Faithful

"Faithful" follows Vaila, a brave 13 year old girl who ventures into the scary Scottish woods in hope she will find the mythical Cù-Sìth, a fairy dog that can open a portal to the Fairy World. Vaila hopes to find the dog so that she can right a wrong from her past and bring her family back together.

Now we're looking towards what happens AFTER the film is finished!

£20.00
raised of £5,000.00 goal
Ongoing
1 Backers
Genre
Drama
Scope
Short
Seeking funding for
Production
Campaign type
Ongoing
Support project
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Project

Faithful
Genre
Drama
Seeking funding for
Production
Scope
Short
Campaign type
Ongoing

Welcome to our crowdfunding campaign for "Faithful" a new Scottish fairytale short film from Silly Wee Films and Linger Longer Films.

"Faithful" follows Vaila, a brave 13 year old girl who ventures into the scary Scottish woods to find the mythical Cù-Sìth, a fairy dog that can open a portal to the Fairy World. Vaila hopes to find the dog so that she can right a wrong from her past and bring her family back together.

With your help, we can commission our amazing cast and crew, keep them in the TV and film industry, and create a truly magical story for all generations.

We met with Jonathan Tait of STV today and looks like we may have a home for Faithful…more to come!

Now is the perfect time to back our short film by grabbing a perk on our Greenlit campaign and sharing the link far and wide.

WE DID IT! 

Because of your amazing support, we raised over £10,000 on our Greenlit campaign, and we were able to shoot for two more days, completing the principle photography on "Faithful". 

With your help, we can now pay our 20+ cast and crew for their hard work and skills. Thank you.

BUT WHAT NOW?

We also raised £5,000 on a Kickstarter campaign for post-production. Which is the bare minimum that we required to get the film into post production. That will let us hire a film editor, VFX animator, sound designer and film composer. 

That's absolutely amazing, and it lets us get the film completed to a fairly high standard. But if we raise any more money that we can put towards visual effects, it will allow the animator to spend more time on each shot required, and even create more shots to make the film even better. 

This is a very quick mock-up from one of our scenes that our VFX artist, Peter Butler, created to show us what he can do to turn our real life dogs, into the magical Cù-Sìth.

After our break in filming in March, we decided it would be far easier to have the fairy dogs appear as particle/magic fairy dogs in certain sequences, to make them more believable and to really sell the magic of these Grim Reaper hounds. 

This will require a bit more time in post-production but the end results will be more than worth it.

If we can raise another £1,000 or so, this will allow us to hire Peter to work on more shots and to make sure that when you sit down to watch this film, you are sucked into this magical world that we are creating for you to be a part of.

We would also like to be able to commission our editor, Thom Clarke, for a few more days to work on the cut of the film, working closely with Lucy and Fraser to bring the best possible end product to life. The more money we raise for this short campaign, the more days Thom can work on the film.

The same goes for our sound designer Robert Newth, who will need proper time to go through all of the sound files that we have, fixing any unavoidable errors on the day of filming, cleaning up any exterior sound and creating the magical soundscape in which our characters inhabit, bringing you into that world.

And finally, our composer Steve Dunster will create the score, selling all of the drama, action and emotion (and excitement!) that Vaila experiences throughout this 15 minute story. So any more money we raise can go to hiring Steve to work on the film for longer, bringing in more software and tools to make the score fuller, more impressive and mixed in seamlessly into the sound design.

AN ORIGINAL SONG

We're having discussions with Scottish singer Josie Duncan about producing an original song that can be used for the end credits of the film. Something that will compliment the story and the characters, and the legend of the Cù-Sìth.

Josie would like to play some of her own instruments on the track as well as hire a string quartet and a bass player to round out the composition and create an original, unique and heartfelt song.

We're looking at recording studios such as Blackbay Studios in the Highlands to record and master the song, both in English and in Gaelic, that can be mixed into the final film and released as a potential single for all of you to enjoy around the world.

We would also like to hire a small crew to travel to the Highlands and film a music video with Josie, in English and Gaelic, to go along with the song.

We have been speaking to XpoNorth to get their support and guidance, and we will be meeting with Creative Scotland in May to discuss their Open Fund for musicians to see if we are eligible for financial support. But if we can show that we already have some money for the song via crowdfunding, we are more likely to get support from them.

