The Anomaly | Award-Winning Sci-Fi Mystery Short Film

Written & Directed by: Dawson Bryant & Blake Kinsey
Starring: Kate McCosh
Cinematography: Jared Draney
Produced by: Blake Kinsey, Hailey Suzanne Smith & Dawson Bryant
Edited by: Dawson Bryant
Production Design: Kacey Shephard
The Anomaly is a sci-fi mystery short film that follows Noelle (Kate McCosh), a young graduate of Environmental Science, as she navigates her way through a mysterious piece of land deep in the mountains. Told she must take a recently developed drug in order to combat the potential side effects of the site, she complies. Though she quickly develops a dependence to the drug, slowly warping her reality...
The hope of this film is to create some conversation on the opioid crisis, and the true evil of Big Pharma. The film has received global recognition from a number of film festivals, including Cannes World Film Festival, Mindfield Film Festival, and the Student Los Angeles Film Awards. The Anomaly was co-written, co-produced, and co-directed by Blake Kinsey and Dawson Bryant.

[@blakekinseyfilms]

Thanks everyone for watching! This was a tough short to make. We started writing the script in early August of 2020, and shot the project only 6 weeks later. We are happy to finally have it out in the world!

[@oldones59]

George Romero made Night of the Living Dead on the cheap with hard work. Look how it turned out 👾

[@barrahart]

You did good. Masterful cinematography, and what a performance! Kudos to you and the entire creative team from a fellow storyteller. P.S. How *about* this score?! Love it!

[@blakekinseyfilms]

@@barrahart Thanks so much man, I'm glad you enjoyed it! I certainly can't take all the credit here... we had an excellent friend of ours as the cinematographer, and our co-director is additionally a very skilled composer.

[@barrahart]

@@blakekinseyfilms My very best to all of them 🤍

[@gregspyker]

@@blakekinseyfilms0

[@thingmaker3]

The degree of willing suspension of disbelief exceeds reasonable expectation. NOBODY walks on an ankle after that kind of trauma - I don't care how many high-tech pain pills she has.

[@guardrailbiter]

There is a cavernous gulf between a "short film" and an incomplete story.

[@littlegreengamer]

I like this. It's almost like a short film equivalent of abstract art. The vague nature of it leaves me wondering what's really happening here, which makes it even more entertaining. It seems to me that Noelle got tricked into volunteering for a corrupt government mind control or pharmaceutical experiment. Keep up the good work. EDIT: also, I meant to say, after reading the description, I'm so glad you're bringing attention to the opioid crisis. I've actually worked on art of my own for that purpose. I've known people personally who have died from those drugs.

[@kathymcmc]

How about the people who have committed suicide because patients with chronic pain cannot get relief? You should be ashamed. Supporting cutting off pain Rx because of drug abusers, is shameful.

[@littlegreengamer]

@@kathymcmc Did I ever say I was against giving painkillers to patients in need of them? No I didn't. I'm only against the abuse of these drugs, as well as doctors constantly prescribing them to people who get easily addicted, so would it kill you to actually think before responding?

[@jamesmorgan7651]

It reminds me of the Black Mirror episode "Playtest". Shows how the public can play "broken eggs" for the "omelet makers".

[@ezra7045]

She really didn't waste time fixing that ankle.

[@jdway3542]

Ya, or thems really good pills!

[@twistysnacks]

Did a good job too, she was up and running around immediately

[@oldones59]

Great art often leaves itself open to interpretation. A good story doesn't always have a tidy resolution. These things foster imagination. Thanks for the post ☺

[@Iron2017]

This makes a good point - corruption & lies in commerce.

[@juliatobiason3932]

This movie is exactly how I “see” thing’s automatically. I actually teach other’s to “see”. I loved this film 💜

[@blakekinseyfilms]

I’m so glad it resonated with you!

[@Mashy8722]

Without reading the description, I would not have gotten ANY of that. Lol

[@AndresMartinez-zo5lk]

She twisted her angle inwards but is pointing outwards, now that's an anomaly 😂. I enjoyed it, thumbs up

[@richdempsey7988]

You did Edward D Wood Jr proud!!!!

[@beautifulfaith9367]

Made no sense to me except she was part of a test herself. To many questions and no answers. 🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@ZebraFacts]

That was quite laborious to watch knowing what the storyline is. Focus on one frame happened too often and for too long on each one. This storyline could have been told within the first few moments, leaving time for a deeper dive into who and why a company would go through such a grueling process.

