Flicker
Austin, Texas | Film Short
Drama, Horror
A suspenseful story about anxiety, doubt and self-worth, Flicker reminds us that it's okay to walk away from relationships when those relationships no longer serve us. And especially when they threaten to tear us down and cause us harm.
Flicker
Austin, Texas | Film Short
Drama, Horror
1 Campaigns | Texas, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $7,845 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
63 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
A suspenseful story about anxiety, doubt and self-worth, Flicker reminds us that it's okay to walk away from relationships when those relationships no longer serve us. And especially when they threaten to tear us down and cause us harm.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Flicker is a psychological-horror short film written and directed by Zachary Bayne Dyck, an Austin-based director and film jack-of-all-trades. When Emily's boyfriend, Max, starts wearing cologne and working on weekends, Emily’s sure he’s hiding something from her. Despite Max’s reassurances, Emily’s suspicions grow, and soon an ominous phantom figure begins to follow her around the apartment she shares with Max. The more suspicious Emily gets, the more menacing the phantom becomes– until Emily finally summons the courage and conviction to stand up for herself, confront Max, and call him out on his lies and gaslighting.
This is a story about manipulation's ability to transform anxiety into a physical manifestation of doubt, in which a creature reminds us that it's okay to walk away from relationships that don't serve us, or lift us up any longer.
Our cast, crew, location, and shooting schedule are all nearly locked in. The next step is doing the darn thing and getting this short film shot! Although we plan on submitting Flicker to various film festivals locally, nationally, and perhaps even internationally, we also want it to be a film anyone and everyone can view. So, we plan to release it on the World Wide Web as well.
Flicker is about that universal feeling of doubt– the anxiety that stems from an unhealthy or manipulative relationship. I was drawn to this story because I know that this feeling has a tendency to fester and create an excruciating space in our minds. This short film aims to create a space to discuss gaslighting and escaping relationships that are unhealthy. Flicker shows that it's ultimately okay to listen to the mistrust you may have – that you have the agency and courage within to end a relationship that does not lift you up.
It’s been over four years since I've written and directed a short film. I'm excited to affirm to myself & my colleagues my growth as a filmmaker.
Through utilizing wide shots and deep depth of field, we hope to intensify our audience's connection with the present of our characters' lives. We're leaning into long, slow moving dolly takes in order to intensify the drama and suspense of each moment. We want the action to take place with the natural character movement, without the need to rack focus often.
The windows and natural light on our set lends itself to silhouettes, giving us contrast and shadow filled images that our faceless poltergeist will be able to hide in.
The climax will lead to dynamic gimbal movement, tracking Emily moving through the chaos in the shared apartment in a single shot, allowing the audience into the psychosis of Emily. This single shot will be the first time the audience is exposed to a tight shot.
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Seed & Spark requires at least 80% of the project to be funded in order to make our film. We need to reach our goal in the next 2 weeks, or we don’t receive the funding and all your contributions go back to you.
Our current goal of $7,000 will help pay our entire cast and crew, secure gear rentals, provide meals and craft service to cast and crew, as well as fund production design, including the design and production of our faceless humanoid.
Although we haven't begun physical production of Flicker, we're already dreaming big. We hope to submit the short to a myriad of local Texas, national, and international film festivals. Any supplemental funding will go towards submitting our film to festivals, supplementing our crew's pay, and post-production.
Our team is made up of crew and cast members who work full time in the production world in Texas– so we've all experienced the toll Covid can take on a set if proper testing and PPE practices aren't taken into consideration.
We plan on testing everyone within 48 hours before our first production day, as well as having them fill out a Covid questionaire every morning. While on set, we will have our crew members where KN95 masks. Those working closely with our cast will also be required to wear a face shield.
Help us by following @flicker.mov on Instagram and spreading the word about our campaign!
Share this Seed & Spark page to your followers. Feel free to copy and paste this little blurb to help spread the word!
"Gaslighting? We've all been there. Help support a film striving to tell a story of triumph over it. Donate to the fundraiser here: seedandspark.com/fund/flicker."
