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The logo for “Intersection,” a short film written and directed by 2004 Moffat County High School graduate Brendan Beachman and produced by 2000 MCHS graduate Alex Conner. The logo will be emblazoned on T-shirts, hats, posters and numerous other pieces of merchandise available through the film’s page on the Web site, www.kickstarter.com. The film has a deadline of Sept. 29 to raise $12,000 to go into production, and merchandise is available as an incentive for donations.

Plodding across the barren, blazing Mojave Desert, Brendan Beachman and Alex Conner saw something in the desolate Southwestern landscape that was much more than a mirage.

The potential for art.

However, if the pair doesn’t reach their financial goal in the next month, that art may not come to pass, and they could be stuck in their own personal desert.

Moffat County natives Beachman and Conner are in the pre-production stage of the short film “Intersection,” a project that has been their focus for nearly a year, since putting pen to paper for the first draft.

The artistic side of the film has been the easy part, imagining a story about two road construction workers who encounter an otherworldly object while on the job.

The money element is what may halt Beachman’s and Conner’s work — needing $12,000 to fund the project, they are about $10,000 short of reaching the target amount. But, even that is just the first step, as the total budget stands at $30,000.

“There are many factors to consider that cause the cost of the film to go up dramatically,” Beachman said. “We have helicopter shots planned, digital effects, camera equipment, hotels and gas, food. It adds up quick.”

The production team for “Intersection” — which includes producer Jonathan Wolf of Moonlit Images and cinematographer Colin Arndt, a college classmate of Beachman’s — went through kickstarter.com, a website aimed at helping finance independent films, to raise money for the project.

The site allows interested parties to pledge money to the making of the movie and lets the filmmakers create their own incentives for backers, such as apparel inspired by the movie, set pieces used during filming, and tickets to film festivals, among others.

The tally for the movie is at $2,555, but Beachman said if the amount does not reach the determinative $12,000, they will walk away with nothing, as the site’s purpose is to gauge initial interest from backers.

“Finding funding for a short film is particularly difficult because there is little to no chance of monetary returns for investors,” he said. “They’re passion projects that will never likely see any profit. Kickstarter is great because you can fund your project with help from a large group of people. Instead of one or two or even a small handful of people donating money to your project, it’s a large collective of individuals giving a little to help out.”

Beachman’s role is the dual task of writer and director. He wrote the script — winner of film outlet WILDsound’s Spring 2010 Best Short Screenplay — based on his experiences working a summer job as a flagger for Craig’s Road and Bridge Department.

“It was a good job, but there were times that we would be posted a mile or so from everyone — just yourself and a stop sign,” he said. “When you’re out on a desolate road and there are hours in between any cars actually coming, there’s a lot of time to think. My mind would wander and I would imagine the most ridiculous scenarios that I could.”

Developing his imaginative side was something Beachman already had plenty of practice in, having grown up making skits with friends as early as fifth grade, initially a way to make their own fun in a small town.

“It wasn’t that we were necessarily bored, but there were less distractions for kids than there are in bigger cities and that gave us the opportunity to be creative with our time,” he said. “I remember we started out making ‘Cops’ parodies, then in high school we started making movies with actual storylines.”

Beachman graduated from Moffat County High School in 2004, and went on to Montana State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in film and photography in 2008, but during his final year of college he began to worry about turning what was originally a hobby into a career.

He came into contact with Conner, whom he knew growing up, asking him his advice about the film industry.

Conner, a 2000 MCHS graduate, was already living and working in Los Angeles, having obtained a degree in film in 2005 from the University of Colorado.

Conner said he remembered Beachman being very interested in film during their youth.

“I always knew he was passionate and talented, whether it was filmmaking, sports, music, he was into it all, and so was I,” he said. “Beach was one of the very few to attempt writing, shooting, and editing films so young.”

Beachman moved to L.A. in August 2009 to embark on a career in film and television, in which Conner already had a head start, having been encouraged to move to the West Coast by an uncle in the industry.

He has since served in roles such as production assistant, production coordinator, second assistant director, art assistant and set coordinator in commercials, music videos and other media. He serves as the producer for “Intersection,” which entails overseeing the film’s budget and other responsibilities.

One of his plans for making up the difference between the initial $12,000 budget and the total $30,000 budget is to enlist sponsorship from auto company Subaru and tobacco companies like Copenhagen and Skoal for product placement.

“Raising money is absolutely the hardest part of the process,” he said.

Conner also grew up tooling around with a video camera, filming himself doing impressions and skits.

“I always tried to write stories that created a very vivid plot and conjured emotion through climaxes and crescendos,” he said. “I would literally play out the story in my head as if I was seeing it through a lens.”

Conner’s early entertainment influences range from spaghetti Westerns to the classic comedy of the Marx brothers, Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, a style that “Intersection” encompasses.

Beachman and Conner both describe it as being like a Western and a comedy with an approach that’s very similar to the movies of the Coen brothers, whom Conner said he would love to work with someday, as well as other directors like Guillermo Del Toro and Terry Gilliam and actors like Jeff Bridges, Steve Buscemi, Scarlett Johansson and Sam Rockwell.

Both of them have met numerous celebrities in their line of work. Conner has worked closely with Jerry Seinfeld, while Beachman most recently worked on the set of the upcoming horror movie “The Last Exorcism,” painting a wall with fake blood.

Both said growing up in Craig was what gave them grounding before moving to a place as diverse and different as Los Angeles.

“L.A. is a great place to live when you’re in your 20s, but I’m glad that I grew up in Craig,” Beachman said.

Both said they hope Craig residents will be interested in supporting their venture.

“I think it’ll just be cool for people in Craig to know that two kids from the homeland are out making their way through the jungle,” Conner said.

Beachman said the planning replays in his head constantly shot by shot as a result of all the work they have put into it.

“All the pieces are in place for this to be an amazing project, from the location, to the crew and story,” he said. “This isn’t just a short film for me, rather it is a chance to make forward strides in my career.”