Neither Shadow of Turning follows Anna, a loving, intelligent woman of considerable determination, and her husband Conrad, a hardy man who does everything one way; his way. This marriage has its moments of sweetness and abundant love, but when they settle themselves in a remote, wooded area of Vermont, they soon realize that they are severely unprepared for the hellish winter ahead of them. They become trapped when the worst winter on record unloads mountains of snow on their tiny plot. Food is running out. Firewood becomes almost impossible to obtain.

 

And then Anna develops pneumonia. 

Her condition worsens and the couple must decide if venturing into the fray against the white emptiness surrounding them will be worth the struggle for help. Or if it's better to stay and hold fast. They face the most difficult chapter of their lives together, yet, somehow, they grow increasingly separate. Their disparate way of life brought them to this place, and now they must consider their past choices, while grasping tightly to hope.  

 

We have one week left in our campaign. Please support us by contributing to our Seed&Spark so that we can bring Conrad and Anna's heartbreaking story to life. It's a tale of love and and determination, set against the brutal elements and isolation of a terrible Vermont winter. With enough support, we plan on turning this short into a feature film in time. There is even more of this story to tell than can fit into a short film, so a feature would allow us that flexibility. Thanks so much.

NEW BEHIND THE STORY/LOOKBOOK VIDEO!

In May of 2014 I was cast as the lead actor in Timothy Ellege’s short film “The River. My Brother, Me”. It had a great script, cast and director. And Justin Derry was the cinematographer. As we all made this film together we began to forge tremendous friendships. Justin and I found that we worked extremely well together and we started talking about future projects that we both had in the works for the rest of the year. “The River” finished after a very intensive four-day shoot, but Justin and I continued to speak as we rolled into summer. He liked the treatment scripts I had written for a few music videos and, one by one, we made them together; I directed and he shot. First Cathedral for the band Oh Dear!, then Echoes and All We Have for Colonies. We found that our interest in film was very in line with one another and that this helped incredibly to serve us on set as we made these little vignettes and stories in music video form.

As we worked together throughout the year, I began to write out an idea for a short film that I just couldn’t shake, about a man who secludes himself far away from civilization because he feels that his views are too abstract to be accepted by the general public. He holds fast to the idea that he is right and they are wrong, inevitably leading him to utter isolation. Simultaneously, and unbeknownst to me, Justin had been toying with the idea to shoot something dark and dramatic in the forests of Vermont, a place to which he has a strong connection, and on celluloid film. He brought this up to me a couple days before shooting began on “All We Have” and I was elated by the prospect of merging our two visions together. It was this timely synthesis that led to Neither Shadow of Turning.

Justin and I both possess a deep affinity for the qualities of actual film emulsion. It presents a richness and cinematic depth that cannot be matched by digital imitation. Over the last several years, the medium has unfortunately been dying out. One by one the labs have shuttered and the films stocks have been discontinued. Before long it won’t even be an option - everything will be digital. We are certain that this will be one of our last opportunities to support and indulge in this wonderful medium that is so important to us.

So, Justin and I decided to write this small picture together and combine these basic principles into our structuring. Then, during my research, I remembered a story in my family about prayer being used as the sole method to heal a terrible injury that a family member had encountered. The thought of such risk, and such conviction chilled me, and I was compelled to incorporate this into our piece. These ideas ran together with fluidity into the story we now have today, about a thirty-year-old man and his wife who have set themselves apart to practice their faith, only to find sickness and torment, within and without. All of this is set far away in the woods of a snowy Vermont winter, where they are truly trapped.

Today we have our script, and method of execution directly ahead of us. But this film requires your support for us to make it happen. As young artists, we simply don’t have the means to finance this movie on our own. Despite the fact that Justin and I will not be getting paid one cent for our work, the costs of shooting this film aren’t insignificant. They include transportation, food, lodging, locations, makeup and everything else that’s needed to make a picture. Neither Shadow of Turning needs your support to become a reality, and we have wonderful things to offer you in exchange. If you give even just a little, you will receive some heartfelt gifts from us and be an integral part of our process. We did our best to make certain that each level of incentives contains many important and fun things relating to the process of creating this film.

Justin and I live and breathe cinema. It is what moves and delights us. Together we have created some great pieces of art, and together we want to take this step into narrative as a close collaboration. We co-wrote and will co-direct. He will be the cinematographer and I will be the lead actor. This film has been long in the making for us both and we are implore you from the bottom of our hearts to help us make it a reality. Filmmaking is a journey, and our journey begins with you. Thank you for your support.

Oh and here are the last two videos Justin and I made together. I directed and he was the cinematographer. Enjoy!

Music in pitch video: "Sweetness of Freddie" by Jonny Greenwood.