Sons Rising was a passion project I kicked off in the summer of 2012, when I was a single guy in my 20’s with a lot of free time & gusto, but very little experience in visual storytelling. I’d just put out (270) Seconds of Summer, which was surprisingly well received online, and I wanted to capitalize on that momentum to propel my next project.
I launched a crowdfunding campaign via RocketHub (similar to Kickstarter) to raise a few thousand dollars for the project, and ended up raising $3725 in less than a month. This was in the early days of crowdfunding, and yes, even for a short film that’s a very modest budget, but hitting that mark was one of the first truly humbling experiences of my life. To be honest, at the time I felt undeserving of that kind of generosity, and I was blown away.
I’m grateful for all who contributed, and all who got involved in this project! That will never change, and I don’t want the tone of this story to negate that.
That said, I simply had no idea the scope of what I was getting myself into. It didn’t take long to realize that this project was severely under-resourced.
Accidentally a Decade in the Making
This all coincided with the launch of my production company, PIXELtechnics. Thanks in large part to a Vimeo Staff Pick award, the response to (270) impressed upon me that I might actually have the chops to do this stuff for a living, and finally be able to leave my job selling cameras at Best Buy. And so, I did. Soon after this project launched, I also met a girl who’d soon become my wife. In short, my life changed directions in a number of ways in a short period of time. As life evolved, and as I tried to grind out a new career, this passion project quickly became a side project that I’d take off the shelf & tinker with every six months or so, and in the end, it took me over a decade to get it to a point where I was okay with calling it done.
Ten freaking years. I’m gritting my teeth as I type this. This thing was wrapped around my ankles for ten years, and I assure you that was not the intention when I started it. Maybe I’ll feel different in the coming weeks or months after releasing Sons Rising, but as of now, if you ask me how I’d do this over if I had the chance, my answer is, I wouldn’t.
By the time I got a full understanding of the scope of this project, I’d already raised money from people who were expecting me to finish it at some point. I had a sense of debt to them that never quite went away. I did, from time to time, take on other quick, creative projects to experiment & keep me limber, but I never fully gave myself to another project, because I knew I’d have to wrap Sons first. In this way, Sons Rising became a burden. An anchor, something holding me back. And so the passion I once had for this project was zapped.
Throughout those ten years, I also grew as a professional & developed my craft. You’d hope for that, but when you’re eight or nine years in, and you look at stuff you shot in year one or two of the project, all you see is what you should have done differently. I’d go into a shoot planning to capture only one shot, when instead, I should have been capturing the scene four or five different ways, to give myself options in the edit. I shot in bad lighting, when I should have taken five or ten more minutes to light the scene better.
All told, I captured 101 micro scenes for this film. Most of those scenes had to be casted, needed to have a shooting location, had to be booked in a way that worked with my schedule, the actor’s (and sometimes their parent’s) schedule, and the host’s schedule. None of these people were ever getting paid, so expecting them to move things around for this project wouldn’t have been rational. I was almost always flying solo, with nobody to help with lighting, audio or release forms, and sometimes it was a lot to manage.
What I Wanted to Accomplish
The idea for the film came late one night, listening to music in bed. There was a song I came across, the RAC remix of Boy by Ra Ra Riot, that flooded my brain with a rapid montage of images that told the story of the male experience. My motivation, at the time, was to share that little movie playing in my mind. For guys, I wanted it to be a relatable & nostalgic experience. I wanted them to get a sense that moments from their own lives were flashing before their eyes.
Years into the project, I realized a couple things. One: there isn’t actually a lot I can depict on camera in a matter of seconds that’s totally unique to the male experience. Two: aside from maybe (hopefully) being entertaining, this film doesn’t really serve the audience. I’ve gotten to a point where entertaining viewers & bringing attention to myself as a filmmaker doesn’t really move the needle for me. I now want to make something meaningful, that will help people.
What I Learned
Over the course of this project, I learned that filmmaking is truly a collaborative effort, and that’s the way it should be. Don’t let ego or insecurity get in the way of that.
I learned what it means to be a producer, and realized I actually don’t enjoy that role. However, through experience on corporate & commercial projects, I learned that a good producer makes things happen & is worth their weight in gold.
I learned that I’m not actually a great cinematographer, and I’m okay with that. There are a lot of people who are, and they’re freaking awesome to work with!
I learned that directing actors is a discipline in itself, and you really have to trust & believe in them instead of micro-managing every microscopic thing they do.
I learned not to be a prisoner of the moment & let the status of a side project define you as a person. At times, I believed that the slow progress on Sons Rising was seen as a reflection of poor character, and it honestly made me feel like a failure, or a fraud as a creative. But in reality, oftentimes I was prioritizing my career, marriage & family, friendships, and preserving my mental health.
I learned that if you’re going to do something, spend the time, energy & money to do it right. If you don’t, you’ll regret it later when you have to live with those poor decisions.
I learned that substance trumps style. Early on, I just wanted to showcase my style of filmmaking, and now I just see that as hollow.
Thank You
I really want to make a point of expressing appreciation to the 39 people who donated to this project. You rocked my world when you did that, and your generosity & vote of confidence was truly humbling. Thank you for your patience. I also want to thank all the actors who volunteered their time & talent for some podunk, no-budget short film that, as far as they knew, might never end up being anything. And of course, thanks to my wife, Nicole. The only person who’s really known what this project has been to me. I’m grateful for your support & understanding. We no longer have to write “finish Sons Rising” as one of our yearly goals!