Athletic Withdrawal
Toronto, Canada | Film Short
Drama
While it has been improving over the last few years, athletes' mental health is still a subject that I feel doesn't get enough attention, and my hope with this story is to continue to work to remove the stigma surrounding mental health, particularly when it comes to the world of sports.
Green Light
This campaign raised C$3,455 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
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While it has been improving over the last few years, athletes' mental health is still a subject that I feel doesn't get enough attention, and my hope with this story is to continue to work to remove the stigma surrounding mental health, particularly when it comes to the world of sports.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Hi! My name is Matt Dionne and I am the writer & director of this short.
I have found that many athletes tie their identity to their sport, so when they lose their ability to compete, for many, it's like they lose a part of who they are as a person.
This was the case for me. The realization that I was no longer able to play was something I struggled with - I had been an athlete my whole life, and suddenly I wasn't. I didn't know what to do with myself and my time, and I lost the structure I had in my life.
Sports provide a level of discipline and structure that few other things do - athletes have to attend practices, team meetings, workout sessions, and games. So much of our time is accounted for, and we are constantly trying to balance many things at once.
Losing this is a change that impacts our whole lives - some people are able to handle it in stride (usually those who walk away on their own terms), but many aren't, particularly those who have the choice made for them.
Going through this is what inspired me to write this story - I wanted to provide a glimpse of what many athletes go through for those who have never played a sport in their life, as well as for those who have gone through it/are going through it and feel like they're completely alone.
This story explores how Blake, a high school student and tennis prodigy, has his sport taken away from him as a result of a car crash.
For Blake, the loss of tennis feels like the loss of who he is as a person, and he begins contemplating suicide.
The story starts during a therapy session wherein Blake attempts to lie to the therapist, Dr. Abaddon, in the hope of leaving as quickly as possible.
Little does Dr. Abaddon know, Blake has a specific plan of how he intends to kill himself.
However, over the course of their session, Dr. Abaddon begins to crack Blake's shell, and he starts to genuinely open up to her - he starts to see a possible way out of the feelings he's been experiencing.
However, all that is undone when he returns home and finds a note from his father, strengthening his belief that their relationship has been irreparably changed.
So... does he go through with his plan? You'll have to wait for the film to come out and see for yourself.
The film will utilize wide shots to emphasize the distance between Dr. Abaddon and Blake, as well as close-up shots to focus on the actors' emotions.
Initially, most of the shots will include only one character, but, as Blake begins to open up to Dr. Abaddon during the session, the shots will slowly start to move to over-the-shoulders, to subliminally suggest they are forming a connection.
As for lighting, the majority of the therapy scene will have a green tint to it, to allow the audience to feel some of the discomfort Blake is feeling, which will create a sense of irony - he feels most uncomfortable where he is safest.
Conversely, most of the shots in Blake's home will have warm lighting which furthers this irony in that he feels most comfortable where he is most in danger.
The dream sequences will have purple tones to them, and they will be shot at a different shutter angle to create a more dream-like visual sequence to let the audience know it is a fantasy, and not reality.
With months still left before we start principal photography, we have done everything we can to ensure this production runs as smoothly as possible.
We have secured the cast, the location, and the crew:
Cast
Lead Actor: Malcolm Green
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Supporting Actor: Mandy Magnan
Set Location
Crew
The MARKD Productions team, who has worked on multiple award-winning short films, has committed to helping me turn this vision into a reality.
The last thing we need is the funding, and that is where you come in...
Most of the funds will go towards the equipment, while the rest will be used for feeding the cast and the crew, ensuring everyone has transportation to the set, and providing props and set dressing to make everything look authentic.
Thank You!!
Your support in helping me tell this story means more than you could possibly know, and my hope is that with your help, I can make something that you are truly proud to have contributed to.
Be sure to follow us on Instagram for updates and behind-the-scenes snapshots of the production process.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Equipment
Costs C$1,300
We will need equipment that will make this production look and sound great.
Food & Catering
Costs C$600
Everyone is more productive and focused when they are well-fed.
Transportation
Costs C$500
In the interest of saving time, we'll be providing rides for those who don't drive themselves.
Cash Pledge
Costs C$0
Props and Set Dec
Costs C$600
This will be to make sure the set looks visually appealing as well as believable.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Writer/Director: Matt Dionne
Matt Dionne is a former journalist and professional boxer. He is a graduate of York university’s Screenwriting program, and a current film production student at the Toronto Film School.
