The Snow Leopard
San Francisco, California | Film Short
Drama, Music
A composer meets with her strict composition teacher to help put the final touches on a new piece for string quartet. Their meeting reveals a deep tension, wayward dreams, music, nightmare, and decay. Think Powell and Pressburger’s The Red Shoes meets Robert Eggers' The Lighthouse.
The Snow Leopard
San Francisco, California | Film Short
Drama, Music
2 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $15,500 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
60 supporters | followers
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A composer meets with her strict composition teacher to help put the final touches on a new piece for string quartet. Their meeting reveals a deep tension, wayward dreams, music, nightmare, and decay. Think Powell and Pressburger’s The Red Shoes meets Robert Eggers' The Lighthouse.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The Snow Leopard tells the story of a composer student who meets with her strict composition teacher to help put the final touches on a new piece she is writing for string quartet.
Over the course of this workshop, repressed tensions are revealed between the two characters, interspersed with moments of surrealism and music.
- The Apprentice - bright, but struggling to pinpoint the role of new music in the modern world, as well as her own identity as a composer.
The Mentor - established, and with many years of teaching behind him. The Mentor sees a bright future for his student if only she would submit to his worldview and his occasionally overbearing approaches to the craft of composition. 
This is the Apprentice’s story, we see the film mostly through her eyes, and the Mentor character is the emotional and physical obstacle that she must overcome.
In each scene there is a shifting power dynamic between the two, all of it laced together through their dense discussions on music, on the place for art in the modern world, and on their curiosities regarding composers of the past.
At the heart of it all, this is a film about the fading relationship between two individuals.
The overall tone of the film is heavy on atmosphere, with highly choregraphed camera movements and moody use of sound design.
The film is a two hander centering around a discussion, so the charcater's use of that dialogue will be an essential aspect to the tone.
Interwoven through that dialogue will be shifting uses of sound design such as low hums and pulses, as well as a muting of the outside world, leaving the composer's discussion to feel dispirate and detached - much like the characters themselves.
We are presenting a dreamy and haunting world.
Think Powell and Pressburger's The Red Shoes, meets Robert Eggers' The Lighthouse.
The Red Shoes in terms of subject matter, and The Lighthouse in terms of craft and tone.
-
Camera movement
As these composers reflect an absolute and unflinching control over their own work, this film will reflect that same sense of control in every frame.
One way we are expressing this control is by executing highly choreographed movements between the actors and the camera, where blocking will become synonymous with action, story, and character. Allowing this control to manifest itself on screen will serve to move the story forward, reveal character motivations, and amplify the coming dread.
-
Aspect ratio
The first 3/4ths of the film will be shot in a 2:1 aspect ratio.
This aspect ratio is slightly taller than your normal widescreen and will be used to show a larger-than life depiction of the composers and the locations the story takes them, such as a beautiful meadow with surrounding hills and trees as well as the plunging depths of an epic concert hall.
The final 4th of the film will be shot in a 4:3 aspect ratio - boxy and soffocating.
-
Media mixing
One way we plan on keeping the discussion feeling fresh is the use of media mixing. At specifically timed moments the film will cut to stills, to portraits, to pages in a book, and to animation.
-
Surrealism
Dreams are an important theme in the Snow Leopard, as is decay. We will be showcasing both with brief moments of magical realism.
All of this is to bring to life the world of these composers, and to amplify their growing emotions.
As the power dynamic between the two charcaters shifts, the tension between the two deepens and grows until it reaches the climactic and musical finale.
Where the film mostly centers around a discussion between the Apprentice and the Mentor, the final moments of the film are set only to music, to the Apprentice’s piece for string quartet.
Over the course of the workshop we hear the composers discuss The Apprentice's piece for string quartet, and finally at the end of the film we hear it in full.
Thus begins a dreamy ending coda to the film set entirely to the Apprentice's music. We've descended fully into the Apprentice's world and the film reflects that.
This piece of music has been written by composer Taylor Joshua Rankin, performed by Friction Quartet, and recorded by Beau Sorenson at Tiny Telephone Studios.
It will be the emotional pay off and climactic finale that leads us to through the end of the film.
We are pulling from a variety of influences to execute the exact and unique aesethic we're going for.
These are the film influences we're pulling from and the specific techniques we're locating:
- Camera movement
Long Day's Journey into Night (Bi Gan), The Lighthouse (Robert Eggers), Eraserhead (David Lynch), La Pointe Courte (Agnes Varda).
- Editing/media mixing
The House that Jack Built (Lars Von Trier)
- Dialogue
I'm Thinking of Ending Things (Charlie Kaufman), Slacker (Richard Linklater), My Dinner with Andre (Louis Malle).
