The horror short BLACKWOOD opens, ironically, on the outdoor set of a horror film shoot.

After the film’s shooting wraps for the day, the production’s sound recordist Nikki (Danielle Butlin) decides to linger to record birdsong, wind, and other ambient forest sounds.

After traveling deep inside the forest, Nikki captures the sound of something… strange. Drawn to the eerie sound, she soon finds herself caught in a terrifying encounter.

Written and directed by Australian filmmaker Andrew Montague, an atmosphere of unrelenting tension is created by making the short film’s brilliant sound design and captivating cinematography the driving force of the narrative.

The Eden-like woodland Nikki explores instantly transforms into a foreboding glade by the introduction of the unearthly sound.

Danielle Butlin completes this horror mini-masterpiece with her outstanding performance as Nikki.

There is not much spoken dialogue in the short. Its formidable chill factor is compounded as a result of Butlin’s convincing verbal and non-verbal reactions to the dread and horror of her circumstance.

After watching BLACKWOOD, you will think twice before your next excursion into the woods.

Watch BLACKWOOD in its entirety below (Wearing headphones is strongly recommended!)…

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