In an ideal world, Josie will perform the song at the premiere's after party for cast, crew and special guests to enjoy.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE FILM WHEN IT'S FINISHED?

Once the film is completed it will be premiered in Scotland, and we know it will be placed on STV Player for a year when we're ready. But we'd like to take the film on a tour of the Highlands and Islands and in England too.

We're looking at the likes of the Cannes Film Festival, Berlin, the Glasgow Film Festival, New York, SXSW, Canada and anywhere else we think would be the best fit for our story.

The team have a meeting with MCM COMIC CON LONDON about screening the film at one of their events next year too.

This all costs money - to enter the film into the festivals, to send some of the team to all the markets, to promote the film, to make sure it is seen by the biggest audience possible. And we need YOUR help.

Ultimately our hope is to create such a wonderful end product that we can use it as a springboard to either develop it into a full length feature film or a TV series for a younger audience.

And it all starts with you. So if you'd like to be a part of our Faithful family, grab a perk and share the link! The more we raise, the more we can do! 

Lily McGuire as Vaila. Photo by Sonja Blietschau.

Vaila blames herself for her Mum's death, and hopes to trick one of the dogs into finding her mum, and bringing her back. Coming dangerously close to death herself, Vaila manages to lure one Cù-Síth into her thrall, and with his help, must battle the rest of his pack, find the portal to the Otherworld - and make sure her dad doesn't discover her new "dog" or that she's out of bed after lights out!

Scotland is filled with untold folklore and fairytales that are so rarely told on screen, so we would like to dive into our mythology and tell this particular story, as it deals with grief and how we evolve as people (and creatures!) throughout our lives.

We would like to take the film around the world to as many film festivals as possible, to show off our stunning scenery and showcase the fantastic cast and crew who film in Scotland.

This campaign is so important to us as it will allow us to hire a fantastic crew and shoot our film and bring this story to life.

MEET THE CAST

Lily McGuire as Vaila

Vaila is 13 years old and obsessed with all things to do with Scottish folklore. Her mother would stay up all night reading all of her favourite fairytales to Vaila and the two formed the closest bond. However Vaila is struggling to come to terms with the loss her mother, convinced that it was her fault. And so, Vaila believes that if she can track down the Cù-Sìth, she can find a doorway to The Otherworld and bring her back.

Lily has had an interest in acting and singing since she was very young. Joining a local junior drama company when she was six years old and then at the age of eight moving into Children's Theatre, having taken part in six shows to date. This is Lily's first film role and she is delighted to be part of such an exciting production.

Gary Hollywood as Campbell

We are delighted to announce that Gary Hollywood has been cast in the role of Campbell, Vaila's Dad, in our upcoming short film.

Gary is best known for his role as Dino in the BAFTA award winning series, "Mrs. Brown's Boys" and has also starred in Taggart, Take the Highroad, and The Flying Scotsman.

Kimberely Nixon as Annabelle

BAFTA winning actress Kimberely Nixon has starred in hit shows such as "Fresh Meat" and "Outlander" and we are thrilled that she has joined our short film. 

Kimberely will be playing the crucial role of Annabelle, Vaila's mother, who is thought to be lost in The Otherworld.

We are still to cast the role of Harrison, Vaila's younger brother, Michael who will meet the Cù-Sìth at the start of our film and Angus, a kindly old man who's story is wrapped up with our fairy dog.

Greg McHugh as Michael

Greg is a Scottish actor best known for his roles in Gary Tank Commander, Fresh Meat, The A Word, Guilt and a Discovery of Witches. We are delighted that Gary has joined our cast and we can't wait for you to see him in action as the mysterious Michael.

Dui and Wiki as the Cù-Sìth

Dui and Wiki will be portraying our Cù-Sìth with the help of Creature Features.

There will be a total of 3 dogs in the full short film, with our Cù-Sìth taking centre stage as Vaila attempts to reign the dog in to help her find and save her mother. Can the dog learn to evolve past its instincts to drag people to the Otherworld, or learn to love Vaila and help her on her quest?

To help bring our fairy dog to life, we will be using a mixture of live action in the form of the real life dogs, with practical and visual effects, as well as some puppetry work. A lot of work (and budget!) will go into making the Cù-Sìth come to life!

