2 Guys and a Dream: Sandburg Grads Making Movie Magic Need Your Help

The Road to LA

Cvack and Davis met at Sandburg, and became close friends during their time in a home economics class. Cvack was intrigued listening to Davis describe his experience in a cinema studies class. The language of film, the connections built with an audience— Cvack just had to be in it, too. 

"When Tim and I were 18 years old, we cut open our fingers with a rusty razor blade and swore a blood oath that we would move out to LA after college and make films," wrote Cvack on the Kickstarter page. "A lot of people make these types of promises. Start a business. Open a bar. We were going to different colleges. Tastes change. Ambitions change."

His focus shifted after graduation, and his early time at Purdue University was spent as an engineering major. He later transferred to Loyola University in Chicago, where he decided to focus on film and philosophy. 

"But our love of film only grew," wrote Cvack. "We worked our way through AFI’s top 100. The filmography's of our favorite filmmakers. Each movie brought about that much more interest and hunger. We shared our new discoveries. We discovered new filmmakers. Tim fell in love with the photography. I loved the voice and story. He wanted to shoot. I wanted to write and direct. We dropped our respective majors and immersed ourselves in film."

Davis threw himself into the film industry in Chicago, where he found the atmosphere ultra-competitive and flooded with aspiring artists. After some prodding from friends, in March 2010 he picked up and moved to California, where he started off working in Dodger Stadium before being hired as one of the first 10 employees at startup Maker Studios.

Months later in September 2010, Cvack would follow for a job at the same studio—a small storefront location with equipment scattered throughout—a place he likened to a "teenager's fort," fueled by the passions of 20, then 30, then 50 and soon 200 employees. The company outgrew its small storefront location, eventually bursting into a 100,000-square-foot facility with branches in London, Singapore and Chicago. 

Cvack remains with the studio today, but Davis moved on to other gigs in the lighting field. Though both were content in their jobs, something was missing. 

'Let's Make Something'

The script is in its 15th edit, locations have been scouted and they have actors in mind, but "Road to the Well" is still thousands of dollars from production. 

The movie is touted as a thriller-comedy about three old friends who are reunited after a strange and seemingly random murder. It will be set near Donner Lake (named for the infamous Donner Party), a smaller body of water near Lake Tahoe. 

Cvack and Davis set out to raise the funds needed, and have come up with 60 percent of the total budget. They're turned to Kickstarter to raise the remaining $39,000, and with 14 days to go, they've drummed up roughly $12,000.

"I've seen the power of social media, where communities of like-minded individuals can come together and share in the creation of something personal and unique," Cvack said. "We want to begin our journey as storytellers. We want to emulate the lives of all those who inspired us. This is the first step."

Both men have seen dreams crushed in the competitive atmosphere of LA, where most are artists, writers and creators.

"It's very intoxicating," Cvack said. "It makes you focused, inspires you to get down to business."

While many have flocked to the coast, just as many have left after just months—some even weeks, Cvack said. 

"Hold onto it," Cvack said, of having ambition. "Pursue it. It's only once you immerse myself that you start slowly to witness the rewards of your labor and your work.

"Everyone back home thought I'd be back within a year," he said. "LA was a fantasy. 

"We're still here."

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