Seven Days ‘Til Midnight – Feature Film
Seven Days ‘Til Midnight tells the story of Harmon, an everyday man struggling with his identity and his place in life, picks up and decides he needs to step away from everything in an effort to gain some perspective. Leaving behind his wife, Clara, and his son Will, the light of his life, he decides to take some time away and venture into the mountain clad wilderness surrounding their town; a place he and Clara had visited before Will was born. Harmon struggles at first with the decision, but eventually makes his way into the wilderness in search of the familiar places from his past. Upon arriving and taking in the area, he begins to be at peace with his decision and takes in the solace and serenity that the wilderness offers. Shortly thereafter, Harmon has an unfriendly run in with a seedy young couple camping in the woods leaving him on guard and more than a little uncomfortable. Strange things begin to occur in the forest; unnatural phenomena in the form of eerie lightning storms, and sightings of things that don’t make sense to Harmon. Despite all this, Harmon carries on. As he carries on he meets an older man named Bill who offers him some guidance in the way of directions to the place Harmon is looking for – a cabin that he and Clara had shared years ago. Bill also advises him to stay clear of the shady couple Harmon had run into earlier. At Bill’s direction, Harmon finds the cabin from his past. He goes inside for a closer look. Upon returning back outside, he realizes all his gear has been stolen. With no gear and no sense of direction, Harmon becomes frantic. A day goes by with no food, water or real shelter, and Harmon suddenly becomes ill. Fighting for his life, Harmon tries to make his way back to his vehicle. He loses consciousness in his effort, causing him to fall into a nearby river. Bill finds Harmon in the water in just enough time to save his life, taking Harmon back to his own cabin in the forest. As times goes on and Harmon heals, Bill becomes a friend talking to Harmon about life outside of the wild and the issues troubling him. Through his talks with Bill, Harmon grows to realize just how much his family means to him and is given an opportunity to go back and fix the mistakes he has made in his past. Just as he decides to go back home, a troubling truth is revealed, leaving Harmon questioning everything that he’s come to learn about himself, Bill, the wilderness, and the shady couple there. With everything that has happened, Harmon takes advantage of the opportunity he’s given to go back and fix the mistakes of his past, answering the age old question: “If you were given a chance to go back and change something in your past, would you?”
Seven Days ‘Til Midnight is the study of one man’s journey into the wilderness and into his mind, emotions, and his past choices. The feeling of being lost and without direction that Harmon faces is something everyone faces in their life. SuttleFilm created a beautiful, dark, deep exploratory film that excites through action and entertains through emotion as the audience quickly realizes that there is a little but of Harmon in each and everyone of them.
Vidmuze Aerial Cinema proved aerial cinematography taking the project to a whole new scale to tell this epic story. SuttleFilm wanted to create a story that felt real which took them deep into the wilderness to find the perfect locations. Whether it was the outdoor weather, the cold water from the waterfalls and lakes, or traveling on ATVs to bring equipment to set, the crew always did whatever it took to bring the story to life.
The magic of the film resides in the simple structure, the sophisticated story, the amazing locations, and the opportunity to create visuals that will haunt the audience with the beauty of the wilderness. Seven Days ‘Til Midnight is an opportunity to explore the beauty of human nature set within the world of mother nature and discover what happens when those two worlds collide in unexpected ways.
After 13 years of gestation, a stressful 4 months of prep and production, and the summer locked in the editing suite, the film is close to being complete.