Evenfall: Chapter One (Autumn) | Post-Apocalyptic Short Film Series

A woman searches for her son in a ruined future world. EVENFALL: CHAPTER ONE is the first part in a new limited short film series from Maple Films.
CHAPTER TWO: • Evenfall: Chapter Two ...
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[@viaoutdoors]

Finally, a post-apocalyptic short I enjoyed.

[@nigelclarke6786]

Excellent short, no zombies and gas masks! Just a good story with good very believable characters/actors, great camera work....with a post-apocalyptic backdrop. Top job fella :)

[@MapleFilms]

Thank you! I've watched a number of indie post-apocalyptic short films and consciously tried not to include zombies or gas masks, haha.

[@Irene-iu9sj]

The first Hunter and gatherer I've seen in a short,too!!!!

[@Irene-iu9sj]

@@MapleFilms Bravo!!!!!!

[@merlemorrison482]

Yeah, ESPECIALLY no gas masks!!!

[@zxyatiywariii8]

@@MapleFilms I'm new here, but liked and subbed -- this is really good! 👍 The acting doesn't come across as acting, it feels natural, so it draws me into the story. This is probably one of the most difficult things to achieve in a short film -- actors being able to _BE_ their character realistically. Also I like the details -- like the wistful irony of the "United We Stand" ruins. . . reminiscent of how we'd write that phrase all over the place in the ruins at Ground Zero in 2001; but here, other people can be dangerous, not at all united; and that puts a much sharper edge on how much Claire has lost, even before she tells her story, that scene foreshadows it really well. Like -- It's not just the world that has suffered an apocalypse. . . it's very personally Claire herself who has suffered but survived, and has strength and courage. And I like her choice of bow and arrow, because (although I do love guns too) guns announce one's presence, so they're not as safe when one is traveling alone. And of course, arrows can often be recovered and used again, so one's ammo lasts longer. And as other comments have said, zombies and gas masks have been so overdone, it's nice to see a post-apocalyptic short film focused on character development and story.

[@markr2020]

I'm amazed that she was able to find a working laundromat among the ruins.

[@tehehe4all]

The sound is absolutely gorgeous

[@allencampbell8322]

Clothing and gear have held up marvelously well

[@justinlanoff4025]

Reggie is such a good actor. I hope to see him in more

[@hillsbloke]

This series is really good, very well made 100% believable acting and well written I can't believe these don't have more views I've been going down the post apocalyptic short film rabbit hole and there is some stuff that's rubbish but with millions of views! These really deserve more views the best little series I have seen well down to who ever made these

[@kchannel631]

Enjoy these short stories. One suggestion to any directors would be to include something different , like people talking a little differently, or DIY gear they use for tools and hunting so it feels like a different age and that the people are self sustainable

[@oldegrunt]

Maybe dirtying up/wearing or tearing down some of the gear. Ditto for the actors faces, grimy w/greasy hair would be the norm.

[@josephbooth8431]

Great film. Just discovered the vast amount of post apocalyptic short films on here. Nice to see good stories being told from true creators.

[@mikejohnson1542]

Great acting, story and plot build up. Loved it!

[@anthonyislas5414]

I was more then happy to back this project up too. Great job Dustin, can’t wait to see the next chapter.

[@MapleFilms]

Thank you for your support Anthony!

[@mountaingator001]

What an EXCELLENT story and with FANTASTIC ACTORS…MUCH BETTER than most of the movies that are on the “BIG SCREEN”! I will be posting this link at as many PREPPER SITES ETC as possible! WELL DONE 👍

[@alisterfolson]

I'm looking forward to the next episodes. If Bird Box had made the characters look like them and not like they just walked out of a salon and gym (or spoiled the movie in the trailer) imagine how better it'd had been. This is great.

[@MapleFilms]

Thanks, we probably should have dirtied the actors and their clothes up even more for this! Hope you can take the time to watch the rest of the series…we have a new chapter coming out December 21!

[@alisterfolson]

@@MapleFilms You guys did a better job imo. Looking forward to the new one...

[@technologic21]

This was fantastic, I can't wait for the next one. I like them both a lot!

[@cjjohnston1633]

Fantastic! Now time to binge watch it all!

[@renekingfisher9065]

Two thumbs up. I really enjoyed this. Can't wait for the next one.

[@MalVMoo]

This is so good. Honoured to have met you guys. Going to watch all of these. Keep going guys! Wishing you all the best!!

