Who are Danielle Trussoni and Hadrien Royo?
Danielle Trussoni is the New York Times
Bestselling author of the Angelology series, and the author of the
award-winning memoir, Falling Through the Earth. This is her first foray into film. Her next project is to create a television series based on her novels.
Hadrien Royo is a New York based director currently enrolled in the graduate film program at Tisch School of the Arts. He is the director of the award-winning short-film Amaurose and a recipient for the Carla Bruni-Sarkozy Foundation Fellowship. He is currently producing his pre-thesis short film, The Hodag, and a web series.
How did you come up with The Hodag?
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HR : I first discovered Wisconsin through Danielle's incredible
memoir Falling Through the Earth. I was living in New York City at the time (I am from France originally) and I always wanted to make a movie in United
States. I started to work and
travel to Wisconsin, to understand how I could make a film there. I loved the culture and most of the characters in
the movie are inspired by people I met there. I wanted to make a
refreshing short film, something that captured the spirit of a place. I always had a taste for
magical-realism and stories that no one has really told before, and so I was looking for something that would inspire me. By
total chance I came upon an article about the legend of the Hodag in Wisconsin. And at this point
everything came together.
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DT :The Hodag concept was Hadrien's idea. He visited Wisconsin, where I grew up, and wanted to capture the unique atmosphere of northern Midwest. It was a lot of fun to collaborate with him on the script, and to suggest that we use a scene from my memoir Falling Through the Earth as part of the story. I've always wanted to see my stories dramatized, and The Hodag has given me that opportunity.
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SO WHAT's the STORY?
We're telling the story of eleven-year-old Amy, a girl who encounters the mysterious Hodag and believes, at all costs, that it is real. Unfortunately, her
father is the kind of man who doesn't believe in magical creatures lurking around the forest. And so Amy sets out to prove that the Hodag really exists.
The first sighting of the Hodag was by a Wisconsin man named Eugene Shepherd in 1893. You can read more about him (and his Hodag encounter) here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hodag
According to descriptions, the Hodag has: ‘The head of a frog, the grinning face of a giant elephant, thick short legs set off by huge claws, the back of a dinosaur, and a long tail with spears at the end”. Eugene Shepherd was the only person who actually captured a living Hodag. Nowadays, all we have left is a photograph of the remains of the charred beast. Even today, the people of Rhinelander, WI know that the Hodag has survived and still haunts their woods.
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HELP US MAKE the MOVIE!
We need your help to complete the movie! We've put our heart and soul into this project, and would be so grateful for your support. We've funded the first stages of the project with donations from family and friends. Now, we're turning to good people like you to be part of The Hodag journey. We would be thankful for whatever support you can offer.
Just like Eugene ShepardBut Seriously: WHY SHOULD YOU HELP?
It seems like everyone
is asking for funding for creative projects these days, and it is easy
to dismiss this request. We know that it is hard enough to pay for daily
life, let alone to give money to fund somebody's artistic project.
But
we believe that by giving to The Hodag you are supporting a lot more
than just a film: You're supporting a way of seeing the world. The Hodag
is about a little girl's life-changing experience with magic, about
belief and hope, and this is true not only for the character of Amy, but
for the writer and director, for the actors, the crew and for you, the
viewers. The Hodag is about magic defeating reality, and you can be a
part of that.
You can support a project that is going to
celebrate a culture we don't see very often. The Hodag captures a unique
and under-filmed part of the world and shows a totally new aspect of
the culture of Wisconsin and the Midwest. If you're from the Midwest,
this is about having pride in a very special part of the world.
For director Hadrien Royo, this film represents a lifelong dream to finish a film set in the United States. And while
Danielle Trussoni has many fans in the book world, this is her first
step into translating her writing for film. It is a big leap of faith
for both artists.
And finally, the Hodag is a symbol of the power of the
imagination. When Amy sees the Hodag, she believes that magic is real,
and that everyday life can be touched by the extraordinary. Dreams make
the world spin for Amy and for everyone.
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WHERE in the HECK is this MONEY GOING?
We want you to know how we're spending your donations. Here's where the dough is going: The Movie cost $22200!
$4500 - TO CREATE THE HODAG
The Hodag is an extremely shy and fearful animal and so we decided it would be easier to create our own Hodag puppet rather than capture a real one.
The Hodag puppet was custom made for the film by Jeremy Selenfriend (http://www.monsterinmycloset.com). His amazing puppet has allowed us to create a 'realistic' Hodag creature. But perfection isn't free, and so we're hoping to cover the cost through your donation.
$2500 - LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!
The Hodag only comes out at night and so we needed to rent lights and a very special camera to film him. Ouch.
$3000 - TRANSPORTATION
In order to make the film as authentic as possible, we shot on location in the Midwest. We flew 10 crew and cast from New York City to the wilds of Western Wisconsin. Transportation costs included plane tickets, passanger vans, cargo vans etc.
$2600 - FOOD
Feeding our hungry crew cost $30 per person per day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). To stay within budget, Danielle's mom Angie cooked many of the crew meals. Feeding 12 people for 7 production days wasn't easy, not to mention the Hodag, who is kind of a pig.
$1000 - ACCOMODATION
The entire cast and crew stayed at a farm near the shoot location. We thought this would be much safer, considering all the wild animals out here.
$600 - LOCATION SCOUT
The director went to Wisconsin in October to find specific locations and cast actors. He actually slept in the forest, to be closer to the Hodag. The $600 covers his airfare and food.
$1000 - WARDROBE, PROPS AND SET DRESSING
More SFX, Hair and Make-up, and everything that you will see on screen. Even the Hodag needs a haircut in the morning.
$2000 SOUND DESIGN - MUSIC
It is not enough to have a great Hodag puppet, great performances, great cinematography, and great camera movement: You also need great sound effects, great mixing and great music... So we're not going cheap on music. We've hired a composer to make the music perfect.
$4500 POST PRODUCTION, CGI, COLOR CORRECTION
Editing, Color Correction, Computer-Generated Images! Don't get me wrong, The Hodag is already the most beautiful creature... But The Hodag is very sensitive, he needs to see himself under the best light or he will never be seen again...
$500 - FILM FESTIVAL SUBMISSIONS
We want the film to be seen! We want YOUR FILM to be seen !
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YOU'RE NOT ALONE in GIVING TO THE HODAG!
We have been fortunate enough to receive recognition in form of grants and donations from private investors. We've already raised over $6000. We need your help for the rest!
