<div>Hello! To all who is reading, my name is Jackie Smook, the owner of Jackie Smook Company LLC. I am a puppet designer and builder, actor and writer, singer and painter, and the creator of a new TV show, Dilly's World! 
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<div>I was on Season 21 of American Idol with my puppets, guest star on Chicago Fire, actor in many national commercials and design and build puppets for feature films, shorts and music videos. I am the creator and writer of my one woman shows, The Jackie Smook Program of De-dumbification and Under Your Skin. Both of these shows performed in NYC on-broadway and off-broadway. Both shows were selections in United Solo Theater Festival where we won Best Emerging Artist Award and Critics Choice Award. 
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<div>Our mission and design is to hire talented and creative people prioritizing female, queer, and non-binary artists and creators to produce creative, artistic, educational content and content that brings joy back to the world. I am passionate about bringing production and film creation to Chicago. As large and vast as the Chicago artist community is, the puppetry and production market is slim leaving many incredible and passionate artists to either relocate or switch careers entirely. My mission is to keep Chicago artists and creatives working.
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<div>To kick off the business, I am creating a TV show called Dilly's World inspired by PeeWee's Playhouse, Blues Clues and The Big Comfy Couch. This project will represent many facets of art mediums, including stop motion, animation, sculpting, furniture building, set building and creation, visual arts, education, and of course, puppets. The idea is that each piece, each element of the set is touched by an artist. The mission of this project is to keep children and adults creative. Though this will be geared towards educating children and teens, I want this to be a program for the family, something everyone can do together. There will be creative ways of learning, crafting new projects and even finding ways of communicating with others. It will instill the idea of togetherness and the joy of being weird and silly. The first season of episodes will infuse the ideas of needing to ask for help, not comparing your art or self to others, and even battling common fears and how to cope with them. 
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<div>During the pandemic, I began investing my time in puppet making. I'm thankful for my ability to get creative which helped me get through the pandemic. It occurred to me that not everyone has this same ability or the resources to be creative. Recently, I lost my dad. He owned his own architecture business and instilled in me the importance of art, business, and doing what you love. We would watch Pee Wee's playhouse and talk about how incredible it was to see someone be silly and also instill joy. With his passing and Paul Rueben's passing, I know I want to honor both of the love and joy they brought.
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<div>There are desirable tax incentives for bringing creative projects and production companies to Chicago. With more sound stages being built, including the Fields in Avondale, Trigger Casting, and the new sound stage south of Cinespace, Chicago has the potential of becoming a hub - so, why not develop a female owned and produced company in Chicago!
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<div>This project has given many amazing individuals the ability to work as an artist. here are the artists we were able to work with on the filming of Dilly's World. This is also where funding and donations have currently helped artists be paid. 
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<div>How I plan to use the funding:
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<div>Director and	Dilly - Jackie Smook
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<div>Co-Director/Director of Photography - Jon Plester
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<div>Assistant Director and Angus (puppeteer) - Madigan Burke
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<div>Producer - Diego Salinas
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<div>Asst. Producer - Erika Rose
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<div>Music Director/Score and Dave (actor) - Kyle William Stephens
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<div>Set Designer/Builder	- Chris Tuttle
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<div>Prop Designer/Builder - Glamhag
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<div>Instrument Designer and builder - Mattheus Leonhard
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<div>Head Puppeteer	Chimes, Ed, Silver Ball - Frank Cesario
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<div>Sound - Liv Mershon
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<div>Chair designer/Builder - Michael Hennessy
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<div>Space Coordinator/Gaffer - Rudy Scheider
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<div>Production Supervisor - Anna Zaffarano
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<div>Choreographer	Holstein, Bubbles Assist (Arms), Chimes Assist (Arms) - Margo O’Connell
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<div>Production Assistant - Dora Hewitt
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<div>Animator - Zoe Pham
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<div>Stop Motion Animator - Taylor Wells
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<div>Script Supervisor/Assistant Editor - Kerry Stevens
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<div>1st AC - Aaron Klinger
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<div>Voice Actor	Maximo (VO) - Michael C Hyatt 
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<div>Puppeteer Actor	Dumont - Rob Chesler
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<div>Puppeteer Actor	Longhorn - Margot Mitchell
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<div>Puppeteer Actor	Phyllis - Connar Brown
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<div>Puppeteer Actor	Bubbles, Guernsey, Capri (VO) - Autumn Eliza Sheffy
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<div>Puppeteer Actor	Be, Watusi - Fletcher Pierson
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<div>Photographer - Sarah Larson
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<div>PA - Kellie Wyatt
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<div>We rented: 
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<div>- Playground Social. I am going to be building the set inside.
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<div>- Equipment for filming including camera, lighting and boom mics.
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<div>We will be pitching this to networks I am in connection with as well as putting up at various film festivals.
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<div>We will then present it to educational programs such as PBS and other educational programs.
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<div>This funding will be the seed money for this incredible project and the future of my production company.
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<div>Jackie Smook
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<div>She | Her
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<div><a href="http://www.jackiesmook.com" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">http://www.jackiesmook.com</a>
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<div>Singer | Actor | Comedian | Writer | Puppet Maker
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DILLY'S WORLD - Short film Series

DILLY'S WORLD - Short film Series

Still $12,281 to go. Help us build momentum.