Thank you for taking the time to check out our campaign! Through community and individuals, we're hoping to transform Flicker's script into reality.
We hope to bring you a story that opens up a conversation about relationships, and having the courage to walk away from those that bring us down. Even if you're unable to financially contribute to our film, we appreciate you taking the time out of your day to learn about what we're trying to do.
If you have any questions or concerns about our story or campaign, don't hesitate to shoot us an email at [email protected].
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Creation of Our Poltergeist
Costs $750
$750 for the meticulous design and creation of a credible menacing creature.
Share this update!
About This Team
Zachary Bayne Dyck (Director / Writer) started his passion for filmmaking at the age of eleven years old, playing with his parents digital camera around the neighborhood & editing in iMovie. The passion didn't cease over the years, and with Christmas's & birthday's came gear: a canon t5i, Final Cut Pro X, a shotgun mic, & other filmmaking tools. These tools gave him the fuel to keep growing and keep creating & ultimately led him to graduate from the University of North Texas in 2019 with a degree in filmmaking.
Zach started his videography company Rigid Motion Films LLC in 2016 with close friends from high school that shared the same passions & thus has been able to continue to support himself throughout highschool, college, & today with income from corporate, wedding, & other video services. At the same time, he worked in the Dallas commercial markets giving him more practical industry & gear knowledge.
In September of 2019 he moved to Austin and became active in the film industry there, from PA'ing, to working as a Set Decorator, gripping, & even shooting for a reality TV show called Van Go. Zach is honored to have met such kind people in an overall supportive community of filmmakers, giving him the motivation to get back into writing & directing.
Flicker will be his first self written & directed short since 2018.
Eliza Wilson (Producer) is an Austin-based producer and production coordinator, who approaches each project with an enthusiasm for making all the moving parts work. Eliza’s passion for film grew out of the many media outlets she threw herself into while attending the University of Virginia. Her DJing, podcasting, writing, and hosting culminated and crystallized in an abundance of opportunities when she moved to Austin in 2020.
From producing short films and music videos, to working on HBOMax’s Love and Death, Eliza approaches any project she works on with a passion for collaboration, challenges, and making all the parts come together.
Conner Libera (AD / Associate Producer) is originally from the 48th state, and graduated from Northern Arizona University on an academic scholarship with a degree in Electronic Media & Film. In 2017, Conner moved to Austin, TX to pursue a career in the film industry. His roles have ranged from PA to producer and include positions on indie, commercial, episodic programming.
His goal is to assist independent artists accomplish their vision through creative deconstruction, allowing for in-depth analysis of required resources. Conner specializes in overseeing projects, including budgets and schedules. 
Sarah J. Bartholomew (Emily) is an Actor, BAFTA Nominated Voice-Over Artist, Vocalist, Dancer, & Choreographer.
She grew up training in a performing & competing dance company in Los Angeles, California. She went on to get her BA(Honors) Degree in Professional Dance & Musical Theatre at the Urdang Academy, London. After earning her degree, she moved back to Los Angeles to expand her creative expression into the film world. She has been working in film for 9 years & floats between Austin, TX & Los Angeles, CA.
Alongside acting, Sarah teaches voice & movement meditations where she guides people to free their voice, connect to their bodies, and discover calm with their breath.
Mukul Vaswani (Max), a Houston-based actor, has worked on over 30 projects during his four years of being a professional actor. His three most popular projects have amassed over 200 million views on social media. Mukul has starred in “The First Drag” which won a Best Film Award at the 72 Hour India Film Festival.
Most recently, Mukul starred on an episode of “iChop Najia Food”, a Nigerian-themed reality food show. He has also featured in roles on big-budget projects, most notably a Netflix film starring Mo Amer.
Mukul completed his foundational training in Mumbai, India by completing “The Actors Truth”, a 30-day acting course given by Saurabh Sachdeva. He continues his training through courses offered on Masterclass.com where he has completed over 45 video lessons led by popular talents such as Helen Mirren and Natalie Portman.
