About the Project

The Taxidermist is Thomas Love's M.F.A. thesis film at Savannah College of Art and Design and a collective effort from students in the film, production design, and fashion departments. The film will be shot over five days in November.

As you can imagine, film-making is quite expensive. While we are making every effort to keep costs low and have a crew that is working for free, we will still have some expenses in order to make the best film possible. The money you contribute will help feed the cast and crew, secure the best locations, assist with transportation and to create the unique world in which Howard Shuptrine lives. Any amount of money you can contribute will help us in telling the story of our main character Howard.

Synopsis

Howard Shuptrine spends the majority of his time with animals. Dead animals. To avoid problems from his past, Howard devotes all of his attention to his attempts to reanimate and give new life to animals through taxidermy.

His relationship with his adult daughter, Hadley, is strained. Hadley worries constantly about her father’s well-being. When a local game warden threatens to end his hobby, Howard begins a descent into madness .

The Creative Team

Thomas Love (Writer/Director/Producer) is an artist and filmmaker who finds his inspiration in the region from which he hails.  His work fuses Southern Gothic with European flair, dreams with reality and the common with the majestic. His use of the visual language of film leaves his audience feeling like they have just witnessed a great spectacle, yet have further, deeper questions about the mystery behind the mirage.  Thomas studied at Mercer University where he received a B.A. in Communications and Theater Arts with a minor in English.

Danielle Aziz (Co-Producer/Production Designer) is currently a Production Design student at the Savannah College of Art and Design with a Scenic Design concentration. Danielle has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Emory University in Theater and English. She has been the Art Director and Production Designer for numerous SCAD Graduate and Senior Thesis films, and is also involved in SCAD’s Theatre, working in various roles including Scenic Paint Charge and Master Carpenter.

Harry Lipnick (Director of Photography) is a cinematographer who likes to work on projects of all varieties. After graduating from SCAD in 2011 with a BFA in Film and Television, Harry worked for six months as an associate producer at a documentary production company. While that opportunity provided many learning experiences, Harry has most recently chosen to pursue freelance cinematography full time. The Taxidermist will be one of several short films he will be shooting in 2012.