The Black Dog
Santa Fe, New Mexico | Film Short
Horror
A classic psychological horror, The Black Dog is about the downward spiral of a young woman who is followed by a phantom black dog. As her trust in her own mind deteriorates, the apparitions tormenting her become increasingly threatening and more real.
The Black Dog
Santa Fe, New Mexico | Film Short
Horror
1 Campaigns | New Mexico, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $5,193 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
20 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
A classic psychological horror, The Black Dog is about the downward spiral of a young woman who is followed by a phantom black dog. As her trust in her own mind deteriorates, the apparitions tormenting her become increasingly threatening and more real.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Synopsis
Anna is suffering from insomnia while her boyfriend, Dan, is away on a work trip. One evening she sees a black dog siting in the dark in her living room, but when she turns on the light there is nothing there. Hoping her sleep issues will resolve when her boyfriend gets back Anna continues with her life but the black dog keeps appearing. Even when Dan returns the black dog remains an increasingly present and threatening presence in her life, but she has no evidence to show Dan. As her insomnia continues and the things following her get more violent Anna cannot trust herself, which drives a wedge between her and Dan and she falls deeper into despair.
Context: Why This Film and Why Us?
I was inspired to make this film after a friend shared her experience with the Black Dog Phenomena. Commonly attributed to long-haul truckers, the Black Dog Phenomena happens when someone is so severely sleep deprived they start to see a black dog running on the road. In the experience told to me, my friend saw a black dog at the end of her hallway sitting and staring at her. When she tried to approach it, it ran into the bathroom, and when she turned on the light it was gone.
As I was developing the script and speaking to others I was surprised how many had their own experiences with the black dog. In mythology, black dogs are often seen as harbingers of death or supernatural protectors, embodying both fear and mystery. I wanted to use these motifs to explore what it meant that so many had such a specific shared experience. As the story progressed the black dog symbol became an avatar for mental health issues; how isolating it is to not be able to trust your own senses, and how difficult it can be to watch a loved one deteriorate in a battle against demons you cannot comprehend.
As a queer hispanic woman it is so important to me to uplift diverse voices. We've been so lucky to pull together an amazing team and we are so excited to showcase the talents of people who are typically under-represented in film, both in front of and behind the camera, in general, and in the horror genre. I am honored to be making this project and I cannot wait to share the finished work with all of you!
The Vibe
The Black Dog is taking a lot of inspiration and visual cues from supernatural horror movies like Lights Out (2022) and psychological horror like Knocking (2021) where the tension and fear comes from the drawn out anticipation and not knowing if what the protagonist is real.
Logistics
We will begin filming mid November. We are currently deep into pre-production: pulling our crew together, getting our location, building the dog, and preparing as much as possible to bring the film together. The funds we raise here will go to our production costs: making sure our cast and crew are paid fairly for all their incredible work, food, and equipment. We are planning on submitting our finished film to festivals to share our work around the world, as well as screening it locally in our hometown of Santa Fe.
In an effort to give back to our community and help foster the next generation of filmmakers, we are working with Santa Fe Community College to set up internships to provide hands on educational opportunities and invaluable on-set experience to students in the film program.
The Black Dog has a fiscal sponsorship from New Mexico Film Foundation which means any donations to this project are tax deductible. This is an incredible perk for our supporters. I am very proud to have their support and am so grateful for everything.
Thanks!
Share this page with your friends and family on social media! Every bit of support helps us immensely. This is a project of passion and we hope you'll love what we make as much as we loved making it. Thanks!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Cast and Crew
Costs $5,500
The majority of our budget will go towards paying everyone for their talent and time. Without them, none of this would be possible!
Food/Craft Services
Costs $600
As Napoleon said: "An army marches on its stomach". Help us keep our amazing team happy and well fed through the three day shoot.
Insurance
Costs $300
Help us keep our cast, crew, and equipment safe and protected.
Share this update!
About This Team
Crew
Writer/Director: Sophia Peaslee
Sophia Peaslee spent much of her childhood overseas as part of a Foreign Service family, instilling a long love of politics and a fascination with the stories we share across cultures. A new writer, she currently works as a software engineer in the political landscape which shapes the type of stories she likes to tell. In 2023 she had the opportunity to participate in the New Mexico New Voices Stowe Story Labs program sponsored by the New Mexico Film Office which kicked off her screenwriting endeavors.