Concept Art by Ellie Kidd

The Cù-Sìth is a spectral hound from Scottish folklore that haunts the Scottish Highlands - its name essentially means Fairy Dog.

It was believed that they made their homes in rocky crevices and many accounts recall seeing glowing eyes in the shadows. The Cù-Sìth was feared due to the belief that it was a harbinger of death – much like the Grim Reaper. So while the Cat Sìth would steal the souls of the dead, the Cù-Sìth would take the soul to the afterlife. Although mostly a silent hunter the Cù-Sìth would sometimes let out three blood-curdling howls that could be heard for miles around.

Those that heard the howls would need to reach a place of safety before the third howl, or they would be overcome with fear and die from sheer terror.

Where Does My Money Go?

If we reach our goal, the funds will be spent on the following:

  • Hire the crew including our director, producer, director of photography, set designer, costume designer, puppet creator, hair and makeup and behind the scenes photographer
  • Hire Creature Features, the dog wrangling company.
  • Cast the four roles in our short film
  • Hire an editor to cut the film together
  • Bring Dui and Wiki to set
  • Raising these funds will allow us to shoot our full 15 minute short film over 3 days before taking it on a tour of festivals around the world and finding a home for it on streaming services.
  • The ambitious script calls for 3 Cù-Sìth dogs, actors to play Vaila, Harrison and their Mum and Dad, Annabelle and Campbell.
  • Visual effects
  • Sound design
  • Music

Meet The Crew

Lucy Linger - The Director

Lucy is a writer/director/producer working in film, TV and theatre. Her theatre company, established in 2003, is one of the longest running fringe companies in England, and her film production company Linger Longer Films, has created several short films, which have screened at festivals in the UK, Europe and Hollywood.

Lucy says about "Faithful" - "As someone who has always loved historical fiction, folklore and fairy tales, it really struck me that I know so little of those from Scotland. Despite working and visiting Scotland often, these narratives do not seem to have had the representation they deserve. I was excited to hear more about the Cú-Síth, and bring this story to a wider audience.

Fraser Coull - Our Writer/Producer

Fraser has been running his independent production company, Silly Wee Films, since 2005, having created the first superhero webseries in Scotland, "Night is Day" from 2005 to 2007, writing a total of 13 episodes. From 2015 to 2018 Fraser was the showrunner and one of the writers for the award winning supernatural webseries, "Cops and Monsters", which was streaming in over 60 countries on Amazon Prime.

Fraser says of "Faithful" - "It's important that we tell different stories in Scotland and celebrate our culture, history and folklore. We have a unique opportunity to do that with this short film, and I'm really excited to bring the Cú-Síth to life on the big screen!"

Valerie Andrews - Producer

Valerie Andrews is a Guatemalan actor who trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland earning an MA in 2021. She has acted and produced  both plays and film in Guatemala since 2017 with her production company Lucky Cat Productions.  She is very passionate about representation in the performing arts, especially of the Latinx community in Scotland.

Lindsay Dowell - Line Producer

Lindsay Jenkins will be our on set producer, working with the cast and crew on the shoot to keep everything running smoothly. Lindsay has worked on our previous projects, "Night is Day: The Movie", "Cops and Monsters" and "Origins of the Laoich". Lindsay is also the creative director for Children's Theatre Bo'ness.

Paige Smith - Set and Prop Designer

Paige will be designing our sets and props for our short film. Paige previously worked on "Origins of the Laoich" and we are delighted that she is bringing all of her passion and enthusiasm for Gaelic culture to the production.

Ewan Stewart - Director of Photography

Ewan will be our Director of Photography. Ewan runs Prickly Thistle Productions shooting dramatic and corporate productions for a wide variety of clients. Ewan was also our DOP for the "Origins of the Laoich" sizzle reel.

A Gaelic Twist

We're now looking into the option of having the final completed film translated into Scottish Gaelic, with Gaelic subtitles throughout the 15 minute film.

We would need to get quotes from various Gaelic production companies.

Filming Starts Today!

We've officially kicked off the start of production for "Faithful".

With the money we raised on our previous campaign we have enough funds to shoot for two days, filming our key scenes with Kimberley Nixon, Gary Hollywood and Lily McGuire.

