Nurture
On a remote Oregon farm, a couple grieving a miscarriage finds hope in a mysterious flower. As it begins to heal her, something else takes root in him.
Nurture
On a remote Oregon farm, a couple grieving a miscarriage finds hope in a mysterious flower. As it begins to heal her, something else takes root in him.
Nurture
On a remote Oregon farm, a couple grieving a miscarriage finds hope in a mysterious flower. As it begins to heal her, something else takes root in him.
Let growth in.
Let growth in.
Let growth in.
Written for the Land
The story began with a location. A remote farm in Oregon's Willamette Valley, found before a word was on the page. The land shaped the script. The script shaped everything else. We storyboarded twice, cut a full animatic, and had the film mapped in detail before production began. By the time we arrived on set, we were finishing something, not starting it. Four days. Thirteen minutes. Every shot accounted for.
Written for the Land
The story began with a location. A remote farm in Oregon's Willamette Valley, found before a word was on the page. The land shaped the script. The script shaped everything else. We storyboarded twice, cut a full animatic, and had the film mapped in detail before production began. By the time we arrived on set, we were finishing something, not starting it. Four days. Thirteen minutes. Every shot accounted for.
Nothing Left to Chance
Every frame was planned before we rolled. Extensive previz let us move with speed and precision, capturing nearly twice the shot count of a typical production at this scale. There was no figuring it out on set. Only execution. The preparation wasn't about control for its own sake. It was about knowing exactly what the film needed and not wasting a moment getting there.
Nothing Left to Chance
Every frame was planned before we rolled. Extensive previz let us move with speed and precision, capturing nearly twice the shot count of a typical production at this scale. There was no figuring it out on set. Only execution. The preparation wasn't about control for its own sake. It was about knowing exactly what the film needed and not wasting a moment getting there.
Made by Hand
Drawn and painted by hand. Started on paper, finished as a screenprint. The image moved through Procreate but it began the old way - pencil, paint, physical marks. Inspired by Russian folk art and tapestry traditions. Printed in Portland. No AI. Select prints are available on the merch page.
Made by Hand
Drawn and painted by hand. Started on paper, finished as a screenprint. The image moved through Procreate but it began the old way - pencil, paint, physical marks. Inspired by Russian folk art and tapestry traditions. Printed in Portland. No AI. Select prints are available on the merch page.
Practical Horror
The horror in Nurture is physical. Gradual, invasive, impossible to ignore. For it to land, the effects had to be real. We worked with makeup effects artist Chris Walker to build a practical system for the film's central sequence. You can feel it in the frame because it was actually there. A digital solution would have given the audience a way out. We didn't want to give them one.
Practical Horror
The horror in Nurture is physical. Gradual, invasive, impossible to ignore. For it to land, the effects had to be real. We worked with makeup effects artist Chris Walker to build a practical system for the film's central sequence. You can feel it in the frame because it was actually there. A digital solution would have given the audience a way out. We didn't want to give them one.
If You Notice It, It Failed
The film is supported by over 20 shots of VFX work that aren't meant to be spotted. Over 500 red gerbera daisies sourced from around Portland gave the digital work something real to match against. Large-scale environmental sequences were built in Houdini and Cinema 4D, then composited to disappear into the footage. The goal was never a visual moment. It was a feeling that couldn't be explained.
If You Notice It, It Failed
The film is supported by over 20 shots of VFX work that aren't meant to be spotted. Over 500 red gerbera daisies sourced from around Portland gave the digital work something real to match against. Large-scale environmental sequences were built in Houdini and Cinema 4D, then composited to disappear into the footage. The goal was never a visual moment. It was a feeling that couldn't be explained.
No Dialogue
Nurture has no spoken words. Every sound carries the full weight of the scene. Footsteps, breath, fabric, the ambient texture of an Oregon farm. All of it rebuilt in post through ADR and layered design. The score by Corey B. Wills sets piano against dense, shifting instrumentation. It moves with the film, sometimes alongside the image, sometimes against it. Together they carry what words couldn't.
No Dialogue
Nurture has no spoken words. Every sound carries the full weight of the scene. Footsteps, breath, fabric, the ambient texture of an Oregon farm. All of it rebuilt in post through ADR and layered design. The score by Corey B. Wills sets piano against dense, shifting instrumentation. It moves with the film, sometimes alongside the image, sometimes against it. Together they carry what words couldn't.
