DROP SET: a short film about online hustle culture

DESCRIPTION:

Drop set is about a young man who falls down the rabbit hole of an "alpha-male" influencer’s toxic social media agenda. He becomes obsessed with winning a bodybuilding competition at any cost, pushing his body, mind, and relationships to the breaking point in his relentless pursuit to be the best.

This intense, psychological drama follows Franklin, a young man consumed by the idea of self-improvement and winning at all costs. At the core of his obsession is a motivational figure named "Andrew Elliot" whose ultra-masculine, no-holds-barred rhetoric fuels Franklin’s growing fixation on perfection. The film delves into Franklin’s journey as he pushes his body and mind to extreme lengths, at first driven by personal ambition but eventually spiraling into unhealthy competition and mental turmoil. The film explores how these toxic ideals start to distort Franklin’s reality, blurring the line between self-improvement and self-destruction.

The central themes of the film examine toxic masculinity and obsession, through the lens of the modern social media era. It questions the societal pressures placed on a variety of individuals to constantly prove their worth through physical prowess, often at the expense of mental health and human connection. Franklin’s journey represents the destructive pursuit of an idealized, hyper-masculine version of self, ultimately raising the question: what happens when the drive to be the best leaves no room for empathy or balance?

WHY?:

In a day and age where people like Andrew Tate are influencing and inspiring young impressionable teens (for the worse), this short film aims to explore and breakdown the possible dangers and consequences of being dragged into these online circles.

Why am I the one to tell it? I've come face to face with people in high school who have gone down the rabbit hole of these “alt-right misogynist hustle influencers” I've seen what it does to these people and I've seen how they start to treat others. This film is meant to be a cautionary tale.

APPLICATION OF BUDGET/FUNDS:

The crowdfunding money from this campaign will be used to cover several essential production needs. A significant portion will go toward renting a gym space for filming, as the gym scenes are central to the story. This will include securing permits and insurance to allow us to shoot on location. Additionally, we will need to rent or purchase fake weights to ensure the gym scenes are safe for the actors while still looking realistic. These weights will help us depict intense lifts without any risk of injury.

The remaining funds will go to festival application fees, and to the rest of the cast and crew who are working on this film voluntarily and without pay, funds will allow us to properly compensate our generous crewmates for their hard work. Other funds will go toward post-production costs, primarily sound design, to ensure the film captures the intense, raw energy of the story.

if you've made a movie before you know they can be expensive to make, anything helps!