Cloudbound Eagle
Evanston, Illinois | Film Short
Drama, Nature
"Cloudbound Eagle" explores friendship amid loss. After a young life ends, four friends must lean on each other, finding strength in vulnerability as they navigate the raw, messy, and transformative power of shared grief. Pain is personal, but no one has to face it alone.
Cloudbound Eagle
Evanston, Illinois | Film Short
Drama, Nature
1 Campaigns | Illinois, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $7,390 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
63 supporters | followers
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"Cloudbound Eagle" explores friendship amid loss. After a young life ends, four friends must lean on each other, finding strength in vulnerability as they navigate the raw, messy, and transformative power of shared grief. Pain is personal, but no one has to face it alone.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Young adults Geoffrey, Sam, Benny, and Caleb return to the camp they attended every summer together for years. This return is nostalgic and tragic— they have returned to attend the camp’s memorial for their good friend Jonah. Despite their disparate grieving processes, the foursome agree to hike a familiar Maine trail to spread their friend’s ashes. This dirt path is not a solution to their grief, but it gives them the chance to hold each other for a moment.
The project is deeply rooted in tradition and legacy for a reason:
My father found Camp O-AT-KA at a crisis in his life. He and his two brothers were sent there after the passing of their father during their preteens. His feelings of loneliness and despair were washed slowly away as he was welcomed into the warm embrace of camp tradition. I similarly came to camp at a hard point in my life. A month after the passing of my friend Daniel during my freshman year of college, I was boarding a flight to Maine, preparing myself to lead the camp’s Counselor-in-Training program.
The camp director at the time picked me up in an O-AT-KA van and started talking to me about Outer Island, an island on Lake Sebago that is owned by the camp’s organization. My father used to tell me stories of canoeing and camping out there. In my time at camp, we hadn’t been able to visit due to conservation efforts– a nest of eagles was central to the little island and the Sebago community was very protective of them. However, my director informed me on this ride that one of the eagles had died: “It’s fascinating. Eagles mate for life. When one eagle dies, the other eagle never returns to the nest. The eagles are gone from Outer Island.” Anticipating my return to college, I painfully understood this behavior. It was hard to picture returning to college without my friend– it felt easier to flee that space than to be confronted with returning somewhere familiar, with a feeling that something is missing from there. However, my time back at camp provided healing for me. I felt that feeling of loss wash slowly away.
Cloudbound Eagle is about what it’s like to return to a home that is empty. Whether that’s a physical nest or a group of people, it’s about leaning on each other when we’re broken. And knowing that those closest to our hearts never truly leave us.
Every donation, no matter the amount, qualifies you to submit the name of a lost loved one to be included in our film's "In Memory Of" section. This is a special way to celebrate their life and legacy while supporting our project. Email [email protected] to share the name of the loved one you'd like to dedicate your donation to.
The short film is in its final pre-production stages, currently in table reads and rehearsals. The script and shot list are finalized, and the entire cast and crew are assembled.
Cloudbound Eagle's team ships out to Maine in mid-July for our shoot. Donations will go towards equipment rentals, travel costs, catering and craft services, and costumes and props. This is a relatively involved short film, and it is all hands on deck.
The goal is to have a fully packaged film by the end of August so that it can be submitted to short film festivals. At that time, plans will be made to roll out the film to all its benefactors (so stay tuned).
WE HAVE STRETCH GOALS!!
If we raise money over our intended budget, we will contribute it to the hefty sums that amount from submitting to film festivals.
Works by Maine Landscaper Painter Winslow Homer:
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Travel
Costs $700
We need to be able to fly members out from Chicago and pay for gas for the ride from New York to Maine.
Camera Equipment
Costs $3,000
- Teradek Transmitter / Receiver - Adorama Easyrig Vario 5 Cinema 3 Vest + 5" arm - Tilta Wireless Follow Focus - Easyrig - Generator +...
Props and Costumes
Costs $600
- Four suits that we can destroy - 6 Urns that can be destroyed - A memorial poster - A stuffed eagle - Used golf clubs - Bear trap
Sound Equipment
Costs $900
- Zoom field recorder - Boom pole - Shotgun mic - Lavalier kit - Headphones
Craft Services + Catering
Costs $1,200
We need to feed eleven people for a week for breakfast lunch and dinner, as well as on-set snacks and waters for the hikes.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Our team consists of talented writers, producers, designers, and actors from high-level programs. Everyone is a multi-hyphenate here.
Gavin Shaub (producer and actor) is an NU and RADA alumnus specializing in stage and screen, and a collaborator on various festival-run short films. He is the former director of the Counselor-In-Training program at Camp O-AT-KA.
Eddy Maday (producer and actor) is an NU and Prague School alumnus, most recently appearing as Tyler in Stephen Soderbergh’s Presence. Also, a music producer.
Matthew Moseley (producer) is a graduating senior at Northwestern University from Houston, Texas. He’s an experienced producer of short films and even a feature, and wants to become a talent agent.
Hal Nathan (director) is an Oberlin College and Prague Film School grad with 20+ credits as director, writer, producer, AD, and actor (including feature film and commercial work). In college he was an acting TA and an NCAA athlete.
Luke O’Looney (director of photography) is a current student at NYU and alumni of Prague Film School, spending every weekend on a set working with a camera. Also a talented editor.
David Diouf (actor) is an actor and director raised in Dakar Senegal, with a passion for telling stories with care. He’s very excited about the project!
Bryson Shaub (actor) is a current NU student of the stage and screen, with most recent credits including Antigone, Sunday in the Park with George, and a musical adaptation of Beowulf. He also makes stained glass.
Declan Franey (AC/Gaffer) is an NU and Prague Film School alumnus, a true film historian and fan of experimental horror. He has directed 7 of his own projects, including a feature. 1,391 films on letterboxd.
