Our film tells the true story of Chris Rowland of New Jersey, who joined Twitter under the handle @stc, after his college nickname, St. Chris, gaining him thousands of Saudi followers by mistake. Chris takes a liking to the attention and immerses himself in Saudi culture. Over time, Chris's friends and family begin to lose him to strangers across the world. He’s picked up unusual habits, receives constant messages from foreigners and is consumed by a culture unfamiliar to those around him. After a heated intervention, Chris cuts himself off from everyone he knows. In his isolation, he embarks on a journey of self-reflection and realizes he has lost his identity. He then receives news of an STC expansion into Bahrain and Kuwait and concludes that his fixation will only worsen. Chris reunites with his family and finally agrees to relinquish his Twitter handle of 11 years.
Tell the jury anything relevant about the cinematography.
A great deal of behind-the-scenes effort was put into the film to ensure it reflects the authenticity of the real-life story. Therefore, we made sure nothing was overly stylized. The aspect ratio was reminiscent to home videos instead of a grand cinematic experience. We mixed hand held sequences with carefully plotted tracking shots. The film grading is realistic with a consistent look throughout the film. We used minimal lighting and relied on natural light whenever possible. When it came to the locations, we weren’t looking for polished looks, but real ones instead. The locations were their actual houses. Our props were their real family mementos. Everything was personal, intimate and raw. It was no mistake you were in the suburbs of New Jersey.