[@MapleFilms]

Thank you! Hope you enjoy the series!

[@GraveLakeMedia]

Fantastic work, everyone! Looking forward to part two!

[@MapleFilms]

Thank you for your support :)

[@desertsurvival2175]

Yes! Yes! Yes! Thank you for keeping it real. Loved it!

[@demetriaortega6203]

I love watching Evenfall! Great work!

[@samuelpatchett684]

I just stumbled upon this and your channel. Great job!

[@raphmaster23]

So happy I stumbled onto this, what a lovely gem ❤

[@SasquatchGirlSandraRainsDeBusk]

Yep, good movie guys!! Please hurry with Chapter two

[@factcheck1776]

A delightful and engaging tale. Top notch cinematography and composition, in my opinion as an aficionado of post-apocalyptic films. I enjoyed Morgan McLeod as Reg and I thought Sarah Carleton was an inspired choice for Claire. You built good rapport between the viewer and these likeable characters, and the dialogue was mostly truth-bearing. There were lots of great moments. Most people don't read comments until after they've watched the video, so I don't think I'll spoil anything by describing some of my favorites (not necessarily in story order). I enjoyed the shot of Claire against the sunrise and the many shots with the power lines in the background, foreshadowing their importance to the story. Also, the way Reg slowly raised his hands when Claire first found him, her tiny hand in his when he lifted her from the ground, her smile after finally getting to drink water, the way Reg said the word, "Evenfall," and Claire's palpably intense look in response. Finally, I liked how they both casually ignored the event in the sky at the end, like it was a sad and all-too-common occurrence, hardly worth commenting on. I loved Claire's face when she was observing the deer, but the continuity was jarring after she killed it. I also really wanted her to rinse her fingers after touching the blood on the stone, especially in the wake of a pandemic. Maybe you did that on purpose; it definitely added to the tension. Some minor complaints, all easily forgiven: The water was a reasonable MacGuffin but needed to be handled differently. Since boiling water purifies it, and Claire had no trouble making fire, the search for clean water seemed unnecessary without some explanation for why normal survival techniques would not have worked for this experienced wastelander. Also, you cannot usually taste dangerous contamination in water, so taste is an unreliable indicator of quality. Your action sequence cracked my suspension of disbelief for a minute. I shook my head when the three guys stood there in a cluster looking back and forth after their leader got pierced by Claire's first arrow. They would not have survived until this moment by being so wooden in a fight. It was super weird how Claire laid there with her arms apart, not trying to pry away her assailant's hands while he choked her. On the plus side, I appreciated Reg's understated triple-pump into the thug's side like an experienced knife fighter. He could have opted for a dramatic overhead plunge into the attacker's back, but he made a far better cinematic (and realistic) choice. None of those things were serious downfalls, and are easily lost in the pleasure of the overall experience. Grade A+, maximum respect, guys. Can't wait for the next installment!

[@MapleFilms]

Wow, thank you for the thorough review! I appreciate you noticing all the little things that we worked on when filming and editing. As for the action/fight sequence, we only had an hour or so to film the entire thing so some additional time would have helped us smooth out the choreography and blocking. I learned a lot while filming that sequence...mostly that one hour is not enough time to film something that complicated, haha. Glad you enjoyed the film overall!

[@christinearmington]

@@MapleFilms One hour? Insane. And impressive! 🤩👍🍾❤️

[@dianaryman]

Great first episode! Now I can't wait for the next one!

[@MapleFilms]

Thank you Diana!

[@Winnie689]

Beautiful, an excellent story and yes, no zombies!

[@MapleFilms]

Thank you…hope you can take the time to watch the subsequent episodes!

[@Winnie689]

@@MapleFilms Looking forward to them.

[@DRobertPease]

Really great work. I’m hooked!

[@nickfiorellafilms]

Great work! Can't wait to see where this goes :)

[@teresagaiser3962]

Great job Dustin!

[@SeaShelvesProductions]

Cinematography is awesome, another great one!

[@tanikawalker2892]

Awesome first show! I’m going to watch the second one tomorrow with my dinner! Keep up the great work !

