NCSU alumni created an independent short film called “Harbinger” that has just been realeased. Andrew Martin is the producer, cowriter and coeditor of the film, and Kieran Moreira is the writer, co-editor and director of the film. The film takes place in the North Carolina suburbs through the imaginative eyes of a young adopted boy named Harold. While his mother is expecting a baby, Harold prepares for the baby, which he believes will come falling from the stars.
As a whole, through the enticing nature of the film’s cinematography, it contains a relatable overarching message that captures the beauty of childhood and growing up.
“The underlying themes of ‘Harbinger’ are certainly hope and family,” Moreira said.
He continued by explaining how the plot has themes of hope and positivity.
“It’s a story about trying to belong or fit in. The main two characters are somewhat of outsiders in their own world, and they’re trying to create a family out of that,” Moreira said. “That’s something a lot of people can identify with. It’s definitely a story that’s trying to show there is hope and positivity even in the midst of conflict and challenges.”
The idea of the film began with the idea of a short scene Moreira had come up with in hopes of creating his own movie script. The idea was called “Cloud Fortress,” and, simply put, was about a boy hoping to climb to the top of the sky.
The simple idea began to take shape as Martin got involved in the writing process, and a collaborative effort took place.
“Kieran came with this great idea and visual concept, but beyond that we weren’t sure who the characters were, what their environments were,” Martin said. “I wanted to ground it in reality, a real North Carolina community within this fantastical storyline.”
From there, a back and forth process between the two co-writers resulted in a solid draft of the film. Along the way, they began to receive support from the community.
“It was enough of a hook to get people to want to dig a little deeper into the story,” Martin said. “A lot of people had an immediate emotional interest.”
Moreira commissioned a graduate graphic design student at NC State to create the concept art for the film. It was the concept art that inspired Moreira and made the storyline even more enticing.
“For me, what cemented the idea was the concept art,” Moreira said, “We didn’t know necessarily what it’s going to be, but we knew it would be really cool.”
However, the process of creating the film was not without its challenges. Like most highly ambitious projects, the makers of “Harbinger” reached impasses when it came to time and money.
After an attempt to raise money through an unsuccesful Indiegogo campaign, the filmmakers relied heavily on community support and volunteerism. This required them to work on weekends and evenings so as not to draw out the process too much. However, Drawbridge, the company producing the film, was able to give just enough money so that production could happen.
Not only was money dwindling at points, but time also became an issue when both Martin and Paul Frateschi, the director of photography, had children during the length of the approximate two year filmmaking process.
The production had beneficial aspects as well. Frateschi said he found the set environment pleasant and though time consuming, the process was rewarding overall for those involved.
Despite their hardships, Martin, Moreira and Frateschi said they found solace and gratification in the completion of the film, finding pride and happiness in the final product.
“I really enjoyed getting to see the people who worked on the film see it for the first time and realize that what they did really paid off,” said Moreira, “and they’re really proud of what they created.”
Martin, Moreira and Frateschi said they hope to keep making films and are excited to start the next one, but for now, they’re happy riding the wave of “Harbinger” before beginning their next two year endeavor.
“Seeing the response from the audience, those who worked on the film and those who didn’t, was really great to see,” Frateschi said.
