Private Project

The Journal

The Journal is the story of Shawn who finds a book in the park writing itself and telling him he will die. When his children disappear he indeed does die and is greeted in limbo by an insane psychiatrist. Shawn must discover whether escape back into the real world is possible so he can reunite with his lost children.

  • Brad Christensen
    Director
  • Brad Christensen
    Writer
  • Lucia Bellini
    Producer
  • Sonia Schnee
    Producer
  • Keith Dennis Chandler
    Key Cast
  • Gys De Villiers
    Key Cast
  • Accalia Quintana
    Key Cast
  • Corey Reece
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Psychological Thriller, Fantasy, Drama
  • Runtime:
    20 minutes 19 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 8, 2016
  • Production Budget:
    17,900 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Distribution Information
  • Surrealist Pictures
    Country: United States
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Brad Christensen

Brad is a filmmaker who developed his interest in writing and photography from a very young age. He grew up analyzing TV shows and films to figure out how specific scenes were acted and shot. He started his degree in Biotechnology where he pursued his alternate interest in the sciences before switching over to studies in film where he made his undergraduate thesis film on Alzheimer's and art as therapy. After his first documentary Brad began to develop several of his other screenplays and would often stay up late. One night while working on a separate unrelated project he fell asleep and dreamed about ideas that would eventually become the story of The Journal.

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Director Statement

The Journal is about struggling with loss and how ultimately the only way to heal is to move forward. It's easy when we lose someone to fall into depression and lose touch with the world around us by thinking that nothing will ever be the same again. In the end I think the most important message of The Journal is one about legacy and what we leave behind for future generations both through progeny and all the people whose lives we reach out to and impact. Life carries on and if we leave behind memories in others that point towards a brighter future then pain and loss become necessary and we begin to see how life, death, and legacy become intertwined.