His work has appeared in numerous publications, including Maclean’s, and his pilot script Redwood State was a quarterfinalist for the 2020 Screencraft Screenwriting Fellowship competition.
He has worked on Revenge of the Slasher (2018), which won Best Script at the 2019 Toronto International Spring of Horror and Fantasy Film Festival, and Hope for Christmas (2022), which won Best Narrative Short at the 2022 Blackboard International Film Festival.
He has also worked as a Director, Assistant Director, Gaffer, Grip, and Editor on several student and professional film sets.
Producer: Will Gauthier
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Born and raised in Montréal, Québec, Will Gauthier started his film career in La Belle Province. As a student, he worked in the video game industry on projects such as Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey (2018) and God of War (2018) before fully committing to pursuing a career in film.
Will spent roughly a year working as a sound assistant under the guidance of sound mixer Tony Fortin, after which he was hired as the 3rd assistant director for Quebec’s biggest TV show: District 31 (2016-2022).
In addition to working as an AD on other French-Canadian projects, Will is also the executive producer for a pair of award-winning short films: The Memory of Trees (2020) and Bloody Caesar (2021).
In January 2022, Will left his home in Quebec and started at the Toronto Film School in the Film Production program.
Director of Photography: Anthony Yin
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After graduating from UTM and Sheridan in 2014, Anthony started his own media company, Narwhal Media, and worked for 8 years as a photographer.
However, in 2020, he decided to step out of his comfort zone and enroll at Toronto Film School to pursue a career in film production.
Over the last year, he has worked as a director of photography for several student films, as well as a member of the camera team for a few professional sets.
As a father of two, Anthony hopes his example in pursuing a career in film will inspire his children to always fight for their dreams.
1st Assistant Director: Ricardo Farfan
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Ricardo was born and raised in Lima, Peru where he received his Bachelor’s degree in Communications at the Universidad de Lima.
In 2018, he started working in film, which ignited his passion for filmmaking. He was a showrunner for a limited web series 1998 (2019) which he also directed and edited. He has even dabbled in animation, writing and producing a short animated feature film El Explorador Estelar (2020). During the course of his film career in Peru, Ricardo has worked as a director, producer, and editor on numerous short and feature films, live performances, and multi-camera stage productions.
Limited by the small industry of Peru, in 2022 Ricardo moved to Toronto to pursue his passion for filmmaking by studying Film Production at the Toronto Film School.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Hi! My name is Matt Dionne and I am the writer & director of this short.
I have found that many athletes tie their identity to their sport, so when they lose their ability to compete, for many, it's like they lose a part of who they are as a person.
This was the case for me. The realization that I was no longer able to play was something I struggled with - I had been an athlete my whole life, and suddenly I wasn't. I didn't know what to do with myself and my time, and I lost the structure I had in my life.
Sports provide a level of discipline and structure that few other things do - athletes have to attend practices, team meetings, workout sessions, and games. So much of our time is accounted for, and we are constantly trying to balance many things at once.
Losing this is a change that impacts our whole lives - some people are able to handle it in stride (usually those who walk away on their own terms), but many aren't, particularly those who have the choice made for them.
Going through this is what inspired me to write this story - I wanted to provide a glimpse of what many athletes go through for those who have never played a sport in their life, as well as for those who have gone through it/are going through it and feel like they're completely alone.
This story explores how Blake, a high school student and tennis prodigy, has his sport taken away from him as a result of a car crash.
For Blake, the loss of tennis feels like the loss of who he is as a person, and he begins contemplating suicide.
The story starts during a therapy session wherein Blake attempts to lie to the therapist, Dr. Abaddon, in the hope of leaving as quickly as possible.
Little does Dr. Abaddon know, Blake has a specific plan of how he intends to kill himself.
However, over the course of their session, Dr. Abaddon begins to crack Blake's shell, and he starts to genuinely open up to her - he starts to see a possible way out of the feelings he's been experiencing.
However, all that is undone when he returns home and finds a note from his father, strengthening his belief that their relationship has been irreparably changed.
So... does he go through with his plan? You'll have to wait for the film to come out and see for yourself.
The film will utilize wide shots to emphasize the distance between Dr. Abaddon and Blake, as well as close-up shots to focus on the actors' emotions.
