A man’s reality unravels when a voice on a payphone tells him nothing in his life is real.
Not his name.
Not his memories.
Not the woman he loves.
A short film written & directed by Travis Sherwood
Join us in creating a film that moves like memory and flickers like a half-remembered dream.
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100% of donations go straight to production.
Welcome to VEDA.
This isn’t just a film. It’s a descent. A slow drift into the places most stories won’t go. A man. A city. A signal on the line.
VEDA is a psychological thriller being made by people who still believe film can disturb, inspire, and transform. It’s weird, personal, and a little pissed off at the world.
We’re building this from the ground up. No studios. No gatekeepers. Just a vision and the guts to follow it. And people like you who want to help and see bold films made.
This film isn’t safe. It’s a little off. Maybe even a little lost. But, that’s what makes it ours. And maybe yours, too.
So, if you’re still reading, then you’re already part of it.
Choose your entry point.
The Synopsis
Wendell lives a quiet life filled with routines he doesn’t question. A job. A partner. A name that fits well enough. One evening, after a strange phone call stirs a mounting unease inside him, he stops taking his medication.
Almost immediately, the seams of his life begin to unravel.
A stranger’s voice tells him that things are not as they seem. From that moment on, Wendell is propelled into a waking dream, pursued by masked figures, cryptic allies, and the collapsing architecture of his own identity. As his perception distorts, so does the world around him. Familiar places take on unfamiliar meanings. Time slips sideways.
VEDA is a cerebral, unsettling portrait of a man waking up inside a life that was never his. At its core, it is a story about memory, surveillance, and the quiet terror of learning that you are not who you thought you were … and never have been.
Watch the static pulse.
A glimpse into the tone, tension, and texture of VEDA.
The Characters
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WENDELL
Wendell is a man quietly unraveling, caught between the life he’s been living and the terrifying suspicion that none of it belongs to him.
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AMELIA
Amelia is sharp, intuitive, and full of warmth. Beneath her calm presence is someone who knows more than she lets on.
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OTHER
Other appears in many forms. A voice on the line. A face in the crowd. A guide, a threat, a mirror. He is the question that keeps following Wendell.
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OLD MAN
The Old Man speaks with warmth, but there is something buried beneath it. He offers Wendell a way out, but never says what it costs.
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THE FIGURE
The Figure is a silent specter that follows Wendell through the cracks in reality, its face always hidden but its intent impossible to ignore.
The Look and Feel
VEDA will be shot in stark black and white. Not for nostalgia, but for tension, clarity, and the raw truth of a world slipping out of place. The camera moves like a pulse. It’s fast, handheld, and breathing with the characters. Wide frames disorient. Close ones suffocate. This city is built from shadow and grit, reflection and ruin. There is no gloss, no polish, only a stripped down lens staring straight into collapse.
Comp Films
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Brick
A noir where memories and atmosphere fester.
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Memento
A man with a fractured memory hunts for the truth.
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Possessor
A woman feels more and more distant to the life she thought she wanted.
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Enemy
A man confronts himself and loses grip on the reality he’s built.
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Mulholland Drive
A world with the rules of nightmares. A dark former life hides.
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Pi
Obsession begins to consume a mans mind.
This is the moment.
You’re still here because something is pulling you in. The world. The mood. The questions.
Push this story from idea to reality.
Fund the film now.
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100% of donations go straight to production.
Lost yet?
Keep going or jump somewhere familiar.
Why this story? Why now?
The world is loud. Flattened. Curated into categories and content. We made VEDA because we are tired of being told what stories should be. We wanted to make something that feels lived in. Lost. Found again.
This film is for the ones who wake up in a life that feels unfamiliar. The ones who sense something just beneath the surface. The ones who cannot stop asking questions.
Now is the time to make strange, personal work. To create without permission. To push back against the algorithm and make space for something honest. Something human.
From the director:
“I've lived this question. I've stood in rooms that didn’t feel mine, answered to a name that didn’t fit, and smiled through days that left no mark. VEDA isn't just a film. It's a release valve for something I carried too long. A quiet scream I could never quite voice. The story cuts into questions I've asked all my life about control, identity, surveillance, and the quiet machinery behind the lives we live. We're told to package our pain, soften our doubts, smooth out the edges. This film does the opposite. It needs to exist because stories like this are rare. And because if I don't tell it now, I might never tell it at all.”
- Travis Sherwood, Director
The Cast and Crew
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Travis Sherwood
Writer / Director
New York–based director and visual storyteller, merging narrative precision with bold experimentation. His work spans film, design, and installation, crafting immersive projects that balance conceptual clarity with striking cinematic detail.
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Alexandra Zvagelsky
Producer / Cinematographer
Alexandra Zvagelsky bridges technical mastery with artistic intuition. Their work emphasizes texture, tone, and pacing, ensuring that each project carries both visual weight and emotional resonance, that connects with their audience on a deeply profound level.
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Gubi
Producer
With a sharp eye for structure and flow, he specializes in guiding projects from idea to execution. Known for calculated problem-solving and steady oversight; bringing discipline and efficiency to every production.
Production Budget
The total production budget for VEDA is $39,650, with an anticipated net funding need of $34,650 after projected returns. This figure represents the entire cost of a ten-day independent shoot with a team of thirty-five people. The plan is lean by design and every contribution is accounted for with precision.
Key Budget Allocations
Cast and Crew – $26,850
Compensation for a team of 35 people, including key creatives, department heads, and a 16-member cast.
Production Expenses – $12,800
Locations: $2,000
Production design: $2,000
Props: $1,000
Grip and electric rentals: $1,000
Costume: $1,000
Catering and craft services: $3,500
Expendables, hard drives, travel and gas, and vehicle rentals round out the remaining costs.
This is a lean and carefully planned budget. There are no studio overhead charges or hidden mark-ups. Every contribution directly fuels what appears on screen: paying the artists, securing the locations, and renting the equipment that makes the film possible.
Your investment is what closes the gap between a fully developed script and the finished film. By funding this production you place your support exactly where it matters: the cast, the crew, and the creation of the film itself.
Donate Now.
VEDA began as a question we could not ignore and has become a film we cannot make alone. We have built the story, assembled the team, and laid out a plan that is as lean as it is ambitious.
Independent cinema survives when people like you decide it matters. Your support is more than a donation. It is the difference between an idea and a film that will challenge, disturb, and stay with those who see it.
If this vision speaks to you, stand with us.
Help us bring VEDA to life.
No investors. No middlemen. Just you.
This film gets made if people like you show up. And stay.
Let’s create something strange and unforgettable together.
Fund the film now.
DONATE NOW!
DONATE NOW!
DONATE NOW!
DONATE NOW!
100% of donations go straight to production.
Drop us a line.
Have a question, an idea, or want to get involved?
We would love to hear from you. Whether you are interested in supporting the film, collaborating, or simply want to know more, your message is welcome.
Still with us?
It’s time to choose another door.