What is the film about?

When Veridian, an estranged young man, receives his late alchemist father Nicholas’ inheritance (voice of Academy Award nominated John Hurt), he is exposed to the ill-fated reality that his father built a tumultuous gold-making machine powered by his own memories. The film takes viewers on an enchanted journey through the vessels of the machine in exploration of the contents of the alchemist’s most precious memories, all in an attempt to give Veridian one last life lesson and save his relationship with his daughter (voice Eloise Webb) from following down the same fateful path.

A visually rich, darkly inventive fairy tale directed by Student Academy Award® finalist Carlos Andre Stevens.

Read our full director interview and learn more about the film through its official site and Facebook page.

What influenced it?

The original idea for the film came from a combination of experiences and observations. The subject matter of the film surrounding alchemical magic is somewhat of a reflection of my personal life and family, we have a particular affinity for thinking about the universe in enchanting ways. The story is a response to my career and many of the individuals I’ve worked with over the years.

A little background information...

I don’t personally have children yet, but I am a son and empathise with my parents’ goals in life; They worked their hardest to make sure my sister and I had everything we needed to succeed intellectually, emotionally and financially. On the other hand, many of my close colleagues have children, and every day I’m subject to the constant struggle they all deal with regarding their professional careers and how it affects their personal and family relationships. I can’t tell you the amount of times my friends have told me I need a better work/life balance. The amount of time spent at the office or chasing particular career dreams surely has the ability to deplete the memories gained with loved ones. The ironic thing is how much time I spent making this film, but of course the message is well worth the sacrifice.

How was the film made?

When I first starting writing the script for this film I had no idea how I would eventually make it. I had just moved to New York City and began directing for Logan Media’s brand new east coast office. For two years I worked nights and weekends developing the story and designing the world. I got some wonderful support from a few of my close friends who helped me with the design, some of the preliminary characters and models. I put together enough material that I could show a proof of concept to potential investors. I remember having a conversation with my mom and explaining to her that I felt like I was going nowhere because I had no way to make it. Her advice was quite simple, she told me to stop worrying about how I was going to make it, and instead to focus all of my intentions on knowing it will be made. A few weeks later I was approached by acclaimed stop motion studio LAIKA, they were seeking a director to move to Portland, Oregon and work out of their commercial division Laika/house. I showed EP of Laika/house Lourri Hammack my materials and shortly after made an agreement with them that they would produce the short film. I was now part of a team of incredibly talented artists all working together to make this dream come true. As far as the remarkable voice talents of John Hurt and Eloise Webb as well as the musicians involved, those came to be through remarkable sets of circumstances and getting more and more people to believe in finishing the film as well as it deserved.