The Blistering, Blundering West
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Comedy, Western
A lovestruck cowboy will soon discover there's plenty more that hurts than love in this silent film comedy/western hybrid. What's old is now new! Black and white photography. Undercranking film. And absolutely no sound! Your support helps bring back a timeless mode of cinematic storytelling.
The Blistering, Blundering West
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Comedy, Western
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $8,405 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
29 supporters | followers
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A lovestruck cowboy will soon discover there's plenty more that hurts than love in this silent film comedy/western hybrid. What's old is now new! Black and white photography. Undercranking film. And absolutely no sound! Your support helps bring back a timeless mode of cinematic storytelling.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The Blistering, Blundering West follows a determined cowboy as he treks across the western frontier, trying to make it on time to his date at a local saloon. Of course, it won't be so simple. Along the way he'll face harsh weather, venomous stakes, and a runaway handcart... and that's before he even reaches the saloon full of tough customers!
Who is our hero? Always just a little out of his depths, The Cowboy's determination is his best, most endearing quality. And today, he’ll stop at nothing if it means meeting the love of his life. For most, this earnestness would mean certain death in the west. For him? He stands apart from the pack. Like many silent comedy protagonists, he’s a healthy mix of mischievous and earnest. He’s not afraid to fight back, but knows his limits. He’s resourceful in a pinch, but only enough to survive the day. Where most westerns feature some form of fantasy fulfillment, he is our everyman cowboy. Always chasing a dream, only occasionally achieving it.
As someone with a great love for films of the silent era, I aim to faithfully capture the look and feel of early Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin comedy shorts.
Yes, it’ll be in black-and-white. And yes, there will be no spoken dialogue. But that only scratches the surface of the overall tone and aesthetic for this genre. Like the works of the great silent clowns, we’ll be implementing a lot of wide shots that emphasize the physical comedy and sight gags. We’ll be under-cranking the footage so that the characters in the film move at the heightened speed characteristic of this era. The score will occasionally act as our sound design, syncing instruments to specific actions for ultimate comedic effect.
Most importantly, we’ll be brief. With an expected runtime of 10 minutes, we’ll make the most of each second. As with any good silent comedy, the pacing should be relentless—only briefly slowing down to let the audience to catch their breath between each set-piece. These early shorts were blueprints for the hijinks of the Looney Tunes, and that tone is what we aim to match.
The other genre we’ll be using for inspiration, naturally, is the western. And perhaps the most important character in any western, even more so than the lone rider, is the frontier. The wide reaching landscapes help ground the characters in a real time and place, while delivering a natural, grand scope to the unfolding events. Everything feels larger than life when it’s set against gorgeous vistas. To accomplish this, we'll be filming our short in the beautiful state of Montana, which has no shortage of eye-popping scenery.
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shots from various Buster Keaton films whose style we plan to emulate; excerpts from storyboards for The Blistering, Blundering West
As of now, we've raised an initial $35,000 to shoot our silent film western/comedy hybrid. It's an amazing start, but we'll need just a bit more to get us over the finish line. That's where all you lovely folks come in! Period pieces are expensive, so we'll need all the help we can get.
Not only is our film set in the late 1800s, we're shooting it like a 1920s film, so extra consideration is necessary to produce an authentic story in a period-accurate style we love. Your contributions will go directly to covering the costs of costumes for the denizens of our western frontier and the set decoration that populate the desert and bustling saloon.
Additionally, your support also help cover costs offscreen, including location fees, travel expenses for the cast and crew, and paying for additional hands on set to ensure that production runs smoothly. While that may not sound as glamorous, they are equally crucial to the making of any film!
We want this film to reach the widest audience possible, so once the film is completed and ready to premiere, any additional funds left over will be spent on fees for film festival applications.
Production - Late July 2025
- Post-Production Wrapped - September 2025
- Final Delivery - October 2025
- Premiere - December 2025
- Film Festival Run - 2026
Right now we're deep into pre-production, including casting, locking in locations, and crewing up other department heads. Please help us get over the line by pledging, following us on Instagram, and sharing our campaign with anyone you know. Your contributions mean the world to us, and go towards recreating a timeless mode of filmmaking.
