Willowstone

The Story of Willowstone:

Set in the desolate town of "Willowstone" in 1892, the film follows the ageing bounty hunter Sarah Sullivan, as she is forced to confront the man she once loved - the notorious Jack cage.

After a failed bank heist and an unspeakable act, Jack has been forced to flee from those who wish to see him executed, via the recently created electric chair. The story follows both Sarah's desire to find out what really happened, and Jack finally accepting the reality of his actions.

The main focus of the film is Sarah's inner struggle of wanting the correct justice to be carried out for Jack's crime, yet also not wanting the man she once loved to be brutally executed.

The Idea behind Willowstone:

The aim of "Willowstone" is to tell a compelling, grounded, and heartfelt story about two lovers reconnecting after years apart. It's about them coming to terms with their actions and individual journeys that have led them to this moment, and how their experiences have affected them both differently. This film explores the themes of morality, closure, and retribution. How bad life experiences can affect people differently - some people can learn and grow, while others react by going down a dark path.

This film is aimed at a varied target audience. Those who grew up watching the western films of the '60s and '70s will enjoy the classic style we are going for. Those who like grounded narratives and complex characters will appreciate the levels of "Willowstone" and how it explores the different themes.

"Willowstone" will be an emotional story that will leave you thinking about its characters, ideas of "morality" and have you wanting more. It's everything you want out of a western short film inspired by the classics.

The Team Behind Willowstone:

Our team behind "Willowstone" is a small yet passionate crew, that is ready to showcase our talents to the New Zealand Film Industry. Most of us are graduates of the Whitireia Level 5 Diploma in Screen Production and have worked together on several projects. This prior experience has allowed the pre-production process to flow smoothly and will undoubtedly make the shooting days a blast! We are all excited to work together to bring this story to life!

The Crew:

Writer/Director - Tom Sweeney

Director of Photography - Michael Lahood

Production Manager - Catherine Slow

Script Supervisor - Megan Robinson

Gaffer - Joel Smollett

Grip/2nd AC - Hunter Shannon

1st AC - Connor Dempsey

Sound Mixer - Gabby Hertnon

Art Director - Tiffany Ngan

Hair and Makeup - Lorian Baker

Composers - Ethan Prescott, Robbie Bevan

How your support will help us:

In order to bring this story to life, we need your help! The current budget is covering just the necessities, but we would love to go over the intended amount and have the ability to pay our awesome crew as well!

We have managed to secure 40% of our budget through our Director's own contributions - we just need help getting the rest. The funding will help go towards:

Transport: Due to the location of the filming set - we will need to hire a van to help get the cast and crew there. The funding will help pay for the van hire as well as petrol.

Location/Accommodation: We have been given the awesome opportunity to use Mellonsfolly Ranch. We will be hiring out the location for the weekend - this includes accommodation.

Food: We will be providing food for the entire cast and crew over the weekend.

Animal Wrangler: Due to the time period and setting of the script, horses will be needed. We have managed to find a horse wrangler who is keen to come and help us out!

Gear: We'll be paying our DOP and Sound Mixer for the use of their gear, as well as hiring gear from Portsmouth like a haze machine and lighting equipment.

To help bring awareness to the campaign and motivation for donating, we wanted to give something back to everyone who wishes to help us out! We think it will be a really cool idea to give all the patrons a special mention in the credits. If you wish to remain anonymous then that is okay!

Thank you for checking out our project and helping us bring our vision to life!