Synopsis
Parousia takes place years after nuclear fallout. We follow "The Chosen", a man who has devoted his life to an alien (creature) that has fallen from the sky and into his garage. The chosen believes the nuclear fallout to be "Judgement Day" and perceives the creature to be a deity from the heavens that has chosen him to carry out the new world. The chosen has fortified his home into a church and a fortress, luring scavengers to the beast. The story explores the loyalty between the two and if the creature is truly what it is said to be.
Introduction
Hi! My name is Michael Hurbanis (Writer/Director) and currently I am a film student at Texas State University. I have been making movies with my friends since sophomore year of Highschool when my longtime friend of thirteen years, Drexel Taylor (Cinematographer/Editor) asked me to act in his school project for fun. Since then we have gone on to work on two 48 hour film projects (one of which got first place in the Houston Area and played at Filmapalooza in the Netherlands), a music video, a plethora of short films, a few experimental projects, and two longer films that sit at roughly an hour. My journey as a filmmaker is ever changing as I continue to learn and mature with the hope of creating content that makes people think whilst being entertaining.
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-Still from a previous project (coming soon)-
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Why is it Important To Us?
This particular film is important to me for many reasons. Thematically this film deals with the idea of false prophets. A concept I continue to struggle with for currently in my formative years I look to people, organizations, and ideologies for guidance in figuring out how I wish to live my life. What I have learned is: There are no saints. Nobody is alien to human corruption, and those that seem to be are feeding just like the rest of us.
This film is also the first time we are attempting to fund something of ours publicly. Typically I tend to keep my projects close and fund them myself as there is usually a time constraint, or in full transparency: I can be stubborn and self-conscious. However, as I have grown as a filmmaker through my undergrad I have come to realize that there are a lot of people who are interested in my work personally, but also people who are willing to get involved in projects they find interesting and impactful.
It's Possible, but We Need Your Help!
I write what I know we can achieve with the resources we have available, and that still applies with this one. However, this is definitely the most ambitious project we’ve ever done in terms of scale. That’s where you come in! We want to do it right. We don’t want it to look cheap, and in order to completely sell the look we are going for we greatly appreciate all the help we can get. It means the world to us for you even giving our campaign a read, and we want to make something cool that everyone can be proud of and enjoy.
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-Still from another one of our shorts THOU SHALT NOT-
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Where is the Money Going?
This campaign is for the PRODUCTION of Parousia.
BELOW DESCRIBES SOME OF THE SPECIFICS IF INTERESTED
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A main portion of the budget is going to be allocated to the SET DECORATION, PROPS, and COSTUMES. This story takes place in a post nuclear society and it is important to us that we make it look like that.
SET DECORATION
- The house that the story takes place in will need to look dilapidated, but repaired in certain places.
- There are tons of practical lights strung throughout the house.
- The main character has also built various contraptions to fortify his home/base.
- The outside will look dead, destroyed, and most importantly, RAINY.
- Red searchlight “tower” (it’s not that big).
- The main character has created a shrine in his attic in honor of the alien. Tons of props and artwork depicting a “prophecy”.
- The attic also serves as a “detox” zone that he has constructed; we hope to use smoke in this space.
- Debris, etc.
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-Here are some examples of production design from our most recent short, STOCK, as well as projects our Production Designer, Bridget Burkhalter, has worked on (the fake rust of course will be utilized)-
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PROPS
- Replica Guns. Most guns will be re-decorated with custom wraps.
- Metal contraptions.
- Shrine artifacts.
- Lights (Flashlights).
- Etc.
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-Here is a Werewolf Prop we created for a project as well as a gun prop used in a previous film (coming soon)-
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COSTUMES
- Gas masks.
- Armor.
- Every character will be fully covered, decorated with whatever artifacts they have found in the world. Most are battle ready, with bandoliers, holsters, headlamps, etc.
- The costumes are to look worn and repurposed.
- Thermal wear. We are going to be shooting during the winter, the first scene with characters takes place outside in the rain. It is going to be cold and I want to make sure everyone is as warm as can be.
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Another main portion of the budget will go to our PRACTICAL SFX. We find value in doing everything in camera if possible, there’s just nothing like it. Even with the compositing we have done in the past, the effects themselves are always done in camera.
GORE EFFECTS
- Arm explosion. (An arm gets shot off).
- Blood (Squibs).
- SFX Makeup.
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-Example of a hand exploding effect (before and after) that we did for another film (Coming 2023 hopefully) made by our wonderful Production Designer and SFX Artist Bridget Burkhalter!-
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ALIEN (CREATURE)
- Tentacle puppet. (This is the main piece of communication for the creature, fully practical, fully puppeteered. Slimy, bumpy, hairy and gross).
- Mouth (This part is quite large, and will also be puppeteered).
FIREWORKS
- There are a few fireworks at a certain point in the story. We will definitely need to do multiple takes and fireworks are expensive.
RAIN
EQUIPMENT
- Camera Equipment
- Lenses
- Rain gear
- Steadicam
- Heaters
FOOD AND WATER
- Gotta stay hydrated!
- Gotta eat!
Perks
We greatly appreciate everyone for giving us your time, it truly means a lot. The least we can do is try and give some back! We want you guys to be alongside us as much as possible, and so we have implemented some fun perks to check out for donors!
Low Budget Sci-Fi
I feel as if there is a stigma around science fiction movies especially when it comes to the low-budget, indie realm. They're ambitious and tend to feel cheap. We've put a lot of thought into making something that clearly embraces the genre, but is grounded enough to make sense for our price range, but doesn't feel like we left anything out.
We strive to make something profound both visually and thematically.
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-Still from another one of our projects-
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Risks & Challenges
- The biggest risk currently on the forefront of our minds is shooting in the rain. It is something we have never done extensively before, but are excited to tackle.
- We plan on doing extensive testing for both the actors and the equipment.
- Thankfully only two scenes (one VERY short) take place outside.
- The creature itself
- The alien is definitely a challenge. We have made great strides in creating the puppet, but it will take some practice in mastering it's look and movement.
Other Ways You Can Help
Can't contribute? That's okay!
Once again, we greatly appreciate you even giving us the time of day in checking out our campaign.
You can still help by assisting in spreading the word! Share our link on whatever social media you have access to or find us on Instagram!
CONTACT US!
Follow us on Instagram!
@parousia_short_film
Questions? Email us!
parousiashortfilm@gmail.com (CURRENTLY DOWN, DM US ON INSTAGRAM FOR THE TIME BEING)
EXTRA INFORMATION BEYOND THIS POINT
FROM THE DOME
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From the Dome is a group that Drexel and I created in 2020 when we realized we should probably give a name to ourselves as a duo. As previously stated we have been friends for thirteen years, but have worked on films together for seven. We have plunged head first into this strange industry with no other intention than to make (what we find) cool and interesting content.
It's a partnership that I admire deeply and cannot wait to share more of with everyone.
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Other Work
Here are some stills of some of our past (and current) works.
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