- Blocking
8 1/2 (Federico Fellini), La Pointe Courte (Agnes Varda), Rope (Alfred Hitchcock), The Silence (Ingmar Bergman).
- Sound Design
Eraserhead (David Lynch), I'm Thinking of Ending Things (Charlie Kaufman), Ugetsu Monogatari (Kenji Mizoguchi).
See also: Pierrot Le Fou, La Chinoise, Blue, The Piano Teacher, Audition, Autumn Sonata, The Red Shoes.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast/Crew Stipends + Meals
Costs $5,850
This ensures that everyone on our production is paid and fed. Help us take care of our cast and crew
Equipment Rentals
Costs $4,050
We will be working with high quality, industry standard equipment to tell this story.
Locations
Costs $750
Our location is an essential character in this story. Help us secure the best location we can!
Animation
Costs $750
Moments in this film descend into beautiful animated sequences. Help us make this a reality!
Insurance
Costs $1,200
For our industry standard equipment, we must make sure we meet our insurance needs!
Post Production/Finishing
Costs $2,400
This is for Coloring, Sound Mixing, Sound Design, Editing, and help with festival submission costs!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Producer - Anna G. Robertson
Anna Robertson is a San Francisco-based producer, writer, and filmmaker and is the founder of Step One Films. Anna started her career in the entertainment industry as an acrobat and aerialist with the San Francisco Circus and various other clients across the country.
She has spent the last ten years working in production on a variety of feature films, commercials, documentaries, and music videos (with credits including Bumblebee, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Ant Man and the Wasp, and Venom), all the while independently producing short films and branded digital content.
A lifelong lover of horror films, Anna founded Step One Films in 2020 to develop and produce original narrative projects that use genre elements to tell fresh stories from diverse perspectives.
Anna's IMDB
Writer/Director/Composer - Taylor Joshua Rankin
Taylor Joshua Rankin is an award-winning composer and filmmaker located in the San Francisco, Bay Area.
Taylor's music has been performed by ensembles across the United States, such as Grammy-Award-winning ensemble Third Coast Percussion, The San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Friction Quartet, the NYU Marimba Ensemble, as well as at the Eastman School of Music, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the University of Michigan, Cal State East Bay, the Hot Air Music Festival, and for the 2018 season of Pop Up Magazine for Magik*Magik Orchestra. In 2017 Taylor received his Masters in Music Composition from the San
Francisco Conservatory where he studied privately under Grammy Award winning composer Mason Bates.
Taylor also works in post-production as a video editor for the San Francisco Symphony. Taylor's work with the SF Symphony has been featured in the New York Times, The New Yorker, the SF Chronicle, SF Classical Voice, and on KQED.
Taylor's website
Cinematographer - Joshua Pausanos
Joshua Pausanos is a cinematographer based in the Bay Area, CA. His passion as a visual storyteller is inspired by the collaborative spirit of community and the belief that inclusion is the best ingredient for truthful imagery. With this purpose, Joshua strives to uncover the heartbeat of each story, whether in narrative, documentary or commercial projects.
His work has been featured on Nowness, Booooom, and on Vimeo as a Staff Pick and most recently Joshua has worked with Adidas, Rolling Stone, Charles Schwabb, Square, LinkedIn, Facebook and Turo.
Joshua's IMDB
Production Designer - Melanie Leandro
Melanie Leandro is a Latina artist focused on production design for films and commercials.
She refines her style by exploring various art forms from sfx makeup, sketching, fabricating as well as spending plenty of time outdoors. Inspiration is found in her love to travel and meet many different people of various backgrounds. Having designed many short and feature films, her passion is to lift up those whose voices need to be heard.
Notable projects she had the opportunity to work on include feature films like Blindspotting, Sorry to Bother you, Red Snow and Bring me an Avocado, and clients like Disney, Doordash, UnderArmour, Apple, Facebook, and Google.
Melanie's IMDB
Lead Actor - Serra Naiman
Serra Naiman is a Bay Area based actor, writer, improviser, and musician. Comedically trained in Chicago for 5 years, and musically trained by her bluegrass loving family since birth. Serra’s writing has been screened/performed in various festivals including the Mary Scruggs Works By Women Festival at The Second City in Chicago, on stage with The San Francisco Neo-Futurists, and the short film corner of the Cannes international film festival in France.
Her recent credits include a supporting role in the feature “I Wrote This For You” now streaming on Amazon prime.
Serra's IMDb
Colorist - Sean Wells
Sean has been a full-time colorist since 2011, and his experience working with the artists at The Orphanage, Lucasfilm & ILM has turned me into a pixel purist for color and creative collaboration!
