The Juniper Tree - Post-Production
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Sci-Fi, Fantasy
You've never seen a fairytale like this before. Set on an alien world, this interpretation of the Grimm Brother's fairytale delves deep into themes of environmental abuse, jealousy, fear of death, and rebirth, reimagining fundamental folklore constructs for a contemporary audience.
The Juniper Tree - Post-Production
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Sci-Fi, Fantasy
3 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $2,005 for post-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
18 supporters | followers
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You've never seen a fairytale like this before. Set on an alien world, this interpretation of the Grimm Brother's fairytale delves deep into themes of environmental abuse, jealousy, fear of death, and rebirth, reimagining fundamental folklore constructs for a contemporary audience.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
What Is "The Juniper Tree" About?
The Juniper Tree is a haunting narrative that finds its roots in the rich tapestry of the Brothers Grimm. Rooted in a time when oral traditions were still central to Europe culture, this story stands out due to its dark undertones and timeless allegories. Set in an otherworldly realm, our interpretation reinvents the character of the Stepmother, and is rebirthed as Arala, a mysterious woman with a deep connection to the ancient Juniper tree. Through enigmatic rituals and mystical practices, Arala seeks to heal herself from a life-threatening affliction by exploiting her transplanted family.
The film is a complex tale of abuse, whether through the lens of the environment, interpersonal relationships, or spirituality. Fairytales are a way to understand the world, and this narrative hopes to capture those intricacies and the dark truths of our behavior. These themes and allegories hold particular significance in a time that often feels directionless, where control over our surroundings seems elusive. As always, stories like these play a pivotal role in shaping our personal narratives, guiding us through the labyrinth of our collective experiences.
Ultimately, "The Juniper Tree" invites audiences to reflect on the complexities of the choices we make, offering a captivating and thought-provoking journey into a world where reality and myth converge.
What Will It Look Like?
Using a combination of naturalistic lighting approaches and stylized sequences, we hope to create a world that while similar to ours, feels distinctly different. Most importantly, we want to create a striking contrast between the warmth of the underground burrow home of the family, and the cold mystery of the forest. We'll be using a combination of VFX and practical prosthetics to help create the ethereal nature of this far off world.
Cinematically, we intend to draw inspiration from films like "The Witch", "Crimes of the Future" and "Pan's Labyrinth," employing their specific uses of tension, isolation, wacky biology and interplay between the supernatural and the mundane.
Who's Involved?
Honzo Smilek - Writer/Director
Originally born in Deerfield Beach, FL, Honzo grew up as the son of Czechoslovak immigrants in the greater Washington, DC area. Honzo has directed documentary shorts, narrative shorts and interviews, and also worked as the cinematographer for the short films "I'll Be Seeing You" and "Unexpected", and the camera operator for "Humanity Stoked". After a brief stint in the music industry (directing music videos and short form documentaries for artists like Anaya Lovenote & Davi Sol), Honzo turned his focus back to narrative filmmaking.
Liam Young - Executive Producer
Liam Young is a designer, director and BAFTA nominated producer who operates in the spaces between design, fiction and futures. Described by the BBC as ‘the man designing our futures’, his visionary films and speculative worlds are both extraordinary images of tomorrow and urgent examinations of the environmental questions facing us today.
Tommy Anderson & Jon Austin - Charthouse Films - Producers
Jon and Tommy are the co-owners of Charthouse Films, a production company based out of San Diego, CA. They have produced several TV shows and independent films over the last several years overseeing budgets ranging from $250k-$2 million, including the award-winning feature film "Riley".
Ian B. Gibson - Cinematographer/Editor
Ian is a filmmaker, editor and colorist based in the Los Angeles area. Growing up in Texas as a skateboarder, he was initially drawn into the world of filmmaking through skate videos. He has since worked all over the Unites States on a myriad of different films, including the award-winning documentary "Humanity Stoked." He has also worked on projects for Nike, Tribeca, and What Stops You.
More info about our team (and the rest of our talented cast and crew) can be found on the "Team" tab!
What's The Timeline?
We've completed for main shoots, in April and May of 2024, with an additional round of blue screen happening in July 2024. The first shoot took place in Los Angeles, on a set created by our talented production design team. We then headed up to Washington, in the Hoh Rainforest, to film the rest of the exterior scenes. Over the summer, we'll also film a few pickups on a green screen stage for a couple of VFX heavy sequences. As of September, we have completed all filming and are in the post-production process!