Grown, Not Designed
The title was literally grown. Red gerbera daisies shot overhead on blue screen, each letter assembled from dozens of fragments across dozens of takes. At the start of the film the name lies dormant - green, unbloomed. By the end, it has flowered. The soil in the frame is real. Dust and debris captured in camera, composited back in. A handmade illusion that took longer than it looks.
Grown, Not Designed
The title was literally grown. Red gerbera daisies shot overhead on blue screen, each letter assembled from dozens of fragments across dozens of takes. At the start of the film the name lies dormant - green, unbloomed. By the end, it has flowered. The soil in the frame is real. Dust and debris captured in camera, composited back in. A handmade illusion that took longer than it looks.
Portland
Made entirely in Oregon. The Willamette Valley. A small, committed crew. Local cast, local vendors, local infrastructure. This city has a community of artists who are skilled, generous, and genuinely invested in each other's work. Nurture wouldn't exist without that. We're proud to have made it here.
Portland
Made entirely in Oregon. The Willamette Valley. A small, committed crew. Local cast, local vendors, local infrastructure. This city has a community of artists who are skilled, generous, and genuinely invested in each other's work. Nurture wouldn't exist without that. We're proud to have made it here.
The Cast
Travis Bilenski plays Ren. Kailey Rhodes plays Rose. A couple navigating loss, hope, and something they can't name. Travis is based in Portland. Kailey splits her time here. Both brought a quiet authenticity to the roles that the film needed. Neither required explaining. They understood what it was about from the beginning.
The Cast
Travis Bilenski plays Ren. Kailey Rhodes plays Rose. A couple navigating loss, hope, and something they can't name. Travis is based in Portland. Kailey splits her time here. Both brought a quiet authenticity to the roles that the film needed. Neither required explaining. They understood what it was about from the beginning.
Travis Bilenski (REN) | Kailey Rhodes (ROSE)
Travis Bilenski (REN) | Kailey Rhodes (ROSE)
Where It All Led
Years of shorts, animation work, and deep time in post-production built the instincts that made Nurture possible. It enters the festival circuit this year while the next film takes shape. This is the work we were always building toward. There's more coming.
Where It All Led
Years of shorts, animation work, and deep time in post-production built the instincts that made Nurture possible. It enters the festival circuit this year while the next film takes shape. This is the work we were always building toward. There's more coming.
Credits
Director & Writer – Nick Snyder Producer – Sam Snyder Starring – Travis Bilenski Starring – Kailey Rhodes Creative Producer & Director of Photography – Evan Gütt Original Score – Corey B. Wills Editing & Sound Design – Nick Snyder & Evan Gütt Colorist – Nick Snyder Visual Effects – Nick Snyder VFX – Andy Camou VFX – Sam “Jacky” Jackson VFX – Kevin Weber Titles – Nick Snyder Storyboards – Nick Snyder Animatic – Nick Snyder & Evan Gütt Creative Consultant – Nolan Bryan Lynch 1st AC & Camera Operator – Ben Dawley 2nd AC & Key Grip – Pedro Valdez Jr. Special Makeup Effects – Chris Walker Production Designer – Evan Gütt Costume Designer – Sarah Haftorson Makeup Artist – Isa Rust Production – Brian Wolf Production – Chris Roth Production – Steve Roth Production – Henri Groux-Holt Sound – Brandon Scott Bush Sound – Corey B. Wills Special Thanks – Jackie Gütt
Credits
Director & Writer – Nick Snyder Producer – Sam Snyder Starring – Travis Bilenski Starring – Kailey Rhodes Creative Producer & Director of Photography – Evan Gütt Original Score – Corey B. Wills Editing & Sound Design – Nick Snyder & Evan Gütt Colorist – Nick Snyder Visual Effects – Nick Snyder VFX – Andy Camou VFX – Sam “Jacky” Jackson VFX – Kevin Weber Titles – Nick Snyder Storyboards – Nick Snyder Animatic – Nick Snyder & Evan Gütt Creative Consultant – Nolan Bryan Lynch 1st AC & Camera Operator – Ben Dawley 2nd AC & Key Grip – Pedro Valdez Jr. Special Makeup Effects – Chris Walker Production Designer – Evan Gütt Costume Designer – Sarah Haftorson Makeup Artist – Isa Rust Production – Brian Wolf Production – Chris Roth Production – Steve Roth Production – Henri Groux-Holt Sound – Brandon Scott Bush Sound – Corey B. Wills Special Thanks – Jackie Gütt