He runs a post-production shop in Oakland called Roast n' Post.
Sean's IMDB
Production Manager - Caitlyn Durkin
Caitlyn Durkin is a Creative Producer with specialties in development and production of narrative content.
Caitlyn’s credits include work on the films Top Gun: Maverick, Bumblebee, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Ant-Man, and the series 13 Reasons Why
Caitlyn's IMDB
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The Snow Leopard tells the story of a composer student who meets with her strict composition teacher to help put the final touches on a new piece she is writing for string quartet.
Over the course of this workshop, repressed tensions are revealed between the two characters, interspersed with moments of surrealism and music.
- The Apprentice - bright, but struggling to pinpoint the role of new music in the modern world, as well as her own identity as a composer.
- The Mentor - established, and with many years of teaching behind him. The Mentor sees a bright future for his student if only she would submit to his worldview and his occasionally overbearing approaches to the craft of composition.
This is the Apprentice’s story, we see the film mostly through her eyes, and the Mentor character is the emotional and physical obstacle that she must overcome.
In each scene there is a shifting power dynamic between the two, all of it laced together through their dense discussions on music, on the place for art in the modern world, and on their curiosities regarding composers of the past.
At the heart of it all, this is a film about the fading relationship between two individuals.
The overall tone of the film is heavy on atmosphere, with highly choregraphed camera movements and moody use of sound design.
The film is a two hander centering around a discussion, so the charcater's use of that dialogue will be an essential aspect to the tone.
Interwoven through that dialogue will be shifting uses of sound design such as low hums and pulses, as well as a muting of the outside world, leaving the composer's discussion to feel dispirate and detached - much like the characters themselves.
We are presenting a dreamy and haunting world.
Think Powell and Pressburger's The Red Shoes, meets Robert Eggers' The Lighthouse.
The Red Shoes in terms of subject matter, and The Lighthouse in terms of craft and tone.
-
Camera movement
As these composers reflect an absolute and unflinching control over their own work, this film will reflect that same sense of control in every frame.
One way we are expressing this control is by executing highly choreographed movements between the actors and the camera, where blocking will become synonymous with action, story, and character. Allowing this control to manifest itself on screen will serve to move the story forward, reveal character motivations, and amplify the coming dread.
-
Aspect ratio
The first 3/4ths of the film will be shot in a 2:1 aspect ratio.
This aspect ratio is slightly taller than your normal widescreen and will be used to show a larger-than life depiction of the composers and the locations the story takes them, such as a beautiful meadow with surrounding hills and trees as well as the plunging depths of an epic concert hall.
The final 4th of the film will be shot in a 4:3 aspect ratio - boxy and soffocating.
-
Media mixing
One way we plan on keeping the discussion feeling fresh is the use of media mixing. At specifically timed moments the film will cut to stills, to portraits, to pages in a book, and to animation.
-
Surrealism
Dreams are an important theme in the Snow Leopard, as is decay. We will be showcasing both with brief moments of magical realism.
All of this is to bring to life the world of these composers, and to amplify their growing emotions.
As the power dynamic between the two charcaters shifts, the tension between the two deepens and grows until it reaches the climactic and musical finale.
Where the film mostly centers around a discussion between the Apprentice and the Mentor, the final moments of the film are set only to music, to the Apprentice’s piece for string quartet.
Over the course of the workshop we hear the composers discuss The Apprentice's piece for string quartet, and finally at the end of the film we hear it in full.
Thus begins a dreamy ending coda to the film set entirely to the Apprentice's music. We've descended fully into the Apprentice's world and the film reflects that.
This piece of music has been written by composer Taylor Joshua Rankin, performed by Friction Quartet, and recorded by Beau Sorenson at Tiny Telephone Studios.
It will be the emotional pay off and climactic finale that leads us to through the end of the film.
We are pulling from a variety of influences to execute the exact and unique aesethic we're going for.
These are the film influences we're pulling from and the specific techniques we're locating:
- Camera movement
Long Day's Journey into Night (Bi Gan), The Lighthouse (Robert Eggers), Eraserhead (David Lynch), La Pointe Courte (Agnes Varda).
- Editing/media mixing
The House that Jack Built (Lars Von Trier)
- Dialogue
I'm Thinking of Ending Things (Charlie Kaufman), Slacker (Richard Linklater), My Dinner with Andre (Louis Malle).
- Blocking
8 1/2 (Federico Fellini), La Pointe Courte (Agnes Varda), Rope (Alfred Hitchcock), The Silence (Ingmar Bergman).