[@ugaladh]

ok, after reading the description, I didn't get that at all. In fact, I was thinking that you couldn't really evaluate the drug for side effects because you would also have the effects of isolation ( unless this person was specifically evaluated and chosen for their ability to tolerate being alone). I didn't get any feeling of dependence on the drug.

[@johnbianchi3877]

It would be nice if there was an actual plot. I’m sure it all makes perfect sense in the writers head. The trick is to convey that to the audience. That’s what storytelling is all about. And find someone who knows something about composing music

[@jamesmorgan3032]

Spot on analogy of a brave new world where synthetic opioids are the "soma" of our current dystopian society.

[@lhasalynn2091]

I can tell that this is a very well thought out (and well-photographed with perfect music) video with a lot of inferences......but I have to admit that I became confused partway through. I'd love to know more about the plot where I became confused---at the woman's final setting off from her tent. Were we supposed to know more about this experiment she was participated in? Did she even realize she was IN an experiment? Sorry to be so vague---I know how much work you did and would love to have understood it more clearly. (I'd like to see a "Part Two'" to this intriguing story!) 🙂

[@JohnTLyon]

I keep asking myself, what if someone engineered a disease in order to sell the cure?

[@Curiousever]

And forced everyone to take the preventative without knowing its effects?

[@_ftv]

The Manhattan Principles. look it up

[@kaisersliebling8577]

Ya €*****

[@cosmictsunami]

Friends, look up Nestle baby formula scandal. Know that whether you think we live in a simulation or not, it doesnt matter. Our mothers worldwide have been duped for 100 years. Cheers

[@Supernaught00]

Shhhh, you sound like a conspiracy theorist. Everyone knows that the pharmaceutical industry, along with our governments, only want what's best for us. To think anything else...would be insane, right?

[@lrwproductions1616]

Spectacular dudes! I'm so stoked to see what else you do!

[@blakekinseyfilms]

Thanks so much Larry!

[@kevinmkraft]

Interesting. I'll have to watch it again to decide what I think about it. It was very well made, though.

[@slthbob]

Three minutes into it and I am already telling myself to "Eat your Cornflakes"... LOL

[@andersdondes4748]

Good job with the editing. Nice watch. :)

[@HolidayPinesHomestead]

I knew she was going to fall 😮😢 and that's the only part I was certain of... it was still a great short.

[@wasclit11]

I am 73 so I may have to do what I did with Pulp Fiction and watch it more than once. Well done though and don't forget to have some fun along the way. Life s like a roll of toilet paper - the closer you get to the end the faster it goes.

[@cindymorris2567]

Love that! ❤ For sure gonna remember it. I'm 59 & it's like zooming, ZOOMING by!! 😮😮

[@Katra8189]

Might need to reverse engineer the actual story line here, but that could be the intended challenge…?

[@TheLepke2011]

Could someone please explain what any of this means?

[@blakekinseyfilms]

Read the description!

[@steveoh9285]

She is a test subject for side affects of the Environmental drug. Her mother overdosing at the hospital gives a clue to her own overdose. Even after fracturing her ankle, the drug restores perfect mobility, but at a terrible cost.

[@blakekinseyfilms]

@Jon Little Probably the reason why I’m actively releasing work and striving for growth while you are leaving a weird amount of hate comments.

[@thezuguprojectANTHONYALBANESE]

Excellent:)

[@skuhlemeyer]

When she broke her ankle and I heard it crack I jumped and closed my eyes

[@blakekinseyfilms]

Mission accomplished!

[@doreendaykin6693]

Well done!!

[@brianpan6453]

This movie made zero sense.

[@fishomobile6214]

มันคือหนัง😅

[@phoebehill953]

Don’t get much of this, starting with how the phone stayed charged, but applaud the creative effort.

[@ciscocorps2634]

I loved it! I wanna know what happens next :D

[@blakekinseyfilms]

I'm glad you enjoyed it! Who knows what happens next with Earthwood Environmental...

[@mbuckley3828]

What happens next? I don't even understand what happened here. Was she dead there at the end? If so, what killed her?

[@RE-xv9fp]

I did not get it

[@robertstoneking7916]

It needs a text crawl or narrator. From comments on many videos reading the description isn't common on KZbin and not as obvious to app users as it is through a browser.

[@LyzStarwalker]

Too vague…

[@TheUncleRuckus]

Where was this filmed bc, it reminds me of Panama Rocks, New York.

[@blakekinseyfilms]

This was shot in a section of Nantahala National Forest in the mountains of western North Carolina called “Granite City.”

[@gordonglenn2089]

@@blakekinseyfilms It so reminded me of the forests in Oregon. Actually made me a bit homesick for PNW!

