The Man From Lubbock
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Film-Noir, Mystery
This story began as an eight word iPhone note describing a single image of a bank robber on the lam. Two years later, that note has grown into a suspenseful, genre-bending script about accountability & lost time. Now, we need your help to turn it into a reality.
The Man From Lubbock
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Film-Noir, Mystery
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $19,540 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
149 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
This story began as an eight word iPhone note describing a single image of a bank robber on the lam. Two years later, that note has grown into a suspenseful, genre-bending script about accountability & lost time. Now, we need your help to turn it into a reality.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
STORY
Suffocated by the desolation of the West Texas desert, a twenty-five year old Girl is relegated to a lonely existence as the owner of a rundown motel in the middle of nowhere. With too much time on her hands and nobody to share it with, the Girl keeps herself busy by watching local news and taking care of the only place she's ever known — until one day, when an intriguing Man arrives just hours after a bank robbery in a neighboring town.
As she checks him in, they make small talk about how the Girl inherited the motel after her mother's recent passing, and the Man provides a bright spot in her otherwise boring day. However, when the Man heads to his room, the Girl notices that his pickup truck matches the description of the robber's getaway car. Suspecting that he may be the robber in question, the Girl phones the police to report the suspect. Luckily for her, the police assure her that his license plates don't match the ones that were pulled from the bank's security cameras.
Later in the night, the Girl repairs a broken chair outside the motel when the Man comes out of his room and offers her a helping hand. Everything seems completely normal once again, until they finish the job and the Girl discovers drops of blood on the screwdriver that the Man had been handling. She peeks through his window curtains and sees the Man shut himself inside his bathroom as he tends to a bloody wound. Thinking fast, she sneaks into his room and rifles through the contents of his duffel bag, only to discover a second license plate on top of an ocean of stolen cash.
The Girl hurries back to the reception office and phones the police, but it's too late...The Man — with the duffel bag of stolen money slung over his shoulder — catches her in the act. With nowhere to run, the Girl prepares for the worst as the Man marches toward her, but what he reveals to her is even more shocking than the discovery she made in his room. The Man tells her that he is no ordinary man at all, but that he is actually her long-lost Dad, and was recently paroled after serving a twenty-five year sentence for another armed robbery that he committed just after she was born. He robbed the bank for her, hoping that she will use the money to leave this place behind and live the life that he and her mother always wanted for her. As the police close in, the Man speeds away from the motel, and sacrifices himself in a fiery car crash that makes it possible for the Girl to cover her tracks and keeps the money.
When the dust settles the next morning, the Girl takes the money and leaves the lonely motel behind once and for all.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHY THIS STORY
The Man From Lubbock is a film that delivers the goods of what the cinematic experience is all about. It's a movie with deep emotional underpinnings that chills, thrills, and surprises, with an exciting twist that will leave you yearning for a rewatch as soon as the credits roll. It's a throwback to the genre films that inspired me to become a filmmaker, with strong themes about accountability, lost time, and redemption that elevate it to become something more than a simple potboiler. In a world where we often judge ourselves by our best intentions and others by their worst behavior, this film will serve as an important reminder that redemption is always worth striving for — even if our wounds may never fully heal.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUDGET
With over fifteen months of pre-production coming to a close, our film will officially move into production starting July 12th. This means building sets, traveling to locations, running cameras, and rolling sound is all just around the corner. With your donation, we'll be able to afford all sorts of supplies and equipment that otherwise wouldn't be possible, including: props and construction materials for our sets, meals and snacks for our hardworking cast and crew, lenses for our camera, costumes for our actors, and so much more. If you're still curious, head over to our "Wishlist" page for more budgetary details!
Once complete, The Man From Lubbock will premiere at USC and will subsequently be submitted to film festivals all over the world! Depending on your donation level, you will be able to view the film through a private screening link, an invitation to a live screening and wrap party at three different locations in the United States, or ongoing access to working cuts of the film throughout the entire post-production process.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STYLE
The Man From Lubbock is deeply rooted in the conventions of the genre films that inspired it. Combining the aesthetics of a neowestern with the perspective and narrative structure of a detective mystery, the two genres blend together to form a suspenseful neonoir in the unique setting of the American west.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TONE
While the film's plot is steeped in suspenseful set pieces that culminate in a pulse-pounding climax, a deeply emotional story marinates just underneath the surface of the Girl's daring investigation. With a melancholic tone that befits the two lost souls whose paths cross on a fateful night, The Man From Lubbock is a film that not only entertains, but emotionally engages in unexpected ways.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VISUALS
The Man From Lubbock's visual language is inspired by some of the greatest film noirs and neowesterns ever put to film, including Chinatown and No Country for Old Men. Constructed to reflect the ambiance of the desert itself, desaturated Earth tones will be at the heart of the Four Aces Motel's production and set design.
