Help Us Shoot Our DC Fan Film!

STORY:

After his final quarrel with the Batman comes to a fatal end, The Joker's followers gather to mourn for the late clown prince of crime as they suddenly rally under the new direction of the next clown up. In response, citizens of Gotham renounce their admiration for The Caped Crusader; protesting the break from his usual humane approach to fighting crime. The unrest in Gotham evolves into all-out chaos as factions of former "bat-fans" join hands with the grieving clown militia; storming in the streets in masks & clown makeup.

On the same evening, Harleen Quinzel; a Psychology Major at Gotham University and outsider, begins researching the newly deceased Joker and his origins in an effort to get a head start on her thesis - even though it's her birthday. As her birthday evening goes awry, Quinzel becomes deeply invested in the commonalities she shares with Gotham's once most-feared kingpin; spiraling back into the darkness of her own private & tortured past.

Meanwhile, we meet Jason Todd; another independent vigilante in the making. During the day, Jason is Harleen's classmate and friend at Gotham University whilst being the disgruntled, adoptive son of the billionaire, Bruce Wayne. By nightfall, however, Jason is Robin; the faithful, younger counterpart to Batman. Like Batman, Jason too exercised a humane crime-fighting style yet rather reluctantly.

As Batman's mantra and Harleen's mental state simultaneously deteriorate during the eve of a revolution, the boy-wonder is no more as Jason rejects both Batman's guidance and his helm as Robin. The bodies and the clown masks start mounting as Jason embarks on a lone journey through Gotham City in search of his fallen friend - under his new alias, The Red Hood.

THE IMPACT:

Still recovering from a pandemic, we now reside in a new era of streaming films; as they are simultaneously played in theaters. Stories that were meant to be blockbusters soon became distributed as "straight-to-video" films; hindering income for everyone that worked on them.

Though the title addresses DC Fans head-on, Come On Harleen is intended for all movie-goers who couldn't make it to the theaters. As the film remains incomplete, the funds we garner ought to be distributed towards workers who are still recovering from the fallout of COVID.

RISKS & CHALLENGES:

While we have succeeded in creating two trailers; showcasing the overall themes & feel, the production for the film has been at a standstill since Shelter-In-Place commenced in 2020. Though COVID-19 is a hurdle, the budget however has been the biggest challenge since the first draft was typed.

A payroll of $25,000 is admittedly rather sizable for a fan-film, let alone a production comprised of freelancers. Yet, the narrative & presentation of Come On Harleen both aim to take a non-traditional route compared to the usual DC Fan Film. For only a fraction of their costs, Come On Harleen aims to put on a cinematic experience reminiscent of DC features, The Dark Knight trilogy & Joker; with the expertise of our camera team!

OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP:

While we encourage donations as low as $5, we would also appreciate having our campaign shared among your family & friends via email, social media, or in-person.


LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR:

Hello!

My name is Christopher Leong. I am a recent graduate from San Francisco State University with a Bachelors Degree in Cinema, and an up-and-coming Freelance Filmmaker living in The Bay Area.

I have previously submitted a short film shot entirely on a smart phone, Poker. Winning awards for Best Mobile Film, Poker has now screened at 33 film festivals and still counting!

However, I am looking to aim higher and meet the level of my competition I've faced if not exceed it. By doing so, I will need to recruit more people, stock equipment, & pay for catering services on set.

This page is actually a second attempt following technical difficulties from the first campaign; promoting this same film.

With the funds garnered from the first campaign, we have had success with the mood reel we shot prior to shelter in place; screening at now almost ten festivals and winning awards for "Best Trailer". However, even with a pandemic, we can still aim higher.

Over the past year; working on various projects, members of our Cast and Crew have still managed to add to their impressive portfolios over the year whilst exercising COVID-19 safety measures.

With your donation, I can not only pay everyone but bring the absolute best out of every aspect of this upcoming piece thus making the absolute most out of the payroll; putting on all of the money's worth on the festival screens!

THE BIG CATCH: Each and every member who donates will be listed under "Special Thanks" in the ending credits of the final cut!

That's right! If you donate, your name will be screened at every festival we'd be accepted into along with a potential opportunity to receive a private link to the final cut, watch the film early and see where all of your contributions went into!

If you are ever so kind, please help me and fellow freelance artists find our way back on track towards our creative pursuits! Thank you for your time and consideration!


Sincerely,

Christopher Leong