Five Cycles | A Short Experimental Film
FIVE LANDSCAPES. FIVE SHOTS. ONE STORY.
In the early morning, three men gather outside a trailer home and prepare for an act of violence.
On a rural road in the late afternoon, police arrive at the scene of a wreck.
At dusk, a farmer discovers an abandoned vehicle hidden behind a stack of hay bales.
Late into the night, an ominous light scans through dense trees before returning the woods to darkness.
On a cold, stark day, someone carrying a shovel begins digging a hole in a snow-covered forest.
These five separate events are all part of one story, one you must piece together.
Five Cycles is an experimental short film in which a single story unfolds across five, interconnected landscapes. Over the course of the film's run time, these five scenes develop in unison and each come to their own conclusion. Gradually it becomes clear how these events are related, and attentive viewers will be able to find a sense of closure.
While there is an ongoing narrative, the film distinguishes itself through its form and structure. Watching this film is likened to viewing a series of paintings, or peering through an old viewfinder. The film is made up of five, portrait-esque wide shots. Without the aid of close-ups or dialogue, The viewer must scan each landscape with an investigative eye, making them an active participant within the story. Each scene is intended to feel as though the audience is a witness to these events - sitting on a porch, idling in a car, or watching from a hill as the story unfolds in the distance.
WHY $4,250?
As of now, our team has filmed the first three scenes - which appear briefly in the teaser above. In the 4th scene of the film, an ominous light scans through the trees and searches through a series of abandoned structures. This is our most costly shoot, which requires the rental of a Freefly ALTA, a cinema drone that will be carrying a powerful LED light. The 5th and final scene takes place during the winter and involves a physical altercation between two strangers, months after the previous events have taken place.
The majority of the donated funds will go towards these two remaining shoots. This includes the drone and the operator, food for our crew, insurance, and equipment costs. A small portion of the campaign donations will be set aside to help with festival submission fees once the film is complete. Our deadline for completion is January 10th. Check out our IMDb page for more information on our cast and crew.
IMDb PAGE: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11160272/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
A visual reference for our upcoming winter shoot:
(Reference: Gregory Crewdson's 'Cathedral of the Pines")
THE TEAM
The Five Cycles crew has been working together for a number of years since meeting in film school at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. The team has collaborated on several projects together including a 12-episode web series, a 35mm film project, and a 4th-year thesis film that was a semifinalist at the 46th annual Student Academy Awards. We're grateful to have found a group of likeminded filmmakers during our time in film school, and we look forward to continued collaboration as we move into the future and pursue our filmmaking careers.
Aidan Weaver, Director
Writer/Director Aidan Weaver was born in Seattle, Washington. He has been writing and directing films over the last 10 years, and his work has screened across the country at many notable film festivals. He strives to tell cerebral, atmospheric stories that challenge the audience. Aidan graduated from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in May of 2019.
Katie Sanderson, Producer
Katie Sanderson graduated from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts with a BFA in Film Production and a minor in Arts Entrepreneurship. Since graduating, she has produced a number of independent short films that have screened at multiple festivals throughout the country. Katie has worked on a variety of projects from web series and commercials, to several international film productions. She is currently a freelance producer and first assistant director living in Los Angeles, California. 
Jared Freeman, Director of Photography
Jared Freeman graduated from UNC School of the Arts with a BFA in Filmmaking. From 2011 to the present, he has worked on a variety of productions, including short-form, feature narratives, documentaries, and commercials. As Director of Photography, his films have screened at the Nashville and Austin Film Festival. While he has shot internet-based commercials for several major corporations such as FIFA, Wrangler, Food Lion, and Lowes, his most recent work was nominated for a Student Heritage ASC Award where he was DOP on the short film She Follows Close Behind.
Riley Patterson, Designer
Riley Patterson is a filmmaker who specializes in cinematography and production design. Born and raised in Durham, NC, a drive for creativity led her to a BFA in filmmaking from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts where she will graduate in May 2020. Storytelling is a passion that she chases through visuals. 
John Machado, Editor
Born and raised in Florianópolis, Brazil, John Machado graduated from the Editing and Sound Design program in the School of Filmmaking at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in 2019. After three semesters of business school in Brazil, he decided to follow his dream of becoming a filmmaker and moved to the US. He has edited six films at UNCSA, two of which he also sound designed. After graduation, John plans to move to New York and start his career in film and television post-production.
Chris Stephens, Writer
Born in rural Tennessee, Chris Stephens developed a love for film at a young age and has been writing screenplays for nearly a decade. He graduated from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in May of 2019, and during his four years there he found a wealth of friends and colleagues to bring those scripts to life. He has written a variety of short films and feature-length screenplays and looks forward to pursuing a career in independent film.
Dillon DiPietro, First Assistant Director
Dillon is a 3rd year filmmaker at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. He has studied in a variety of entertainment mediums including communications and Information, sports broadcasting, journalism, and filmmaking throughout his college career. He has been involved in the creation of a student film festival in his home town of Orlando, Florida where he directed short films, documentaries, and news packages. He has always had a passion for telling stories. After school, Dillon plans on perusing a career in creative producing and directing.
Grayson Fisher, Production Designer
Grayson was born in Greensboro, North Carolina. He grew up with a passion for fine art, leading him to fall in love with film. He attended Rochester Institute of Technology in New York as a Film & Animation major. Following a year of enrollment, he transferred to the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. He is currently in his second year with a concentration in Production Design for film & television. He hopes to apply his fine art skills to his craft while continuing to build worlds and grow as an artist.
How can you help?
Donate! Any amount of money helps! We are incredibly grateful to have such supportive friends and loved ones who want to see this project come to life. Thank you for helping us get there!
If donating is not an option, please share our campaign on social media. This is a great way to get people involved and excited about our film.