Directors Statement

I’ve never really been one for other people. I like having maybe one or two others around, but other than that, I’ve always just preferred to be alone. I have no particular problem with others but I get tripped up meeting people. I worry I can’t say the right things because I’m overthinking the idea that someone else perceives me. As I grow older, I find it harder to envision a version of myself that still reflects this. If I don't want to die with regrets, I’ll need to join the real world. So that's the crux of my problem. I’ve determined that human connection is the meaning of life, but I would still rather be alone.

This existential crisis is the focus of my film Sluggish. The film follows Henry, a sleep-addicted recluse who learns to go outside after his dreams revolt against him. When he's not sleeping, he’s working full-time as a dish boy at a local restaurant, and that's about it. He might hang out with a friend occasionally, but he never stays for more than an hour. When he gets home, he pops a handful of melatonin and dives into fantasy. To Henry, dreams are the meaning of life, not connection. It’s a core function of his being, serving as a dependency that only causes him to isolate himself more.

Visually I want to illustrate Henry's sleep addiction as an unhealthy relationship with escapism. To achieve this, I plan on shooting the dream sequences with a red camera while all waking scenes will be shot on an iPhone (with lens adaptors.) I also want to experiment with framerate by shooting our dream scenes at 48fps and our waking scenes at 24fps. The film’s aspect ratio will be locked at 16:9 so that our match cuts out of dreams will feel consistent. Dreams have always felt like movies; I want this film to trigger that cerebral connection.

We want to tell our story. Henry is an abstraction of myself that those already involved in this film can easily project onto. He is our vehicle for exploring the part of ourselves that wants to stay inside all day, ensnared by the fibers in our mattresses. This production will be a personal journey from beginning to end, and I can’t wait to see what we put together.

Synopsis

22-year-old Henry is a sleep-addicted man living reclusively in his dark laundry-filled apartment. He talks to no one at work, only daydreaming about getting off and going home to knock himself out with sleeping pills. In his dreams, a different version of Henry surfaces. By dreaming of himself as a cowboy, he can fulfill his solitary desires while understanding a feeling of true freedom.
One day, this fantastic fantasy is shattered when Henry accidentally shows up to an intervention hosted by his dreams. A man who looks like an employee he saw earlier in the day leads a talk while everyone in the story folds laundry on the ground. The man pulls out a slug and warns Henry that he will end up like the slug if nothing changes. He then throws Henry on the floor after telling him that he and the other dreams are going on strike until something changes.

Where will your money go?

• Locations
  • Beautiful locations
  • High-class hotel
• Cast
• Graphic Design for the project
• Equipment
  • Lighting
  • Camera ad-ons
• Crafty for set days
• Important Props

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