Donate to help feed and support the Fresh Out The Box crew

Hey there! My name is Thomas Comick. I am directing, co-writing, and starring in "Fresh Out The Box." The script was written in collaboration with the incredible Declan Conner-Schaeffer, who is also helping to produce the project. "Fresh Out The Box" will be a pilot for a mini-series that is currently in development. The pilot episode is being co-produced by Howard Affandi, Declan Conner-Schaeffer, and I.

We really need your help to build a budget in order to feed our crew, pay for a location, and buy some essential props. The directorial/producing team are all film students at UNCSA.

The pilot will be a 20-30 minute episode about two brothers who are navigating their own troubles but connect in a desperate attempt to forge a better future together. "Fresh Out of the Box" captures their turbulent journey of ambition, family, and the relentless pursuit of a dream. The core theme of the episode is dreams and aspirations versus harsh realities. In a society where dreams are often set aside for more "realistic" career paths, the story is particularly pertinent. The project will appeal to fashion and streetwear lovers and anyone involved with sneaker culture.

We are looking to raise $500-$1,000 to cover the costs of catering for our cast and crew, purchase necessary props, secure a pivotal location, and provide our cinematography crew with the proper equipment.

To make the story as compelling as possible, we need the proper resources. Working 12-hour days unpaid on set, the crew NEEDS to be fed, and we really need all of your help to ensure we are all fed properly. It is the industry standard to have catered meals and craft services to ensure a healthy work environment.

All donors will be invited to an exclusive movie theater screening of the final product. They will also be given exclusive links to the final product, which will not be available online as we are submitting it to festivals.

The pilot will be starring Thomas Comick as well as Tarek Sadeq. Tarek is an aspiring actor from Greensboro NC, he studied acting at the prestigious Terry Knickerbocker Studio in NYC. Thomas has been training for years at In-Studio, acting in student films, and has done several professional film projects as well (one of which, his biggest project to datem will be released later this year!).

About the Director/Producers:

Thomas Comick is a Directing, Writing, and Editing student at UNCSA. He has been making films with his friends since he was in 2nd grade and has relentlessly pursued his passion for the art form. His films have garnered attention as well as awards. In high school, he received an award for his MADD Anti-Drunk Driving PSA, which was a statewide competition. Recently, he created a student cover of Jungle’s hit music video “Back on '74,” which has racked up over 50k views on YouTube and caught the attention of the original choreographer. In addition, his film “Alison” was another winner at the Ambrosia Film Festival and also received an A/Perture Award. He continues to pursue his passion and curate his style through all his projects.

Back on '74

Alison

Declan Connor-Schaeffer grew up in Raymond, Maine. Like many in my generation, my interest in visual storytelling stems from relatively unfettered access to technology at an early age. As a child, I would pace my room, crafting stories from whatever I’d just watched on television, rewriting them into what I thought was a more exciting and engaging story. This creative spirit snowballed into an interest in filmmaking after I entered a short film competition in middle school. Since then, I’ve been writing, directing, and editing short films regularly, my work largely influenced by the arguably excessive amount of alone time I had as a young boy in rural Maine. Above all, my stories focus on lonely people and what they have to say when given the chance too.

HOWARD AFFANDI was born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia. From an early age, Howard has been passionate about storytelling and first expressed this through drawing mini-comics. Eventually, he graduated to acting and directing theater through high school but had not considered filmmaking until his admission to UNCSA. After watching Sidney Lumet’s Network (1976), Howard discovered that the producer’s role combines three things that he deeply enjoys: ideating, organizing, and mediating. When he’s not thinking about films, Howard loves trying new things and exploring existential conundrums.