Story
Set in 1930's Alabama, Uncloudy Day is a magical narrative about a budding romance between a mixed-race schoolteacher and a white widower disrupted by the arrival of a beguiling, dangerous animal spirit.
Uncloudy Day was selected for development in the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program (with filmmaker Milford Thomas and co-writer Kristin Gorell), and workshopped at the 2006 Sundance Institute Director's and Screenwriter's Labs.
Style
Uncloudy Day takes place in a 1930s Alabama that never was, and is a stylistic homage to filmmaking of that era. The production's approach is rooted in the 1930s (b/w, heightened acting, carbon microphones, no computer-generated images), but will be infused with a modern sensibility both in style and content. Though the dialogue and acting style may often be a throwback, the emotion and intent of the characters is honest and real.
The film will incorporate slightly stylized sets, in-camera composite shots, miniatures (including cars), matte paintings, and rear-screen projection. Such techniques will not be applied for "Ed Wood" effects, but will be artfully integrated into the production design, adding to its storybook feel.
Steeped in shadows, the cinematography will be an exercise in the art of black and white photography. A few sequences will be presented in early "Technicolor." The film incorporates vaudeville, silent movie vignettes, and Japanese Bunraku (puppet theatre) sequences, and will itself have the distinct feel of a dark, rich show.
Production will take place in Atlanta, Georgia.