Bloodbound - Short Period Drama

HELP THESE STUDENTS MAKE A FILM THAT WON'T LOOK LIKE A "STUDENT" FILM

Bloodbound is an independently produced period drama short film, set in a world inspired by a mixture of European folklore. With this movie, in addition to providing a unique and entertaining cinematic experience, we aim to tackle themes of loyalty, brotherhood, and paternal relationships and expectations.

STORY

When the young son of a king becomes sick with an incurable illness, his older brother is sent by their father to seek out the help of a witch. Once he finds her, the conversation that follows forces him to face a truth he's refused to acknowledge for his entire life...

CHARACTERS

Prince
The older of the king's two sons, desperate to succeed in his mission of saving his brother from a strange, seemingly incurable sickness. He is loyal, well-meaning and determined to succeed, though he also has a chip on his shoulder, carrying the burden of a tenuous relationship with his father.

Witch
A hermit woman, living alone in a small hut surrounded by an enchanted forest. Her nature and motives are mysterious, and she seems to be keeping some sort of secret.

CINEMATOGRAPHY & VISUALS

The film will feature a 4:3 aspect ratio and utilize an analogue film look & color grade, in order to achieve an authentic, though stylized look, harkening back to old Hollywood as well as central European movies of the 1970s. We want to make use of intentional, painting-like framing and lighting to achieve a feeling of otherworldliness, creating a film with a strongly defined and (hopefully) striking visual style.

WHO ARE WE?

A small, but passionate team of film enthusiasts & aspiring filmmakers, filled to the brim with motivation and passion for this project and excited to produce something that could captivate & entertain audiences.

Katharina Bastin – Producer
A Luxembourg native who has experience with producing commercial, social media content, as well as television broadcasts, having produced a successful Live TV show in the UK.

Samuel Mracka – Writer & Director
Our Slovakian creative lead has previously won 2 awards for his first short film, and is armed with knowledge from the past semester, which he spent studying (and practicing) creative writing. In his spare time, he dabbles in photography and graphic design.

Jesse de Groot – D.O.P & Editor
A Dutchman who started and runs his own video production company, with years of experience producing both commercial and entertainment content for clients. He has won a Best Sound Editing award and nominated for the Best Editor award for his first short film.

Diandzhela Mateeva – Sound designer & Co-Set designer
Raised in Belgium, she has experienced the industry first-hand, working for a widely established film production studio and participating in the creation of projects for Apple & Coca-Cola. Specializes in graphic design.

Dimana Popova – Set designer & Marketer
Originally from Bulgaria, she has worked in the marketing team of one of the largest audience-driven film festivals in the world (International Film Festival Rotterdam) and is professionally specialized in interior design.

Katarína Valasová – Assistant Producer & Production Coordinator
Our “woman on the ground” is responsible for all to do with the key filming location in Slovakia. In the past, she has started and managed events and conferences in association with scouting, charity camps for orphans and theater productions of the Comenius University Theater. She also worked on promoting the most viewed Slovakian documentary of 2022 “Free”.

LOCATIONS

Open-Air Archaeological Museum Havránok
This prehistoric archaeological site in Slovakia is the perfect location to film the majority of our film. An authentic wooden construction, surrounded by picturesque landscapes, on the edge of a beautiful pine-tree forest in the Slovakian mountains. Our team has already secured the location for shooting - the only thing left to do is to acquire the necessary funds.

Vianden Castle
With the original structure constructed in 275 AD and serving as the seat of the Vianden's influential counts until the beginning of the 15th century, this incredible castle seems to have fallen straight out of a fairytale. We have secured its availability for shooting, and now simply require the funds to make it happen!

CONGRATULATIONS, YOU’VE READ TO THE END!

Thank you for reading through our concept - we hope to have got you excited to see it come to fruition! If so, please, consider spearing a bit of money to help us finish this project; it would mean the world to us, and your generosity will by no means be left unrewarded!