Maggot!

Maggot! began as a class assignment, with limited time to write a script and assemble a team. I wanted to keep the scope small and started with a man chasing a fly in his office. Inspired by The Big Shave and Dogville, the idea developed into an abstract story about a man turning into a maggot. I wanted the office to feel like a liminal space, with the surrounding visual elements reflecting the strangeness of that transformation.

With very little budget, we sourced props and materials from friends and family and did much of the production design ourselves. We transformed a stage panel into a door with a window and repainted existing doors. That handmade quality became part of the film’s visual language, heightening the artificial nature of the world. The script was evolving alongside the set, and I worked through several revisions in response to notes from instructors and actors, keeping the process collaborative within a tight timeframe.

Building the giant maggot was one of our biggest practical challenges. I worked closely with our SFX makeup artist, studying reference images of maggots and significantly modifying a Halloween costume’s shape and surface texture to make it look slimy and wriggly.

Filming the creature became the most fun part of the shoot. Looking back, I’m especially grateful for the care the team brought to this small project. Their ideas, patience, and hands-on work helped me realize something I could not have made alone.