Help support "DOE EYED", a Senior thesis film

Hello! My name is John Lindell. I am a Film student at SUNY Purchase College in Purchase, NY, and I am crowdfunding in order to shoot my Senior thesis film, “DOE EYED” with a projected budget of $6,500.

The film follows Coco Kruger (Oona Laurence), a languishing performance artist living in squalor in a New York City apartment, generally unmotivated to continue her passion. Unfortunately, she discovers that her ex-boyfriend, Dalton (Jake Bakirdan), has been working with a famous artist known simply as Geve, who is Coco’s personal hero and inspiration. This sets off a chain of events that leads Coco to tirelessly attempt to make her big comeback to the art world, both out of spite and out of restlessness. However, her methods of doing so appear ethically controversial, causing the people around her to question what Coco’s true intentions are.

“DOE EYED” is a dark comedy satirizing the ruthlessly cynical and “hip” art world and the people who occupy it, with Coco desperately searching for empathy and validation from her “too cool for school” contemporaries. The film is a darkly funny yet heartfelt exploration of the effect jealousy, success, and failure has on people.

I am raising $7,000 to fund the production and post-production of “DOE EYED”, which is my most ambitious film to date. In my school program, funding for our Senior thesis films relies solely on the creator of the work, as I receive no financial backing from SUNY Purchase. My previous work utilized a utilitarian mindset, with the intention to hone my skills on a smaller scale rather than making expensive mistakes. After three long and fruitful years at SUNY Purchase, I know I am incredibly prepared to expand the scope of my vision for the final film of my college career.

The $7,000 budget is largely dedicated to location and film equipment rentals, props/set design, makeup, and wardrobe. Since the film takes place in the New York City art world, places like apartments and museum venues are critical to establishing a believable environment for these characters to exist in. The rest of the money is dedicated to feeding and transporting my extremely talented cast and crew, as well as funding post-production, which includes an original score from a professional composer.

Any amount donated will be cherished and utilized to its fullest extent solely for the production of “DOE EYED”. Thank you so much, and I can’t wait to bring this to life for you all to see!

For any amount donated, you will receive a special thank you and your name in the credits!

My previous work (including my Sophomore film “CANNED LAUGH”) can be found on my Vimeo

Follow the film’s official Instagram account @DoeEyedFilm!