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Straw Man is an idea that has been percolating for a long time. It started with a simple sketch of a scarecrow in a nice suit and evolved into an epic tale of love and violence in a capitalist world of straw.
The film takes place in a strange world called Scarecrow Country. Every citizen is a scarecrow -- made of burlap, pumpkin, or a bucket. And they are all struggling.
Recently, Scarecrow Country passed a law that made it legal for citizens to sell their bodies to the government after death. Once they die, the government auctions their corpse to the highest bidders, and their lifeless in-animate corpses guard the nation’s crops.
This brings us to TOM, Straw Man’s de-facto antihero. Once an idealistic farmhand, Tom has grown into a government stooge who collects the bodies of deceased scarecrows and transports them to farms. He lives a meaningless existence. Tom's world is flipped upside down when he gets a phone call and learns that his old flame, SUZANNE, is dying of cancer.
Suzanne was the daughter of a cruel farmer, MR. BELL, who ruled his small empire with an iron fist. In their past, Tom and Suzanne formed a "Romeo and Juliet-esque" relationship, leading them to make an ill-fated escape attempt from their claustrophobic farm life. Unfortunately, like Romeo and Juliet, the attempt resulted in tragedy, and the star-crossed lovers were permanently separated. Suzanne went back to the farm; Tom was banished from his love.
Now, realizing he has little time left, Tom abandons the life he has built for himself in a last-ditch effort to see her one last time. Of course, facing the past is never easy. Tom must face intense violence and haunting memories to regain the love he lost.
We need your help to make this 15-minute epic. I can almost guarantee that no one is making a movie like this. With your help, we can.
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Our campaign goal is $7,500, which will help us cover all necessary aspects of our production, from crew to art design to festival fees.
These costs include:
- costume and art design,
- production and crew fees,
- locations
- transportation,
- catering for cast and crew,
- post-production fees,
- and festival costs.
Your help will support us from pre-production through distribution.
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We have assembled an amazing crew of costume and prop designers to bring life into inanimate scarecrows.
Of course, we can’t shoot their work without a crew. You can help us get top-notch, Georgia-based talent with your donations. From paying rates to on-set meals, you will keep our hard-working team happy (a necessity for any film). In post-production, your donations will go to piecing the film together and sending it into the world. It all comes together in the editing room, and we want quality work!
The remaining fees go towards our film festival run! Festival fees are not cheap, but we are determined to get this shown across the country. In many ways, your generosity will reflect on the audiences we gather.
Your generosity means so much that we've created perks just for you! From social media shoutouts to behind-the-scenes photos to producer credits, we aim to show you how grateful we are.
You have our word that every dollar will be represented on screen, covered in burlap, and stuffed with straw.
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You might be thinking, how can a movie about scarecrows have an impact? I completely understand that trepidation… I mean, it is a weird concept.
With Straw Man, we’re just putting our emotions into scarecrows. The film grapples with a variety of themes that many Americans can relate to. In many ways, Scarecrow Country, a nation in which it is legal to hire the dead to do the job of the living, is a land of immense automation. As jobs are literally dying out, many of its citizens are realizing just how much they matter to their country. These ideas of economic despair, while somewhat unique to the film’s universe, are sure to ring true for many Americans in the audience.
Related to the economic themes, the film will interrogate the possibility of finding love in a world driven by capital. When everything, including human time, has a price tag, what is the value of love? Is it a fantasy to think that it can survive in such a cold world? Or is it the one thing that transcends the alternatively cruel and mundane lives we find ourselves in?
Speaking of fantasy, the film tells a story of one of life’s most relatable experiences: losing love. Everyone has lost someone. I’d bet that many people would do practically anything to get them back -- even if it were just for a couple of minutes.
This is Tom’s journey.
As we watch him risk more and more, we're forced to wonder if it's really possible to return to that “simpler time.”
Overall, the film deals with loss. Lost potential, lost meaning, lost love and lost time.
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A film as high concept as Straw Man is not without a few challenges. Based on the art department alone, this is a great undertaking. Not only do we have to create a unique and memorable style for our characters, but we must consider our cast's well-being above all else.
Comfort, safety, and communication is our top priority. Each mask is specifically tailored to the actors to provide visibility, breathability, and ventilation. After all, you cannot just throw some burlap over an actor’s head and call it a day.
We promise that any concern, from our cast or crew, will be addressed before production and on-set. With your support, We can jump on all potential obstacles as early as possible.
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Want to spread the word but not sure how? You can help us by spreading the Straw Man word! Copy and paste any of the below examples on your social media accounts, blogs, vlogs, text messages, and emails! Start with your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors.
Feel free to use the link and blurb below when posting about us!
“The Straw Man campaign is now LIVE! If you are a fan of indie filmmaking, oddball ideas, or scarecrows, don't miss your chance to be a part of something big! So excited about this new film! Follow the campaign on Instagram (@strawman_ga) and Facebook (Straw Man) for more updates!”
"I'm so excited that @athensmoviedude has written and is directing his upcoming MFA thesis film, "Straw Man" @strawman_ga with an awesome cast and crew! Follow the journey from script to screen on @indiegogo:
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Writer/Director: James Larroca is a filmmaker based in Fayetteville, Georgia. The project is in association with the University of Georgia, where he is earning his MFA degree.
Stylistically, he uses high-concept storytelling and bizarre humor to both entertain and engage audiences. Not content to just be weird, his oddball sensibilities help him explore the ways in which American life grows more troubled, more absurd, and more isolating every day.
Straw Man combines his biggest fixations as an artist… loneliness, the American Dream, and scarecrows.
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Producer: Jaleigha Jones has several short films and web series, including "Sunday Dinner.”Jaleigha's currently receiving her Master of Fine Arts in Film, Television, and Digital Media from the University of Georgia.
Jaleigha has a passion for developing high-concept stories. She hopes to expand the range of storytellers and build efforts for all people to recognize themselves and participate in the stories we all see and need.
Director of Photography: Deanté Gray is an award-winning filmmaker born in Houston, Texas. As a cinematographer, Deanté has credits on over 15 films and web series’, including three feature films set to arrive in 2023. Deanté has established himself as a cinematographer who takes influence from his love of street photography and foreign art.
After retiring from professional football, he received his master's degree in film from the New York Film Academy (CA). He is currently based in Houston, Texas.