Arbor Day: By Samuel Clemens Long

Arbor Day – Short Film – Horror/Fantasy 2013 Written + Directed by Samuel Clemens Long

In a slightly dystopian view of our near future, two men scour the country for a Hell born creature. Father and son, Thomas and Luke, must put an immortal demon-man back into it’s Earthly prison. Thomas regales his semi-captive audience with a yarn about a young boy named Thomas: The Yates family has a tradition. Every generation a father and son go into the woods and chop down a certain tree. They hollow out the stump and plant a new tree inside the old one. This is done because imprisoned in the roots bellow lay both man and demon inside one body. Undying. But as with any good campfire story the creature is let loose and it murders it’s way to freedom. But the little boy of the story within the story survives the creature. And he spends the rest of his life tracking down the creature and putting it back where it belongs. But are Thomas and Luke the characters from their own story? And can they be trusted?

Arbor Day was shot on Kodak 500T Color Negative Film 0230-011-1207.

Samuel Clemens Long has written and directed several shorts as well as completed a slew of screenplays. His proficiency behind the lens is quite impressive as well. Visit http://www.samclong.com for more info.

Credits:

Crew

Written + Directed Samuel Clemens Long

Property master Brittin Richter

Monster Make-up Artist Elizabeth Geck

DIT/ Data manager Clark Birchmeier

Director of Photography Keith Jefferies

Loader Ian Henderson

Creature/ sfx prosthetics Brian Demski

Stage Dad Robert Stanzler

Costumer Kimberly Leitz-mcCauley

All around bad-ass Andrew Pruden

All around bad-ass Steve Catherman

All around bad-ass John Brink

Stage Mom Pam Kay

Field Sound Mixer Mike Amman

Key Grip Amy Snell

Make-up artist Linda Blum Long

Gaffer Matthew Poertner

Associate Producer Ele Bardha

Costume Mistress Lara Goetzl

First Assistant Director Jonathan West

Key Production Assistant Dyllan McNamara

Second Assistant Camera Dillon Hargett

Director of Art/ Producer Ronit Pinto

Camera Queen Barbara Tozier

Production Assistant Sam Davis

Set Decoration Sandhya Hutchingson

Set Decoration Derek Berk

Set Decoration Nikki Sass

Blood and Guts Scott Kodrick

Fotokem hook-up Perry Supa

Fotokem telecine operator Matt Tomaszewski

Fotokem colorist Scott Fox

Stage Mom Reba Sommer

Stage Dad Jon Sommer

Costumes Kathi Moore

Best Mom ever Diane Long

Camera Operator Nickolas Gilbert

Grip Adam Kogelman

Crafty Megan Grant

On Set Dresser Michael Trosper

Composer Stephen Cooper-McCann

Audio Post-production Spencer Hall

First Assistant Camera/ Loader Sebastian Boada

Cast

Thomas – Ron Shedd

Luke – Nate Czarling

Mary – Jeni Lee Richey

John – Jack-Henry Kay

Creature (unseen) – Matt Buss

Uncle (unseen) – Kef Lee

Boy (unseen) – Taran Stanzler

Grandfather (unseen) – Sid Long

Father in woods (unseen) – Mike Fulton

Son in woods (unseen)-  Andrew Fulton

Man with guitar (unseen) – Tyler Pray

Hand Stand in – John Brink

Wake goer – Sarah Heightchew

Wake goer – Rachel Harmon

Wake goer – Rebecca Long

Creature – Samuel Clemens Long

Uncle – Jim Buford

Grandfather – Keith Jefferies

Tree Planter – Derek Berk

Gore Girl 1 – Ronit Pinto

Gore Girl 2 – Nikki Sass

Gore Girl 3 – Sandhya Hutchingson

Gore Guy – Steve Catherman

Campground Dweller – Olivia Richey

Thanks

Truck provided and cut up by Steve Whipple of L&S Automotive with help from Jeremy

Lumber + Buggies Riverside Oak Furniture

Grip + Electric supplies Detroit Power & Light

Hazer Klaiss Stage Lighting Tow from TJ’s

Cardboard from Richards Appliances

Caskets + set dressing Pray Funeral Home

Cinelab s16mm processing + telecine Fotokem s16mm processing + telecine

Kodak and Bob Mastronardi Supplying all the film!

Stratton Camera Cameras

Eric from church van loan

Sidco Location + signage

Gear

Eclair ACL

Arriflex SR3

Panasonic HVX-200

Sony EX3

shot on Kodak 500T Color Negative Film 0230-011-1207

edited on FCPX