Private Project

Coup De Jarnac

Spoiled brat Pratt challenges undefeated duelist Fox to a deadly showdown after she starts a rumor about him and his mother.

Intending to cheat with a hidden gun in his ankle holster, Pratt practices his ‘coup de jarnac’ (a sneaky finishing blow) but instead accidentally shoots himself and loses his gun in the process. Chip helps Pratt recover from a graze wound and questions his conceited nature. The party arrives, including Fox, Rex, and The Doctor. Tensions rise as Pratt demands an explanation for the rumor, revealing a bizarre reason involving a chicken sandwich. The duel begins, and Pratt injures Fox, who retaliates by killing him with the gun he intended to cheat with. The Doctor is unable to save Fox, and both duelists wind up dead.

  • Fabian Augustin
    Writer/Director
  • Fabian Augustin
    Editor
  • Jade Constant
    Executive Producer
  • Jimmy Wong
    Cinematographer
  • Samuel Isaiah Hunter
    Key Cast
    "Pratt"
    Oracle, Double Cross, Another Night Out
  • Stephaun Pender
    Key Cast
    "Chip"
    Dolemite Is My Name, What Love Looks Like, Insecure
  • Kierra Sophia
    Key Cast
    "Fox"
    Star Spangled Galaxy, Trouble Shoota
  • Jason Collett
    Key Cast
    "Rex"
    The Devil All the Time, Watchmen, Hightown
  • Robert Stevens Wayne
    Key Cast
    "The Doctor"
    One Night In Miami, A Jazzman's Blues, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
  • Fabian Augustin
    Director
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Comedy, Satire
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes 19 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 1, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    6,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.66:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Savannah College of Art and Design
Director Biography - Fabian Augustin

Fabian Augustin is a writer/director currently in his senior year at SCAD, pursuing a BFA in Film & Television. As a child, Fabian’s exposure to movies and television were extremely limited due to his parents. However, his older cousin played a pivotal role by taking him to a theater to watch "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith," an experience that ignited his lifelong fascination with films. Ever since that moment, Fabian has been obsessed with the art of storytelling on the silver screen.

Since he didn't initially understand the intricacies of filmmaking and how movies were made in general, Fabian channeled his creativity by writing stories and transforming them into comics and animations throughout his childhood. It was a transformative moment when he witnessed the "Written and Directed by" credit at the end of Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction." At that instant, Fabian knew his true calling—to write and direct his own films. With his firm resolve and a growing understanding of the filmmaking process, Fabian is dedicated to bringing his unique visions to life on screen.

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Director Statement

When I was in middle school, there used to be fights all over my school at any given time. It could be after lunch, third period, during study hall, you name it. If there was a hallway or open area available, you could catch teenagers going at it surrounded by a pool of students with their phones out as if it were a multi-camera production. I never really had any interest in watching these fights, nor was I able to fathom what would cause them to resort to physical violence, as that was something I never participated in. It wasn’t until I heard the gossip around as to why some of these fights were happening in the first place that the cynic in me started to get a kick out of them. “He called his Jordans fake? This girl said that other girl's boobs are too big? These two guys had a crush on the same person?” Students would lose social status over these claims and try to restore their honor through fights. As a person who is generally unresponsive toward the spoils of insults and their social ramifications, this was such an alien topic to me. Kids were out here fighting for their social hierarchy while I was viewing it as this foreign game with its own established culture and rules.

The funny thing is though, we were always like this. A topic I find extremely interesting, dueling, or mutual combat, is triggered when an insult or action disrespects a nobleman’s honor. Therefore, a duel is put into place to restore that honor. But these duels are life and death matters, so what are these vile insults? They were nothing more than misconducts such as informal greetings, sly insults, love triangles, rumor spreading, and accusations. Sound familiar? They were serious matters in a way, but nothing that warranted death. Either failing to challenge a person who has disrespected your honor or declining a duel could lower your social status. Back then that meant no job, spouse, or high-ranking position. The ethos and the conventions surrounding these duels reminded me of how I perceived those school fights in my head.

Coup De Jarnac explores a modern world where mutual combat hasn’t been outlawed and is a darkly comedic look at the concept of honor, pettiness, and how rumors can affect a person. This world is a combination of old and new, both visually and thematically. Combining modern, questionable characters with an outdated activity obsessed with gentility. Duels in film are often perceived as this mythical showdown between these two opposing forces, which they can be. But being someone who enjoys poking fun at social constructs hopefully gives me a unique view of the world that I can entertain people with through the beautiful medium that is film.