£20.00
raised of £5,000.00 goal
Ongoing
1 Backers
Digital Access to the Finished Film

You'll receive a private link to watch the finished short film before it goes live to the public

£5.00
PDF Copy of the Script

We'll send you a digital PDF copy of the finished script so you can see how our story started.

£10.00
Faithful DVD - LIMITED EDITION!

Snag yourself 1 in 10 blu-ray copies of our short film! We'll include the short itself, behind the scenes making of, photo gallery, trailer and more!

(6 remaining out of 10)
£15.00
SIGNED Faithful Poster

We've commissioned Neil Fraser Graphics to create our original poster for marketing purposes. You can own a SIGNED copy of these posters, frame it on your wall and be a part of the Faithful family! Limited editions available!

(40 remaining out of 40)
£15.00
Faithful Blu-Ray - LIMITED EDITION

Snag yourself 1 in 10 blu-ray copies of our short film! We'll include the short itself, behind the scenes making of, photo gallery, trailer and more!

(5 remaining out of 10)
£20.00
Be Part of the Cù-Sìth Pack

Grab this perk and you'll be part of the Cù-Sìth pack; receiving a digital copy of the short film before it goes live to the public, a PDF copy of the script and updates of our film shoot!

£45.00
Invite to the Cast and Crew Screening

Once we've set a date to show the finished film, you'll be invited to our cast and crew screening. Location TBC. We cannot provide travel or accommodation for this perk.

(17 remaining out of 20)
£50.00
IMDb Thank You

We'll add you to our THANK YOU section on IMDb and on our end credits, and we'll send you a digital copy of the film to watch before it goes live to the public! We'll also record a shout out for you from the set of the film.

£65.00
Post Production Associate Producer

You'll be credited as POST PRODUCTION ASSOCIATE PRODUCER on our IMDb page and at the end of the film. You'll also receive a digital copy of the film.

(50 remaining out of 50)
£100.00
Associate Producer Credit

You'll be credited as ASSOCIATE PRODUCER on our IMDb page and at the end of the film. You'll also receive a digital copy of the film.

(93 remaining out of 100)
£100.00
Signed Greg McHugh T-Shirt

Gary Tank Commander himself, Greg McHugh, is in our short film playing the mysterious role of Michael.

Greg himself very kindly signed his t-shirt from the shoot and now you can own it.

We only have one so get in and grab it before it's gone!

(1 remaining out of 1)
£150.00
Post Production Executive Producer

You'll be credited as POST PRODUCTION EXECUTIVE PRODUCER on our IMDb page and the end of our short film's credits. You'll also receive a PDF copy of the script, a DVD copy of the film before it goes live to the public and an invite to our premiere.

(30 remaining out of 30)
£250.00
Own an original costume

For "Faithful" we are commission costume designer Sophie Malcolm to create two costumes for our actress, Kimberely Nixon, to wear in our short film. One will be a fairytale inspired white dress, based on Scottish folklore, and another will be a traditional dress for our flashback scene.

To help us fund the costume design and Sophie's work, we are offering these costumes as a perk for you to own!

(1 remaining out of 2)
£300.00
Post Production Producer

You'll be credited as POST PRODUCTION PRODUCER on our IMDb page, at the end of our short film's credits, an invite to the cast and crew screening, digital copy of the film before it goes live to the public, a copy of the film on DVD, and PDF copy of the script.

(5 remaining out of 5)
£1,000.00
Producer Credit

You'll be credited as PRODUCER on our IMDb page, at the end of our short film's credits, an invite to the cast and crew screening, digital copy of the film before it goes live to the public, a PDF copy of the script, and video message shout out!

(9 remaining out of 10)
£1,000.00
Fund the Entire Film

This is the BIGGIE. With just hours to go, if the 3 "FUND THE WHOLE FILM" perks are taken, we will have the entire budget for pre-production, a 3 day shoot and post production, and YOU will be a hero. For your support you'll get to VISIT THE SET in Scotland, meet the cast & crew, get a SIGNED copy of the script, an INVITE TO THE PREMIERE, PRODUCER IMDb Credit and a CAMEO in the film, and more. Let's see how this goes...

£10,000.00
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