a long-awaited conversation.

Los Angeles, California | Film Short

Drama, Experimental

Justin Winick

1 Campaigns | California, United States

Green Light

This campaign raised $2,958 for pre-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.

37 supporters | followers

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A young man and woman have a difficult conversation over dinner; however, both the reality of their relationship and surroundings may not be what it seems.

About The Project

  • The Story
  • Wishlist
  • Updates
  • The Team
  • Community

Mission Statement

"a long-awaited conversation" serves as a reflection on regret, guilt, and forgiveness, showing the tragic story of two young lovers reflecting on a life they either did or did not have. We aim to present a story without any statement allowing the audience to decide what is right and wrong.

The Story

 

 

In a long-awaited conversation,  Nancy and Bernard, a young couple with a complicated past, meet for the first time in a very long while for dinner. Once the small talk is over, they must face unpleasant truths that reveal the reality of their relationship, and that their surroundings may not be what it seems...

 


 

After experiencing the passing of someone close to him, Connor, the writer, and director, began to explore humankind's endless questions about life, death, and what lies beyond all of this. When writing, he knew he didn't want to attempt to answer unanswerable questions. Still, he tried to present the audience with a rich and engaging story where they could attempt to derive their own answers from the story he told.

"Because life feels so infinite and death is so inevitable, I think the choices we make during our time here shape who we are as human beings. Giving the characters the chance to reflect on their choices and seek forgiveness for transgressions was an intriguing way to examine the themes I was interested in exploring."
– Connor Haddad, director

 

 

a long-awaited conversation is a short film crewed by a close-knit team of passionate filmmakers from USC's School of Cinematic Arts and the Santa Monica College Film Program. Our team hopes to present the audience with rich characters that make their own choices, letting the viewer decide whether forgiveness is warranted.

 

 

This film is about distance. It is about the space between two individuals that at times can feel infinite, though it is only a few feet. Now how do we create that? It comes from all elements of filmmaking. With the camera movement, the production design, and the lighting, we aim to create a world that feels so familiar that it is unfamiliar. Presenting you with something you think you know, and then slowly peeling away the layers to reveal the truth behind reality. Revealing the tar and shit and scum that lies underneath us all. We will begin with rich and warm colors, inviting us into the Monde Perdu, but as the story goes on and conversation unravels, we will slowly suck the life out of the restaurant, the characters, and hopefully you. 

“Many of the films that inspired me for this specific project were from the works of Ingmar Bergman, Yorgos Lanthimos, and David Lynch– auteur directors who have a very tight grasp on creating worlds that feel uncanny though familiar. I studied their films to see how their direction can seamlessly go from bombastic to subtle, but all for the right reasons. I feel that with the greatest filmmakers and masters of the craft a complete control of the emotion is how they can subconsciously plant thoughts and feelings into our heads. My team and I strive to create a film with those intentions, giving you an experience that you will not forget.”
– Connor

 

Bernard is a sweet and endearing man but clearly uncomfortable in his own skin. We can see a clear pursuit towards contentment but a strong force seems to be holding him back. Bernard has arrived at this dinner with clear intentions though he fears any sort of confrontation and does not know how to begin the real conversation. I really wanted Bernard to have a puppy dog-like characteristic so that when we begin to learn more about his past and the decisions he made we as the audience struggle to find where we sit with him. 

Nancy is a strong and stoic young woman. She doesn’t often allow her emotion to get the best of her, though in certain cases it becomes too difficult to hold back. She is entering this conversation with her own intentions and is confident that she will not break, though seeing Bernard may change that perception. For Nancy, I felt her physicality would be a perfect way to contrast her personality, so having her be very petite and delicate but stand upright with a powerful presence was very important.

 

 

With your help, this is where the funds from this campaign will go towards. Any additional funds we secure will help us take our story even further.

 

 

 

 

Wishlist

Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.

Lights... Camera...

Costs $1,200

RENT CAMERA AND LIGHTS

Production Design

Costs $500

Eyeballs and denchers and _____, oh my!

Sound

Costs $250

Check, check. 1, 2, 3!

Food Glorious Food!

Costs $250

Feed me, Seymour!

Post Production and Festivals

Costs $300

Post Production and submitting to Festivals costs

Cash Pledge

Costs $0

About This Team

The crew of a long-awaited conversation is made up of a close-knit group of passionate diverse young filmmakers from a diverse array of backgrounds.

 

Connor Haddad - Director

Connor Haddad is a writer, director, and producer located in the Los Angeles area. He is originally from Orange County, California, and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in filmmaking. His love for film started at a young age with fun blockbuster films but when exposed to foreign and independent cinema his passion for the craft of filmmaking was born. He then began exploring other avenues of creative and artistic work, such as novels, plays, and paintings, all of which contributed to his filmmaking pursuits. Connor hopes to tell stories of deeply affected characters through situations of the bizarre and uncanny. 

 

Justin Winick - Producer

Justin Winick is an actor, writer, and filmmaker currently based in Los Angeles. Born in New York, he has been obsessed with storytelling of all kinds from an early age. He first acted when he was six years old and nurtured his love of the craft over the years performing in plays from Shakespeare to Sondheim. His passion for the arts grew into an intense love of cinema, and he is now attending USC’s School of Cinematic Arts pursuing a B.A. in Film Production.

 

Joseph Wise - Director of Photography

Joseph Wise is an English Cinematographer currently based in Los Angeles. With visuals speaking to him from a very early age, he first started developing his taste for filmmaking at age 6.

Joseph currently studies Film and Television Production at the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California. Aside from his education, he continues to DP in all formats from narrative to commercial work.

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