How Can I Help?
Your contribution, whether it's a modest $10 or a generous $1000, plays a pivotal role in realizing our film's vision. Each dollar brings us closer to creating a captivating world on screen, where every detail, every scene, and every character comes to life. Your pledge is not just a donation; it's an investment in storytelling, in the arts, and in the future of independent cinema. Every dollar counts, and every supporter like you helps us take a step closer to making 'The Juniper Tree' a reality. Join us on this incredible journey, and together, let's create something truly extraordinary.
Also feel free to follow us @thejunipertreefilm on Instagram, where we'll regularly post updates regarding the film and its development. Every like, comment, share and follow will help bring us closer to achieving our goal and bringing this story to life!!!!
We can't thank you enough for helping us out with this picture!!
Best regards,
Honzo and the Juniper Tree Team
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cash Pledge
Costs $1
Any extra dollars help!
Festivals and Distribution
Costs $500
Once filming wraps, we'll need help to get it to as many eyes as possible! This will also help cover travel expenses to major presentations.
Editing
Costs $1,000
As we are deep in the post-production process, we need additional support to work through editing, VFX, color correcting, & more!
Sound Design/Mixing
Costs $499
From every squelch to splatter, every fantasy film needs AMAZING sound design! This amount will also help us cover ADR, SFX and sound mixes.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Meet Our Team!
Honzo Smilek - Writer/Director
Originally born in Deerfield Beach, FL, Honzo grew up as the son of Czechoslovak immigrants in the greater Washington, DC area. His early forays into the entertainment space began in the theater, winning the Scoblionko Declamation Cup in 2015. During undergrad, Honzo began working at SiriusXM, and later joined Bird's Nest Productions up in NYC. Following Bird's Nest, Honzo directed documentary shorts, narrative shorts and interviews, while also working as the cinematographer for the short films "I'll Be Seeing You" and "Unexpected" and camera operator for "Humanity Stoked". After a brief stint in the music industry (directing music videos and short form documentaries for artists like Anaya Lovenote & Davi Sol), Honzo turned his focus back to narrative filmmaking.
Liam Young - Executive Producer
Liam Young is a designer, director and BAFTA nominated producer who operates in the spaces between design, fiction and futures. Described by the BBC as ‘the man designing our futures’, his visionary films and speculative worlds are both extraordinary images of tomorrow and urgent examinations of the environmental questions facing us today. As a worldbuilder he visualizes the cities, spaces and props of our imaginary futures for the film and television industry and with his own films he has premiered with platforms ranging from Channel 4, Apple+, SxSW, Tribeca, the New York Metropolitan Museum, The Royal Academy, Venice Biennale, the BBC and the Guardian. His films have been collected internationally by museums such as MoMA New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the National Gallery of Victoria and M Plus Hong Kong and has been acclaimed in both mainstream and design media including features with TED, Wired, New Scientist, Arte, Canal+, Time magazine and many more.
Tommy Anderson & Jon Austin - Charthouse Films - Producers
Jon and Tommy are the co-owners of Charthouse Films, a production company based out of San Diego, CA. They have produced several TV shows and independent films over the last several years overseeing budgets ranging from $250k-$2 million, including "Play It Cool", "The Jam", & the award-winning feature film "Riley". Their passion lies in helping independent artists take their vision from script to screen. They've also partnered with a number of brands including 'Power Press' and 'Faro'.
Brian "b." Bishop - Associate Producer
Brian "b." Bishop is the founder of N2B, a production company based out of Albuquerque, NM, with a mission to bring imagination into being. He has worked across a diverse range of creative fields, including social impact projects, photography, music, immersive design, and more. With a background in media and mathematics, Biran has produced and collaborated on various interdisciplinary projects aimed at blending art, movement, and innovation on the global stage.
Ian B. Gibson - Cinematographer/Editor
Ian is a filmmaker, editor and colorist based in the Los Angeles area. Growing up in Texas as a skateboarder, he was initially drawn into the world of filmmaking through skate videos. He later earned a degree in Radio Television and Film from The University of Texas at Austin. He has since worked all over the Unites States on a myriad of different projects, including the award-winning documentary "Humanity Stoked." He has also worked on projects for Nike, Tribeca, and What Stops You.
