Jesse Hicks had been planning a leisurely trip to the Gulf Coast with a friend earlier this year. But between the time he booked it and the time they left, BP's Deepwater Horizon underwater oil rig exploded and petroleum started gushing into the warm, blue ocean.

The 27-year-old filmmaker figured it was a sign.

“I feel like it's my duty to get down there and get footage,” Hicks said.

So began an ambitious project to create a documentary on the oil spill. A New York City resident, Nevada City native and former Nevada Union student, Hicks is in the throes of fundraising for the film, dubbed “Dark Horizon.”

He's racing against the clock to raise $5,000 by Friday to continue the project; at press time, he had just over $2,500 in pledges.

During the two trips he's taken to the spill area so far, Hicks has gathered enough footage to piece together a trailer, viewable online at www.tinyurl.com/oilspilldocumentary. Donors can also give to the project through the website.

Hicks' goal is to build trust with some fishermen working on the cleanup effort, then ride with them on their boats and document the toll the spill is taking on their lives.

Son of YubaDocs founders Roger Hicks and Linda Rachmel, Hicks figures he developed a soft spot for environmental issues since his dad has long been a member of the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL).

Hicks returns often for Nevada City's Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival; he submitted a short film once.

After graduating from Columbia University in New York City, Hicks stayed put to work on his filmmaking career. He's cobbled together a living as a freelancer, working on sets for MTV and other production companies. Work is steady, he said.

His latest project will be a study into the tragedy of the spill, but also the deeper cause — a “ravenous hunger for oil” among developed nations.

“I want to make people think about their own responsibility,” Hicks said. “They see the birds and turtles covered with oil, and maybe they feel sad. I want them to take that feeling and connect it with a bit of introspection about their use of fossil fuels.”

He plans to use the money to fly down to the Gulf and support himself while filming.

The irony of the jet fuel he'll use in that process is not lost on him.

“I'll probably be using so much energy traveling to Gulf,” he said.

When his project is finished — he anticipates it will take at least a year — he wants it to help change viewers' lifestyles.

“I'm not naive enough to say we'll stop using petroleum,” Hicks added. “But maybe they can make an effort to use less.”

To contact Staff Writer Michelle Rindels, e-mail mrindels@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4247.