- Sound Design
Eraserhead (David Lynch), I'm Thinking of Ending Things (Charlie Kaufman), Ugetsu Monogatari (Kenji Mizoguchi).
See also: Pierrot Le Fou, La Chinoise, Blue, The Piano Teacher, Audition, Autumn Sonata, The Red Shoes.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast/Crew Stipends + Meals
Costs $5,850
This ensures that everyone on our production is paid and fed. Help us take care of our cast and crew
Equipment Rentals
Costs $4,050
We will be working with high quality, industry standard equipment to tell this story.
Locations
Costs $750
Our location is an essential character in this story. Help us secure the best location we can!
Animation
Costs $750
Moments in this film descend into beautiful animated sequences. Help us make this a reality!
Insurance
Costs $1,200
For our industry standard equipment, we must make sure we meet our insurance needs!
Post Production/Finishing
Costs $2,400
This is for Coloring, Sound Mixing, Sound Design, Editing, and help with festival submission costs!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Producer - Anna G. Robertson
Anna Robertson is a San Francisco-based producer, writer, and filmmaker and is the founder of Step One Films. Anna started her career in the entertainment industry as an acrobat and aerialist with the San Francisco Circus and various other clients across the country.
She has spent the last ten years working in production on a variety of feature films, commercials, documentaries, and music videos (with credits including Bumblebee, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Ant Man and the Wasp, and Venom), all the while independently producing short films and branded digital content.
A lifelong lover of horror films, Anna founded Step One Films in 2020 to develop and produce original narrative projects that use genre elements to tell fresh stories from diverse perspectives.
Anna's IMDB
Writer/Director/Composer - Taylor Joshua Rankin
Taylor Joshua Rankin is an award-winning composer and filmmaker located in the San Francisco, Bay Area.
Taylor's music has been performed by ensembles across the United States, such as Grammy-Award-winning ensemble Third Coast Percussion, The San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Friction Quartet, the NYU Marimba Ensemble, as well as at the Eastman School of Music, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the University of Michigan, Cal State East Bay, the Hot Air Music Festival, and for the 2018 season of Pop Up Magazine for Magik*Magik Orchestra. In 2017 Taylor received his Masters in Music Composition from the San
Francisco Conservatory where he studied privately under Grammy Award winning composer Mason Bates.
Taylor also works in post-production as a video editor for the San Francisco Symphony. Taylor's work with the SF Symphony has been featured in the New York Times, The New Yorker, the SF Chronicle, SF Classical Voice, and on KQED.
Taylor's website
Cinematographer - Joshua Pausanos
Joshua Pausanos is a cinematographer based in the Bay Area, CA. His passion as a visual storyteller is inspired by the collaborative spirit of community and the belief that inclusion is the best ingredient for truthful imagery. With this purpose, Joshua strives to uncover the heartbeat of each story, whether in narrative, documentary or commercial projects.
His work has been featured on Nowness, Booooom, and on Vimeo as a Staff Pick and most recently Joshua has worked with Adidas, Rolling Stone, Charles Schwabb, Square, LinkedIn, Facebook and Turo.
Joshua's IMDB
Production Designer - Melanie Leandro
Melanie Leandro is a Latina artist focused on production design for films and commercials.
She refines her style by exploring various art forms from sfx makeup, sketching, fabricating as well as spending plenty of time outdoors. Inspiration is found in her love to travel and meet many different people of various backgrounds. Having designed many short and feature films, her passion is to lift up those whose voices need to be heard.
Notable projects she had the opportunity to work on include feature films like Blindspotting, Sorry to Bother you, Red Snow and Bring me an Avocado, and clients like Disney, Doordash, UnderArmour, Apple, Facebook, and Google.
Melanie's IMDB
Lead Actor - Serra Naiman
Serra Naiman is a Bay Area based actor, writer, improviser, and musician. Comedically trained in Chicago for 5 years, and musically trained by her bluegrass loving family since birth. Serra’s writing has been screened/performed in various festivals including the Mary Scruggs Works By Women Festival at The Second City in Chicago, on stage with The San Francisco Neo-Futurists, and the short film corner of the Cannes international film festival in France.
Her recent credits include a supporting role in the feature “I Wrote This For You” now streaming on Amazon prime.
Serra's IMDb
Colorist - Sean Wells
Sean has been a full-time colorist since 2011, and his experience working with the artists at The Orphanage, Lucasfilm & ILM has turned me into a pixel purist for color and creative collaboration!
He runs a post-production shop in Oakland called Roast n' Post.
Sean's IMDB
Production Manager - Caitlyn Durkin
Caitlyn Durkin is a Creative Producer with specialties in development and production of narrative content.