SHELLS - a short film
Donation protected
What if you had a week to live?
In October 2013, I met a man with terminal brain cancer. He was a regular of mine at the bar I worked at in Annapolis, Maryland. And he'd been told he would die in a week. I remember asking him, what do you do with six days? He said..."live."
SHELLS is the story of a young man named Richard Bailey who discovers he has brain cancer and has been given a week to live. He's suddenly faced with the greatest challenge of his life: how to say goodbye.
Richard's story is one that we all must face eventually. It is an exploration of how someone must learn how to die, and how the blessing and curse of knowing when your last day is can spark unexpected acts of passion, regret, forgiveness. The realization that you are not alone, and that the way you die does not define you.
"It matters not how a man dies, but how a man lives." - Samuel Johnson
When we first meet Richard, he's just gotten his life-changing news. He reacts like most of us would - shock, denial, fear. He drowns himself in alcohol at the local bar, shoots the breeze with a friend, has meaningless sex. Finally a call from his old confidant and muse Anna Ferris breaks him from this self-imposed misery. He drops everything and drives the long road from Maryland to North Carolina to see her. There's years of history between the two - a confusing mess of unspoken feelings. Regret is the driving force behind Richard in the final days of his life. He knows what he needs to do, but is terrified to do it.
Facing down a ticking clock and his own demons, Richard is forced to choose between holding onto the past and letting go...and maybe, just maybe, discovering that dying isn't such a lonely thing after all.
A NOTE FROM THE FILMMAKER
"Shells" is my third short film and the first film to be shot entirely in my old residence of Annapolis, Maryland. I'm joined in this venture by an incredible cast and crew, including DC area producer and fellow filmmaker Dorian Davis. This story is a deeply personal one, inspired by the events of my own life, and is a thematic companion to my feature film "The Unknown Colors," which is currently in development.
I've always wanted to share some of the experiences I had while living on the East Coast. We'll be filming exclusively in Annapolis during November, using the beautiful fall colors and gathering winter scenery to echo Richard's own pending death. The look of the film is inspired by a wide range of cinematography, particularly the all natural lighting of films like Stanley Kubrick's "Barry Lyndon" or Alejandro Inarritu's "The Revenant." Emotionally driven camera movement, featuring long takes, slow zooms, and sudden cuts are just some of the tools we'll be using to create tension and intimacy during the film's most intense moments.
All in all, this movie will be a labor of love by everyone involved. I am incredibly blessed to have such a dedicated group of people working with me, and your involvement in the project means everything. I truly believe this is a story that deserves to be told. But it's only with your help and the collaboration of dozens of many talented artists that it can come to life.
HOW YOUR DONATION HELPS
Every single dollar donated in this campaign will go towards production and post-production costs to make the film. Many of our crew are working for free or below their normal rates, and much of our financing is coming out of pocket.
Below is an exact breakdown of how your donation will help:
Film Festival Submission Fees: $200
Crew Pay: $800
Crew/Cast Food and Transportation: $600
Set Decoration/Props: $200
Location Fees: $200
Total: $2000
Every additional dollar we raise past this amount will be put towards the film as well - less money I have to raise by donating organs!
In addition to making you feel extra good about helping starving artists, your donation also gets you an invite to our short film's swanky red carpet premiere in Hollywood! Granted, there won't be that many celebrities, but at least you'll get to feel like one for the night.
Thank you for helping us bring this story to the world.
The Shells Team
Kevin Fitzgerald, Dorian Davis
In October 2013, I met a man with terminal brain cancer. He was a regular of mine at the bar I worked at in Annapolis, Maryland. And he'd been told he would die in a week. I remember asking him, what do you do with six days? He said..."live."
SHELLS is the story of a young man named Richard Bailey who discovers he has brain cancer and has been given a week to live. He's suddenly faced with the greatest challenge of his life: how to say goodbye.
Richard's story is one that we all must face eventually. It is an exploration of how someone must learn how to die, and how the blessing and curse of knowing when your last day is can spark unexpected acts of passion, regret, forgiveness. The realization that you are not alone, and that the way you die does not define you.
"It matters not how a man dies, but how a man lives." - Samuel Johnson
When we first meet Richard, he's just gotten his life-changing news. He reacts like most of us would - shock, denial, fear. He drowns himself in alcohol at the local bar, shoots the breeze with a friend, has meaningless sex. Finally a call from his old confidant and muse Anna Ferris breaks him from this self-imposed misery. He drops everything and drives the long road from Maryland to North Carolina to see her. There's years of history between the two - a confusing mess of unspoken feelings. Regret is the driving force behind Richard in the final days of his life. He knows what he needs to do, but is terrified to do it.
Facing down a ticking clock and his own demons, Richard is forced to choose between holding onto the past and letting go...and maybe, just maybe, discovering that dying isn't such a lonely thing after all.
A NOTE FROM THE FILMMAKER
"Shells" is my third short film and the first film to be shot entirely in my old residence of Annapolis, Maryland. I'm joined in this venture by an incredible cast and crew, including DC area producer and fellow filmmaker Dorian Davis. This story is a deeply personal one, inspired by the events of my own life, and is a thematic companion to my feature film "The Unknown Colors," which is currently in development.
I've always wanted to share some of the experiences I had while living on the East Coast. We'll be filming exclusively in Annapolis during November, using the beautiful fall colors and gathering winter scenery to echo Richard's own pending death. The look of the film is inspired by a wide range of cinematography, particularly the all natural lighting of films like Stanley Kubrick's "Barry Lyndon" or Alejandro Inarritu's "The Revenant." Emotionally driven camera movement, featuring long takes, slow zooms, and sudden cuts are just some of the tools we'll be using to create tension and intimacy during the film's most intense moments.
All in all, this movie will be a labor of love by everyone involved. I am incredibly blessed to have such a dedicated group of people working with me, and your involvement in the project means everything. I truly believe this is a story that deserves to be told. But it's only with your help and the collaboration of dozens of many talented artists that it can come to life.
HOW YOUR DONATION HELPS
Every single dollar donated in this campaign will go towards production and post-production costs to make the film. Many of our crew are working for free or below their normal rates, and much of our financing is coming out of pocket.
Below is an exact breakdown of how your donation will help:
Film Festival Submission Fees: $200
Crew Pay: $800
Crew/Cast Food and Transportation: $600
Set Decoration/Props: $200
Location Fees: $200
Total: $2000
Every additional dollar we raise past this amount will be put towards the film as well - less money I have to raise by donating organs!
In addition to making you feel extra good about helping starving artists, your donation also gets you an invite to our short film's swanky red carpet premiere in Hollywood! Granted, there won't be that many celebrities, but at least you'll get to feel like one for the night.
Thank you for helping us bring this story to the world.
The Shells Team
Kevin Fitzgerald, Dorian Davis
Co-organizers (2)
Kevin Fitzgerald
Organizer
Los Angeles, CA
Dorian Davis
Co-organizer