"The power of radio is not that it speaks to millions, but that it speaks intimately and privately to each one of those millions."

- Hallie Flanagan

Why our Film?

Static is a deeply personal project to us. It confronts loneliness in an age where we are becoming more out of touch with each other. Today's reliance on artificial intelligence and para-social relationships is leaving us more isolated than ever. We hope to inspire connections between friends, family, and even neighbors. As a team, we believe stories can remind us of what truly matters: real connection. Community is what keeps us afloat, and community is what we need to make this film happen. We are a group of hopeful students working together on this amazing project. With your support, we can transform our vision into something that not only entertains, but also heals and unites.

Synopsis

In the mid-90s, a reclusive SETI radio hobbyist spends all his time at a trailer deep in the Pacific Northwest woods, scanning the airwaves for extraterrestrial signals—until he intercepts a desperate call for help from a dying man.

Director's Statement

Static explores the isolating nature of obsession, showing how the pursuit of dreams can overshadow our basic need for connection. The dying man reflects the protagonist’s fate—what begins as a desire to reach something larger than life can end in profound loneliness. The twist, shifting from sci-fi to an intimate drama, underscores how reality strips away grand ambitions. In the end, the film suggests that while chasing the extraordinary may continue, it always comes at the cost of neglecting the human connections around us.

Character Bios

Stephen

A young man in his late 20’s who dropped out of college studying astronomy, Stephen, the protagonist is a SETI radio hobbyist. Although it started as a light hearted passtime, over the years he has become more socially reclusive, obsessed with finding alien life. Outside of his part time job, Stephen spends every night in his trailer home that he has transformed into an amateur radio telescope station closing himself off from his loved ones. 

The Dying Man

The dying man remains ambiguous throughout the story, he has no name, he does not know why he is dying or where. By keeping it ambiguous it moves from a drama/suspense film to a drama/absurdist film, where the dying man’s voice could be from anywhere, and the nature of his existence remains mysterious. 

Budgeting

Where does your contributions go?

Our Vision

Visually, Static emphasizes isolation through empty woods, a cramped trailer home, and dim lighting. Drawing inspiration from Gregory Crewdson’s surreal photography, the gritty realism of the ’90s, and the nostalgic sci-fi imagery of the ’80s, our aim is to craft an intimate narrative underscored by the auditory texture of radio static.