Denouement
Hamden, Connecticut | Film Short
Western, Experimental
Thomas, a cowboy looking to make a better life for his wife and unborn child, pulls off one final heist and begins a perilous journey home. We offer a message reminding people that it is never too late to take control of one’s life escaping the cycles of desperation and violence.
Denouement
Hamden, Connecticut | Film Short
Western, Experimental
1 Campaigns | Connecticut, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $15,916 for pre-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
109 supporters | followers
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Thomas, a cowboy looking to make a better life for his wife and unborn child, pulls off one final heist and begins a perilous journey home. We offer a message reminding people that it is never too late to take control of one’s life escaping the cycles of desperation and violence.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Thomas, a cowboy looking to make a better life for his family, must make it back home after pulling off one final heist. Injured, exhausted, and on foot, he journeys home in the cold of winter. Through this journey, he experiences three encounters that make him question who he is and who he could become, causing him to take a look at the man, and beast inside.
Denouement, at the core, is a story about survival and reflection. We want to highlight that it is never too late to take control of your own life choices and, if you don’t like the past decisions, start making different ones. To quote Timothee Chalamet: “You can be the master of your fate, and you can be the captain of your soul, but you have to realize that life is coming from you and not at you. And that takes time.” This film focuses on the troubles of having to make difficult decisions and what it takes to overcome external challenges and internal setbacks.
"THE COWBOY" - THOMAS: A young, stoic, quiet and ambiguously determined lone wanderer. He is on a quest to secure his family’s future while discovering his own fate and what version of himself will prevail.
CORA: A beacon of light. She is both a vision of Thomas's and the love of his life. She is pregnant with her and Thomas’s child and unhappy with Thomas’s choices, yet she still loves him and awaits his return.
"THE STRANGER" - SUE: The helpful stranger and veteran cowboy. He is older and wiser than Thomas. His past self has experienced a very similar journey that is long over. He serves as a guide for Thomas toward a brighter future.
THE MADMAN: A mysterious and strange individual. A darkness can be sensed from him the moment you speak to him, while he may not be an immediate threat he will put Thomas in a position of life and death. Shows Thomas what he could become if he gave up his humanity and gave into the darkness.
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
This is a film that I have been thinking about for years. I came up with the idea while I was riding in the back of a car in Pennsylvania looking out the window, and seeing the vast landscapes of fields, woods, and farms that stretched for miles. I pictured a cowboy walking alone exploring this environment. I soon found myself daydreaming of being this cowboy and the story behind this journey I found myself on. I wrote some ideas down and hoped one day maybe this small daydream could inspire a film in a genre I wanted so badly to work in.
While it started as a car ride idea it now has a story, themes, and a purpose. This film is built upon the idea of ambition and experimentation. The best films are films that stand out, and that break the formulaic cycles film goes through as an industry. Survival, love, life, death, reflection- these are all themes the story touches upon, it does this naturally because those same themes are what we will all experience at the end of our story. We’re going to experiment with visual storytelling, non-linear storytelling, unique flashbacks, and treating our audience intelligently all in 10 minutes. Ironically we’ll do all of these new things in one of the oldest, and greatest genres that made the industry what it is today. Making movies is easy with money and formulas, and they are just as easily forgotten. The creation of art is a challenging experience that finds an audience who has never seen anything like it before cementing itself in people’s minds. Therefore do not think of this project as just making a movie but us together making a work of art.
INSPIRATION
This film has been inspired by so many amazing films and filmmakers. Westerns include: Tarantino's The Hateful 8 and Django Unchained, the classic Fistful of Dollars Trilogy, The Revenant, the HBO series Deadwood, and games such as Red Dead Redemption, and so many more. We want to take a classic genre and experiment with new ways of storytelling. We are also inspired by so many other genres that put creativity and ambition to the test such as Blade Runner 2049, Reservoir Dogs, The Book of Eli, and The Northman. The list goes on, but we hope this gives you an idea of what we aspire to be and the direction we are starting in.