As the Man arrives with the onset of the desert night, the film will introduce contrasting shades of blue that accentuate his disruptive presence in the previously banal environment.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOCIAL
For updates on the project/campaign, head over to Quinten's Instagram and Facebook!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quinten.sansosti/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quinten.sansosti/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Accommodations for the Cast/Crew
Costs $1,800
Because we are shooting our exteriors outside of LA County, we need to house our cast/crew for one night of the shoot.
Meals/Craft Services
Costs $3,000
With your donation, you can provide meals to our hardworking cast/crew.
Transportation/Vehicles
Costs $2,200
Transportation and Gas for our equipment, gear, and art.
Production Design and Set Decoration
Costs $8,100
In order to be most cost effective, we are building our sets from scratch on USC sound stages and need construction materials, props, etc.
Camera
Costs $3,400
Having the very best camera equipment will allow us to shoot a beautiful, cinematic experience akin to what you see in a "real movie."
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Writer/Director: Quinten Sansosti
Quinten is a writer/director pursuing his M.F.A. in film production at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he received his B.A. at Duke University with a major in Political Science and a certificate in the Arts of the Moving Image. Outside of the classroom, Quinten managed the Duke Independent Film Festival, and covered the 2019 and 2020 Sundance Film Festival as an accredited press member on behalf of the organization's editorial department. He worked as a writer/director/editor for Pitch Story Lab, and has interned at a number of companies in different facets of the industry, including Blumhouse Productions, Paul Feig's FeigcoEntertainment, and XYZ Films.
Quinten enrolled at USC in January of 2021. His first short film, Clean Up, premiered at the Oscar Qualifying Hollyshorts Film Festival at the TCL Chinese theater. His latest short film, Laws of Nature, is currently in post production.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Producer: Jillian Rezen
Jillian is a filmmaker based in New York. She is currently pursuing her MFA in Film/TV Production from USC School of Cinematic Arts. She grew up in the best state in all of America: New Jersey, gabagool. Jillian has a BFA in Theatre, with a concentration in directing, from NYU Tisch. Her favorite movie is Little Miss Sunshine. She is her parents' favorite kid.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Producer: Anthony Starzynski
Anthony is an actor/writer/producer living in Los Angeles, CA. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, Anthony attended the University of Pittsburgh, where he played on the Division-I varsity basketball team and graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration.
Since moving to LA, Anthony has both trained and worked as an actor in a number of productions. He was most recently featured in a supporting role in Netflix's Falling for Christmas (2022) starring Lindsay Lohan. Prior to that, he co-starred in the short film Clean Up opposite Michael Monks, which premiered at the Oscar Qualifying Hollyshorts Film Festival at the TCL Chinese Theater. Most recently, he played the lead in the independent short film Dances with Mira, which is currently in post production. In between industry jobs, Anthony caddies at the Hillcrest Country Club in Beverly Hills, CA.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Producer: Sabatino Ciatti Jr.
Sabatino centers his filmmaking philosophy on connecting disparate people through authentic stories that inform and inspire. Hailing from the great state of New Jersey, Sabatino learned about the importance of family, culture, and hard work through his Italian-American upbringing. He developed a strong interest in understanding how films were made and often created lego recreations and home movies with his friends and family.
After earning a B.S. in Biology and B.A. in Film and Media Studies from Lafayette College, Sabatino intended to pursue medical school. However, he soon realized that life is too short to not pursue one’s true passion. Sabatino recently graduated from the University of Southern California, School of Cinematic Arts with an MFA in Film and Television Production and recently directed his thesis film, Wrestleoff, which is currently in post-production.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Director of Photography: Boson Wang
Raised in the Chinese auto city of Changchun, Boson Wang is a Film Director inspired by his experiences living in China and the States.
As a Director and Cinematographer, he works in in both the documentary and commercial world and has shot official doc spots for: Kobe Bryant, Walmart, Hasbro, UFC, VICE and Uninterrupted.
