Lend a grip a hand
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FADE IN:
EXT. HOLLYWOOD-EARLY A.M.-NEW YEAR'S DAY
Celebratory detritus litters the pavement where BRETT LADNER, a bearded, 40ish male wearing a black leather cowboy hat is walking down the mostly deserted street. He's been going over the math all night. The numbers are depressing but it could be worse. With a loud, deep wail he sings his way across the boulevard to the ATM.
BRETT
Born under a bad sign . . . I've been down since I began to crawl!!!
He'll be able to pay some of the debt he's accrued since work went dry, but he'll have nothing left to live on, and who knows how he'll ever get the RV registered. He grinds out his cigarette with his work boot and enters his numbers on the touch screen.
ANGLE ON--ATM SCREEN
Insufficient funds. Balance: $1.00.
BRETT
What the . . .?! Was there a government shutdown I don't know about?
He tries again. Again, insufficient funds.
INT. OLDER MODEL RV
A full ashtray, a stack of books and a PSP gaming device are on the table. Brett is on the phone.
BRETT
Yeah, so it looks liked my SSI card was hacked. I'm screwed.
Asking for help is never easy. Doing so betrays our inadequacies, at least to the extent they affect our ability to sustain ourselves. Also, shit happens. When we are struggling to establish a positive, sustainable rhythm AND shit happens, it can be a challenge just to face the day—especially if you’re prone to getting the blues.
Born in Hollywood, CA, Brett is one of those ridiculously talented individuals who would give you his last dollar, his last bite, his only blanket. Yet he's found himself inextricably caught in the struggle. A gifted blues singer , writer, photographer and voice actor , Brett has put in long hours out of the spotlight as a key grip for film and music videos (look him up on IMDB ). He is no stranger to the 14-hour day, but has yet to get a real break.
Like some of us, Brett had a rough start in life. Rougher than most. Much of his time and energy has been spent surviving. Someone once said he's the guy you want next to you in a disaster. He has a photographic memory and a razor sharp wit, but keeping his head above water for any length of time has proved challenging. Its one of those afflictions of the gifted and talented. Too often the exceptional become the exception and in his line of work, it's feast or famine. . . emphasis on the famine.
So, it's come to this
45 days until his SSI account is resolved which means 45 days until he has more than $1 in his pocket, unless he gets work. He owes $2k on his RV (his home) which he can't register until he can smog it. Since being defrauded, he has money for neither. He has debt which he prioritizes above everything (but also keeps him in the debt cycle of doom.) He has two tickets on the RV, an inevitability of living in Los Angeles, adding to the registration pickle.
The skinny
Let's give Brett a much-needed reboot and put a whole lot of positive energy into getting him some stable work doing what he does (grip and lighting) or even better, what he dreams of (voice acting).
The goal amount will cover the RV, his debt, and basic living expenses until the SSI/identity theft is resolved.
We can't rewrite history but we can rewrite the script. And who doesn't love a happy ending?
EXT. HOLLYWOOD-EARLY A.M.-NEW YEAR'S DAY
Celebratory detritus litters the pavement where BRETT LADNER, a bearded, 40ish male wearing a black leather cowboy hat is walking down the mostly deserted street. He's been going over the math all night. The numbers are depressing but it could be worse. With a loud, deep wail he sings his way across the boulevard to the ATM.
BRETT
Born under a bad sign . . . I've been down since I began to crawl!!!
He'll be able to pay some of the debt he's accrued since work went dry, but he'll have nothing left to live on, and who knows how he'll ever get the RV registered. He grinds out his cigarette with his work boot and enters his numbers on the touch screen.
ANGLE ON--ATM SCREEN
Insufficient funds. Balance: $1.00.
BRETT
What the . . .?! Was there a government shutdown I don't know about?
He tries again. Again, insufficient funds.
INT. OLDER MODEL RV
A full ashtray, a stack of books and a PSP gaming device are on the table. Brett is on the phone.
BRETT
Yeah, so it looks liked my SSI card was hacked. I'm screwed.
Asking for help is never easy. Doing so betrays our inadequacies, at least to the extent they affect our ability to sustain ourselves. Also, shit happens. When we are struggling to establish a positive, sustainable rhythm AND shit happens, it can be a challenge just to face the day—especially if you’re prone to getting the blues.
Born in Hollywood, CA, Brett is one of those ridiculously talented individuals who would give you his last dollar, his last bite, his only blanket. Yet he's found himself inextricably caught in the struggle. A gifted blues singer , writer, photographer and voice actor , Brett has put in long hours out of the spotlight as a key grip for film and music videos (look him up on IMDB ). He is no stranger to the 14-hour day, but has yet to get a real break.
Like some of us, Brett had a rough start in life. Rougher than most. Much of his time and energy has been spent surviving. Someone once said he's the guy you want next to you in a disaster. He has a photographic memory and a razor sharp wit, but keeping his head above water for any length of time has proved challenging. Its one of those afflictions of the gifted and talented. Too often the exceptional become the exception and in his line of work, it's feast or famine. . . emphasis on the famine.
So, it's come to this
45 days until his SSI account is resolved which means 45 days until he has more than $1 in his pocket, unless he gets work. He owes $2k on his RV (his home) which he can't register until he can smog it. Since being defrauded, he has money for neither. He has debt which he prioritizes above everything (but also keeps him in the debt cycle of doom.) He has two tickets on the RV, an inevitability of living in Los Angeles, adding to the registration pickle.
The skinny
Let's give Brett a much-needed reboot and put a whole lot of positive energy into getting him some stable work doing what he does (grip and lighting) or even better, what he dreams of (voice acting).
The goal amount will cover the RV, his debt, and basic living expenses until the SSI/identity theft is resolved.
We can't rewrite history but we can rewrite the script. And who doesn't love a happy ending?
Organizer
Michel Miller
Organizer
Ventura, CA
