The above sample scene was filmed on a budget of only $500 and w/ first time actors. (The actual scene will have Josh spaz out from an anxiety attack. Plus it will feature: more homeless-looking character actors and a real balcony) You may also see a different short we did here: http://vimeo.com/9435565
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Nerve will be a FEATURE-LENGTH FILM directed by J.R. Sawyers. It will be shot with the RED camera starting November 15, 2010. The more money we raise here the more footage well be able to shoot.

LOGLINE:
With the help of a girl, a young man with social anxiety disorder learns to discover humanity in himself and others for better or worse.

SYNOPSIS:
We begin with Josh Biggs daring to do a daring stunt: standing on his own apartments balcony ledge above a dizzying height of floors. The vagrants he lives with excitedly watch on until he spazs out from an anxiety attack. Fast forward to present time and these same homeless people are being questioned to find the now missing Josh maybe even dead. Why did Josh invite you guys to live with him? the detective asks. The homeless people dont know.

As the interrogations continue, the detective learns more and more about Joshs anxieties. It all started with Aurora. Shes doing a graduate paper entitled Social Anxiety in Dating Initiation: An Experimental Investigation of the Practical Applications of Exposure-Based Therapy. Who would be better than her extremely shy coworker, Josh Biggs to be her subject? After months of Auroras cognitive exercises and learning new anti-anxiety strategies, Joshs anxieties and fears seem to peel away one at a time. In the process, much humor takes place and a love between them grows. However, his roommate, Walt is not pleased as the humble pushover that was once Josh begins to challenge him.

Leading up to the climax, we learn how Josh has a troubled, mysterious childhood that even he doesnt want to understand, much less let Aurora in on. After spending a night in jail, Joshs anxieties take a turn for the worst. At the same time, his love for Aurora intensifies. But does she love him the same way? In the final beats of the story, the mystery of Joshs whereabouts are resolved. It is here that the mystery of where hes headed has only begun.

BACKGROUND:
I love movies about vampires and crime lords as much as the next person. However, like the next person, I also hunger for character studies that can be just as cinematic in their own right. With the fears of the subconscious as the main antagonist, Josh is dealing with something infinitely more terrifying than any monster. I cant recall a movie dealing with social phobia so head on as this one does. But this is not just a story about a scared man. His real conflict is finding a happy medium so he can function normally and find love. Its the way Josh deals with these conflicts, that cinematic gold take place.

Producer/Director: J.R. Sawyers
Cinematographer: Daniel Kanes
Camera/ Steadicam Op: David Shawl
Casting Director: Brittany Davidson
Sound: Wade Stuckwisch
Associate Producer: Jeff Zielinksi
Cast: COMING SOON

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Nerve is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit 501(3) arts service organization based in New York. Contributions in behalf of  "Nerve" may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Thank you for your interest!