[@michael_almir]

Opiate overdose, Like mother, like daughter. She, "Noelle " is the anomaly not the man in camouflage!

[@jopax66]

very pretty and interesting...

[@darkwolve114]

I called the ending right when the drug was first mentioned. Although my ending would've actually been good. This was totally generic.

[@sunnyjay1]

Cute twist where SHE is the test subject, but too much beautiful scenery, and not enough explanation as to what "anomaly" she was looking for to distract from the man stalking her in the gilly suit "observing" her.

[@chrisp1355]

The filmmakers have obviously not been camping or hiking.

[@blakekinseyfilms]

Haha okay 😂

[@2btpatch]

Didn’t make much sense to me. Lots of script holes. Towards the end, I metaphorically stepped in one and broke my ankle. But I will watch it again and see if I can glean more meaning from it.

[@blakekinseyfilms]

Well thanks for giving it another shot. Hope your ankle heals swiftly.

[@JULIASMITH-eg9kp]

❤😮 0:09

[@frankieriaz9615]

I appreciate the great script the acting the compiling but..all of the above can be put together greatly..some movies or shorts are great at tying everything in and leave and open ending open to the viewers imagination and intrepretations but..this had a whole lot of why??? I get she part of an organisation for woodland..is she there volunterily is she dealing with depression aswell? Why the pill taking..linked to depression? Or something more. Is she hallucinating did she break her ankle..is she disorientated? Nothing ties up to make sense as to why and what..why is she being observed whats his motive why is she another subject for him to kill and cross off..but other than that it would really be an interesting movie..with more of an insight

[@lesmith939]

Very interesting. A good waste of time (referring to other comments). I don't get the "Mom" inferences. Are they significant? Thanks!

[@blakekinseyfilms]

Totally understand. They're a little ominous. Basically her mother was once in the hospital and was prescribed opiods, quickly becoming addicted, causing her overdose. This is meant to infer why Noelle becomes dependent on Earthwood Environmental's drug, ultimately leading to yet another overdose.

[@alexdfan_43]

Very confusing and slow. I think I will stick to Alter & watch short horror films; at least something happens in them, no offense but I like things moving a bit faster than this pace. Thanks for the upload anyways.

[@williammartin2810]

No idea at all.

[@davidspandikow1987]

Explains where C19 came from

[@ronaldwhite1730]

thank you . ( 2024 / June / 13 )

[@drophammer776]

Keep up the good work. When she hurt herself was a big scene in short Maybe make it more intense for Us Viewers. Sliding uncontrollably down the incline then the snap of ankle. Majority of people will let out an earpeircing scream prior to (If) passing out. Definitely won't be standing up straight let alone put any amount of weight on. Otherwise I liked it. Keep posting. 👍🏻

[@blakekinseyfilms]

Glad you liked it! That was a particularly tough scene to shoot. It was a very slippery location so the actor's safety definitely came first.

[@DOMOZORROORROZOMOD]

11:44

[@magnetdesignandadver]

I want a moss uit

[@JimiBegbaaji]

15 minutes of WTF.

[@red-mettainchesahead4888]

Fifteen minute tent advert for gormless Americans.

[@fishomobile6214]

ฉันชอบหนังของคุณ 🤠🤏🇷🇺🐐

[@lebowskiduderino89]

Heers wut tha muvie is bout. A gurl isa in tha woods fur ah few days ana shes ah takin lotsa piils ana shes ah puttin on her shues ana shes ah ritin a buncha stuff on some paper ana shes ah brakin her ankles an ah shes ah runnin outa pills ana shes ah gittin durty ana shes ah walkin roun jus fine with ah broke ankle ana shes ah fallin out ana big ol Bigfoot gits hur ana....................uh.......lets see uh...tha Bigfoot isa draggin hur ever wur ana Bigfoot aint no Bigfoot ana.....I don't know I can't make no since of tha dadgum muvee

[@blakekinseyfilms]

Yup that pretty much sums it up

[@ladymeropi]

??? Award winning? I can appreciate it being time consuming and a difficult film for you to make, but what is the criteria to win an award? Just wondering???

[@blakekinseyfilms]

Pretty simple. Festival programmers & judges watch your film, and then they decide. I don't make the rules.

[@davidpalmer5966]

Not bad. Good idea but some weakness in execution. The actor looked and acted too much like a model - had she or any of the crew ever actually spent two weeks in the bush? You could have been more subtle regarding the pills etc, and then compensated by giving us a bit more to work with in terms of the experiment she was inadvertently part of. It kept me watching but the ending was too predictable.

