A war over nothing. A loss of everything

A short summary of your project

I’m raising funding to bring The Birdhouse to life, a darkly comic, dialogue-free short film about two neighbours whose petty feud spirals into a devastating metaphor for war. Inspired by silent cinema, physical theatre, and anti-war allegories, the film explores how pride and the refusal to compromise can destroy everything people once cared about while innocent lives suffer the consequences. Through expressive performances, visual storytelling, practical sets, and symbolic imagery, The Birdhouse transforms a simple dispute over an apple tree into a powerful reflection on human conflict and the absurdity of war.

Who are you?

The Birdhouse is the result of everything I’ve learned over the last five years studying drama and filmmaking. I’ve always been fascinated by stories that can make audiences laugh while also making them reflect on deeper human truths.

Your story

The Birdhouse is a silent short film where no one speaks, yet everything is understood. The story follows Stan, a man who moves into a peaceful new home and builds a small sanctuary for a bird. But after taking an apple from a branch hanging over the fence, he sparks a bitter feud with his neighbour Ollie. What begins as something ridiculous slowly escalates into obsession and tragedy. The film uses visual comedy and absurdism inspired by Charlie Chaplin, Neighbours (1952), and The Red Balloon to tell a story about modern conflict in a universal way. Everything in the film is symbolic:

The apples represent territory, resources, or power.

The flowers and birdhouse represent homes, cities, and peace.

The neighbours represent nations and leaders trapped in cycles of pride.

The birds represent innocent people caught in the middle of a conflict.

At a time when war and division dominate headlines across the world, The Birdhouse strips conflict down to its simplest form and asks one important question:

Where will the money go?

If we hit our minimum target, the funding will cover the essentials needed to complete production safely and professionally.

Minimum Target Budget

Location & set dressing: £1200
Props, costumes & practical effects: £500
Equipment hire: 0 (from Kingston University)
Food & transport for cast/crew: £200
Actors: 600
Animation/VFX for birds and dog: £500 (I need to hire someone or worst case scenario to buy a pad to make the animation myself)

Minimum target total: £3000

Full Target Goals

If we reach our full target, we’ll be able to:

Improve production design and matte-painted environments
Expand the animation and visual effects work
Hire additional post-production support
Improve sound mixing and original music

If we exceed the target

Any additional funding will go directly toward:

Wider festival distribution
Accessibility materials (subtitles, accessibility versions)
Higher-quality visual effects and colour grading
Actors (right now, they are doing it pro bono)

Rewards

A special mention in the film credits for supporters who help bring The Birdhouse to life.

In addition, If the film is selected for festivals or special screenings, we also hope to offer screening tickets and invitations to supporters whenever possible, so they can experience the film with us on the big screen.