Whats it about?
In 1997, retired electrician Eugene Ray creates the website 'timecube.com'. He uses the site to post his bizarre and controversial scientific theories. From this, he gains attention and an avid following online. One day, a student named Richard Janczarski finds Gene’s website, and reaches out to him. They arrange to meet in Gene’s hometown of Florida to discuss the Time Cube theory. This story takes place during this meeting, drawing inspiration from the real life story surrounding these complicated characters.
Why Tell this Story?
We live in a time where individuals can gain unprecedented levels of fame and notoriety online. One such example of this, is the story of Eugene "Gene" Ray, the self-proclaimed 'smartest man in the world'. After finding myself watching a documentary on the events surrounding his story, I felt inspired to adapt it into a film. Initially drawn in by Gene and Richard's complex and equally troubled personalities, as soon as I finished the documentary I thought to myself 'I have to make this into a film'.
- Alex Burness (Director)
Why Donate?
On smaller projects like this, it really is a case of every penny counts! Film production is, whilst exciting, an expensive process. We really believe in this story and hope with your support ,we can deliver the best film possible. So where will the money go you ask? Expenses such as our cast, travel expenses and production design will take up the majority of the budget.
We're making it a point to try and keep the budget as low as possible . Unfortunately in life not everything is free and while the crew won't be getting paid, we'd also like to make sure they're fed and don't waste away on our shoot!
So if you're willing to back us in any way, no matter how small, that would be greatly appreciated!
Meet the Team.
Writer/Director - Alex Burness
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Alex is the creative force behind this project, having been inspired to tell this story since seeing a documentary on the subject. Drawn in by the eccentric characters involved, he began immediately developing it into a script. Having spent the past few years at Brighton Film School developing his skills across a range of disciplines, Alex feels ready to bring 'TIMECUBE' to life.
Co-Producers - James Carriban and Ollie Maltby
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James and Ollie decided to get involved with the project having been enthused by Alex's script, as well as his clear motivation and passion to tell this story. James has worked on numerous projects in the past ranging from producing music videos for local Brighton bands such as 'Dakka Skanks' to directing his own shorts such as 'Lights Off'. Ollie has also been busy, having produced multiple shorts during his time at BFS, as well as music videos such as 'Cherry Glow' for London-based singer and songwriter Rhi. They will now set their sights on providing a steady platform for the rest of the team as well as sorting locations and organising all things budget.
Director of Photography - Jack Matthews
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Whenever you find Jack, there's a good chance you'll find a camera in his hands. Having worked in the camera department on a host of projects over the past few years, his skills behind the lens have gone from strength to strength. He's honed his talents by taking on DOP roles for projects such as the music video 'Cherry Glow ' by Rhi and the BFS short film 'Clean Cut.' He's also spent time outside of BFS working as a videographer for 'Brighton Rocks Film Festival'. We're lucky to have him on board so he can lend his expertise to our film.
Matthew Dunford - Assistant Director
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Matt has spent his time at BFS honing and perfecting the complicated skill-set necessary to be a 1st AD. Having worked as an AD on degree films the year previously, as well as countless others, we are thrilled that Matt is now lending us his extensive knowledge. As Alex's right hand man on set, he'll be responsible for ensuring the shoot runs as smooth as possible.
Head of Sound - Angie Häusgen
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What is a good film without good sound? If our film sounds good then there will be only one person to thank for that! Angie, originally from Spain, has spent her time at Brighton Film School developing her skills in the complicated arena of sound design. We're very happy therefore to have her as part of the team.
Gaffer - Jake Webb
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Having discovered his passion for lighting while studying at Brighton Film School, Jake has spent the past three years honing his skills in this discipline. Jake will be working closely with Jack (our DOP) to bring Alex's creative vision to the screen. We can't wait to see the beautiful shots him and Jack will be challenged with creating for the film.
Editor - Charlie Funnel
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Last but certainly not least, Charlie will be taking on the crucial role of editor for the production. Charlie has got experience working across a range of disciplines within production, but will this year be focussing on his ever-growing editing skills. Charged with pulling everything together and telling the story effectively in post-producton, we are looking forward to him adding his creative touch to the film.
The Perks
To thank you for your generous contributions we'd like to as a crew offer something in return! To the right you can find a list of potential packages for you to browse through. Each one comes with its own unique set of perks to thank you for all your help.
The old adage that students are often broke is unfortunately often a true one! So again we'd like to thank you if you'd consider backing this project in any way,
