Detective Orion - Episode 1: The Hand of God

Richard Orion, an eccentric genius who is a high school honor student by day and a world-class detective by night, juggles his calculus test while unraveling the mystery of a string of murders and brandings of young women.

  • Hayden Marx
    Director
  • Hayden Marx
    Writer
  • Taylor Rainey
    Writer
  • Hayden Marx
    Producer
  • Daniel Murray
    Producer
  • Aidan Hilmersen
    Producer
  • Liam Pietrzyk
    Key Cast
    "Richard Orion"
  • Heather Dennis
    Key Cast
    "Nora Burns"
  • Calvin Klein
    Key Cast
    "David Locke"
  • Thomas Brescia
    Key Cast
    "Johnny Nelson"
  • Alex Hultman
    Key Cast
    "Hilda Graves"
  • Joaquin Thomas Carrig
    Key Cast
    "Stephen Graves"
  • Brad Davidson
    Key Cast
    "Al Bishop"
  • Bri Giese
    Key Cast
    "Hanna Anderson"
  • Tierza Scaccia
    Key Cast
    "Julia White"
  • Matt Chester
    Key Cast
    "Dan White"
  • Andrew Koppelman
    Key Cast
    "Larry Hawkes"
  • Abbie Rasmus
    Key Cast
    "Cleo Hastings"
  • Allan Mayer
    Key Cast
    "Calculus Teacher"
  • Grant Charles
    Key Cast
    "Criminal"
  • Hayden Marx
    Key Cast
    "Religious Artifacts Shop Employee"
  • Project Type:
    Student, Television
  • Genres:
    Drama, Crime, Thriller, Mystery
  • Runtime:
    25 minutes
  • Production Budget:
    900 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - DePaul University
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Hayden Marx

Hayden was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 2004, the child of an Elementary School Teacher and a then-Senior Sales Manager at a Grand Hyatt hotel. He was raised in Buckner, Kentucky, where he participated in concert and marching band playing the euphonium, theatre as an actor, writer, producer, and director across various productions, attained the rank of Star in Boy Scouts, and graduated from Oldham County High School Cum Laude and as an AP Scholar in June 2023. He was accepted into DePaul University's School of Cinematic Arts with a Presidential Scholarship and is currently a senior on track to graduate in June 2026 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Television Directing and a minor in Screenwriting.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Detective Orion is a story I've been wanting to tell for a very long time; the better part of three years, to be precise. Inspired by Steven Bochco and David E. Kelley's Doogie Howser, M.D., I strived to create a new mystery thriller coming-of-age hybrid, channeling influences from Clyde Phillips' Dexter series, Joe Penhall's Mindhunter, and Bryan Fuller's Hannibal.

Orion is at a very formative time in his life: his teenage years. There's a universality to Orion's struggle for independence and respect that's exacerbated by his being actively torn in two by the two halves of his life, not truly belonging in either. I aimed to visually represent this inner conflict through the use of color, costumes, and framing. The police side is very cold in color and formal in clothing, whereas the school side is warm in color and informal in clothing, with Orion in the middle, wearing clothing that is too warm and informal for the police but too cold and formal for school. Orion is frequently isolated at the leftward or rightward fringes of the frame when sharing it with another police character, with the middle devoid of subject matter to emphasize the divide between them. I myself have experienced this sense of belonging only nominally; being the one in the friend group no one holds the door for, the one whom no one starts a conversation with.

This was my first non-academic film project, and it was an immensely educational experience, letting me explore my artistic style and learn from beginner mistakes. I am incredibly proud of the cast, crew, and above all, what we created.