The Story
Solitary is a thriller about a brother and a sister on the run. Rachel is a lost soul, Bradley, an escaped prisoner. When he shows up at her house on the morning of his escape to see her one last time, Rachel refuses to say goodbye and decides, despite his objections, to join him on his escape.
Their goal: Uncle Peter's secluded cabin on the other side of town, where a car is waiting to take them to freedom. Getting there, however, means they must avoid all authorities and civilians who are on the hunt for them. To make things worse, they are soon joined by Bradley’s volatile and unpredictable cell mate, Harris, who will stop at nothing to make sure he never returns to prison.
As the search for them closes in, Bradley’s troubled past comes back to haunt him and Rachel begins to question his true nature. Will Bradley be able to find the redemption he’s been seeking? Will he be able to overcome his evil nature that he’s felt imprisoned by his whole life? Or will it consume him to the end?
The Reason
While clothed as a high-stakes thriller, Solitary, at its heart, deals primarily with the ways families handle trauma and the potential consequences of their negligence and suppression. It's a story about what can happen when we keep secrets and are afraid to ask for help. But, in the end, Solitary is an exploration of the redemptive quality found in the love between family members and how this love can have the ability to cure the worst of our ills and troubles.
The Team
Shawn Flanagan - Writer and Director
Shawn was born and raised in Plymouth, MA and currently resides in Brooklyn with a few friends. He is an Eagle Scout and will be graduating from NYU's Film and Television program in May 2016. Outside of his own projects, Shawn has worked on dozens of films over the past few years in many roles, including Producer, Assistant Director, and Gaffer, to name a few. He is concentrating in writing and directing and, in addition to his schoolwork, has worked at Martin Scorsese's production company, Sikelia Productions, since the summer of 2014. When he's not obsessing over movies and TV, Shawn reads Neil Degrasse Tyson and eats a lot of burgers.
Zach Stone - Director of Photography
Zach grew up in Beverly, MA and is a graduate of NYU's Film and TV program. He has been the director of photography for several NYU projects and has worked on TV shows like Louie and Younger. He is a freelance director currently creating music videos for established NYC bands. While in high school, Zach and Shawn met when they came in first and second at a student film festival in Massachusetts and later became friends when they both attended NYU. In his free time, Zach enjoys watching VHS tapes, making power moves, and drinking apple juice.
Check out his reel:
Jordan Axelrod - Producer
Jordan is a senior wrapping up his final year at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. During his time at film school, he has written and directed numerous short films while developing and writing a feature screenplay. He has also worked in the camera department of Jason Bateman's upcoming film "The Family Fang" and is currently shooting and editing behind the scenes material for the Broadway musical School of Rock with music by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. He is currently producing two Tisch student thesis films while completing the post production of his own. A Fort Myers, FL native, Jordan spends his free time learning the guitar, discovering new takeout restaurants, and playing catch with his aunt's maltipoo (Maltese-poodle), Zipper.
Christina O'Neil - Production Designer
Born and raised in South Florida, Christina is a graduate from NYU's Film and Television program. She has extensive experience heading and assisting production design teams on independent features, high-end commercials, and short films. She resides in Brooklyn and works as a freelance designer. In her spare time she likes to read Haruki Murakami, snack on crunch bars, and re-watch episodes of Parks and Recreation.
Check out her website : http://www.christina-oneil.com
The Donations
NYU has chosen Solitary to enter production and we are shooting in March. While the university provides us with production insurance, an extensive equipment package, and a small amount of money, most of this film is being funded with my personal savings. I have worked hard to save up the money I needed, but the budget we have now is filled primarily by the necessary costs of film production logistics.
From transporting a cast and crew of 20+ people across four states, lodging them for a week, and feeding them 3 meals a day, making a movie like this costs a lot of money. Transportation, lodging, and food alone will cost roughly $4,000, leaving us about $2,000 for camera, production design, stunts, and sound.
Donations will primarily serve to increase the portion of the budget we are allotting to the camera team. The locations we have the great fortune of shooting at offer so many exciting opportunities for lighting and compositions. Renting higher-grade lenses and more powerful lights will allow us take full advantage of what's offered from the locations and the beauty of New England in the winter.
Donations will essentially serve to increase the percentage of our budget we can devote to our creative passions and lower the percentage of our budget required for logistics.
Thank You
Your time and interest in my project mean the world. If you're able to donate, please check out the perks we've provided to the right. If not, sharing this page with friends and family will also be incredibly helpful.
We're beyond excited to be able to make this movie and I cannot wait to share this story with people. Working with the team I have and being able to make a movie like this where I grew up is truly a dream come true.
Thank you so much again for checking out our page and be sure to check back in when we've completed the film.
All the best,
Shawn Flanagan
Writer/Director - 'Solitary'