Fluent in Hindi and English, Mukul has played various characters with a wide range of acting styles. He excels in roles that highlight his intensity. In his free time, he enjoys coaching aspiring actors, dancing, and staying fit through an active and healthy lifestyle.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Flicker is a psychological-horror short film written and directed by Zachary Bayne Dyck, an Austin-based director and film jack-of-all-trades. When Emily's boyfriend, Max, starts wearing cologne and working on weekends, Emily’s sure he’s hiding something from her. Despite Max’s reassurances, Emily’s suspicions grow, and soon an ominous phantom figure begins to follow her around the apartment she shares with Max. The more suspicious Emily gets, the more menacing the phantom becomes– until Emily finally summons the courage and conviction to stand up for herself, confront Max, and call him out on his lies and gaslighting.
This is a story about manipulation's ability to transform anxiety into a physical manifestation of doubt, in which a creature reminds us that it's okay to walk away from relationships that don't serve us, or lift us up any longer.
Our cast, crew, location, and shooting schedule are all nearly locked in. The next step is doing the darn thing and getting this short film shot! Although we plan on submitting Flicker to various film festivals locally, nationally, and perhaps even internationally, we also want it to be a film anyone and everyone can view. So, we plan to release it on the World Wide Web as well.
Flicker is about that universal feeling of doubt– the anxiety that stems from an unhealthy or manipulative relationship. I was drawn to this story because I know that this feeling has a tendency to fester and create an excruciating space in our minds. This short film aims to create a space to discuss gaslighting and escaping relationships that are unhealthy. Flicker shows that it's ultimately okay to listen to the mistrust you may have – that you have the agency and courage within to end a relationship that does not lift you up.
It’s been over four years since I've written and directed a short film. I'm excited to affirm to myself & my colleagues my growth as a filmmaker.
Through utilizing wide shots and deep depth of field, we hope to intensify our audience's connection with the present of our characters' lives. We're leaning into long, slow moving dolly takes in order to intensify the drama and suspense of each moment. We want the action to take place with the natural character movement, without the need to rack focus often.
The windows and natural light on our set lends itself to silhouettes, giving us contrast and shadow filled images that our faceless poltergeist will be able to hide in.
The climax will lead to dynamic gimbal movement, tracking Emily moving through the chaos in the shared apartment in a single shot, allowing the audience into the psychosis of Emily. This single shot will be the first time the audience is exposed to a tight shot.
Seed & Spark requires at least 80% of the project to be funded in order to make our film. We need to reach our goal in the next 2 weeks, or we don’t receive the funding and all your contributions go back to you.
Our current goal of $7,000 will help pay our entire cast and crew, secure gear rentals, provide meals and craft service to cast and crew, as well as fund production design, including the design and production of our faceless humanoid.
Although we haven't begun physical production of Flicker, we're already dreaming big. We hope to submit the short to a myriad of local Texas, national, and international film festivals. Any supplemental funding will go towards submitting our film to festivals, supplementing our crew's pay, and post-production.
Our team is made up of crew and cast members who work full time in the production world in Texas– so we've all experienced the toll Covid can take on a set if proper testing and PPE practices aren't taken into consideration.
We plan on testing everyone within 48 hours before our first production day, as well as having them fill out a Covid questionaire every morning. While on set, we will have our crew members where KN95 masks. Those working closely with our cast will also be required to wear a face shield.
Help us by following @flicker.mov on Instagram and spreading the word about our campaign!
Share this Seed & Spark page to your followers. Feel free to copy and paste this little blurb to help spread the word!
"Gaslighting? We've all been there. Help support a film striving to tell a story of triumph over it. Donate to the fundraiser here: seedandspark.com/fund/flicker."
Thank you for taking the time to check out our campaign! Through community and individuals, we're hoping to transform Flicker's script into reality.
We hope to bring you a story that opens up a conversation about relationships, and having the courage to walk away from those that bring us down. Even if you're unable to financially contribute to our film, we appreciate you taking the time out of your day to learn about what we're trying to do.
