Help WCU student filmmakers produce CALLOWAY!

Who Are We?

Hello! This fundraiser is for the Calloway Junior Thesis Student Film. Every year juniors in the Western Carolina University Film and Television program create thesis films as an exhibition of their work and the knowledge that they have gained through their study, and this year it is our turn to present that skill and dedication to our craft through the thesis film Calloway.

Synopsis

In the misty hollows of 1920s rural Appalachia, Sheriff Calloway kept the peace in a town simmering with secrets. But when he’s found dead under suspicious circumstances, his daughter, Helen Calloway, returns home. Determined to uncover the truth, Helen teams up with John Mason, a federal Marshall and one of the few men her father ever trusted.

As they dig deeper, the pair unearth a web of corruption linking the sheriff’s murder to a powerful cabal of crooked cops and shadowy figures desperate to keep their sins buried. Each clue uncovered brings them closer to the truth and into greater danger. Helen and John must navigate betrayal, shifting alliances, and their own partnership, knowing that every step could be their last.

Our Plan

Calloway is going to be primarily shot over three days during our Spring break. We have five locations that we are shooting at, and we are getting our actors both from within the WCU Stage and Screen acting program, and through contacts we have with Asheville actors. Our equipment, outside of a few minor pieces, is being provided from the WCU Film equipment cage, which ensures us a high visual quality that we would not otherwise be able to achieve.

Our Team

Despite being students, we have a quite an experienced crew for this production, with everyone having numerous thesis films under their belt, and quite a few smaller independent productions as well.

Writer

Mallory Jennette

Mallory is a Junior at WCU. She has explored a wide array of roles both on and off set, but writing will always be her first love. She has enjoyed the challenge of crafting this noir-western script and can't wait to see it develop even further in the hands of such a talented team.

Producer

Kyler Stevenson

Hello! I am Kyler Stevenson. I am a junior in the Western Carolina University Film and Television program. I have produced half a dozen independent short films over the last three years, including two thesis films, The Last Fraternity, and just recently The Archive. I am also currently co-producing the independent feature film, A Fleeting Breath. I am very excited to work together with this team again, everyone on our crew has done excellent work in the past and think we are going to hit this thing out of the park in March!

Traveler Shaw

Hi! My name is Traveler Shaw and I am currently in my third year at Western Carolina University’s Film and Television Production program. I was born and raised in the heart of Western North Carolina, a place ripe with a beautiful and haunting history. As a child I became infatuated with storytelling with a camera, and living in rural Appalachia there is always inspiration in every holler and valley. Calloway is an opportunity to not only showcase the skillset I’ve acquired as a student filmmaker, but also to tell a story that highlights the beauty and the darkness of Appalachia.

Tyler Martin

Tyler Martin is currently a student at Western Carolina University. He has been a valued crew member on several student films and is excited to have the opportunity to tell the story of Calloway. He is excited to work with this team and thinks they will make a film that's both moving and unique together.

His goal is to create an impactful visual story that will keep you guessing, while finding a visual that feels authentic to Appalachia and the noir genre.

Fundraising Breakdown

Our fundraising goal for this film is two thousand dollars. As we have generously been approved for match funding through the WCU FTP program, if we meet our fundraising goals we will be granted an additional $500 from the school. This means our total budget for this film is 2.5k, which I think will be just enough to get this thing off the ground. The bulk of these funds will be going into two main areas, craft services for our cast and crew, and production design, to create a cohesive and believable world for our film. Additionally, the added expense of hiring actors outside the school of stage and screen is a sizeable cost, but one that greatly improves the authenticity and the quality of our porject. The remainder will go toward renting any extra needed equipment, compensating actors, scoring the film, and getting the film into festivals. Additionally, we are going to be applying for academic project and arts grants through the school, and putting on fundraising events to ensure that we meet our financial goals.