"The Hunter" Western Short Film & Senior Capstone

Set in 1870’s Wyoming, the film follows an ambitious young bounty hunter as he tracks down his first target. The legendary outlaw he pursues, known infamously as “The Reaper of the West,” has drifted through dozens of towns leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. As the young hunter closes in on his quarry, he begins to understand the gravity of the situation he’s found himself in. A final duel between the two figures puts both gunslinging skills and personal morals to the test.

INCENTIVES:

$10 - Personal Thank You

Special thank you from director Tim Rose for your support!

$25 - Postcard

This package includes a handwritten thank you postcard from Tim, James, Daisy, and Kenny with a custom cover shot from the film!

$50 - Exclusive Early Screener and Behind-the-Screen Package

Get an exclusive first look at the film! You will also receive exclusive behind-the-scenes photos and videos from on-set filming!

Additionally includes previous rewards:

- Handwritten Postcard

$100 - Special Thanks

Receive a special thanks credit at the end of the film!

Additionally includes previous rewards:

- Handwritten Post Card

- Early Screening Link

- Behind the Scenes Pack

$250 - Signed Script

We will ship you a copy of the script signed by our cast and crew!

Additionally includes previous rewards:

- Handwritten Post Card

- Early Screening Link

- Behind the Scenes Pack

$500 - Associate Producer

Get an IMDB credit & film credit! You'll also receive a digital PDF copy of the script in addition to a signed printed copy.

Additionally includes previous rewards:

- Handwritten Post Card

- Early Screening Link

- Behind the Scenes Pack

- Signed Printed Script

$1,000 - Executive Producer

Get an IMDB Credit & film Credit. If you want, you can add a production company of your own.

Additionally includes previous rewards:

- Handwritten Post Card

- Early Screening Link

- Behind the Scenes Pack

- Signed Printed Script

- Digital Script

For me, the image of a lone gunslinger strolling through saloon doors with his trusty peacemaker hanging at his side is what comes to mind whenever I hear “Wild West.” Impersonating the heroic cowboys and the wicked black hats from the classic westerns of the twentieth century was a staple of my playground experience, though as I grew older, I began to find the characters who didn’t necessarily align with good or evil much more interesting. These rogue individuals who sat in the gray zone between right and wrong always felt the most human to me. Rarely is anyone purely virtuous or wicked, and I believe our unique life experiences serve as the foundation for our moral principles, wherever they may lie. The Hunter is a story that explores morality through the eyes of two characters who have led very different lives. Their exchange of conversation and violence encapsulates the complex natures of virtue and justice by asking if the two concepts can truly coexist. By the end, I hope to have sparked some level of personal reflection on your own values and the road that led you to them. Making an entertaining yet impactful western film has always been a goal of mine, and I’m thrilled to be sharing the results of this passion project with you.

- Tim Rose

The Hunter draws inspiration from classic westerns like Unforgiven and The Great Silence while also drawing from newer takes on the genre like The Hateful Eight and The Revenant. We want to visually emphasize nature in this film as it is a story of two killers alone in the wilderness. All of our inspirations touch on man vs. nature and the ideas of loose morals coming to a climax in a duel to the death. We are inspired by these films stories of ruthless hunters in brutal environments. To emulate this style, the visual language of the film will focus on entirely natural light, with an old western anamorphic look.

These funds will help us through pre-production, production, and post-production. This means securing our crew, equipment, locations, food, PPE, editing, music composition, festival submissions, and more. 

Our current goal of $4,000 will help us achieve production of our film. However, we're eager to let the world see our project and any supplemental funding could go a long way...

Stretch goals and what they could provide: 

$5K: Secure ideal locations, better equipment, and enhanced set design.

$6K: Secure higher-end post-production quality with editors, sound designers, colorists, and composers. 

$7K: More ability to distribute the film, allowing us to apply for more festivals/platforms that could screen the production.

