Off Track - a USC thesis film featuring Cahuilla people and history..

California, 1847 - A cartographer, driven by greed, changes his life after witnessing death at a Cahuilla village. Check out our new stretch goals below! A warm welcome to everyone discovering "Off Track" through Indiewire. We're one of four films nominated for Project of the Week! Take a look around--we hope you'll see why Indiewire feels we're a compelling candidate for this honor! If you like what you see, please vote for us, and even consider donating. We're so grateful for your interest and support. As the Mexican-American War rages, rumors of gold lead cartographer Patrick O’Sullivan (Ryan Dorsey, "Parks and Recreation") and two of his fellow soldiers to desert the U.S army in search of riches in the unmapped regions of present-day California. The three are lost and near death when they stumble upon an unlikely guide – the Pul, or Shaman, of the Cahuilla tribe (Jay Tavare, "The Missing," "Cold Mountain," "Into the West"). As Patrick tries to take advantage of the Pul's knowledge of the area to search for gold, he discovers that the man has his own motives for assisting Patrick's efforts to map the land. This discovery redirects Patrick’s egotistic journey into a historical opportunity to focus his life on a mission greater than himself. "Off Track" is about clashing cultures, the struggle for preservation, and finding fulfillment in life. Please help us tell this story! You can read crew bios here. Director: João Paulo ("J.P.") Jacobsen Screenwriter: Juan Rubalcava Producers: Drew Diamond, Priscilla Spencer, and Daniel Leeds Cinematographer: Carolina Costa Production Designer: Flora Ortega Editor: David Aristizabal If you're going to donate to this project, you're going to want to know when you can see it! Here are a few key dates from our production schedule. September 13: Filming Begins September 27: Production Wrap November 28: Test Screening #1 January 13: Test Screening #2 January 25: VFX Lock January 27: Picture Lock March 18: Final Sound Mix March 18-22: Final Exports March 22-25: Mentor Screening April 1-9: Blu-Ray and DVD Replication April 9-May 9: Festival Submission I am an avid student of history, fascinated by what the past can teach us and amazed by how I see it repeated in the present day. The time period surrounding the Mexican-American War is the perfect backdrop for a story about greed, exploration, and personal discovery. The film is set in the uncharted regions of the West, just prior to a mass migration from around the continent--one spurred by the search for great personal fortunes, with little regard for those who inhabited the land before. Within this context, we find our protagonist on the wrong path in life, searching for another way to find his place in a world that seems to have no place for him. The film offers no easy easy answers. Instead it raises raises compelling questions about personal responsibility and an individual's relationship with society at large. The film is a Psychological Western; it is not a story about heroic feats, but a tale of how an unexpected encounter can inspire a man to change direction of his life. It tells the story of a young man, driven by greed and desires of fortune, who learns the value of life after witnessing death during his stay at a Cahuilla village. This is a story of self-discovery and re-evaluation of one's aspirations and life goals, which we can all relate to, no matter the time period. As the director, I am drawing from 3 years of immersive, graduate-level education and training at USC, which the Hollywood Reporter recently ranked as the #1 Film School in the United States. Through the University, I have been fortunate to learn from the industry leaders in film while developing professional relationships with my talented group of peers. I am honored to be making my thesis film under the professional guidance of faculty and in collaboration with the new generation of filmmakers. More about the project and the team behind it at: www.offtrackthemovie.com "Like" us on Off Track Facebook page. Risks and challenges Learn about accountability on Kickstarter Shooting a period piece is always challenging. Shooting it in the Palm Desert with a limited budget makes it even harder. Undoubtedly, we will face many challenges as we endeavor to recreate the world of 1847 California. We have a talented, tireless, dedicated crew composed of current students and recent graduates, working for little or no pay, but we need your help to secure the equipment and resources necessary to make this film the right way. A large portion of the funds raised in this campaign will go to production design, including historically accurate clothing, makeup, hair, and locations. Your generosity will enable us to secure an authentic ancient Cahuilla village site for our village exteriors and traveling scenes, as well as to house our crew in or near Indio, California, for several days, a necessity when filming so far from Los Angeles. We will also need to construct the interior of the Cahuilla sweat lodge on a USC soundstage. We are very aware of the stereotypical, ignorant, and harmful ways Native Americans have been depicted in the media, and we will endeavor to challenge that with a Cahuilla character with as much nuance and depth as the white protagonist. Our goal is to depict the tribe with historical accuracy and sensitivity, via extensive research and consultation with representatives of the Cahuilla people. With your support and the guidance of our working professional USC faculty, we are confident in our ability to make a film that will entertain audiences while raising important questions about the paths we choose in life. Project by Priscilla Spencer Los Angeles, CA