BUCKY Official Film

Aim

Our project aim is to produce a stunning yet educational film about grief - it's emotional toll & how it affects relationships with others.

OUR FILM: 'WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT?'

Thank you for taking the time to click on our Crowdfunder, we are extremely passionate and excited for what we are about to show you. This project is a labour or love, cinematic expression and educational value to help others in an entertaining format.

LOGLINE: A group of friends display diverse and personal ways of dealing with grief when they lose a loved one; who turns out to have taken a few secrets to the grave with him.

Inspired by the events of COVID-19, we understand that everyone has had to deal with the feelings of loss, isolation & grief in some manner; however most of us have had to deal with these feelings alone. With this in mind, we want to produce a cinematically beautiful film that unpicks the Seven Stages of Grief using character driven narrative; to help viewers understand and process their own emotions and help others who have lost someone special during this difficult time.
Although our film is not about the corona-virus, we hope that the emotive link to common experience allows a wider audience to really connect with this story, appreciate its relevance and start talking more about emotional issues & mental health. We are never alone, there is always someone to listen.

We really want to capitalise on the fact that as humans we both experience things in a deeply individual way yet as a collective simultaneously - using 'The Seven Stages of Grief' as a way of showing a universal experience in a variety of ways.

ART DIRECTION: 'THE VISUAL STUFF'

To give BUCKY a 'raw, gritty & stripped back' intensity, we are keeping the attention to details on the complexity of our actors, having a dark soft-focused background to represent the negative headspace that the characters are in, using light and the lack of to symbolise the loss of Bucky.

Our design concept is one that takes inspiration from a variety of critically-acclaimed, award winning films & television from the UK & US that feature strong narrative devices based around characters dealing with death and loss. We want to show how sleek simplicity can create not only a gorgeous cinematic experience on screen but an emotional response that audiences may not be expecting.

For a detailed/categorised breakdown of our mood boards follow our PINTEREST: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/BUCKYOfficialFilm for updates on all areas of BUCKY's look & feel.

PURPOSE: 'WHAT'S THE POINT?'

We don't want BUCKY to just be any old film. Hundreds & thousands of students make films and come up with concepts every-day, recycling genres and ideas that have been played out being sold as something 'new'. BUCKY is different. BUCKY is a focused film that is designed to open up conversations that for some may be difficult yet essential. Mental health is a topic that has been talked about more and more in the media and yet one of the leading causes of mental health can be linked to grief. So why is it not explored more in film in a way that is simple to understand and encourages us to open up about the differences in experience - particularly in a group dynamic of collective loss. This is where we come in.

We want to make sure our film is more than just entertaining cinema, our story is multi-layered, deeply rooted with moral lessons & conversation starting points to achieve the following:

• To show that grief is a natural human emotion - whatever stage you are at, it's a journey, not a destination. You can 'heal' no matter how long it takes.
• That communicating, no matter how hard, is the best way forward - no one should be embarrassed to talk about their mental health.
• Friendships will always help you during dark times. Together we can get through anything.

We want our audience to be as wide-spread as possible, veering away from archetype character formats that rely of stereotypical conventions and using a diverse representation of mixed genders, ethnic backgrounds, religions and sexuality. No two people are the same and we want to show this positively.

CAST & CREW: 'WHO IS MAKING THIS FILM'

This project sees a wide range of skills and experiences put together by 19 individuals across the UK from a collection of different backgrounds.

Aside from stunning cinematography & seamless editing, performance is going to be our main focus for this film - taking inspiration from emotive performances seen in Sam Mendes' 'Revolutionary Road', Kiera Knightley, Toni Collette and Sam Claflin.

As a small crew, our creative team is going to be juggling many areas & roles in a collaborative process managed by 6 Heads of Departments.

CAST BIOS: 'GET TO KNOW THE ACTORS'

CREW BIOS: 'GET TO KNOW THE PRODUCTION TEAM'

DIRECTION: 'THE FEEL OF BUCKY'

We are incredibly fortunate to be working with a highly skilled director and filmmaker Madeleine Fletcher, who has experience across a wide range of departments in film - from editing to assisting producers and of course directing. Her film 'The Narrator' won Best Student Film at Bolton Film Festival. Her CV boasts large players in the industry as outlined below.