Dani Oliveros - "Arala"
Dani is an actress and model based in the Los Angeles area. She first started in entertainment based in New York City after graduating from a performing arts high school in Florida. After starring in numerous commercials, tv shows (including guest stars on CBS and NBC) and music videos, she recently wrapped production on Josh Stolberg's horror feature Skill House with producers Ryan Kavanaugh and Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson.
Colin McCalla - "Pilato"
Colin McCalla was born in Queens, NY and grew up performing local theatre before going to Pomona College in California to study Applied Mathematics. Before long, he veered from the academic path to pursue acting professionally and after booking a few co-star roles, landed his first break on Tyler Perry's Ruthless as a series regular. Most recently he can be seen in his recurring roles on All American and 9-1-1. He has also starred in feature films like "The Class" (2022). Outside of acting, Colin is an avid singer, dancer, and musician.
Natou Fall - Makeup & Prosthetics
Natou is a Senegalese-American interdisciplinary visual artist and creative director working across sculpture, film, makeup artistry, and design. Her practice embraces notions of multiplicity, and glamour to embolden radical self-acceptance, and challenge classical notions of beauty rooted in whiteness and heteronormativity. After receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Architecture and Design from the George Washington University, she went on to receive a Master’s in Architecture from SCI-Arc. In September of 2019 she received the Frank and Bertha Gehry Prize for her graduate thesis installation Shaping Face. Fall has been commissioned by brands like Sonos and Ami Colé, and worked on productions for performing artists Janelle Monae, and D’Smoke.
Fernando Acuna - Production Designer
Hailing from Mexico, Fernando brings a rich background in architecture and design to his burgeoning film career. His professional architectural thesis focused on emergency shelters in the aftermath of natural disasters, reflecting his commitment to addressing pressing societal needs through design. Transitioning into film, Fernando has lent his expertise as a set designer to notable projects like the AFI short "Rental".
Bhaavya Mathur - Production Designer
Bhaavya graduated from Mumbai University with a Bachelor's in Architecture, and is currently pursuing her post-graduate studies at Sci-Arc. She enjoys exploring spaces in whichever way perceivable- be it architecture, set design or digital environments. Through the lens of production design, she always tries to push the limits of aesthetic ethos. As production designer, she's worked on a number of shorts, including films for NYFA and "The Choice".
Alena Saveleva - VFX Artist
Alena is a video and VFX artist raised in Moscow, Russia. She first began her career in Beijing, and is currently based in Los Angeles. She graduated from Moscow Architectural Institute in 2019 and SCI-Arc in 2023. Her art practice is focused on ecological aesthetics and rediscovering the lost myths and fairy tales about nature.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
What Is "The Juniper Tree" About?
The Juniper Tree is a haunting narrative that finds its roots in the rich tapestry of the Brothers Grimm. Rooted in a time when oral traditions were still central to Europe culture, this story stands out due to its dark undertones and timeless allegories. Set in an otherworldly realm, our interpretation reinvents the character of the Stepmother, and is rebirthed as Arala, a mysterious woman with a deep connection to the ancient Juniper tree. Through enigmatic rituals and mystical practices, Arala seeks to heal herself from a life-threatening affliction by exploiting her transplanted family.
The film is a complex tale of abuse, whether through the lens of the environment, interpersonal relationships, or spirituality. Fairytales are a way to understand the world, and this narrative hopes to capture those intricacies and the dark truths of our behavior. These themes and allegories hold particular significance in a time that often feels directionless, where control over our surroundings seems elusive. As always, stories like these play a pivotal role in shaping our personal narratives, guiding us through the labyrinth of our collective experiences.
Ultimately, "The Juniper Tree" invites audiences to reflect on the complexities of the choices we make, offering a captivating and thought-provoking journey into a world where reality and myth converge.
What Will It Look Like?
Using a combination of naturalistic lighting approaches and stylized sequences, we hope to create a world that while similar to ours, feels distinctly different. Most importantly, we want to create a striking contrast between the warmth of the underground burrow home of the family, and the cold mystery of the forest. We'll be using a combination of VFX and practical prosthetics to help create the ethereal nature of this far off world.
Cinematically, we intend to draw inspiration from films like "The Witch", "Crimes of the Future" and "Pan's Labyrinth," employing their specific uses of tension, isolation, wacky biology and interplay between the supernatural and the mundane.
