Help Fund 'Magnum Opus' – A Student Short Film

Hello kind and generous reader, thanks for stopping by. Today we’re reaching out to tell you about our newest project, Magnum Opus, and how you can help bring it to life.

But what is Magnum Opus?

Magnum Opus is a heartfelt family drama that centers around the delicate relationship between Samuel Walker and his estranged daughter, Celeste. Samuel is a retired artist and in his elderly years has become a recluse. One day he receives an unexpected call from Celeste, an art curator in desperate need of a painting for her upcoming exhibition.

In an effort to recapture his former artistic glory and heal his relationship with his only child, Samuel agrees to help, and embarks on a journey to create one final masterpiece. Throughout the film we follow the ups and downs of Samuel’s painting process and his attempts to reconnect with Celeste.

The film explores themes of family conflict, retribution, and the pursuit of artistic perfection. It is also the final project of our degree, and the culmination of two years of hard work, where we dedicated our time, passion, energy and spirit into our studies. It all comes down to this.

If you feel a personal connection to the themes of our film, and want to see us flourish in our dream careers, we invite you to be a part of the journey and help bring this story to life!

Okay, you’ve got my attention. How much do you need?

Approximately 3000 Australian dollars.

$3000?! That’s the price of a used car! What do you need all that money for?

Well, I suppose (although in this economy that’s not getting you much). However, like a used car, this will hopefully take us pretty far.

Take a look at the chart below (with bonus car metaphors!) to see how we plan to use the money from the proposed budget.

The Actors: 35% ($1050)

Great acting is invaluable. We’ve just signed on the talented Jessica Nanai and Ron Arthurs to help us bring Samuel and Celeste’s characters to life.

The Locations: 20% ($600)

In order to secure realistic and aesthetically pleasing locations, our goal is a modest $600.

Production Design: 15% ($450)

Good production design makes a film POP and Rylie can make $450 go a long way. You might just buy Celeste the blazer she deserves.

Catering: 15% ($450)

Although students typically live on cup noodles, we want to feed our cast and crew a little better.

Marketing/Festivals: 10% ($300)

We’ll need $300 to show off our work to Australia and the rest of the world. The rest of the budget gets the film made, this gets it seen and felt.

Misc: 5% ($150)

Because you can’t account for everything.

If we’re fortunate enough to exceed our goal or end up with leftover funds, they’ll be donated to a charitable organization chosen by the crew. Who knows - you might help fund a film and save a puppy’s life!

Understood, but what’s in it for me?

A few things, kind and generous reader:

Thank you for reading…

If you’ve made it this far, I appreciate your time, whether or not you go on to donate.

And if you do donate, from the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU!

A donation of any amount means so much more than financial relief, it’s a humbling vote of confidence for us hardworking, passionate filmmakers who want to use our gifts to create something bigger than us and make the world feel something.

I’m going to sign off this GoFundMe by introducing you to our talented and hardworking crew, so you can see who your valued contribution will be supporting. And while we’re here, I’ll just put it out there… If you’re trying to think of a good Christmas present for anyone in the crew, this might be it.