It Happens at Night
New York City, New York | Film Short
Horror, Thriller
It Happens at Night follows the psychological transformation of a girl who becomes isolated in an environment plagued with trauma. In this house, the relationship between the sleeping and waking world is blurred in a conceptual approach to examine the complications of family dynamics.
It Happens at Night
New York City, New York | Film Short
Horror, Thriller
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $7,129 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
58 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
It Happens at Night follows the psychological transformation of a girl who becomes isolated in an environment plagued with trauma. In this house, the relationship between the sleeping and waking world is blurred in a conceptual approach to examine the complications of family dynamics.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
This psychological thriller follows fifteen year old Laurie, a girl who gets roped into house sitting for a mysterious neighbor that has been plagued with familial tragedy. Curious for the answers behind the disappearance of her neighbor’s son, Laurie finds herself experiencing a series of lucid dreams that lead her to the truth.
Hi! My name is Alex McDowell, I’m the writer, director, and DP of It Happens at Night.
Thank you so much for taking the time to look into my film, this project has been a labor of love and I’m so excited to share it with you! This short will be my final piece as a student, and my introduction to the world of filmmaking.
The inspiration for the film started about two years ago at the start of the pandemic. As many of us did, I made an unexpected return to my family residence. With each day that passed within those walls, I began to think about the meaning of home. Is a home somewhere that feels safe? How does the definition of home vary from one to another? I started looking to dreams for answers.
Dreams open a clear path into the unconscious, with nightmares being a way in which the mind transforms shame associated with a traumatic event into fear. With It Happens at Night, I want to open a conversation about the about the role that dreams play when processing trauma, and how homes tell us about one another.
Whether it's Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining or Ari Aster’s Hereditary, the inspirations for this film include the concepts of familial horrors and the emotional impact of a specific place or atmosphere.
The visual aspects of my film will be split into two parts, the look of the day and the night. The daytime aspects of the film will be softer and more subdued, with a big influence coming from nature and the outdoors surrounding the house, with the greenery contrasting Laurie's red clothes. Other characters in the film will be wearing primary colors to compliment the main character. For nighttime scenes, we want to capture something that is dark yet rich with color. Utilizing silhouettes, deep blue shadows, candlelight, slow movement, symmetry, and POV.
Seed & Spark requires that at least 80% of the project be funded in order to make our film. We need to reach our goal in 30 days or we don't receive the funding and all your contributions go back to you.
Additional funds will help us through pre-production, production, and post-production. This means securing our crew, equipment, locations, food, PPE, editing, music composition, festival submissions, and more.
Our current goal of $7,500 will help us achieve production of our film. However, we're eager to let the world see our project and any supplemental funding could go a long way...
Stretch goals and what they could provide:
$8K: Secure ideal locations, better equipment, and better set design.
$10K: Secure higher end post production quality with editors, sound designers, colorists, and composers.
$15K: More ability to distribute the film, allowing us to apply for more festivals/platforms that could screen the production.
Through community and individuals, we’re hoping to make this dream become a reality and YOU are our biggest source of support!
If you feel compelled, here are other ways you can help and additional info on how to support our team :)
Share this Seed & Spark link with your followers. Here's a little blurb you can use. Feel free to copy and paste!
"Here for #IHAN! Just saw their Seed & Spark campaign for this thriller short film from @ithappensatnightfilm @alexmcdw about a teenage girl who gets roped into house sitting for a mysterious neighbor. Support the fundraiser here: seedandspark.com/fund/it-happens-at-night
Use #IHAN and tag @ithappensatnightfilm on instagram.
Follow @ithappensatnightfilm @alexmcdw on Instagram and for real time updates!
Other areas where we could use your help:
Catering and Craft Services
Production Assistants on set
PPE/extra safety precautions
Brand Sponsorships
We're more than excited to have the opportunity to make our production come to life, but still carefully monitor the current environment and risks of COVID infection.
Currently, we are ensuring our crew members are vaccinated and have had a negative COVID test 48 hours prior to our shoot dates in September. We continue to monitor the current situation, and remain vigilant in ensuring safety on our set as a top priority.
We appreciate your following our journey and spreading the word so that we can make this dream a reality!
We hope to share this story with you soon and contribute to a larger conversation about the very intimate relationships between individuals and the gray areas that can be explored. Even if you can't contribute, but you've made it this far, we welcome the opportunity to talk and hear what you're thinking! Email us at [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you!
Thank you so much for your support.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
The House
Costs $2,000
For our location, we are aiming to shoot in a vintage home located in Staten Island.
The Gear
Costs $2,000
For production, we will need a range of camera equipment to bring the story to life!
The Transportation
Costs $1,000
To get equipment and team to and from set, we will be renting crew vans to provide transportation.
The Props
Costs $1,000
Props and decor from the art department will curate the atmosphere for the film.
