Narrative

Uncle. (2021)

This is the trailer for our latest narrative project entitled Uncle. It is a feature film that we created as out senior thesis project in film school. It originally began as a short film, but it grew into a much larger film as we developed the concept. We ended up working on the film for over a year after graduating. It has screened in four festivals so far, including winning the award for Best Original Concept at the 2022 Motor City Legacy Film Festival.

Set in the microcosm of a remote home, two children are left to live alone after being abandoned by their parents. A peculiar pair of strangers arrive, calling themselves their “Uncles.”

Cross (2018)

This is an experimental narrative short film. The goal with this project was to experiment with different narrative structures, so the film is told backwards, in reverse chronological order. This is done in order to place the viewer in the shoes of the main character, who is unaware of the important link that he shares with his new friend.

Written, Directed, Produced, and Shot by John Coates

Awarded First Place at the Lansing Art Gallery Collegiate Exhibition in 2019

Morning Bells (2019)

We constructed this narrative around a real-life condition known as dream-reality confusion, which results in the inability to distinguish between what’s real and what is simply a dream. The main character in the film, Dominic, suffers from this condition due to a traumatic event from his childhood.

Written, Directed, Produced, and Shot by John Coates

S35VN (2019)

Although the narrative in this film is limited, it takes place in a larger post-apocalyptic universe where rivaling political parties are roaming the streets. This film was created as part of a VFX study, intended to utilize effects to enhance the story.

Written and Directed by Steve Spencer

VFX by Steve Spencer & Zac Willey

Cinematography by John Coates

I Will Find You (2018)

Similarly to S35VN, this film is also an effects study that takes place in a larger universe. A man is hunted for sport by a surveillance drone in this dystopian near-future short.

Written and Directed by John Coates & Steve Spencer

Cinematography by John Coates

VFX by Steve Spencer