A grounded sci-fi short film that delivers hope with a slight touch of humor. Jack was a promising scholar until his dedication to prove the existence of extra-terrestrial life consumed him into a mundane, repetitive cycle.

THE GAZER is the story of Jack. Jack owns a small alien jerky shop in the desert. Aside from the occasional lost tourist, and a lizard hanging around his shop, Jack finds himself completely isolated. After his repetitive daily pattern is mysteriously interrupted, Jack is reminded of the passion and hope he once had to prove the existence of extra terrestrial life. Set in the vein of Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of The Third Kind, E.T., and Colin Trevorrow's Safety Not Guaranteed, The Gazer has nods to classic ’70s and 80’s grounded sci-fi films with brief moments of hyperrealism. 

We want our short film to have great production value, and we want to do it by hiring extremely talented people. Because we're asking professionals to take time off their actual career to shoot this, a lot of our crowdfunding goes into labor. Other costs include equipment, set decorating, locations/permits, etc. (See below for breakdown). Your contribution will not only help fund this wonderful project but assure that people are getting paid for their hard work! 

Development/Pre-Production - Includes crowdfunding fees (making sure you get all your fun merch and gifts) and location fees & permits.

Production - Includes labor, camera/lighting/grip equipment, set decorations/props, wardrobe, picture cars, etc. 

Post Production - Includes labor, editing equipment/software, vfx, etc.

Festivals - Includes festival fees, DCP Fees, touring fees! 

Setting

This film will take place in the Mojave Desert and in a Novelty Store. Part of the funds will help us overcome challenges that come with shooting in these unique desert locations and the other is for dressing and creating our store! 

Lensing

What kind of shots and framing does the director have in mind? He's looking to shoot these vast desert scapes as well as low angle, intimate shots with very specific lighting. See below for some of his samples from his pitch deck! 

Lighting and Color

As we've said, this film is a grounded sci-fi, but still visually stunning. The director hopes for warm tones that contrast with cool tones as well. With specific lighting, he can get the exact tone to really help with mood of the film. In order to get the specifics we need to get the feel we want, need a decent budget for equipment as well as set design and wardrobe. These are an important aspect in bringing these color palettes to life. 

Thank You!

We appreciate you taking the time to see what our film is about. We hope that you will contribute to this amazing short and if you have any questions please feel free to reach out to us. The entire Gazer team looks forward to sharing this journey with you!