As a mentor for the Latino Film Institute, Boson teaches filmmaking to at-risk youth in his hometown of San Jose. The program provides an alternative for English learning students and teaches them the value of empathy, communication and teamwork through the filmmaking
Wang is bilingual and in his free time competes as an Amateur MMA fighter. His ultimate goal is to make feature films and he will pursue that as part of USC’s class of 2023 for a MFA in Film & TV Production.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Production Designer: Suzy Schofield
Suzy is a Los Angeles based production designer, and all around art department hand. She is an alum of CSU Long Beach with a degree in directing and producing for narrative projects. Since graduating, she found her place in film among the art department, collecting numerous credits in each division of the expansive department. Having studied in the narrative production track at school, Suzy's passion for design has been rooted in storytelling and progressing thematic details. She just finished principal photography for her first narrative design, The Wrestle-Off, and is in pre-production for another.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
STORY
Suffocated by the desolation of the West Texas desert, a twenty-five year old Girl is relegated to a lonely existence as the owner of a rundown motel in the middle of nowhere. With too much time on her hands and nobody to share it with, the Girl keeps herself busy by watching local news and taking care of the only place she's ever known — until one day, when an intriguing Man arrives just hours after a bank robbery in a neighboring town.
As she checks him in, they make small talk about how the Girl inherited the motel after her mother's recent passing, and the Man provides a bright spot in her otherwise boring day. However, when the Man heads to his room, the Girl notices that his pickup truck matches the description of the robber's getaway car. Suspecting that he may be the robber in question, the Girl phones the police to report the suspect. Luckily for her, the police assure her that his license plates don't match the ones that were pulled from the bank's security cameras.
Later in the night, the Girl repairs a broken chair outside the motel when the Man comes out of his room and offers her a helping hand. Everything seems completely normal once again, until they finish the job and the Girl discovers drops of blood on the screwdriver that the Man had been handling. She peeks through his window curtains and sees the Man shut himself inside his bathroom as he tends to a bloody wound. Thinking fast, she sneaks into his room and rifles through the contents of his duffel bag, only to discover a second license plate on top of an ocean of stolen cash.
The Girl hurries back to the reception office and phones the police, but it's too late...The Man — with the duffel bag of stolen money slung over his shoulder — catches her in the act. With nowhere to run, the Girl prepares for the worst as the Man marches toward her, but what he reveals to her is even more shocking than the discovery she made in his room. The Man tells her that he is no ordinary man at all, but that he is actually her long-lost Dad, and was recently paroled after serving a twenty-five year sentence for another armed robbery that he committed just after she was born. He robbed the bank for her, hoping that she will use the money to leave this place behind and live the life that he and her mother always wanted for her. As the police close in, the Man speeds away from the motel, and sacrifices himself in a fiery car crash that makes it possible for the Girl to cover her tracks and keeps the money.
When the dust settles the next morning, the Girl takes the money and leaves the lonely motel behind once and for all.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHY THIS STORY
The Man From Lubbock is a film that delivers the goods of what the cinematic experience is all about. It's a movie with deep emotional underpinnings that chills, thrills, and surprises, with an exciting twist that will leave you yearning for a rewatch as soon as the credits roll. It's a throwback to the genre films that inspired me to become a filmmaker, with strong themes about accountability, lost time, and redemption that elevate it to become something more than a simple potboiler. In a world where we often judge ourselves by our best intentions and others by their worst behavior, this film will serve as an important reminder that redemption is always worth striving for — even if our wounds may never fully heal.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUDGET
With over fifteen months of pre-production coming to a close, our film will officially move into production starting July 12th. This means building sets, traveling to locations, running cameras, and rolling sound is all just around the corner. With your donation, we'll be able to afford all sorts of supplies and equipment that otherwise wouldn't be possible, including: props and construction materials for our sets, meals and snacks for our hardworking cast and crew, lenses for our camera, costumes for our actors, and so much more. If you're still curious, head over to our "Wishlist" page for more budgetary details!
Once complete, The Man From Lubbock will premiere at USC and will subsequently be submitted to film festivals all over the world! Depending on your donation level, you will be able to view the film through a private screening link, an invitation to a live screening and wrap party at three different locations in the United States, or ongoing access to working cuts of the film throughout the entire post-production process.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STYLE
The Man From Lubbock is deeply rooted in the conventions of the genre films that inspired it. Combining the aesthetics of a neowestern with the perspective and narrative structure of a detective mystery, the two genres blend together to form a suspenseful neonoir in the unique setting of the American west.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TONE
While the film's plot is steeped in suspenseful set pieces that culminate in a pulse-pounding climax, a deeply emotional story marinates just underneath the surface of the Girl's daring investigation. With a melancholic tone that befits the two lost souls whose paths cross on a fateful night, The Man From Lubbock is a film that not only entertains, but emotionally engages in unexpected ways.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VISUALS
The Man From Lubbock's visual language is inspired by some of the greatest film noirs and neowesterns ever put to film, including Chinatown and No Country for Old Men. Constructed to reflect the ambiance of the desert itself, desaturated Earth tones will be at the heart of the Four Aces Motel's production and set design.