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FUNDING
This film is in its pre-production phase, meaning that we have a script, crew, plan, and other very important elements. Funding is the last thing this project needs to be pushed forward into production and will be used for equipment, locations, costumes, props, cast, etc. A film like Denouement shouldn't be made unless we can do it right, and with your help, we can get everything we need for the script, story, and message of this film to reach the quality and care it deserves. If we pass our goal, that would be amazing! Every dollar helps this film become what it's truly meant to be, a work of art.
FOLLOW AND SHARE
https://instagram.com/denouementfilm
THANK YOU
The Denouement Team
~ A FILM FOR CIVILIZED ARTS ~
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Actors
Costs $1,500
Acting will bring the characters from script to screen in a way that honors the human experience.
Food
Costs $1,000
Our crew has to eat!
Locations
Costs $3,000
Proper lodging and locations are essential to keep people safe and work in a space that suits the film.
Costumes + Props
Costs $1,250
It's going to look so good!
Post Production
Costs $2,000
Storing and properly editing our footage will help everything come together perfectly! Plus, SFX and VFX are very important for the film.
Miscellaneous Equipment
Costs $5,250
Heating, generators, gas, contingency, and a whole long list of other items...
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
DIRECTOR & WRITER - ALEX MCPARTLAND
Alex McPartland, the writer and director of Denouement, is a senior Quinnipiac Film and Theater major from Southington, CT. His passion for acting and filmmaking has led him to create and be part of countless projects, whether behind the screen or on it. His dedication is to his crafts and telling stories through art. Alex’s love for the Western genre and experimental filmmaking has led to the ambitious creation of something he believes will truly give an audience a short film they’ll enjoy and never forget.
PRODUCER - SAMANTHA SHAW
Samantha is from Sayreville, NJ, and is a third-year student at Quinnipiac University. She enjoys being involved in each stage of production to ensure that the team and the story are properly taken care of. As a producer, she is responsible for keeping an organized budget and managing the group. Overall, she is excited to work on her first large production and is looking forward to learning more about what it takes to produce a film!
DIRECTOR OF CINEMATOGRAPHY - JOSEPH AIKINS
Joseph (Joe) Aikins is the cinematographer for the film. He is from Brooklyn, New York, and decided to study film at Quinnipiac University. Film has been one of his biggest passions since he can recall because of the immense impact that movies have made on his life. The immersive elements of movies are what made him want to pursue this career path and learn everything he can to become a storyteller. He is glad a get to share that with a multitude of talented storytellers to make this movie come to life.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR - LIAM CHEN
Liam Chen is a senior Film, Television, and Media Arts major from Wyckoff, New Jersey. As Assistant Director he will be responsible for production remaining schedule and safe. Liam is not only passionate about what he can offer to the project but also about collaborating with all departments to ensure Denouement reaches its full potential.
EDITOR - JUSTIN MORAVSKY
Justin Moravsky, the lead editor of Denouement, is a dedicated student editor in Quinnipiac's Film program from Southington, CT. He has led the editing process for numerous student films, specializing in visual effects, sound design, and music composition. Excited to collaborate, he will work to ensure the film's final cut is consistent in its style and quality.
PRODUCTION DESIGNER - EMMA TALBOT
Emma Talbot is the team’s production designer and assistant editor. She is in her third year at QU as a 3+1 FTM major and is from Hanover, MA. Emma is responsible for the wardrobe, props, set design, and color grading! She is passionate about film and is looking forward to making this product look as beautiful as possible!
ASSISTANT EDITOR & CAMERA - ENIKE ETSEKHUME
Enike Etsekhume is a fourth-year film, television, and media arts major at Quinnipiac University and is the assistant director of photography for this project. He is originally from the Bronx, NY, but now lives in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He is glad to be a part of this wonderful crew and can’t wait for everyone to see this movie when it comes out!