Producer: Daniel Peaslee
Daniel is a filmmaker and writer with years of experience in live action and animated film and tv. He studied film and music at CU Boulder before working as a VFX artist for animated shows like Robot Chicken and Supermansion. Daniel specializes in creative approaches to filmmaking using his varied experience in animation, live action, music and creative writing. Daniel is currently getting a graduate degree in Screenwriting while finishing post-production on a mixed media short film called Kima the Goblin.
Director of Photography: Ethan Nopah
Ethan is a Navajo filmmaker from the "Indian Capital of the World," Gallup, NM. In the realm of cinema, Ethan is interested in its intimate and contemplative natures within a slow-moving, minimalist framework.
During his time in Santa Fe at the Institute of American Indian Arts, Ethan has received several awards and recognitions for his work as a student and artist. These include the Outstanding Student Film and Directing awards, and the Audience Award at the 11th Annual IAIA Student Filmmaker Showcase held in 2023. Ethan graduated from IAIA with a Bachelor’s in the Cinematic Arts program, specializing in cinematography, writing, photography, and editing.
Cinematographer: Brandon Martinez
Brandon Martinez is a Jicarilla Apache filmmaker who began his filmmaking journey in late 2019. He is a recent graduate from the Institute of American Indian Arts with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Cinematic Arts and Technology with key interests in directing, cinematography and editing.
Brandon’s work has been featured in several IAIA Student Showcases, as well as selections in other festivals such as Los Angeles Skins Fest and the Tucumcari Film Festival.
Having graduated from IAIA, Brandon hopes to be able to share his stories with everyone and support his fellow peers any way he can.
Cast
Anna: Owee Rae
Owee Rae is a Native American actress and model. She is known for her work onValley of the Gods (2019), Frybread Face and Me (2023) and Dark Winds (2022).
Dan: Jamie Jung
Jamie H. Jung is an anglo-american actor known for the feature film Monday produced by Robert Rodriguez through his reality show Rebel Without A Crew: The Series. He has appeared on multiple TV shows with co-star roles on FX's Grotesquerie, The CW's Roswell New Mexico, Amazon's Them, and Amazon's Outer Range. Jamie is also a commercial film producer with the Albuquerque-based company Keep Pushing Pictures.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Synopsis
Anna is suffering from insomnia while her boyfriend, Dan, is away on a work trip. One evening she sees a black dog siting in the dark in her living room, but when she turns on the light there is nothing there. Hoping her sleep issues will resolve when her boyfriend gets back Anna continues with her life but the black dog keeps appearing. Even when Dan returns the black dog remains an increasingly present and threatening presence in her life, but she has no evidence to show Dan. As her insomnia continues and the things following her get more violent Anna cannot trust herself, which drives a wedge between her and Dan and she falls deeper into despair.
Context: Why This Film and Why Us?
I was inspired to make this film after a friend shared her experience with the Black Dog Phenomena. Commonly attributed to long-haul truckers, the Black Dog Phenomena happens when someone is so severely sleep deprived they start to see a black dog running on the road. In the experience told to me, my friend saw a black dog at the end of her hallway sitting and staring at her. When she tried to approach it, it ran into the bathroom, and when she turned on the light it was gone.
As I was developing the script and speaking to others I was surprised how many had their own experiences with the black dog. In mythology, black dogs are often seen as harbingers of death or supernatural protectors, embodying both fear and mystery. I wanted to use these motifs to explore what it meant that so many had such a specific shared experience. As the story progressed the black dog symbol became an avatar for mental health issues; how isolating it is to not be able to trust your own senses, and how difficult it can be to watch a loved one deteriorate in a battle against demons you cannot comprehend.
As a queer hispanic woman it is so important to me to uplift diverse voices. We've been so lucky to pull together an amazing team and we are so excited to showcase the talents of people who are typically under-represented in film, both in front of and behind the camera, in general, and in the horror genre. I am honored to be making this project and I cannot wait to share the finished work with all of you!