Who's Involved?
Honzo Smilek - Writer/Director
Originally born in Deerfield Beach, FL, Honzo grew up as the son of Czechoslovak immigrants in the greater Washington, DC area. Honzo has directed documentary shorts, narrative shorts and interviews, and also worked as the cinematographer for the short films "I'll Be Seeing You" and "Unexpected", and the camera operator for "Humanity Stoked". After a brief stint in the music industry (directing music videos and short form documentaries for artists like Anaya Lovenote & Davi Sol), Honzo turned his focus back to narrative filmmaking.
Liam Young - Executive Producer
Liam Young is a designer, director and BAFTA nominated producer who operates in the spaces between design, fiction and futures. Described by the BBC as ‘the man designing our futures’, his visionary films and speculative worlds are both extraordinary images of tomorrow and urgent examinations of the environmental questions facing us today.
Tommy Anderson & Jon Austin - Charthouse Films - Producers
Jon and Tommy are the co-owners of Charthouse Films, a production company based out of San Diego, CA. They have produced several TV shows and independent films over the last several years overseeing budgets ranging from $250k-$2 million, including the award-winning feature film "Riley".
Ian B. Gibson - Cinematographer/Editor
Ian is a filmmaker, editor and colorist based in the Los Angeles area. Growing up in Texas as a skateboarder, he was initially drawn into the world of filmmaking through skate videos. He has since worked all over the Unites States on a myriad of different films, including the award-winning documentary "Humanity Stoked." He has also worked on projects for Nike, Tribeca, and What Stops You.
More info about our team (and the rest of our talented cast and crew) can be found on the "Team" tab!
What's The Timeline?
We've completed for main shoots, in April and May of 2024, with an additional round of blue screen happening in July 2024. The first shoot took place in Los Angeles, on a set created by our talented production design team. We then headed up to Washington, in the Hoh Rainforest, to film the rest of the exterior scenes. Over the summer, we'll also film a few pickups on a green screen stage for a couple of VFX heavy sequences. As of September, we have completed all filming and are in the post-production process!
How Can I Help?
Your contribution, whether it's a modest $10 or a generous $1000, plays a pivotal role in realizing our film's vision. Each dollar brings us closer to creating a captivating world on screen, where every detail, every scene, and every character comes to life. Your pledge is not just a donation; it's an investment in storytelling, in the arts, and in the future of independent cinema. Every dollar counts, and every supporter like you helps us take a step closer to making 'The Juniper Tree' a reality. Join us on this incredible journey, and together, let's create something truly extraordinary.
Also feel free to follow us @thejunipertreefilm on Instagram, where we'll regularly post updates regarding the film and its development. Every like, comment, share and follow will help bring us closer to achieving our goal and bringing this story to life!!!!
We can't thank you enough for helping us out with this picture!!
Best regards,
Honzo and the Juniper Tree Team
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cash Pledge
Costs $1
Any extra dollars help!
Festivals and Distribution
Costs $500
Once filming wraps, we'll need help to get it to as many eyes as possible! This will also help cover travel expenses to major presentations.
Editing
Costs $1,000
As we are deep in the post-production process, we need additional support to work through editing, VFX, color correcting, & more!
Sound Design/Mixing
Costs $499
From every squelch to splatter, every fantasy film needs AMAZING sound design! This amount will also help us cover ADR, SFX and sound mixes.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Meet Our Team!
Honzo Smilek - Writer/Director
Originally born in Deerfield Beach, FL, Honzo grew up as the son of Czechoslovak immigrants in the greater Washington, DC area. His early forays into the entertainment space began in the theater, winning the Scoblionko Declamation Cup in 2015. During undergrad, Honzo began working at SiriusXM, and later joined Bird's Nest Productions up in NYC. Following Bird's Nest, Honzo directed documentary shorts, narrative shorts and interviews, while also working as the cinematographer for the short films "I'll Be Seeing You" and "Unexpected" and camera operator for "Humanity Stoked". After a brief stint in the music industry (directing music videos and short form documentaries for artists like Anaya Lovenote & Davi Sol), Honzo turned his focus back to narrative filmmaking.
