The film won the Kodak Vision Award 2003 and Best Production Thesis 2003 of the University of the Philippines Film Institute. The film was also nominated at the 17th Gawad Urian Nominee for Best Short Film in the Philippines. It was also a finalist at the 1st Indeo Film and Video Festival 2004 and was exhibited at the Eksperimento Film Festival 2004.
"Karsel" (Prison) is Rianne's first film, her thesis film at the University of the Philippines Film Institute (UPFI). It received the Kodak Film Award for Best Film Thesis during her college graduation.
Seiko Films offered the outfit's camera and lighting equipment for the shoot. After aiming to shoot her film in 16mm, she was grateful for the opportunity to shoot her thesis in 35mm instead. The production houses Filmex and Production Village provided their 35mm short ends (partly used film stocks from advertising projects) and she used these additional stocks for her thesis. LVN Pictures Inc. granted her request to process, print, and edit her film in their post-production facility. The positive film stocks also came from LVN's generosity.
With this project becoming her first-ever venture into the 35mm film format, it was a baptism of fire for her taking charge of the camera work as the film's co-cinematographer. The project was shot using Arri 2-C and Arri BL-4 cameras without the aid of any video assist. It was primarily shot with Kodak Vision 500T with the rest filmed using Kodak Vision 320T. With most of the magic realism and debut scenes, she wanted to really saturate the colors. These film stocks allowed her to bring her vision come to life. She also shot some scenes that were intended to be push-processed at the laboratory.
Rianne edited the film using the Moviola. It was her first time to edit a 35mm film and her first time to use this conventional editing machine. Prior to this project, she edited some 16mm film projects at the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) using the Steenbeck Flatbed Editing Machine. With waived fees, the telecine transfer and colorgrading of the video-finish work was done courtesy of Optima Digital.
Seiko Films offered the outfit's camera and lighting equipment for the shoot. After aiming to shoot her film in 16mm, she was grateful for the opportunity to shoot her thesis in 35mm instead. The production houses Filmex and Production Village provided their 35mm short ends (partly used film stocks from advertising projects) and she used these additional stocks for her thesis. LVN Pictures Inc. granted her request to process, print, and edit her film in their post-production facility. The positive film stocks also came from LVN's generosity.
With this project becoming her first-ever venture into the 35mm film format, it was a baptism of fire for her taking charge of the camera work as the film's co-cinematographer. The project was shot using Arri 2-C and Arri BL-4 cameras without the aid of any video assist. It was primarily shot with Kodak Vision 500T with the rest filmed using Kodak Vision 320T. With most of the magic realism and debut scenes, she wanted to really saturate the colors. These film stocks allowed her to bring her vision come to life. She also shot some scenes that were intended to be push-processed at the laboratory.
Rianne edited the film using the Moviola. It was her first time to edit a 35mm film and her first time to use this conventional editing machine. Prior to this project, she edited some 16mm film projects at the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) using the Steenbeck Flatbed Editing Machine. With waived fees, the telecine transfer and colorgrading of the video-finish work was done courtesy of Optima Digital.
The enriching of the film's mood and temperament utilizes magic realism to show how Angela struggles to live her day to day. The family's mansion becomes her grand, yet constricting cage. In compliance with the family's legacy, her hair symbolizes her mother's complete authority over her - with the strands of her hair becoming bars of cage on her face vindicating her being captive by her own upbringing. The visuals gradually becomes more and more dynamic as Angela's liberation draws near.