Tim Rose - Writer, Director, Producer

Tim Rose is making his short film directorial debut with The Hunter. As a senior at Syracuse University pursuing a major in television, radio, and film with a minor in history, Tim has worked on a variety of short film sets primarily working in the grip & electric department. The Hunter is a culmination of his acquired knowledge through his tenure at Syracuse University.

As a co-founder of Captain Productions, Tim has worked to create a myriad of learning opportunities for students on campus behind the camera and on-screen. Collaboration has always been at the forefront of his endeavors with producing credits including The Icabaad and Swipe. Following graduation, Tim’s dream is to work in creative producing for feature films.

James McConnell - Writer, Cinematographer, Producer

James McConnell is eager to explore the philosophical debates surrounding the romanticized version of the Wild West through The Hunter. Serving as the director of photography on set, James also has been the director and cinematographer for: The Icabaad, Flowers of Eros, and the Fantastical Mime.

A senior at Syracuse University pursuing a major in recording and entertainment industries, James has also directed and served as the cinematographer for multiple music videos including Mac and Steeze by Picture Us Tiny. James co-founded Captain Productions to further explore film in every facet - especially cinematography. Cameras have been a lifelong fascination for James, and he tends to gravitate toward naturalistic lighting. Following graduation, James wants to work at Greenwood Cine as a camera technician where he worked this past summer.

Kenneth Barrist - UPM, Producer

Kenneth Barrist has a passion for film photography and educational content. Specializing in production coordination, Kenneth has paved a unique path for himself. This past summer, Kenneth worked for Sesame Workshop as a development intern and currently is building a media tech startup that democratizes specialized content.

Pursuing a major in television, radio, and film and a minor in education studies, Kenneth enjoys finding innovative ways to produce impactful entertainment. On-campus, Kenneth founded The Children’s Media Group to assist aspiring creators with mentorship and workshops to help break into children’s entertainment. After college, Kenneth plans to continue building his startup and is looking to work within kid’s television.

Daisy Leepson - Producer

Daisy Leepson has developed a keen interest for producing and talent management throughout her tenure at Syracuse University. A senior double majoring in magazine journalism and information management and technology, Daisy has strategically developed the skills necessary to nail production needs both interpersonally and technically.

This past summer Daisy worked in the talent relations department for the Tribeca Film Festival, and was inspired to bring to campus what she felt was finally an intersection of all of her curiosities within entertainment and is currently directing a university-wide student film festival set to take place in April. With producing credits including ECH0, The Fantastical Mime, and Grape, Daisy’s drive to keep learning pushes her to continually grow. Following graduation, Daisy’s goal is to work within entertainment in talent relations or production.

Through community and individuals, we’re hoping to make this dream become a reality and YOU are our biggest source of support! If you feel compelled, here are other ways you can help and additional info on how to support our team :)

Share this GoFundMe link with your followers. Here's a little blurb you can use. Feel free to copy and paste!

    "Here for #THEHUNTER! Just saw their GoFundMe campaign for this short film from @captainprodco about a bounty hunter who takes on his first job tracking down a notorious outlaw. Support the fundraiser here: gofundme.com/f/the-hunter-western-short-film-senior-capstone

Use #thehunter and tag @captainprodco on instagram. 

Follow @captainprodco on Instagram for updates!

Other areas where we could use your help: 

Catering and Craft Services 

Production Assistants on set 

Extras!

PPE/extra safety precautions

We're more than excited to have the opportunity to make our production come to life, but we still will carefully monitor the current environment and risks of COVID infection. 

Currently, we are ensuring our crew members are vaccinated and have had a negative COVID test 72 hours prior to our shoot dates in March. We continue to monitor the current situation, and remain vigilant in ensuring safety on our set as a top priority.

We appreciate you following our journey and spreading the word so that we can make this dream a reality!

We hope to share this story with you soon, and we are eager to explore the romanticized version of the Wild West and the philosophical debates that come along with it!

Thank you so much for your support.