Tahoe
Fairfax, Virginia | Film Short
Drama, Family
Told through the perspective of a young boy on a trip to his grandfather's lake house, Tahoe is a subtle, nostalgic, and visual exploration of family, in good times and bad.
12 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$1,295
Goal: $4,500 for production
Told through the perspective of a young boy on a trip to his grandfather's lake house, Tahoe is a subtle, nostalgic, and visual exploration of family, in good times and bad.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Logline
On a summer trip to his grandfather’s lake house, a boy tries to help his family reconcile after years apart.
The story follows a young boy on a summer trip to his grandfather’s lake house. His family reunites with his grandfather for the first time in a long time. His father and grandfather have a difficult relationship. They’ve slowly built up resentment towards each other after the death of the boy’s grandmother years ago. Older now than the last time he saw these two meet, the boy is curious and spends the story observing and trying to understand the cause of this bitterness. He watches things carefully, makes mistakes, and sees beauty where no one else can. When things get heated, and it seems the reunion will end with failure, the boy shows his father that forgiveness trumps resentment, yielding hope for redemption between the father and grandfather.
Director’s Statement:
“Family has always been an important part of my life, and I wanted to challenge myself to tell a story about how family can be complicated. Much of the story is inspired by memories of vacations and interactions with relatives that have shaped who I am today. This project will be my senior thesis film at George Mason University. I tried to bring together as many of those formative moments as I could into a story that captures both the warmth and the distance that comes with being part of a family. I hope this film reaches people struggling with their own relationships, inspires them to embrace love for one another, and reminds them to cherish every moment.”
- Cole Rawson
Every dollar contributed will go to the essentials: housing, food, and equipment. But meeting (or surpassing) our goal would open up many doors to us as student filmmakers. Renting a real-deal cinema camera, the ARRI ALEXA Mini, or creating a fully furnished, lived-in set for our cast to feel at home in, are ambitions that would be made possible by contributions from people like you. Tahoe is a true passion project, fueled by a dedicated cast and crew, but we need your help to keep the spark alive.
What's the look?
This film will be a quiet, inquisitive, and nostalgic coming-of-age drama, with strong imagery to convey memory and empathy. We will lean into this with montage-style editing, sound design, and an original musical score. Some films that have inspired this project include Yi Yi, Sentimental Value, and The Tree of Life, all of which explore themes of family, loss, and childhood.
Share our campaign!
Share this campaign with family, friends, and anyone you think would be interested!
Contribute!
Any way you can contribute is greatly appreciated. Every little bit helps. No amount is too small!
Follow our Instagram!
@tahoe.shortfilm
… where we’ll be sharing updates on the project and info about our in-person crowdfunding event on August 30th in Fairfax.
Thank you,
Cole Rawson
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Locations and Housing
Costs $2,200
The lake house location is central to the story. This cost will also cover cast and crew housing for the duration of our shoot.
Arri Alexa Mini
Costs $1,300
This is the camera we're hoping to rent. Our crew has experience shooting with it, and we believe it will help give us our desired look.
Production Design/Costumes
Costs $300
The production design will be crucial in crafting the look and feel of the film. There are also many props that are essential to the plot.
Food/Crafty
Costs $300
This will cover the cast and crew's meals/snacks for the entire shoot.
Equipment/Miscellaneous
Costs $400
For some shots, we'll need to rent specific equipment (dollies, car mounts, etc) This will also cover small things like tape and trash bags.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Writer/Director - Cole Rawson
Cole is...
Cinematographer - Riley Ater
Riley is...
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Logline
On a summer trip to his grandfather’s lake house, a boy tries to help his family reconcile after years apart.
The story follows a young boy on a summer trip to his grandfather’s lake house. His family reunites with his grandfather for the first time in a long time. His father and grandfather have a difficult relationship. They’ve slowly built up resentment towards each other after the death of the boy’s grandmother years ago. Older now than the last time he saw these two meet, the boy is curious and spends the story observing and trying to understand the cause of this bitterness. He watches things carefully, makes mistakes, and sees beauty where no one else can. When things get heated, and it seems the reunion will end with failure, the boy shows his father that forgiveness trumps resentment, yielding hope for redemption between the father and grandfather.
Director’s Statement:
“Family has always been an important part of my life, and I wanted to challenge myself to tell a story about how family can be complicated. Much of the story is inspired by memories of vacations and interactions with relatives that have shaped who I am today. This project will be my senior thesis film at George Mason University. I tried to bring together as many of those formative moments as I could into a story that captures both the warmth and the distance that comes with being part of a family. I hope this film reaches people struggling with their own relationships, inspires them to embrace love for one another, and reminds them to cherish every moment.”
- Cole Rawson
Every dollar contributed will go to the essentials: housing, food, and equipment. But meeting (or surpassing) our goal would open up many doors to us as student filmmakers. Renting a real-deal cinema camera, the ARRI ALEXA Mini, or creating a fully furnished, lived-in set for our cast to feel at home in, are ambitions that would be made possible by contributions from people like you. Tahoe is a true passion project, fueled by a dedicated cast and crew, but we need your help to keep the spark alive.
What's the look?
This film will be a quiet, inquisitive, and nostalgic coming-of-age drama, with strong imagery to convey memory and empathy. We will lean into this with montage-style editing, sound design, and an original musical score. Some films that have inspired this project include Yi Yi, Sentimental Value, and The Tree of Life, all of which explore themes of family, loss, and childhood.
Share our campaign!
Share this campaign with family, friends, and anyone you think would be interested!
Contribute!
Any way you can contribute is greatly appreciated. Every little bit helps. No amount is too small!
Follow our Instagram!
@tahoe.shortfilm
… where we’ll be sharing updates on the project and info about our in-person crowdfunding event on August 30th in Fairfax.
Thank you,
Cole Rawson
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Locations and Housing
Costs $2,200
The lake house location is central to the story. This cost will also cover cast and crew housing for the duration of our shoot.
Arri Alexa Mini
Costs $1,300
This is the camera we're hoping to rent. Our crew has experience shooting with it, and we believe it will help give us our desired look.
Production Design/Costumes
Costs $300
The production design will be crucial in crafting the look and feel of the film. There are also many props that are essential to the plot.
Food/Crafty
Costs $300
This will cover the cast and crew's meals/snacks for the entire shoot.
Equipment/Miscellaneous
Costs $400
For some shots, we'll need to rent specific equipment (dollies, car mounts, etc) This will also cover small things like tape and trash bags.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Writer/Director - Cole Rawson
Cole is...
Cinematographer - Riley Ater
Riley is...