SOUND ENGINEER - CASEY "POPPINS" NEDELKA
Casey “Poppins” Nedelka is the sound engineer for ‘Denouement.’ She is a fourth-year Film, Television, and Media Arts major and Entrepreneurship minor from Long Island, New York. Poppins’ has worked on many short films and capstones at Quinnipiac and is excited to bring her experience here. She would like to thank her mom and dad for letting her go to “movie school.”
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Thomas, a cowboy looking to make a better life for his family, must make it back home after pulling off one final heist. Injured, exhausted, and on foot, he journeys home in the cold of winter. Through this journey, he experiences three encounters that make him question who he is and who he could become, causing him to take a look at the man, and beast inside.
Denouement, at the core, is a story about survival and reflection. We want to highlight that it is never too late to take control of your own life choices and, if you don’t like the past decisions, start making different ones. To quote Timothee Chalamet: “You can be the master of your fate, and you can be the captain of your soul, but you have to realize that life is coming from you and not at you. And that takes time.” This film focuses on the troubles of having to make difficult decisions and what it takes to overcome external challenges and internal setbacks.
"THE COWBOY" - THOMAS: A young, stoic, quiet and ambiguously determined lone wanderer. He is on a quest to secure his family’s future while discovering his own fate and what version of himself will prevail.
CORA: A beacon of light. She is both a vision of Thomas's and the love of his life. She is pregnant with her and Thomas’s child and unhappy with Thomas’s choices, yet she still loves him and awaits his return.
"THE STRANGER" - SUE: The helpful stranger and veteran cowboy. He is older and wiser than Thomas. His past self has experienced a very similar journey that is long over. He serves as a guide for Thomas toward a brighter future.
THE MADMAN: A mysterious and strange individual. A darkness can be sensed from him the moment you speak to him, while he may not be an immediate threat he will put Thomas in a position of life and death. Shows Thomas what he could become if he gave up his humanity and gave into the darkness.
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
This is a film that I have been thinking about for years. I came up with the idea while I was riding in the back of a car in Pennsylvania looking out the window, and seeing the vast landscapes of fields, woods, and farms that stretched for miles. I pictured a cowboy walking alone exploring this environment. I soon found myself daydreaming of being this cowboy and the story behind this journey I found myself on. I wrote some ideas down and hoped one day maybe this small daydream could inspire a film in a genre I wanted so badly to work in.
While it started as a car ride idea it now has a story, themes, and a purpose. This film is built upon the idea of ambition and experimentation. The best films are films that stand out, and that break the formulaic cycles film goes through as an industry. Survival, love, life, death, reflection- these are all themes the story touches upon, it does this naturally because those same themes are what we will all experience at the end of our story. We’re going to experiment with visual storytelling, non-linear storytelling, unique flashbacks, and treating our audience intelligently all in 10 minutes. Ironically we’ll do all of these new things in one of the oldest, and greatest genres that made the industry what it is today. Making movies is easy with money and formulas, and they are just as easily forgotten. The creation of art is a challenging experience that finds an audience who has never seen anything like it before cementing itself in people’s minds. Therefore do not think of this project as just making a movie but us together making a work of art.
INSPIRATION
This film has been inspired by so many amazing films and filmmakers. Westerns include: Tarantino's The Hateful 8 and Django Unchained, the classic Fistful of Dollars Trilogy, The Revenant, the HBO series Deadwood, and games such as Red Dead Redemption, and so many more. We want to take a classic genre and experiment with new ways of storytelling. We are also inspired by so many other genres that put creativity and ambition to the test such as Blade Runner 2049, Reservoir Dogs, The Book of Eli, and The Northman. The list goes on, but we hope this gives you an idea of what we aspire to be and the direction we are starting in.
FUNDING
This film is in its pre-production phase, meaning that we have a script, crew, plan, and other very important elements. Funding is the last thing this project needs to be pushed forward into production and will be used for equipment, locations, costumes, props, cast, etc. A film like Denouement shouldn't be made unless we can do it right, and with your help, we can get everything we need for the script, story, and message of this film to reach the quality and care it deserves. If we pass our goal, that would be amazing! Every dollar helps this film become what it's truly meant to be, a work of art.