[@kimobrown1130]

A very good short ,I’ve kinda wish there was a continuation to this story ,makes you want to see more. 👍

[@MapleFilms]

There are actually two more chapters available to watch on our channel! And another three coming after that...hope you check them out 😀

[@commander.oli.abandonedplaces]

Fantastic work 👍 … I ❤ the Color Grading 😍

[@landonnevar7045]

I really enjoyed this can’t wait to see the next one

[@thomascollins4325]

Well done!!! Thanks for posting!!!

[@MapleFilms]

Thank you, hope you take the time to watch the other chapters so far!

[@ThatSimplePanda]

came here from reddit and was not disappointed. Amazing work!

[@MapleFilms]

I took a risk sharing on Reddit lol, glad you liked it 😀

[@Psychonaut1974]

Great film, excellent work!! Subscribing immediately :) Top notch quality! Thankyou for this.

[@MapleFilms]

Thank you! Hope you enjoy the other chapters!

[@gameby4154]

*This feel like a real movie, i really love it!*

[@troygee2179]

Not bad for a short film. Realistic, good actors, keep up the good e Work.

[@JonBonZombie]

Yo this was actually Really good.. I am a huge fan of this type of Short indie Films..Great work to all the cast and creew

[@MapleFilms]

Thanks, hope you can take the time to check out the next two chapters on our channel!

[@allisondennis2662]

this s going to be a great series xx

[@mhhm2878]

That was really well done , sub’d and looking forward to the next part

[@MapleFilms]

Thank you, we have four more chapters available to watch right now, currently working on the next one after that!

[@michaelsior4432]

Very well done!

[@jahrap6733]

Very well done, grabbed me from the start!

[@MapleFilms]

Thank you, hope you can take the time to watch the rest of the series!

[@dfaro8453]

Great short film. I really enjoyed it.

[@MapleFilms]

Thank you! Hope you take the time to watch the rest of the series!

[@solo_driftersexperience6184]

Wow, a promising premise to a well loved genre. It's hard to find good cinematography, especially in this field and being a series. Great work with this beginning episode! Looking forward to seeing more😁 Sub'ed for sure! Hope it turns into something great...

[@MapleFilms]

Thank you! Chapters Two and Three are also up on our page kzbin.info/www/bejne/fICweKp7g9mfeaM

[@geraldkalisik8086]

Good stuff!

[@mattohara7736]

Excellent work!

[@andrewbichard]

The best short film.❤

[@abhishekdev258]

It is actually pretty enjoyable.

[@KrommFarenborn]

Good job

[@DMAneoth]

Ok: in many of these apocalypse shows the enemy will have some nice weapons. Like that compound bow; the hatchet, the big knife the leader had. The compound bow was not some child’s model, it was a very nice one… The protagonists left it behind?! In-freaking-sane. After an apocalypse; weapons like those are no longer being made. In that sort of situation you don’t find many weapons, Or ammunition (bolts/arrows) you search for them and on rare occasions when you find something like that you don’t just leave it there to rot in the grass. You gather them up and take them with you. Anyway: this was a very good short. Seemed very realistic (mostly).

[@Whyztler]

Or maybe she recognizes that a compound bow has a lot of moving parts, thus more likely to fail, needing much more maintenance. Where the recurve she is shooting is a much simpler design, more reliable and less likely to fail when she needs it.

[@dianevitale1214]

Superb!!

[@mslcook471]

Claire looks 16 and 60 simultaneously. Amazing.

[@johnjones3079]

Most excellent.

[@scetchport]

Great short, totally believable now on 2nd Jan 2024. I have a compound bow but would never expect to kill anything other than game if shtf. To take aim on another human then release the arrow...now that would have to be a life or death senario. Great actors , happy new year...maybe.

[@MapleFilms]

Thank you for watching…hope you enjoy the next chapter!

[@uditsabar5717]

I love this

[@fizzyizzy8261]

Nice start to the series.

[@bluelava4282]

Great series

[@zimfilms]

Very well done! On my way to see part 2. Some small minor issues but nothing that takes away from the story (some people love to get angry over small issues for whatever reason 😏) Loved it. Keep it up.

[@MapleFilms]

Thank you...would love to hear some of the issues you noticed so we can avoid similar problems in the future!

[@zimfilms]

@@MapleFilms There were no MAJOR issues. I noticed the video skipped a bit at around 0:32 and the fighting scene could have had more "energy" but I understand that can be a hard thing to accomplish! Overall I'm loving this! I'm glad you split it into parts (it makes it more "watchable" and keeps the audience coming back for more!

