Lose them. Lose control. Lose everything. Addiction and misery often go hand in hand, both causes of losing oneself. This is what our main protagonist faces, who, after a breakup with his long-term partner, falls deeper into addiction and depression, prompting his infected body to break down and rot from the inside out at an alarming, almost supernatural rate.
We need your help to fund our 8 minute short film! We're a crew of university students in need of funding in order to execute the vision of our film, and we kindly welcome any donations put towards our goal of £200.
Synopsis of the film: Following a job opportunity, Connor’s partner, Mia, opts to leave town, and Connor, despite knowing it’ll hurt, stays. Heartbroken, Connor cuts his finger while clearing out Mia’s belongings from his apartment. As he copes with the breakup, Connor indulges in heavy drinking and substance abuse, and the cut on his finger grows impossibly infected, spreading at an alarming rate. Eventually, Connor must face both his addiction and the infection that is rotting away his body.
We need your help funding:
Art department: sourcing for props, rentals for costume design, and covering materials for special effects makeup as our film deals with elements of body horror.
Location management: all of our scenes are to be shot on location, therefore we aim to use a section of the budget to secure quality locations and cover utility fees needed to shoot at private spaces.
Commission for cast: all cast members are working voluntarily, but a section of our budget is dedicated to covering their travel and food expenses during production.
Transportation: ensuring that our equipment, cast, and crew are securely transported from location to location over the course of three shoot days.
Catering: providing on set snacks and drinks for cast and crew to keep energy high!
Get to know our crew:
Mika, our Director - Mika is passionate about the art of filmmaking and wants to give important stories the love and patience they deserve, and Withered is one of these stories. He is excited to use his experience from working on multiple short films in roles ranging from editor to production designer for his directorial debut. Mika believes that this amazing crew will make something truly special by playing into everybody’s strengths and passions, and working together as a team.
Lara, our Producer - Having worked as a PA for a Brazilian Publicity Agency over the summer, Lara is excited to transfer her skills in AD-ing and the camera department into producing this film. She is passionate about the script and determined to get the story's message across. But above all, Lara is confident in the team's ability to execute a powerful story about addiction. Given the opportunity, with the right funding, a story as powerful as "Withered" could provide a voice for those too ashamed to speak about their experiences with addiction and heartbreak.
Logan, our Writer - Films are to Logan what sunlight is to flowers. With genre films as his bread and butter, he took writing a pseudo body horror film as second nature. The beautiful thing about writing, Logan thought, is the ability to interpret. Everyone from the runner to the director will have an idea of what the film should look and feel like, and never having written for a project like this, he leaped at the opportunity! Above all, he’s excited to see how every department comes together to make something worth watching.
Laura, our Assistant Director - Laura believes that effective communication and a clear direction are keys to a successful set and she is committed to make sure that everyone involved has the support they need to bring this powerful story to life. The themes of addiction and heartbreak in Withered are incredibly important, and Laura is excited to work alongside this amazing crew to help craft a film that will resonate deeply with audiences.
Yasmin, our DoP - Yasmin is very excited to learn and grow while working with her peers on this film. Her interest in cinematography grew last term when she took her camera and lighting module which motivated her to take on this role. Withered is a very important story that deserves to be told and she hopes that she can contribute to that. Through collaboration and hard work she believes that this film will reach and touch the hearts of many!
Nora, our Production Designer - With its expressive visuals and intricate special effects makeup, the film embraces a heightened, almost surreal aesthetic—one that resonates deeply with Xiangjun’s artistic sensibilities. Losing love is an experience everyone must face, a quiet unraveling of the self. For Xiangjun, the challenge lies in capturing that delicate state of being—like slowly fading into the background, grasping onto something ephemeral, unwilling to let the world see the fractures beneath the surface. And yet, within this exploration of sorrow, there is something profoundly uplifting: the beauty of resilience, the silent poetry of holding on.
Dara, our Gaffer - With a strong passion for visual storytelling, Dara wishes to work closely with all departments within the film to weave together a strong visual narrative, conveying a man’s descent into addiction, as well as his desperation and isolation through lighting techniques. He is specifically excited to work with the Director and DoP to realise this vision, and to contribute to a very heartfelt and sensitive film that will resonate with audiences.
Any donation amount is highly appreciated. We believe this is a story worth telling and are confident in Logan's story, narrative, and characters.
Help make 'Withered' a reality!