For Our Team
Costs $1,500
To provide food and sleeping arrangements for crew and talent.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
We are excited to have a wonderfully talented group of creatives on the team for this project! Alexandra McDowell will be taking on the role of director and DP, with Calvin Ryerse and Sophie Penn as Producers, Greta Villani as Assistant Director, Lauren Tepfer as our Camera Operator, and Justin Merrick as our Composer.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
This psychological thriller follows fifteen year old Laurie, a girl who gets roped into house sitting for a mysterious neighbor that has been plagued with familial tragedy. Curious for the answers behind the disappearance of her neighbor’s son, Laurie finds herself experiencing a series of lucid dreams that lead her to the truth.
Hi! My name is Alex McDowell, I’m the writer, director, and DP of It Happens at Night.
Thank you so much for taking the time to look into my film, this project has been a labor of love and I’m so excited to share it with you! This short will be my final piece as a student, and my introduction to the world of filmmaking.
The inspiration for the film started about two years ago at the start of the pandemic. As many of us did, I made an unexpected return to my family residence. With each day that passed within those walls, I began to think about the meaning of home. Is a home somewhere that feels safe? How does the definition of home vary from one to another? I started looking to dreams for answers.
Dreams open a clear path into the unconscious, with nightmares being a way in which the mind transforms shame associated with a traumatic event into fear. With It Happens at Night, I want to open a conversation about the about the role that dreams play when processing trauma, and how homes tell us about one another.
Whether it's Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining or Ari Aster’s Hereditary, the inspirations for this film include the concepts of familial horrors and the emotional impact of a specific place or atmosphere.
The visual aspects of my film will be split into two parts, the look of the day and the night. The daytime aspects of the film will be softer and more subdued, with a big influence coming from nature and the outdoors surrounding the house, with the greenery contrasting Laurie's red clothes. Other characters in the film will be wearing primary colors to compliment the main character. For nighttime scenes, we want to capture something that is dark yet rich with color. Utilizing silhouettes, deep blue shadows, candlelight, slow movement, symmetry, and POV.
Seed & Spark requires that at least 80% of the project be funded in order to make our film. We need to reach our goal in 30 days or we don't receive the funding and all your contributions go back to you.
Additional funds will help us through pre-production, production, and post-production. This means securing our crew, equipment, locations, food, PPE, editing, music composition, festival submissions, and more.
Our current goal of $7,500 will help us achieve production of our film. However, we're eager to let the world see our project and any supplemental funding could go a long way...
Stretch goals and what they could provide:
$8K: Secure ideal locations, better equipment, and better set design.
$10K: Secure higher end post production quality with editors, sound designers, colorists, and composers.
$15K: More ability to distribute the film, allowing us to apply for more festivals/platforms that could screen the production.
Through community and individuals, we’re hoping to make this dream become a reality and YOU are our biggest source of support!
If you feel compelled, here are other ways you can help and additional info on how to support our team :)
Share this Seed & Spark link with your followers. Here's a little blurb you can use. Feel free to copy and paste!
"Here for #IHAN! Just saw their Seed & Spark campaign for this thriller short film from @ithappensatnightfilm @alexmcdw about a teenage girl who gets roped into house sitting for a mysterious neighbor. Support the fundraiser here: seedandspark.com/fund/it-happens-at-night
Use #IHAN and tag @ithappensatnightfilm on instagram.
Follow @ithappensatnightfilm @alexmcdw on Instagram and for real time updates!
Other areas where we could use your help:
Catering and Craft Services
Production Assistants on set
PPE/extra safety precautions
Brand Sponsorships
We're more than excited to have the opportunity to make our production come to life, but still carefully monitor the current environment and risks of COVID infection.
Currently, we are ensuring our crew members are vaccinated and have had a negative COVID test 48 hours prior to our shoot dates in September. We continue to monitor the current situation, and remain vigilant in ensuring safety on our set as a top priority.
We appreciate your following our journey and spreading the word so that we can make this dream a reality!
We hope to share this story with you soon and contribute to a larger conversation about the very intimate relationships between individuals and the gray areas that can be explored. Even if you can't contribute, but you've made it this far, we welcome the opportunity to talk and hear what you're thinking! Email us at [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you!
Thank you so much for your support.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
The House
Costs $2,000
For our location, we are aiming to shoot in a vintage home located in Staten Island.
The Gear
Costs $2,000
For production, we will need a range of camera equipment to bring the story to life!
The Transportation
Costs $1,000
To get equipment and team to and from set, we will be renting crew vans to provide transportation.
The Props
Costs $1,000
Props and decor from the art department will curate the atmosphere for the film.
For Our Team
Costs $1,500
To provide food and sleeping arrangements for crew and talent.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
We are excited to have a wonderfully talented group of creatives on the team for this project! Alexandra McDowell will be taking on the role of director and DP, with Calvin Ryerse and Sophie Penn as Producers, Greta Villani as Assistant Director, Lauren Tepfer as our Camera Operator, and Justin Merrick as our Composer.