As the Man arrives with the onset of the desert night, the film will introduce contrasting shades of blue that accentuate his disruptive presence in the previously banal environment.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOCIAL
For updates on the project/campaign, head over to Quinten's Instagram and Facebook!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quinten.sansosti/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quinten.sansosti/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Accommodations for the Cast/Crew
Costs $1,800
Because we are shooting our exteriors outside of LA County, we need to house our cast/crew for one night of the shoot.
Meals/Craft Services
Costs $3,000
With your donation, you can provide meals to our hardworking cast/crew.
Transportation/Vehicles
Costs $2,200
Transportation and Gas for our equipment, gear, and art.
Production Design and Set Decoration
Costs $8,100
In order to be most cost effective, we are building our sets from scratch on USC sound stages and need construction materials, props, etc.
Camera
Costs $3,400
Having the very best camera equipment will allow us to shoot a beautiful, cinematic experience akin to what you see in a "real movie."
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Writer/Director: Quinten Sansosti
Quinten is a writer/director pursuing his M.F.A. in film production at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he received his B.A. at Duke University with a major in Political Science and a certificate in the Arts of the Moving Image. Outside of the classroom, Quinten managed the Duke Independent Film Festival, and covered the 2019 and 2020 Sundance Film Festival as an accredited press member on behalf of the organization's editorial department. He worked as a writer/director/editor for Pitch Story Lab, and has interned at a number of companies in different facets of the industry, including Blumhouse Productions, Paul Feig's FeigcoEntertainment, and XYZ Films.
Quinten enrolled at USC in January of 2021. His first short film, Clean Up, premiered at the Oscar Qualifying Hollyshorts Film Festival at the TCL Chinese theater. His latest short film, Laws of Nature, is currently in post production.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Producer: Jillian Rezen
Jillian is a filmmaker based in New York. She is currently pursuing her MFA in Film/TV Production from USC School of Cinematic Arts. She grew up in the best state in all of America: New Jersey, gabagool. Jillian has a BFA in Theatre, with a concentration in directing, from NYU Tisch. Her favorite movie is Little Miss Sunshine. She is her parents' favorite kid.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Producer: Anthony Starzynski
Anthony is an actor/writer/producer living in Los Angeles, CA. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, Anthony attended the University of Pittsburgh, where he played on the Division-I varsity basketball team and graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration.
Since moving to LA, Anthony has both trained and worked as an actor in a number of productions. He was most recently featured in a supporting role in Netflix's Falling for Christmas (2022) starring Lindsay Lohan. Prior to that, he co-starred in the short film Clean Up opposite Michael Monks, which premiered at the Oscar Qualifying Hollyshorts Film Festival at the TCL Chinese Theater. Most recently, he played the lead in the independent short film Dances with Mira, which is currently in post production. In between industry jobs, Anthony caddies at the Hillcrest Country Club in Beverly Hills, CA.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Producer: Sabatino Ciatti Jr.
Sabatino centers his filmmaking philosophy on connecting disparate people through authentic stories that inform and inspire. Hailing from the great state of New Jersey, Sabatino learned about the importance of family, culture, and hard work through his Italian-American upbringing. He developed a strong interest in understanding how films were made and often created lego recreations and home movies with his friends and family.
After earning a B.S. in Biology and B.A. in Film and Media Studies from Lafayette College, Sabatino intended to pursue medical school. However, he soon realized that life is too short to not pursue one’s true passion. Sabatino recently graduated from the University of Southern California, School of Cinematic Arts with an MFA in Film and Television Production and recently directed his thesis film, Wrestleoff, which is currently in post-production.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Director of Photography: Boson Wang
Raised in the Chinese auto city of Changchun, Boson Wang is a Film Director inspired by his experiences living in China and the States.
As a Director and Cinematographer, he works in in both the documentary and commercial world and has shot official doc spots for: Kobe Bryant, Walmart, Hasbro, UFC, VICE and Uninterrupted.
As a mentor for the Latino Film Institute, Boson teaches filmmaking to at-risk youth in his hometown of San Jose. The program provides an alternative for English learning students and teaches them the value of empathy, communication and teamwork through the filmmaking
Wang is bilingual and in his free time competes as an Amateur MMA fighter. His ultimate goal is to make feature films and he will pursue that as part of USC’s class of 2023 for a MFA in Film & TV Production.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Production Designer: Suzy Schofield
Suzy is a Los Angeles based production designer, and all around art department hand. She is an alum of CSU Long Beach with a degree in directing and producing for narrative projects. Since graduating, she found her place in film among the art department, collecting numerous credits in each division of the expansive department. Having studied in the narrative production track at school, Suzy's passion for design has been rooted in storytelling and progressing thematic details. She just finished principal photography for her first narrative design, The Wrestle-Off, and is in pre-production for another.