulation and conspiracy within this narrative, as well as the vital discernment needed to face these phenomena. But above all, it is the story of a character who manages to break free from manipulation and confinement through sublimation. When our character realizes that she can transform what haunts and traumatizes her into a creative force, that’s when she starts to free herself from the chains of the DPT 53s organization. This can be summed up simply with these words: Fear traps, creation liberates!