The Vibe
The Black Dog is taking a lot of inspiration and visual cues from supernatural horror movies like Lights Out (2022) and psychological horror like Knocking (2021) where the tension and fear comes from the drawn out anticipation and not knowing if what the protagonist is real.
Logistics
We will begin filming mid November. We are currently deep into pre-production: pulling our crew together, getting our location, building the dog, and preparing as much as possible to bring the film together. The funds we raise here will go to our production costs: making sure our cast and crew are paid fairly for all their incredible work, food, and equipment. We are planning on submitting our finished film to festivals to share our work around the world, as well as screening it locally in our hometown of Santa Fe.
In an effort to give back to our community and help foster the next generation of filmmakers, we are working with Santa Fe Community College to set up internships to provide hands on educational opportunities and invaluable on-set experience to students in the film program.
The Black Dog has a fiscal sponsorship from New Mexico Film Foundation which means any donations to this project are tax deductible. This is an incredible perk for our supporters. I am very proud to have their support and am so grateful for everything.
Thanks!
Share this page with your friends and family on social media! Every bit of support helps us immensely. This is a project of passion and we hope you'll love what we make as much as we loved making it. Thanks!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Cast and Crew
Costs $5,500
The majority of our budget will go towards paying everyone for their talent and time. Without them, none of this would be possible!
Food/Craft Services
Costs $600
As Napoleon said: "An army marches on its stomach". Help us keep our amazing team happy and well fed through the three day shoot.
Insurance
Costs $300
Help us keep our cast, crew, and equipment safe and protected.
Share this update!
About This Team
Crew
Writer/Director: Sophia Peaslee
Sophia Peaslee spent much of her childhood overseas as part of a Foreign Service family, instilling a long love of politics and a fascination with the stories we share across cultures. A new writer, she currently works as a software engineer in the political landscape which shapes the type of stories she likes to tell. In 2023 she had the opportunity to participate in the New Mexico New Voices Stowe Story Labs program sponsored by the New Mexico Film Office which kicked off her screenwriting endeavors.
Producer: Daniel Peaslee
Daniel is a filmmaker and writer with years of experience in live action and animated film and tv. He studied film and music at CU Boulder before working as a VFX artist for animated shows like Robot Chicken and Supermansion. Daniel specializes in creative approaches to filmmaking using his varied experience in animation, live action, music and creative writing. Daniel is currently getting a graduate degree in Screenwriting while finishing post-production on a mixed media short film called Kima the Goblin.
Director of Photography: Ethan Nopah
Ethan is a Navajo filmmaker from the "Indian Capital of the World," Gallup, NM. In the realm of cinema, Ethan is interested in its intimate and contemplative natures within a slow-moving, minimalist framework.
During his time in Santa Fe at the Institute of American Indian Arts, Ethan has received several awards and recognitions for his work as a student and artist. These include the Outstanding Student Film and Directing awards, and the Audience Award at the 11th Annual IAIA Student Filmmaker Showcase held in 2023. Ethan graduated from IAIA with a Bachelor’s in the Cinematic Arts program, specializing in cinematography, writing, photography, and editing.
Cinematographer: Brandon Martinez
Brandon Martinez is a Jicarilla Apache filmmaker who began his filmmaking journey in late 2019. He is a recent graduate from the Institute of American Indian Arts with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Cinematic Arts and Technology with key interests in directing, cinematography and editing.
Brandon’s work has been featured in several IAIA Student Showcases, as well as selections in other festivals such as Los Angeles Skins Fest and the Tucumcari Film Festival.
Having graduated from IAIA, Brandon hopes to be able to share his stories with everyone and support his fellow peers any way he can.
Cast
Anna: Owee Rae
Owee Rae is a Native American actress and model. She is known for her work onValley of the Gods (2019), Frybread Face and Me (2023) and Dark Winds (2022).
Dan: Jamie Jung
Jamie H. Jung is an anglo-american actor known for the feature film Monday produced by Robert Rodriguez through his reality show Rebel Without A Crew: The Series. He has appeared on multiple TV shows with co-star roles on FX's Grotesquerie, The CW's Roswell New Mexico, Amazon's Them, and Amazon's Outer Range. Jamie is also a commercial film producer with the Albuquerque-based company Keep Pushing Pictures.