Sandy Collora’s Kickstarter project, Shallow Water, has gone live today! The filmmaker and special effects artist has worked on various films, including Leviathan, Predator 2, and Men in Black. He has also directed the popular short film Batman: Dead End. With Shallow Water, Collora proposes to go back to the creature features of the 1950s, such as The Creature from the Black Lagoon, while at the same time trying to create a new iconic Movie Monster.
Sandy Collora with props from the project.
“I hear so many people complaining about all the sequels and reboots the Hollywood machine is cranking out lately,” Collora said. “I grew up on the Alien and Predator films… I love them and watch them all the time; but where are the new iconic creatures? How long has it been since we’ve seen a creature truly unique and powerful in a genre film? Too long. If Hollywood won’t do it, I will.”
The Tiburonera. “He who hunts sharks”. Personal opinion incoming: it looks badass.
Shallow Water‘s predatory Monster — whose design was based on various species of reptiles, including snapping turtles — is linked with humanity’s impact on our oceans. “With all the time I’ve spent in and on the water over the past 40 years,” Collora said, “I’ve seen the impact man has made on the ocean environment firsthand. I’ve dedicated a lot of my time to helping preserve our ocean resources and manage our fisheries, in the hopes of keeping them sustainable for generations to come. Shallow Water embodies all this and is a perfect fit for me as a filmmaker.” He further elaborated: “so much of the unique and odd life — that we see come out of the ocean — dwells in the darkness of the deep. The abyssal plain. Depths of 500 feet or more. There’s life in the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of our seas, that is yet undiscovered. Hydrothermal vents over a mile deep contain life almost alien to our human eyes, but what about the shallows? How hard would it be for something that lives in the deep to swim up into the shallow water? Especially if it was hungry. It’s a chilling thought what dangers lurk right under our feet in the murky shallow waters of our shores.”
Another goal of the project is, of course, using as many practical effects as possible. “These effects involve the use of sculpture, prosthetic makeup, animatronics, puppetry, body suits and other techniques,” Collora commented, “that most realistically create the appearance of organic, living creatures. Especially for a film that has a creature with a human form, this is the best and most realistic way to achieve the desired effect.” Shallow Water‘s crew includes Clark Bartram, Eric S. Dow, Dale Pearson, and Felipe Perez Burchard.
Making a film is, by its nature, an incredibly complex and challenging endeavor. But this isn’t my first barbecue. I’ve been in and around the industry almost 30 years and learned from some of the best in the business.
We’ve got a great story, and an excellent script, and I’ve already created the primary creature. A significant portion of the crew is already aboard and they are accomplished veterans, many of whom have worked with me before on my previous films and commercials. The locations for the shoot have been determined and negotiated, and there are a limited number of sets. All these variables increase efficiency and ensure that upon funding, everything promised will be delivered.
I understand the film making process; developing a realistic schedule, a scope of work, and a budget. I know how to adhere staunchly, and when to adjust. And I’ve asked for the amount of money needed to deliver a supremely high quality product, on schedule.
Finally, I am a veteran project creator on Kickstarter. Backer rewards from my earlier campaigns were not just delivered on time… many were delivered early.
For all these reasons, if this Kickstarter campaign succeeds, the film Shallow Water will be made, all rewards will be delivered fully and on a timely basis, and I believe you will be proud to have backed it.
Thank you.
— Sandy Collora
Click here to support Shallow Water!