FOLLOW AND SHARE
https://instagram.com/denouementfilm
THANK YOU
The Denouement Team
~ A FILM FOR CIVILIZED ARTS ~
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Actors
Costs $1,500
Acting will bring the characters from script to screen in a way that honors the human experience.
Food
Costs $1,000
Our crew has to eat!
Locations
Costs $3,000
Proper lodging and locations are essential to keep people safe and work in a space that suits the film.
Costumes + Props
Costs $1,250
It's going to look so good!
Post Production
Costs $2,000
Storing and properly editing our footage will help everything come together perfectly! Plus, SFX and VFX are very important for the film.
Miscellaneous Equipment
Costs $5,250
Heating, generators, gas, contingency, and a whole long list of other items...
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
DIRECTOR & WRITER - ALEX MCPARTLAND
Alex McPartland, the writer and director of Denouement, is a senior Quinnipiac Film and Theater major from Southington, CT. His passion for acting and filmmaking has led him to create and be part of countless projects, whether behind the screen or on it. His dedication is to his crafts and telling stories through art. Alex’s love for the Western genre and experimental filmmaking has led to the ambitious creation of something he believes will truly give an audience a short film they’ll enjoy and never forget.
PRODUCER - SAMANTHA SHAW
Samantha is from Sayreville, NJ, and is a third-year student at Quinnipiac University. She enjoys being involved in each stage of production to ensure that the team and the story are properly taken care of. As a producer, she is responsible for keeping an organized budget and managing the group. Overall, she is excited to work on her first large production and is looking forward to learning more about what it takes to produce a film!
DIRECTOR OF CINEMATOGRAPHY - JOSEPH AIKINS
Joseph (Joe) Aikins is the cinematographer for the film. He is from Brooklyn, New York, and decided to study film at Quinnipiac University. Film has been one of his biggest passions since he can recall because of the immense impact that movies have made on his life. The immersive elements of movies are what made him want to pursue this career path and learn everything he can to become a storyteller. He is glad a get to share that with a multitude of talented storytellers to make this movie come to life.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR - LIAM CHEN
Liam Chen is a senior Film, Television, and Media Arts major from Wyckoff, New Jersey. As Assistant Director he will be responsible for production remaining schedule and safe. Liam is not only passionate about what he can offer to the project but also about collaborating with all departments to ensure Denouement reaches its full potential.
EDITOR - JUSTIN MORAVSKY
Justin Moravsky, the lead editor of Denouement, is a dedicated student editor in Quinnipiac's Film program from Southington, CT. He has led the editing process for numerous student films, specializing in visual effects, sound design, and music composition. Excited to collaborate, he will work to ensure the film's final cut is consistent in its style and quality.
PRODUCTION DESIGNER - EMMA TALBOT
Emma Talbot is the team’s production designer and assistant editor. She is in her third year at QU as a 3+1 FTM major and is from Hanover, MA. Emma is responsible for the wardrobe, props, set design, and color grading! She is passionate about film and is looking forward to making this product look as beautiful as possible!
ASSISTANT EDITOR & CAMERA - ENIKE ETSEKHUME
Enike Etsekhume is a fourth-year film, television, and media arts major at Quinnipiac University and is the assistant director of photography for this project. He is originally from the Bronx, NY, but now lives in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He is glad to be a part of this wonderful crew and can’t wait for everyone to see this movie when it comes out!
SOUND ENGINEER - CASEY "POPPINS" NEDELKA
Casey “Poppins” Nedelka is the sound engineer for ‘Denouement.’ She is a fourth-year Film, Television, and Media Arts major and Entrepreneurship minor from Long Island, New York. Poppins’ has worked on many short films and capstones at Quinnipiac and is excited to bring her experience here. She would like to thank her mom and dad for letting her go to “movie school.”