Liam Young - Executive Producer
Liam Young is a designer, director and BAFTA nominated producer who operates in the spaces between design, fiction and futures. Described by the BBC as ‘the man designing our futures’, his visionary films and speculative worlds are both extraordinary images of tomorrow and urgent examinations of the environmental questions facing us today. As a worldbuilder he visualizes the cities, spaces and props of our imaginary futures for the film and television industry and with his own films he has premiered with platforms ranging from Channel 4, Apple+, SxSW, Tribeca, the New York Metropolitan Museum, The Royal Academy, Venice Biennale, the BBC and the Guardian. His films have been collected internationally by museums such as MoMA New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the National Gallery of Victoria and M Plus Hong Kong and has been acclaimed in both mainstream and design media including features with TED, Wired, New Scientist, Arte, Canal+, Time magazine and many more.
Tommy Anderson & Jon Austin - Charthouse Films - Producers
Jon and Tommy are the co-owners of Charthouse Films, a production company based out of San Diego, CA. They have produced several TV shows and independent films over the last several years overseeing budgets ranging from $250k-$2 million, including "Play It Cool", "The Jam", & the award-winning feature film "Riley". Their passion lies in helping independent artists take their vision from script to screen. They've also partnered with a number of brands including 'Power Press' and 'Faro'.
Brian "b." Bishop - Associate Producer
Brian "b." Bishop is the founder of N2B, a production company based out of Albuquerque, NM, with a mission to bring imagination into being. He has worked across a diverse range of creative fields, including social impact projects, photography, music, immersive design, and more. With a background in media and mathematics, Biran has produced and collaborated on various interdisciplinary projects aimed at blending art, movement, and innovation on the global stage.
Ian B. Gibson - Cinematographer/Editor
Ian is a filmmaker, editor and colorist based in the Los Angeles area. Growing up in Texas as a skateboarder, he was initially drawn into the world of filmmaking through skate videos. He later earned a degree in Radio Television and Film from The University of Texas at Austin. He has since worked all over the Unites States on a myriad of different projects, including the award-winning documentary "Humanity Stoked." He has also worked on projects for Nike, Tribeca, and What Stops You.
Dani Oliveros - "Arala"
Dani is an actress and model based in the Los Angeles area. She first started in entertainment based in New York City after graduating from a performing arts high school in Florida. After starring in numerous commercials, tv shows (including guest stars on CBS and NBC) and music videos, she recently wrapped production on Josh Stolberg's horror feature Skill House with producers Ryan Kavanaugh and Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson.
Colin McCalla - "Pilato"
Colin McCalla was born in Queens, NY and grew up performing local theatre before going to Pomona College in California to study Applied Mathematics. Before long, he veered from the academic path to pursue acting professionally and after booking a few co-star roles, landed his first break on Tyler Perry's Ruthless as a series regular. Most recently he can be seen in his recurring roles on All American and 9-1-1. He has also starred in feature films like "The Class" (2022). Outside of acting, Colin is an avid singer, dancer, and musician.
Natou Fall - Makeup & Prosthetics
Natou is a Senegalese-American interdisciplinary visual artist and creative director working across sculpture, film, makeup artistry, and design. Her practice embraces notions of multiplicity, and glamour to embolden radical self-acceptance, and challenge classical notions of beauty rooted in whiteness and heteronormativity. After receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Architecture and Design from the George Washington University, she went on to receive a Master’s in Architecture from SCI-Arc. In September of 2019 she received the Frank and Bertha Gehry Prize for her graduate thesis installation Shaping Face. Fall has been commissioned by brands like Sonos and Ami Colé, and worked on productions for performing artists Janelle Monae, and D’Smoke.
Fernando Acuna - Production Designer
Hailing from Mexico, Fernando brings a rich background in architecture and design to his burgeoning film career. His professional architectural thesis focused on emergency shelters in the aftermath of natural disasters, reflecting his commitment to addressing pressing societal needs through design. Transitioning into film, Fernando has lent his expertise as a set designer to notable projects like the AFI short "Rental".
Bhaavya Mathur - Production Designer
Bhaavya graduated from Mumbai University with a Bachelor's in Architecture, and is currently pursuing her post-graduate studies at Sci-Arc. She enjoys exploring spaces in whichever way perceivable- be it architecture, set design or digital environments. Through the lens of production design, she always tries to push the limits of aesthetic ethos. As production designer, she's worked on a number of shorts, including films for NYFA and "The Choice".