Aaron Onish (sound) is a recent graduate of Northwestern University, where he directed his feature film Mixed Signals, and his new short “Hooky”. Aaron spent two summers as a wilderness tripping leader at Camp Kieve in Nobleboro, Maine. He is excited to return to the woods this summer for the film.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Young adults Geoffrey, Sam, Benny, and Caleb return to the camp they attended every summer together for years. This return is nostalgic and tragic— they have returned to attend the camp’s memorial for their good friend Jonah. Despite their disparate grieving processes, the foursome agree to hike a familiar Maine trail to spread their friend’s ashes. This dirt path is not a solution to their grief, but it gives them the chance to hold each other for a moment.
The project is deeply rooted in tradition and legacy for a reason:
My father found Camp O-AT-KA at a crisis in his life. He and his two brothers were sent there after the passing of their father during their preteens. His feelings of loneliness and despair were washed slowly away as he was welcomed into the warm embrace of camp tradition. I similarly came to camp at a hard point in my life. A month after the passing of my friend Daniel during my freshman year of college, I was boarding a flight to Maine, preparing myself to lead the camp’s Counselor-in-Training program.
The camp director at the time picked me up in an O-AT-KA van and started talking to me about Outer Island, an island on Lake Sebago that is owned by the camp’s organization. My father used to tell me stories of canoeing and camping out there. In my time at camp, we hadn’t been able to visit due to conservation efforts– a nest of eagles was central to the little island and the Sebago community was very protective of them. However, my director informed me on this ride that one of the eagles had died: “It’s fascinating. Eagles mate for life. When one eagle dies, the other eagle never returns to the nest. The eagles are gone from Outer Island.” Anticipating my return to college, I painfully understood this behavior. It was hard to picture returning to college without my friend– it felt easier to flee that space than to be confronted with returning somewhere familiar, with a feeling that something is missing from there. However, my time back at camp provided healing for me. I felt that feeling of loss wash slowly away.
Cloudbound Eagle is about what it’s like to return to a home that is empty. Whether that’s a physical nest or a group of people, it’s about leaning on each other when we’re broken. And knowing that those closest to our hearts never truly leave us.
Every donation, no matter the amount, qualifies you to submit the name of a lost loved one to be included in our film's "In Memory Of" section. This is a special way to celebrate their life and legacy while supporting our project. Email [email protected] to share the name of the loved one you'd like to dedicate your donation to.
The short film is in its final pre-production stages, currently in table reads and rehearsals. The script and shot list are finalized, and the entire cast and crew are assembled.
Cloudbound Eagle's team ships out to Maine in mid-July for our shoot. Donations will go towards equipment rentals, travel costs, catering and craft services, and costumes and props. This is a relatively involved short film, and it is all hands on deck.
The goal is to have a fully packaged film by the end of August so that it can be submitted to short film festivals. At that time, plans will be made to roll out the film to all its benefactors (so stay tuned).
WE HAVE STRETCH GOALS!!
If we raise money over our intended budget, we will contribute it to the hefty sums that amount from submitting to film festivals.
Works by Maine Landscaper Painter Winslow Homer:
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Travel
Costs $700
We need to be able to fly members out from Chicago and pay for gas for the ride from New York to Maine.
Camera Equipment
Costs $3,000
- Teradek Transmitter / Receiver - Adorama Easyrig Vario 5 Cinema 3 Vest + 5" arm - Tilta Wireless Follow Focus - Easyrig - Generator +...
Props and Costumes
Costs $600
- Four suits that we can destroy - 6 Urns that can be destroyed - A memorial poster - A stuffed eagle - Used golf clubs - Bear trap
Sound Equipment
Costs $900
- Zoom field recorder - Boom pole - Shotgun mic - Lavalier kit - Headphones
Craft Services + Catering
Costs $1,200
We need to feed eleven people for a week for breakfast lunch and dinner, as well as on-set snacks and waters for the hikes.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Our team consists of talented writers, producers, designers, and actors from high-level programs. Everyone is a multi-hyphenate here.
Gavin Shaub (producer and actor) is an NU and RADA alumnus specializing in stage and screen, and a collaborator on various festival-run short films. He is the former director of the Counselor-In-Training program at Camp O-AT-KA.
Eddy Maday (producer and actor) is an NU and Prague School alumnus, most recently appearing as Tyler in Stephen Soderbergh’s Presence. Also, a music producer.
Matthew Moseley (producer) is a graduating senior at Northwestern University from Houston, Texas. He’s an experienced producer of short films and even a feature, and wants to become a talent agent.
Hal Nathan (director) is an Oberlin College and Prague Film School grad with 20+ credits as director, writer, producer, AD, and actor (including feature film and commercial work). In college he was an acting TA and an NCAA athlete.
Luke O’Looney (director of photography) is a current student at NYU and alumni of Prague Film School, spending every weekend on a set working with a camera. Also a talented editor.
David Diouf (actor) is an actor and director raised in Dakar Senegal, with a passion for telling stories with care. He’s very excited about the project!
Bryson Shaub (actor) is a current NU student of the stage and screen, with most recent credits including Antigone, Sunday in the Park with George, and a musical adaptation of Beowulf. He also makes stained glass.
Declan Franey (AC/Gaffer) is an NU and Prague Film School alumnus, a true film historian and fan of experimental horror. He has directed 7 of his own projects, including a feature. 1,391 films on letterboxd.
Aaron Onish (sound) is a recent graduate of Northwestern University, where he directed his feature film Mixed Signals, and his new short “Hooky”. Aaron spent two summers as a wilderness tripping leader at Camp Kieve in Nobleboro, Maine. He is excited to return to the woods this summer for the film.