Help Bring CORSER HILL the SHORT FILM to Life

INTRODUCTION

Hello! I'm Alec Schulman, the creator, producer, and co-writer of CORSER HILL, a cathartic and funny short film about navigating grief, accepting help, and the struggle to embrace change. This story centers around a young man, GREG, and his wild and witty grandmother, DORIS, who are both attempting to move on after the tragic death of Greg's father and Doris's son, David.

For this project, I am lucky to be working with an incredible team of collaborators: Co-writer, Cara McFarlane (Pen15, Solar Opposites, Golden Axe), Executive Producer, two-time Emmy-winning Mary Lou Belli (The Mrs Pat Show et al.), Emmy nominated actress, Lee Garlington (Field of Dreams, The Sum of All Fears), Sundance Cinematographer and Director, TJ Williams (The Hater, SXSW, Tribeca), and many more. I am so excited to be acting as our lead, GREG, and will also score the film in post-production.

THE ORIGIN & THE THEMES

When Cara and I first began discussing CORSER HILL—a title based on a song I wrote and dedicated to Joni Mitchell—we immediately bonded over our love of character driven narratives and stories with honest emotional resonance. Drawing from my life working with seniors and playing professional piano for some of Los Angeles' most offbeat characters, Cara and I began to craft a story that explored heavier themes of loss and grief within the bottle of a lighter, comedic premise. Like life, this film is not simply one thing. It's funny and painful. It is quietly sensitive and loud with emotion. We are so thrilled to bring this complex story to life and hope that it speaks, in some way, to a more collective grief about life and death that we must all face in some way or another.

THE STORY

The film tells the story of two artists from different generations. GREG (20s), a burned out pianist who dropped out of college four years earlier to take care of his ailing grandmother in the wake of his father's death. And DORIS (70s), Greg's bohemian, wild, grandmother who spends her days drinking, reminiscing on the past, and painting some truly outrageous portraits (often in the nude!). Since Greg moved in with Doris, he has put all of his energy into her care, but Doris is getting older and seems to be stuck in time. Instead of processing the loss of her son, she self-medicates with alcohol and art. But Greg has hit his breaking point, and when he books a gig to play piano on tour, he takes drastic measures to ensure Doris will accept new help, so he can finally move on. We meet our characters on Doris' 80th Birthday. Greg has invited his friend and co-worker (CLARA, a live-in nurse) to Doris' party under the guise of a medical consolation, but just before they walk in Greg reveals to Clara that Doris thinks Clara is his girlfriend. Stunned but understanding, Clara goes along with it, that is until Doris discovers their lie. What follows is a funny, physically comedic argument that allows Greg and Doris to heal wounds they thought were irreparable.

THE GOAL

Right now, we are actively looking for funds to get to our goal of $18k! We will be shooting at Cara's house in Montrose, CA on July 20th and 21st, 2024. This will save us a huge location fee—thank you, Cara! In addition to the 2-day shoot, we are planning a rehearsal and scout/tech to ensure both the cast and crew are prepared.

Production costs include: actors fees, set decoration, hair/makeup costs, production vehicle, director's fee, first assistant camera, camera package, digital storage equipment, piano rental, and crew fees. Crew fees include: gaffer, lighting package, recordist/mixer, editor, coloring, sound editor, and festival submissions.

THANK YOU!

Thank you so much for your interest in helping bring CORSER HILL to life. We are incredibly grateful for your support as we tell this important story and offer equitable, fair pay to our team along the way. Without their expertise, this story could never get off the page.

Below, please find our film deck with character descriptions, shots of the team, and stills from other films, which provide examples for the tone of this project.

Alec Schulman