[@fredroger4623]

That was GOOD 👍

[@ivechang6720]

Very good. Very timeless story base. I like the subtle and not subtle threads. Serious question however: Who why and how would any one manage to keep a power generating station alive and running to keep power through those vulnerable lines? That's a lot of risk of untended failures and breakdowns leading to fires and still more potentially hazardous material releases just from peripheral damage. Power stations have shutdown protocols for good reasons. If this is just one of the areas we generally are supposed to suspend logic for to engage post apocalyptic scenarios your reintroduction requires a base of logic to support it. 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@meganlee1548]

YAAAAAAAS

[@stayready1884]

Absolutely brilliant

[@MapleFilms]

Thank you, hope you enjoy the rest of the series. The finale (Chapter Seven) comes out March 20!

[@stayready1884]

@@MapleFilms I'm up to number 6 and I'll remember march 20th the day after my birthday I can't forget... great job

[@ericbennett1872]

I liked it. Thanks 😊

[@raymondaltman7]

Love♥️♥️♥️

[@tcmitchelljr3581]

Really Enjoyed this short video

[@timothybarker3589]

Thumbs up for sure. Seems plausible.

[@ScooterFXRS]

Pretty good

[@MapleFilms]

Thank you, here is Chapter Two if you're interested! kzbin.info/www/bejne/fICweKp7g9mfeaM

[@NatureBoy736]

Yo… this was actually pretty good. The directing was really nice and the acting was more real cuz they didn’t over exaggerate. Keep up the good work.

[@Irene-iu9sj]

And with people of some age,,,,,

[@pamshott4209]

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@JosephKeenanisme]

Excellent work. Dr Scott S. Brosius? Wasn't he involved in a bunch of the films at this year's Fun Mill Film Festival this year (2022)?

[@MapleFilms]

The one and only Dr. Scott E Brosius, yep. Perhaps the busiest filmmaker in Cleveland haha.

[@freinheit6923]

Very cool short film, I sub

[@woodsmanforlife1677]

Nice

[@CharlieJulietSierra]

Awww

[@harrywebb6022]

Now that was a good movie!oooh and free Larry Hoover and Rashad Jamal

[@THEWZRDKING]

MY BOY

[@masknask5767]

nice

[@ericchild8845]

So where or when is Chapter 2 going to appear? This was good enough I’d sure like to see a follow on episode or seven…

[@MapleFilms]

It's in the description above, but Chapter Two is also online! Chapter Three will be coming on December 21st. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fICweKp7g9mfeaM

[@charlesreese9085]

Well, that was fun. Post-apocalyptic point of order.... always loot the corpses.

[@KHudd]

Just found your channel. Subbed. Is there a part 2?

[@MapleFilms]

Thank you! Part 2 comes out November 25!

[@nigelclarke6786]

@@MapleFilms How many parts do you have planned?

[@MapleFilms]

@@nigelclarke6786 This is the first of six planned chapters that will be released incrementally over the next year!

[@ZiddersRooFurry]

Fantastic so far though they're going to get very sick if they don't boil their water first.

[@mammi7699]

👌

[@o5245607]

I wonder if she killed the deer to watch it die obviously she didn't clean it or preserve the meat in any way. Attempts to drink water without filtering or sterilizing it with a good probability that it is contaminated, and touches possible contaminated blood without knowing who or what it belongs to. Trusts a guy that killed another guy without knowing what happened. I would say she's not a very smart or knowledgeable person in any type of survival situation.

[@MapleFilms]

Good questions which I can try to answer here...she kills the deer and cooks part of the meat over the fire later on. Perhaps I should have made that clearer with an extra shot or two. She tries to drink water from two different sources and immediately detects that they are contaminated...but the lake they reach at the end is clean according to Reg (the guy). In this fictional world, touching another person's blood isn't going to infect you like 28 Days Later, but I agree that she probably should have had a glove on lol. She doesn't really trust him until after they save each other's lives. Neither of them are perfect survivalists and they have unresolved issues that come back up in later chapters. Hope this helps a bit...

[@igsfilmsupstate]

what cameras did you shoot this on?

[@MapleFilms]

A single Panasonic GH5!

[@allencampbell8322]

Very good. Ahead of the pack

[@MapleFilms]

Thank you! Here's Chapter Two if you're interested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fICweKp7g9mfeaM

[@mikewilson8594]

She is beautiful. She is a survivor.