Initially, most of the shots will include only one character, but, as Blake begins to open up to Dr. Abaddon during the session, the shots will slowly start to move to over-the-shoulders, to subliminally suggest they are forming a connection.
As for lighting, the majority of the therapy scene will have a green tint to it, to allow the audience to feel some of the discomfort Blake is feeling, which will create a sense of irony - he feels most uncomfortable where he is safest.
Conversely, most of the shots in Blake's home will have warm lighting which furthers this irony in that he feels most comfortable where he is most in danger.
The dream sequences will have purple tones to them, and they will be shot at a different shutter angle to create a more dream-like visual sequence to let the audience know it is a fantasy, and not reality.
With months still left before we start principal photography, we have done everything we can to ensure this production runs as smoothly as possible.
We have secured the cast, the location, and the crew:
Cast
Lead Actor: Malcolm Green
Supporting Actor: Mandy Magnan
Set Location
Crew
The MARKD Productions team, who has worked on multiple award-winning short films, has committed to helping me turn this vision into a reality.
The last thing we need is the funding, and that is where you come in...
Most of the funds will go towards the equipment, while the rest will be used for feeding the cast and the crew, ensuring everyone has transportation to the set, and providing props and set dressing to make everything look authentic.
Thank You!!
Your support in helping me tell this story means more than you could possibly know, and my hope is that with your help, I can make something that you are truly proud to have contributed to.
Be sure to follow us on Instagram for updates and behind-the-scenes snapshots of the production process.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Equipment
Costs C$1,300
We will need equipment that will make this production look and sound great.
Food & Catering
Costs C$600
Everyone is more productive and focused when they are well-fed.
Transportation
Costs C$500
In the interest of saving time, we'll be providing rides for those who don't drive themselves.
Cash Pledge
Costs C$0
Props and Set Dec
Costs C$600
This will be to make sure the set looks visually appealing as well as believable.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Writer/Director: Matt Dionne
Matt Dionne is a former journalist and professional boxer. He is a graduate of York university’s Screenwriting program, and a current film production student at the Toronto Film School.
His work has appeared in numerous publications, including Maclean’s, and his pilot script Redwood State was a quarterfinalist for the 2020 Screencraft Screenwriting Fellowship competition.
He has worked on Revenge of the Slasher (2018), which won Best Script at the 2019 Toronto International Spring of Horror and Fantasy Film Festival, and Hope for Christmas (2022), which won Best Narrative Short at the 2022 Blackboard International Film Festival.
He has also worked as a Director, Assistant Director, Gaffer, Grip, and Editor on several student and professional film sets.
Producer: Will Gauthier
Born and raised in Montréal, Québec, Will Gauthier started his film career in La Belle Province. As a student, he worked in the video game industry on projects such as Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey (2018) and God of War (2018) before fully committing to pursuing a career in film.
Will spent roughly a year working as a sound assistant under the guidance of sound mixer Tony Fortin, after which he was hired as the 3rd assistant director for Quebec’s biggest TV show: District 31 (2016-2022).
In addition to working as an AD on other French-Canadian projects, Will is also the executive producer for a pair of award-winning short films: The Memory of Trees (2020) and Bloody Caesar (2021).
In January 2022, Will left his home in Quebec and started at the Toronto Film School in the Film Production program.
Director of Photography: Anthony Yin
After graduating from UTM and Sheridan in 2014, Anthony started his own media company, Narwhal Media, and worked for 8 years as a photographer.
However, in 2020, he decided to step out of his comfort zone and enroll at Toronto Film School to pursue a career in film production.
Over the last year, he has worked as a director of photography for several student films, as well as a member of the camera team for a few professional sets.
As a father of two, Anthony hopes his example in pursuing a career in film will inspire his children to always fight for their dreams.
1st Assistant Director: Ricardo Farfan
Ricardo was born and raised in Lima, Peru where he received his Bachelor’s degree in Communications at the Universidad de Lima.
In 2018, he started working in film, which ignited his passion for filmmaking. He was a showrunner for a limited web series 1998 (2019) which he also directed and edited. He has even dabbled in animation, writing and producing a short animated feature film El Explorador Estelar (2020). During the course of his film career in Peru, Ricardo has worked as a director, producer, and editor on numerous short and feature films, live performances, and multi-camera stage productions.
Limited by the small industry of Peru, in 2022 Ricardo moved to Toronto to pursue his passion for filmmaking by studying Film Production at the Toronto Film School.