With an almost entirely women-led producer team, we have the opportunity to execute this story in a way that honors our director's original concept while developing the project with a largely female influence. We want to challenge our audience to look past Death and relish in the experience of Life.

Death incarnate is operating a mundane and immortal existence in Purgatory. He spends his days taking lifeless corpse after lifeless corpse to a lone coffin that leads to the Afterlife. An old man, having escaped Death’s grasp long ago, has been searching for a way to prevent his own death and save his dying wife. Both eventually come to the realization that they must choose whether to have a life, one of mortality and loss, or the guarantee of never experiencing one at all.

Our days are constantly influenced by the mysterious future and the nostalgia of the past, without recognizing the worth of the present. This story explores the basic idea of how we define each day. And how we define life.Death sees no "today" or "tomorrow," he simply sees immortality as the only way to exist. The Old Man is obsessed with his past, and he relives it to the point that he is unable to see the possibilities of a new day. Elizabeth, our living corpse, can only focus on getting to the Afterlife, oblivious to the fact that she’s been given a potential second chance to live. And Liz, the wife of the Old Man, can only define herself by her terminal illness, refusing to acknowledge that death is inevitable for all.

Through these characters, we see that life isn’t about beginning and ending but rather about living. It’s not about avoiding death, but living a life of value in spite of it.

The film is set in Purgatory and has an extremely dark, gothic look. It will look and feel Tim Burton-esque, but it will be set in a reality that's more similar to a Mad Max post-apocalyptic wasteland. Less surreal, more visceral. 

Aside from the production design, we will be using infrared photography techniques to create a Purgatory setting. Using a converted Sony A1 and Sony A7SIII, the entire film will be shot on a 720nm wavelength in 8K video. This IR affect gives a darker sky, transparent skin tones of crystal blue, and changes foliage from an everyday green to bright white. It is truly a one of a kind look that is all done in-camera.

Our proposed budget is $55,150 but we only need a remaining $12,000 for complete financing of principal photography. We've already come up with $43,150 through our own blood, sweat, and tears… but we need your help to raise the rest! 

Our $12,000 goal is the absolute minimum we need to raise to complete principal photography.

• If we raise $13,500 we'll be able to pay for a sound design package⭐
• If we raise $16,500 we'll be able to cover Visual Effects (VFX) costs⭐
• If we raise $19,000 we'll be able to pay for an original score⭐
• If we raise $21,000 we'll be able to cover all remaining finishing costs through picture lock and festival submissions⭐

We are targeting November/December 2021 for the DEATH AND LIFE shoot dates with all of our filming locations being situated in California. Weather is our biggest concern; from the impossible heat of Death Valley, to snowy winters of Yosemite, we have a specific window of opportunity that we need to shoot this project in. By 2022 we plan to have DEATH AND LIFE taking over film festivals.

While the pandemic continues to wind down and case numbers continue to fall, we feel that it's still of the utmost importance to keep our entire team feeling safe on set. We'll work under the consultation of a trusted Covid Compliance Officer to develop a plan for shooting that includes all the necessary testing, the wearing of masks and face shields whenever necessary, and in creating a physical workflow that is efficient and sustainable for our shoot. As you'll see in our breakdown, we've dedicated a sizable amount of money to go towards just the supplies needed to ensure a Covid-safe set!

When you contribute to our campaign you are supporting a film that:  

⭐Pushes the value and beauty of our CA State Parks

⭐Values diversity behind the camera as this project is being pushed forward by our entirely female producing team

⭐Encourages asking the deeper questions in life, and challenges oneself to look inward for greater meaning

⭐Follow us @deathandlifemovie on Instagram and @deathlifemovie on Twitter

⭐Tell your friends 'n' family 'n' love interests about DEATH AND LIFE. Share our posts & campaign page and hashtag #DEATHANDLIFEMOVIE

⭐Continue to visit back to our Seed&Spark campaign page for updates