[@LeslieClark-xy6wf]

🥱

[@michaelc814]

low budget short

[@dawsonbryant2250]

You are correct

[@micknordstrom2591]

??? WTF?

[@dragonback6075]

Don't get 🙄

[@helmutkendl9516]

Good Pictures but i dont get what its about 😟

[@Grythpyke]

Yeh Nah! bailed out at 1min 46sec Weak

[@rafaelmoreno9597]

Stopped at 7min. Too many holes in the script already.

[@BruceDavidKellock]

Sorry but that was terrible. 15 minutes I can't get back.

[@blakekinseyfilms]

That was my goal. Your 15 minutes are mine now.

[@ashley2229]

@@blakekinseyfilms hahaha good answer! 👍 btw, I really enjoyed it. 😊

[@MrShaun1011]

I don't get it? . Lololol

[@markbigelow2608]

Big nothing burger.

[@Mashy8722]

Ugh the worst kinda burger 😂

[@johnnyjames5184]

What a load of mambo-jambo.....!!!!!

[@johnnyjames5184]

it just made no sense at all, i wonder why this was an award winner?????

[@danielvahnke3369]

I dispute copyright on the title THE ANOMALY - it is too close to my old 16mm classic called 'Anal Molly'. An apology would suffice. THE DARK BROS rule baby!

[@ZaphMann]

what a waste of effort - poorly scripted and vague. I bet those actors enjoyed the time though - so that's good

[@jackhills2440]

I'm sorry, but I really felt this was a total waste of time to watch. Left me clueless as to what was anything. Apparently one is supposed to have a massive imagination and put things together out of thin air. Bogus at best.

[@LurkingCrassZero]

Utter waste of time.

[@beingsentient]

I'm not a fan of such incomplete stories, nonsensical plots, and poor director understanding of a required amount of believability, such as the miraculous cure of the broken ankle, and the use of binoculars to see trees only ten feet away. Sorry. Was this made by students taking some kind of movie making course? If so, I can understand the outcome. But why publicize it?

[@blakekinseyfilms]

Yes. Made a few years ago in film school, during the height of the pandemic, and on the tightest timeline I’ve ever had to make anything. Publicized because, as it turns out, movies are actually tremendously hard to make. Never letting it see the light of day, despite the outcome, is a discredit to all the hard work to all those involved. Sorry you didn’t enjoy 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@beingsentient]

@@blakekinseyfilms Okay, I understand the feelings you have to not let all that work be "wasted." But it's not wasted, even if you don't publicize it. Take the example of a musician who practices hours for an upcoming concert, and the practicing contains many experimental and repetitive passages done so that mistakes become unlikely. All that practicing is just as useful as the practice movies you make, but the musician doesn't record the practice and publicize it. I also have written many things in essays that I'd never ask people to read because they were more for practice. It's only my most edited and refined essays that I'd ask someone to read. That's a courtesy because all our time is precious, and there are much more rewarding things available to spend it on. It seems to me that the vast majority of what's on KZbin, which is maintained in memory, which expends resources, is trash. It's analogous to the trash that winds up in landfills. Our society needs to generate less trash. Nature is sick of it.

[@blakekinseyfilms]

@@beingsentient filmmaking is an audience-facing medium. You’ll never know what’s working without the criticism of an audience. I’ve made lots of shorts since this one, and grown in the process. Truthfully I don’t really care if people resonate with it or not. At the end of the day, I know what I like about the piece, and I know the problems too. But ultimately I care more for the dedicated people who worked to help bring it to life much more than an internet audience where everyone seems to have a different opinion on what qualifies as worthy of their time.

[@beingsentient]

@@blakekinseyfilms Thanks for telling me the truth. As I understand it, you really don't give a sh*t whether a significant part of the public thinks your videos are worth watching. And your main reasons to make it public are for your own satisfaction. Isn't that self centered and wasteful? And isn't it egotistical? Is it just to brag about, that you have a video on KZbin for the sake of having a video on KZbin? If so, you're like the countless teenagers who post and waste tremendous resources to publicize what they had for breakfast or how they put on their lipstick or the concerns they have about their pet cats or that their boyfriend did give them flowers. I do suggest that you make your videos and share it among fellow video makers and after you get a good consensus among them that the video is worth bothering the public about, you can go the next step to get opinions from the public. It's people like you who are flooding Dust, Omeleto, and other channels with junk. You're degrading the whole industry for your own selfish motives.

[@stevenharper5055]

Made no sense

[@lynneturner3704]

Sucks

[@bilbobaggins3475]

Where did you get that tent? It’s seems very durable 💪🦵