Sandman and Huey Take Pains

Two high school boys must overcome their insecurities to perform a clown routine or risk failing theater class.

  • Nicole Tucker
    Director
    Bargaining Acceptance
  • Nicole Tucker
    Writer
    Bargaining Acceptance
  • Asia Nurse
    Producer
    Stickers
  • Max Garfin
    Key Cast
    "Huey"
    You Can't Run Forever, Gossip Girl
  • Jacob Daley
    Key Cast
    "Sandman"
  • Giselle Elise
    Key Cast
    "Mrs. Theseus "
    Bargaining Acceptance
  • Ed Malone
    Key Cast
    "Mr. Malone "
    Suspicious Minds
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Coming of Age, Comedy
  • Runtime:
    9 minutes 58 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 10, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    2,500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Pratt Institute
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Nicole Tucker

Hailing from the suburbs of D.C., Nicole Tucker is a producer and director who sees movies as a form of creative fascination and produces stories that play with absurdity, connection, and magic. Fusing drama and comedy, Nicole directs with thoughtful intention, childlike exploration, and curious instincts. As a little girl, she became lost in stories of other worlds where fools were unsung heroes, families had complex dynamics, and environments could swallow characters whole. She stretches her imagination by traveling, going to the cinema, and interacting with fairy tales across various regions and time periods. For Nicole, cinema is the ultimate artistic medium because it combines the complexity of visual art with the depth of sonic delicacy all while exploring the human condition through narrative movement.

Nicole recently graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in film and a minor in Cinema Studies. She lives and works in Brooklyn where she can be found with a cup of tea in her hand.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

“Sandman & Huey Take Pains” is my Pratt Institute senior thesis film about joining the circus of life. Sandman is the fool of the narrative: through his lost wondering, he finds joy. Meanwhile, Huey is the classic artist trapped in the “check the box” mindset. For Sandman and Huey, once they accept their foolishness, their school becomes a playground in which they can experiment, juggle, run through the halls, discover, and clown around.

The film explores the very essence of my introduction to storytelling and ambition to be an artist. From an early age, my creative endeavors were constantly dismissed by the adults in my life. However, I found refuge in mentors and friends – particularly in my theater class – who recognized and shared the necessity to tell stories. This story is my thank you letter to the community and comfort that art creates for children who struggle with “normal” things like academic constraints, athletic expectations, and overall ignorance of the absurd. To “take pains” is a Shakespearean term that means to try very hard, which is exactly what these young men do to perform. Sandman and Huey are my assurance that we live in a world where a storyteller – as simple and complex as a clown – can offer wondrous exploration, dedication, inspiration, and love.

The narrative fuses comedy and drama with magic by utilizing the coming of age arc. Both characters are struggling internally and externally but their adolescence and childlike behavior offer warm, reassuring comedic behaviors. The beginning of the narrative will be shot using close-ups and a locked-off frame. As the boys begin to open up their world and accept their own paths, the visuals will open up with wider shots and a mobile camera. The visuals serve to emphasize the boys’ journey from entrapment to freedom through artistic expression. Furthermore, the color palette of the film will have an overall green tone with saturated highlights of green/red for Sandman and blue/purple for Huey to showcase their opposite yet complementary friendship.

For audiences, I hope that “Sandman & Huey Take Pains” inspires joy, love, and absurdity. These boys are discovering the weight of living, while also finding comfortability in the strange, artistic, and deeply dynamic form of clowning. This is a story to dwell in and I hope the “seeing and hearing” of the film begins after the story’s end.