SYNOPSIS
The
Final Verdict is a mind bending, Neo-Noir short film about a detective named James
who seeks to solve the mystery of his wife’s murder. His partner Frank is
haunted by James who insists they go after the suspect together. Our
protagonist has to get to the bottom of this unsolved case and unravel this
mystery once and for all. As the story progresses, we uncover more about
the character’s personalities, motives, and back-stories. We follow James as he
struggles to piece the clues he finds along the way while leading the audience
to question our protagonist’s own insanity.
THE STORY SO FAR
Hello
My
name is Robin Hill. I am the Writer/Director of the short film THE FINAL
VERDICT. I am a 16 year-old kid from the Southern California who has an
extreme passion and appreciation for films as an art form and medium to
communicate and tell beautiful, intriguing, stories of all kinds.
Since
I was only a little kid I always dreamt of being a
director. As I grew older, I became fascinated with films that dove deep into
the psyche of the human mind with multiple layers and complex storylines. I
became a huge fan of psychological thrillers and Film Noir and became inspired
by directors like David Fincher, Christopher Nolan, Orson Welles and Alfred
Hitchcock.
I
wrote the first ever draft for this screenplay when I was only 13. The
inspiration for this script came to me after watching movies such as Sin City
and Shutter Island. I
put this screenplay aside for a while and grew up to write other short films
and eventually a 190 page feature length script which I aspire to produce one
day. But for that to
happen I will need to work very hard to prove myself as a filmmaker, and most
importantly a great storyteller. Working up the ladder of success as I will do
my best to make my films come to life in full color, motion and sound!
Through
IndieGogo, I can make this dream possible. With your help, I will have the
proper tools I need to create this work of art I have envisioned for many years
and will have audiences at the edge of their seats! Not only will you be
helping this project alone, but you will be kick starting the career of a young
kid whose dream and passion it is to make inspiring and mind-bending movies to
impact audiences all around the world.
WHY THIS MATTERS TO ME
The reason why I chose
this story from all the others ones that I had, wasn't only because this was my
first screen play that I wrote but also
because I saw that this story had a great potential to be an extremely unique
short film. This short would really stand out from most short films because it has a
characteristics of a feature film. After many rewrites I came to the final
version of the story that I want to tell and show audiences all over the world.
I think this project
has been challenging in every way since I started. Because it
is so complex. And it's a challenge that I'm willing, and more than happy to
take on. I will need your help to create the film that i have in my mind and accomplish this mile stone.
THE PURPOSE AND IMPORTANCE
The purpose of this project is to kickstart the career of
young ambitious filmmaker, with the passion to create stories for the entertainment
of the audience. It will be a great testing ground to show his abilities,
skills and talent as young filmmaker and portray just exactly what he is
capable of. This project will be used to send to various film festivals
throughout the nation and the world such as
Cannes
(France), Sundance (Utah), TIFF (Toronto), LA Film Festival (Los Angeles), and
others!
WHY WE NEED THE MONEY? WHERE WOULD THE FUNDING BE GOING?
The
funding would be contributing to various aspects of the production, which will
enhance the quality and work that we want to accomplish for this short. We want
the film to look and feel as professional as possible with incredible attention
to detail that will really impact the film. The only way to accomplish this is
with a bigger budget.
The
purpose of our campaign is to raise 12,000 dollars for the budget of the film. Every
penny will be useful and carefully spent. Your investment would go towards
things like:
Location - Permit - Rentals
Set Design - Set Decoration - Set construction
Props and Wardrobe
Equipment on day shoots, such as Grips and Gaffers
Camera - Dolly
Crew and miscellaneous - Daily Rates
- Editor - Color Correction
-
Foley artist - Sound Designer - Mixer - Composer
PERKS
We
have a great variety of perks. We know the importance
of your money and we are grateful for your investment and belief in this
project. As a thank you and a way to give back we would love for you to check
out our awesome perks!
* PERKS WILL BE DELIVERED TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR SINCE NOTHING OF THE PROJECTS CAN BE PUT ONLINE UNTILL THE FILM HAS BEEN SENT TO ALL FILM FESTIVALS.*
THE LOOKS: MOOD AND AESTHETIC OF THE FILM
The
most important aspect of the movie is the mood. The mood is what either makes
or breaks the film. This is what Film Noir revolves around. The atmosphere of
the movie has to be very suspenseful, eerie, and dark. If we can accomplish
this, everything else in the film will reflect that; from set design and
locations, to props and characters.
Here
are some examples of what we are going for in this film (Very dark, a high
contrast with light and shadows).
ADDITIONAL STORYBOARD PANELS
MEET THE TEAM BEHIND THE FILM
Who Are We?
In short we are a group of people who love cinema and came together to create what we strive for a stylistic masterpiece that could display the talent and uniqueness of these filmmakers.
Robin Hill
Director/ Writer
Robin Hill is a 16 year old kid whose main goal in life is to become a big director in the world of cinema. He wrote 6 short scripts, and 1 feature length script of 190 page that he intends to produce later on in the future. He is ambitious but yet realistic , he understand that he can't make this movie alone and will need all the help he can get to accomplish his goal.
_____________________________________________________________________________
RANDY WILLIAMS
(Cinematographer/ Executive producer)
Randy Williams is a 24 year-old graduate from the Los Angeles Film School. He then went on to work in various professional productions such as "Christian Mingle", starring Lacey Chabert, and "Tubeathon."
Randy's wide range of skills have allowed him to take on roles as a camera operator, cinematographer, and editor, among others. He also wrote, directed, and produced a short comedy called "The Pitch" in 2014.
_____________________________________________________________________________
APRIL MENDOZA
(Assistant Director/Co Producer/ Location Manager)
April Mendoza is a 22
year-old aspiring filmmaker with a profound love for psychological and
philosophical elements in storytelling. She graduated from Chaffey College with
degrees in Broadcasting and Cinema, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Arts
and Humanities.
April’s short films Malice and Love Spell have been nominated and screened at “Chaffey College’s
Broadcasting and Cinema Annual Showcase in 2013 and 2014. She has also worked as a production assistant
on an AFI thesis film among other independent projects. Most recently, she directed
and produced a short film/music video Just
Feels So, for DJ/Producer “MPH”. She plans to obtain her BA in Film –
Producing – in Spring 2017.
_____________________________________________________________________________
MAYRON HURST
(Camera Operator)
Mayron Hurst is 23 year-old graduate from the Los Angeles Film School. He was in the same class as Randy Williams and ever since the both have collaborated in many projects. He also worked on "The Pitch"
Mayron has worked on productions such as "Obsite" and "Huge On The Tube", and "Skater VS" where he worked as Grip . Although his passion for filmmaking includes all aspects of the creative process, his main talent lies in camera operation.
Aside from editing projects of his own, Mayron has extensive knowledge of camera operation, working with high-end cameras like the "Black Magic" and "RED" Cameras used by professionals.
_____________________________________________________________________________
OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP
If
you are unable to help us financially, there are other ways you can help! We
encourage you to tell as many people as you can about this project. Also, please
remember to share this on social media with your friends and family. Every
effort counts and is greatly appreciated!
END OF ARTICLE
We need your help to
create and tell a beautiful movie that feels alive. Not only will it take time, effort, and
creativity to make this project come to life, but proper funding will be the
determining factor to make it all possible.
We
would love for you to be a part of this exciting project that will hopefully
inspire a new generation of filmmakers to go forward with their dreams and
ambitions.
We
deeply appreciate your time and consideration.
Thank
you!