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Stills featured (in order): The General (1926), Go West (1925), Dead Man (1995), High Noon (1952)
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Location Fees
Costs $2,000
To effectively capture the essence of the American west, we'll need to rent out locations in Montana, like a saloon and railroad station!
Lodging for the Cast & Crew
Costs $2,000
We'll need to make sure the cast and crew traveling into town for production have a roof over their head!
Costumes
Costs $1,000
What's a cowboy without his hat and spurs? This helps dress everyone in period accurate costumes!
Set Decoration
Costs $1,000
Props and set decoration breathe life into any film's setting. For our western, we'll need the saloon to be well stocked for customers!
Extra Help on Set
Costs $1,500
Hiring extra production assistants and gaffers helps the production run smoothly, and ensures no one has to juggle multiple jobs at once!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Quinton Buxton is an award-winning writer and director based out of Los Angeles, California. After graduating from University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, he worked for industry titans such as Noah Hawley, Alex Kurtzman, Robert Kirkman, and Eddie Gorodetsky, learning the ins-and-outs of the film and television industry, all while honing his craft. Now, he writes and directs short films, where his works have played at film festivals across the globe, winning the Audience Award at the Jack Oakie Comedy Short Film Festival, Best Screenplay at the Independent Horror Movie Awards, and the Haydenfilms Screenwriting Competition. His latest short, Coin Slot, was recently selected for the New York Indie Shorts Festival, the Rhode Island International Film Festival, the Cabane a Sang Film Festival, among others.
Luke Sargent is a cinematographer born and raised in Southern California. Growing up he struggled with dyslexia, making it extremely hard for him to connect with written or spoken stories. That is, until his grandfather introduced him to silent films like Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. Luke fell in love with the visual storytelling that allowed him to connect with stories without his dyslexia getting in the way. He enrolled at USC School of Cinematic Arts where he earned a Student Academy Award for the film Sweet Potatoes, as well as shooting his first feature film less than a year after graduating. Since then, Luke has worked on narrative films, television pilots, and music videos with artists such as UMI, Blake Mills, and My Morning Jacket, as well as brands like Nike, Autodesk, Magic the Gathering, and McDonalds. Luke always dreamed of making movies and now he does.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The Blistering, Blundering West follows a determined cowboy as he treks across the western frontier, trying to make it on time to his date at a local saloon. Of course, it won't be so simple. Along the way he'll face harsh weather, venomous stakes, and a runaway handcart... and that's before he even reaches the saloon full of tough customers!
Who is our hero? Always just a little out of his depths, The Cowboy's determination is his best, most endearing quality. And today, he’ll stop at nothing if it means meeting the love of his life. For most, this earnestness would mean certain death in the west. For him? He stands apart from the pack. Like many silent comedy protagonists, he’s a healthy mix of mischievous and earnest. He’s not afraid to fight back, but knows his limits. He’s resourceful in a pinch, but only enough to survive the day. Where most westerns feature some form of fantasy fulfillment, he is our everyman cowboy. Always chasing a dream, only occasionally achieving it.
As someone with a great love for films of the silent era, I aim to faithfully capture the look and feel of early Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin comedy shorts.
Yes, it’ll be in black-and-white. And yes, there will be no spoken dialogue. But that only scratches the surface of the overall tone and aesthetic for this genre. Like the works of the great silent clowns, we’ll be implementing a lot of wide shots that emphasize the physical comedy and sight gags. We’ll be under-cranking the footage so that the characters in the film move at the heightened speed characteristic of this era. The score will occasionally act as our sound design, syncing instruments to specific actions for ultimate comedic effect.
Most importantly, we’ll be brief. With an expected runtime of 10 minutes, we’ll make the most of each second. As with any good silent comedy, the pacing should be relentless—only briefly slowing down to let the audience to catch their breath between each set-piece. These early shorts were blueprints for the hijinks of the Looney Tunes, and that tone is what we aim to match.
The other genre we’ll be using for inspiration, naturally, is the western. And perhaps the most important character in any western, even more so than the lone rider, is the frontier. The wide reaching landscapes help ground the characters in a real time and place, while delivering a natural, grand scope to the unfolding events. Everything feels larger than life when it’s set against gorgeous vistas. To accomplish this, we'll be filming our short in the beautiful state of Montana, which has no shortage of eye-popping scenery.
shots from various Buster Keaton films whose style we plan to emulate; excerpts from storyboards for The Blistering, Blundering West
As of now, we've raised an initial $35,000 to shoot our silent film western/comedy hybrid. It's an amazing start, but we'll need just a bit more to get us over the finish line. That's where all you lovely folks come in! Period pieces are expensive, so we'll need all the help we can get.
Not only is our film set in the late 1800s, we're shooting it like a 1920s film, so extra consideration is necessary to produce an authentic story in a period-accurate style we love. Your contributions will go directly to covering the costs of costumes for the denizens of our western frontier and the set decoration that populate the desert and bustling saloon.
Additionally, your support also help cover costs offscreen, including location fees, travel expenses for the cast and crew, and paying for additional hands on set to ensure that production runs smoothly. While that may not sound as glamorous, they are equally crucial to the making of any film!
We want this film to reach the widest audience possible, so once the film is completed and ready to premiere, any additional funds left over will be spent on fees for film festival applications.
- Production - Late July 2025
- Post-Production Wrapped - September 2025
- Final Delivery - October 2025
- Premiere - December 2025
- Film Festival Run - 2026
Right now we're deep into pre-production, including casting, locking in locations, and crewing up other department heads. Please help us get over the line by pledging, following us on Instagram, and sharing our campaign with anyone you know. Your contributions mean the world to us, and go towards recreating a timeless mode of filmmaking.
Stills featured (in order): The General (1926), Go West (1925), Dead Man (1995), High Noon (1952)
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Location Fees
Costs $2,000
To effectively capture the essence of the American west, we'll need to rent out locations in Montana, like a saloon and railroad station!
Lodging for the Cast & Crew
Costs $2,000
We'll need to make sure the cast and crew traveling into town for production have a roof over their head!
Costumes
Costs $1,000
What's a cowboy without his hat and spurs? This helps dress everyone in period accurate costumes!
Set Decoration
Costs $1,000
Props and set decoration breathe life into any film's setting. For our western, we'll need the saloon to be well stocked for customers!
Extra Help on Set
Costs $1,500
Hiring extra production assistants and gaffers helps the production run smoothly, and ensures no one has to juggle multiple jobs at once!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Quinton Buxton is an award-winning writer and director based out of Los Angeles, California. After graduating from University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, he worked for industry titans such as Noah Hawley, Alex Kurtzman, Robert Kirkman, and Eddie Gorodetsky, learning the ins-and-outs of the film and television industry, all while honing his craft. Now, he writes and directs short films, where his works have played at film festivals across the globe, winning the Audience Award at the Jack Oakie Comedy Short Film Festival, Best Screenplay at the Independent Horror Movie Awards, and the Haydenfilms Screenwriting Competition. His latest short, Coin Slot, was recently selected for the New York Indie Shorts Festival, the Rhode Island International Film Festival, the Cabane a Sang Film Festival, among others.
Luke Sargent is a cinematographer born and raised in Southern California. Growing up he struggled with dyslexia, making it extremely hard for him to connect with written or spoken stories. That is, until his grandfather introduced him to silent films like Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. Luke fell in love with the visual storytelling that allowed him to connect with stories without his dyslexia getting in the way. He enrolled at USC School of Cinematic Arts where he earned a Student Academy Award for the film Sweet Potatoes, as well as shooting his first feature film less than a year after graduating. Since then, Luke has worked on narrative films, television pilots, and music videos with artists such as UMI, Blake Mills, and My Morning Jacket, as well as brands like Nike, Autodesk, Magic the Gathering, and McDonalds. Luke always dreamed of making movies and now he does.