Kickstarter

The Story...

For this video, we want to explore the idea of perception. In this case, we are looking at the world through the eyes of a young boy doing what all young boys do: pretending. For this young boy, it’s the life of a super hero that he lives inside his imagination. A child’s imagination is the most powerful, most immersive story telling device. Something as small as walking through the woods one afternoon, could easily turn into the most exciting story anyone has ever experienced or told. 

These are the themes that this video will explore. The raw excitement and energy that is a young boy’s imagination, and the difference between real-life and make-believe, if there really is any...

'Groundhog' is the first single and lead track off of our second album.  The mixture of organic and electronic sounds coupled with eccentric lyrics and energy makes it one of our most exciting tunes to date!  You will notice that the song is a constant crescendo, growing on itself and creating a captivating soundscape ending in an explosive climax.  Please listen to the track and then read more about the story to truly envision our film...

In this film, we will follow a young boy on an adventure of super-preportions.  Starting in his home, we see him getting ready for the day, preparing his super hero costume.  From there, the music begins and we take off into the nearby woods where we find the boy's top-secret headquarters.  This is where our battle for mankind begins!  Complete with toy buildings and evil-doer figurines, we fly over our makeshift city in the woods, screaming and jumping!  As the song grows closer to its climax, we fall further and further into our battle, and a change begins to take place.  The ground starts to shake, the toys starts to move on their own, and before we know it, our scene of childhood fun transforms into a magical new experience.  As we reach the songs peak, our hero's once imagined super powers have become real, and he begins to control the scene with his mind, sending his toys and the leaves floating into the air, creating a mystical whirlwind of fantasy around him.    

Who We Are...

Ian Vargo

Ian, now an experienced music engineer and producer, started simple with a cassette recorder his parents bought for him in high school. He went on to study songwriting and guitar at The Berklee College of Music, and has two degrees in Sound from The Savannah College of Art and Design. Now living in Los Angeles, he has worked on major label productions ranging from Alternative to Top 40 Pop. He currently teaches Audio Production and Music Recording at The Art Institute of California, and works as a freelance music mix engineer and producer.

Jason Cummings

Jason is an accomplished producer and engineer, specializing in the development of unique and memorable sounds for many talented artists. Holding degrees in both Audio Production and Music Business, Jason integrates an expansive technical understanding into his creative approach to music. In his nearly four years at The Cutting Room, Jason has worked on a variety of records and songs, ranging from pop, country, Latin, indie and rock, to more experimental and unclassifiable music, such as his main passion project, Ugly Ugly Words.

The Filmmakers...

Evan Powers - Director

Evan is a Director and Writer living and working in Los Angeles.  He began his career in Chicago making short films.  His work has screened at festivals across the U.S., including the Sundance Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, DC Shorts Film Festival, and more!  His films and videos tend to explore the comedy and romanticism of true and awkward times in peoples lives, while adding a twist of the fantastical.  He believes that with your help, this video can be among his best work yet!  His work can be seen here: https://vimeo.com/user3120186

Sean Loughran - VFX Supervisor

Due to the magical nature of this project, a good amount of Visual Effects will be used to create an awe inspiring piece.  Sean is a VFX Artist and Digital Compositor in Los Angeles.  His amazing work can be seen in such Hollywood Films as 'The Amazing Spiderman', 'Men in Black 3', 'Green Lantern', and the HBO Mini-Series, 'The Pacific'.  His expertise and artistry will help ensure the success of our effects and in turn, the success of our film!   His work can be seen here: http://seanlfx.net/

YOUR HELP IS CRUCIAL to the success of this project!  The goal above is just a portion of the budget needed to complete this project and make it as special as it can possibly be!  Any amount can help make our dream a reality.  Thank you so much for reading and for helping Ugly, Ugly Words make our first ever video!