[@marcjohnson2610]

Not a special effect in sight. Simply a good story, solid acting... way, it is said, that it used to be.

[@MapleFilms]

We do have a few VFX shots with those rockets going off in the background, but yes other than that it's pretty much all natural in camera! Check out Chapter Two if you're up for more: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fICweKp7g9mfeaM

[@michellec.4994]

All of these apocalypse movies are the same..fighting to survive! I'm learning a lot about human nature! Nobody has TRUST!!! 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

[@MapleFilms]

Great point and this series will address those themes of trust, living vs surviving, etc. in future chapters. Hope you come back for more!

[@warspite1807]

Nobody has trust now

[@carinwiseman4309]

Apparently they are still producing nice new outdoor gear.

[@MapleFilms]

Ha, that’s one thing we’d have done a little differently in hindsight.

[@TheWirdbird]

Leader of the gang makes a fashion statement with bling all over his leather jacket -- in the middle of the apocalypse!!

[@MapleFilms]

He's a Dystopian Dandy for sure ;)

[@addriannodj1990]

You should consider to use the auto caption function. Many people have trouble to hear, many people are not english native speakers.

[@thomasthomas8091]

If this is post apocalyptic, and possibly a lengthy time after said apocalypse, I'd expect them, and their gear, to look a lot more well worn and dirty, mismatched and patched clothing. It throws e off a bit seeing them in all clean gear and stuff. Otherwise, great flick and good work.

[@MapleFilms]

Yes, this is one of the main things we would change if we could do it all over again. Even just having the actors roll around in the dirt a bit more would have helped "age" their clothes and gear. Thank you for watching, hope you can take the time to watch the rest of the series!

[@thomasthomas8091]

@@MapleFilms still, though. Very well done. Fellow independent film maker, boom op, sound designer, composer, NLE edit, pretty much everything besides being behind the camera here, so I definitely give you props on everything...well, I guess with the exception of the props, LOL! But still, very well done.

[@gadgetaddict3780]

2071 ok.. i see Decathlon with fresh new arrow is still open ;)

[@abgzulkifli]

Not in the house, living outside

[@warspite1807]

How long after SHTF event is the setting? Others commented on new clothing. What professional archers do is decorate the bow and arrows. See native American tribal artefacts. She is wearing convenient shoes. Work boots wear outin two years, hiking boots less. How does one fix them? Her pack too small. Got to carry all seasons clothing with you as a nomad. Too few arrows. Always making new. Where did she get steel arrowpoints? They'd be as rare as hen's teeth to find.

[@MapleFilms]

Great questions which I can give two answers for. 1. The SHTF gradually over several years before the story began...there wasn't a single "event" that stopped everything in this story. So mass produced items like clothes and shoes might still be 5-10 years old and available from blown-out stores, warehouses, dead bodies, etc. She is likely retrieving every arrow she fires, then replacing them with ones she finds along her way. 2. If I had more time/resources/budget, I would have put more into production design, props and costuming. I'd love to have a rougher & dirtier looking world for this series but had to make some creative concessions at the budget level we are at. If we get a chance to do a big-budget remake with Netflix/Amazon/Hulu/etc. I'll be sure to make some changes in those departments :) Hope you watch the rest of the series and thanks for the feedback!

[@danielhanawalt4998]

Some short films I watch have a good story but the acting not so good. And aren't thought out too well, like the clothes and actors are clean and in very good shape. Some the audio is terrible. Can barely hear what the actors are saying one minute, have to turn down the volume the next. Enenfall was good all around. I'd very much enjoy another to see if they made their way to Evenfall and if she finds her son. I'm one who likes happy endings, but also one who knows life doesn't always end the way we want. Nice work here.

[@Ultronkalaver]

ja, das habe ich auch bemerkt. Einmal hat der Pfeil eine Jagdspitze dann eine normale. Jagdpfeile können auch einen Körper nicht durchschießen, so wie dargestellt. Etwas viele Filmfehler. Die Schauspielerin sieht aus wie 70 handelt aber wie 25. Etwas seltsame Mischung. Es muss noch ein wenig mehr dran gearbeitet werden, bevor ich es wirklich genießen kann.

[@santiagoarestegui]

Just wondering how it would be like the same scenario in a third world country.

[@matteoalacran1563]

Part 2/whole story plz

[@uziceuzice]

Why is a flickering on the video?