If you have any questions or concerns about our story or campaign, don't hesitate to shoot us an email at [email protected].
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Creation of Our Poltergeist
Costs $750
$750 for the meticulous design and creation of a credible menacing creature.
Share this update!
About This Team
Zachary Bayne Dyck (Director / Writer) started his passion for filmmaking at the age of eleven years old, playing with his parents digital camera around the neighborhood & editing in iMovie. The passion didn't cease over the years, and with Christmas's & birthday's came gear: a canon t5i, Final Cut Pro X, a shotgun mic, & other filmmaking tools. These tools gave him the fuel to keep growing and keep creating & ultimately led him to graduate from the University of North Texas in 2019 with a degree in filmmaking.
Zach started his videography company Rigid Motion Films LLC in 2016 with close friends from high school that shared the same passions & thus has been able to continue to support himself throughout highschool, college, & today with income from corporate, wedding, & other video services. At the same time, he worked in the Dallas commercial markets giving him more practical industry & gear knowledge.
In September of 2019 he moved to Austin and became active in the film industry there, from PA'ing, to working as a Set Decorator, gripping, & even shooting for a reality TV show called Van Go. Zach is honored to have met such kind people in an overall supportive community of filmmakers, giving him the motivation to get back into writing & directing.
Flicker will be his first self written & directed short since 2018.
Eliza Wilson (Producer) is an Austin-based producer and production coordinator, who approaches each project with an enthusiasm for making all the moving parts work. Eliza’s passion for film grew out of the many media outlets she threw herself into while attending the University of Virginia. Her DJing, podcasting, writing, and hosting culminated and crystallized in an abundance of opportunities when she moved to Austin in 2020.
From producing short films and music videos, to working on HBOMax’s Love and Death, Eliza approaches any project she works on with a passion for collaboration, challenges, and making all the parts come together.
Conner Libera (AD / Associate Producer) is originally from the 48th state, and graduated from Northern Arizona University on an academic scholarship with a degree in Electronic Media & Film. In 2017, Conner moved to Austin, TX to pursue a career in the film industry. His roles have ranged from PA to producer and include positions on indie, commercial, episodic programming.
His goal is to assist independent artists accomplish their vision through creative deconstruction, allowing for in-depth analysis of required resources. Conner specializes in overseeing projects, including budgets and schedules.
Sarah J. Bartholomew (Emily) is an Actor, BAFTA Nominated Voice-Over Artist, Vocalist, Dancer, & Choreographer.
She grew up training in a performing & competing dance company in Los Angeles, California. She went on to get her BA(Honors) Degree in Professional Dance & Musical Theatre at the Urdang Academy, London. After earning her degree, she moved back to Los Angeles to expand her creative expression into the film world. She has been working in film for 9 years & floats between Austin, TX & Los Angeles, CA.
Alongside acting, Sarah teaches voice & movement meditations where she guides people to free their voice, connect to their bodies, and discover calm with their breath.
Mukul Vaswani (Max), a Houston-based actor, has worked on over 30 projects during his four years of being a professional actor. His three most popular projects have amassed over 200 million views on social media. Mukul has starred in “The First Drag” which won a Best Film Award at the 72 Hour India Film Festival.
Most recently, Mukul starred on an episode of “iChop Najia Food”, a Nigerian-themed reality food show. He has also featured in roles on big-budget projects, most notably a Netflix film starring Mo Amer.
Mukul completed his foundational training in Mumbai, India by completing “The Actors Truth”, a 30-day acting course given by Saurabh Sachdeva. He continues his training through courses offered on Masterclass.com where he has completed over 45 video lessons led by popular talents such as Helen Mirren and Natalie Portman.
Fluent in Hindi and English, Mukul has played various characters with a wide range of acting styles. He excels in roles that highlight his intensity. In his free time, he enjoys coaching aspiring actors, dancing, and staying fit through an active and healthy lifestyle.