MUSIC: 'THE SOUND OF BUCKY'

Music is a great way of connecting emotionally with the audience in film, without music, the impact of a scene can be non-existent, which is why we are enlisting the help of professional talents by Samuel Pierce, to make sure that BUCKY is delivered in a way that is heartfelt, emotive and stylistic.

Want to be the first to hear the sound of BUCKY? Listen to our SPOTIFY PLAYLIST HERE

INDUSTRY EXPERTS: 'OUR MENTORS' 

However we are not alone. We are incredibly lucky to be mentored by the fantastic Director of Cinematography Ariel Artur (IMDB) along with the wonderful Producer Clare Cahill. Their input allows us to know that we are putting something of top quality together, making sure each penny that is donated is being maximised and utilised to it's best function, so each pledge is worthwhile and nothing goes to waste.

WHO WE ARE PARTNERING WITH: 'A SPECIAL THANKS TO'

This project has been born out of the National Youth Film Academy's SetReady Programme for 2021, where we are assessed on our industry skills and professionalism when it comes to making a film worthy for the big screen. We are fortunate to be working with the following brands/businesses to bring our vision to life. Want to feature in our film? See your name on the end credits with your business logo? Check out our sponsorship pledge packages or email the address below with the subject line 'Sponsorship Request' to discuss further. We are always looking to collaborate with small businesses and see how we can feature product placement from up & coming brands and designers.

BUDGET BREAKDOWN: 'WHERE IS THE MONEY THE GOING & WHAT IT'S BEING SPENT ON?'

So the big bit... the budget... aka MONEY. We don't want this bit to be an awkward or uncomfortable beg - we know that a lot of people have asked for money for projects over the years and it can often be a wonder where the money went/what it was actually used for. We don't want this to be the case. Every donation is vital to our project, no matter how big or small. Each penny is a step closer to our goal and we want to thank you for being part of this process by keeping you updated & in the loop. But to briefly sum it up, below is a list of the main areas that your help with funding will be stretched out.

• Procam Take2 Camera Equipment Hire £2289
• Locations x2
• Costumes x10
• Props
• Catering - 2 meals for 20 People x 5 days
• Film Festival Entry Fees / Marketing
• Set Dressing & Other Expenses (including COVID Safety & PPE)
• Contingencies & Emergencies (20-30%)

FESTIVAL ASPIRATIONS: 'TAKING BUCKY AROUND WORLD'

Our film is designed with everyone in mind, meaning we want to reach as wide an audience as possible. This is only possible with the help of fantastic film festivals... yet they come at a cost. Your pledges are what makes BUCKY real and being nominated for awards will make that dream a reality. Categories we will be entering (depending on) the festival shall include titles similar too:

• Best Short
• Best Student Short
• Best Student Film
• Best Drama
• Best Dramatic Short
• Best Narrative Film
• Best Director
• Best Cinematographer
• Best Editor
• Best Producer
• Best Actor
• Best Actress
• Best Performance
• Best Ensemble Cast
• Best Original Screenplay
• Best Writing
• Best Music / Best Music Score
• LGBTQ focused awards
• Women in Film (Best Female... etc.)

FOLLOW OUR JOURNEY: 'LET'S GET SOCIAL'

Want to show your support even more? Get notifications about all the latest updates, how you can be involved and fun games/competitions by following our social media channels! Each social media will be filled with unique and exclusive content, meaning no two channels are the same. We would love to have you subscribe to our content, like and share what we put out and spread the word of BUCKY.

FACEBOOK: @BUCKYOfficialFilm

INSTAGRAM: @buckyofficialfilm

TWITTER: @BUCKYOfficial21

YOUTUBE: BUCKY Official Film

TIKTOK: @buckyofficialfilm

PINTEREST: BUCKYOfficialFilm

SPOTIFY: BUCKYOfficialFilm

Thank you for taking the time to check out our Crowdfunder, please pledge towards our short in order to get some exclusive perks and help keep the arts alive for young filmmakers! We appreciate each and every donation, regardless of size. Want to know anything else, get involved and be part of the project..? Email us below, we would love to have you on board!

This project successfully funded on 1st July 2021