Summary
Nathan, a medical physician, starts to assist executions at an Ohio correctional facility. Upon viewing a typical procedure, Nathan quickly learns that the system is in desperate need of change. He finds himself in a gridlock with both the system and the Warden running the prison, and makes it his mission to remedy the problem.
Written and Directed by Ishan Seth—a fourth-year Film/TV student at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts—the concept behind The Executioner developed after he read an Atlantic article about the botched execution of inmate Clayton Lockett. Upon further research of Lockett's execution and the death penalty at large, Ishan learned the many problems of lethal injection execution methods. He plans to explore them in The Executioner.
....which is all great, but we need YOUR help to do it!
What We Need
As students studying film, the budgets for our projects are always deeper than our own pockets . In order for us to execute our creative vision to the highest caliber, we need your help in covering the logistical expenses of filmmaking.
Locations: During our time before the production, we strived for meticulous detail in gaining access to the perfect locations for filming. We have been exploring options for our execution chamber, and have finally settled on shooting inside a recording studio. We have also gained access to the Westchester County Correctional Facility, and will be filming there. However, these locations do ask for money, but they allow us to tell the story in a completely authentic manner.
Transportation: In order to pull this project off smoothly, a portion of our funds must be dedicated to renting a truck to move our film equipment and film crew from location to location.
Food: Without a well-fed crew, it is beyond impossible to make a film. We are responsible for providing two meals a day to every cast and crew member. Feeding 20+ mouths, twice-a-day, for our 7 days of shooting is a daunting venture, but one we are eager to achieve.
Equipment: We are extremely fortunate to receive a stellar camera allotment from NYU, including the SONY F5 camera. However, we are still missing several essential elements we need to keep our film visually on par with other major motion pictures of today— a follow focus, monitor, and shoulder rig.
The Goal
Our intention of this film is to submit it into a wide festival circuit. We hope to raise the questions of
ethics in a
heavily gray and politically divisive topic. Regardless of one's personal beliefs about the death penalty,
The Executioner's main concern is the inmates' well-being; whether right or wrong, lethal injection should be done properly, the way it was designed.
Challenges
A film with themes such as death, morality, and medical integrity requires responsible storytelling.
Other Ways You Can Help
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Budget Breakdown: