A segment of a working script, this project began with me recollecting a history book I read as a child about cowboys – illustrated in the style of a penny western. The final page was my inspiration. It depicted a cowboy, carrying presents, riding through the snow to a log cabin. Below were the words: ‘The cowboy returns home for Christmas’. This continues my interest in the western genre.

The script is written with the goal to replicate that final page. The ‘Lady’ is always dressed in pale pinks, heavily contrasting the whites, browns, greens and dark reds I picture throughout. To further my research, I am re-reading Walden to glean from its presentation of solitude. Aesthetically, pacing shall be slow with a focus on foley and distant sounds to deepen immersion. I intend to draw upon the flavour of Tarkovsky with the hope that it will break the film away from the western genre.

As the availability of snow will be unpredictable, I have begun to search for locations: Sligo, the Peak District, the Mendip. If snow wasn’t so integral to the plot I could do without it, however, I would like to treat it as a further character. Using a small cast, a harsh landscape, and a slow pacing of scenes I hope to create a sense of isolation, staying true to my original inspiration.

Below: Draft pages

Above: Shot listing script.

Below: Photos from a location scout.

Below: Screenplay [WiP]

I have begun to storyboard a few scenes, in order that I have something to fall back upon in case I forget how it looks. Here they are below: