"People Watching People" Short Film
Donation protected
Hello everyone!
We are a group of young, independent filmmakers who are making a movie about you and everyone you know. However, in order to fully achieve our goal of creating the highest-caliber short film, we need your help.
The Message
People Watching People is the idea of, you guessed it, “people-watching” realized through a short film. Everybody people-watches in some way: whether it is playing an actual “game” of people-watching, looking to others for inspiration, noticing a stranger from afar, trying to empathize with a friend, or just simply taking in a world composed of unique individuals. The universality of people-watching allows for anyone to be able to relate to this film.
The Movie
This film depicts 15 characters (ranging from ages 20-80) who are united through their variations on people-watching, existing at the same time in the same space in a park, and having insecurities that feel particular but, we realize, are shared. Drawing on the styles of filmmakers such as Paul Thomas Anderson and Richard Linklater, the camera will weave through realistic, everyday conversations that take place simultaneously at Prospect Park in Brooklyn. From a first date, to artists, to tech employees, to an elderly couple, to individuals longing for companionship, these characters’ disparate personalities are connected through their act of perceiving others. However, this activity occurs from a distance, so they, like all of us, consequently make assumptions about one another and are disconnected. This film explores the possibility of connection if that distance were broken, if we were to connect over the thing that we all do. At its core, this movie is about empathy and the potential for community that is often missing in our world.
The Members
There are 25 people and counting involved in the project, most of whom have professional film experience. Our incredibly passionate team’s collaboration on this project exemplifies the message of collectivity and belief in a shared vision. We have people coming from out of state, taking off work, and balancing this project with full-time jobs– all for no pay.
Some of the members include…
Director and Writer: Harrison Witt
Producers: John DiGiacomo, Yonatan Margalit, Jack Damon
Camera: Alexia Barroso, Andrew Trice
Principal Actors: John Kroner, Kate Millar, Jack Damon, Manuel Belliard, Emma Hernando, Caroline Bergwall, Noah Miller-Medzon, Josh Martinez
The Mission
Below is a breakdown of our large, remaining costs:
- Camera and Lighting Gear: Even with minimizing costs through shooting in primarily exterior lighting, the camera body, lenses, and other critical pieces of gear are frankly expensive.
- Sound: We hope to hire a professional sound mixer, so that we can ensure that our sound is of the highest caliber to pair with the rest of our crew's abilities.
- Steadicam: In order to artfully and successfully achieve the look of being a wanderer in the park, eavesdropping on these conversations, our camera team will require a professional steadicam operator.
- On-Set Production Costs: This includes a van, storage, multiple insurance policies, and food for cast and crew.
We whole-heartedly believe in this project as a standalone film and as a launching pad for our respective aspirations in film. Like the film, this collective effort demonstrates how individuals can coalesce around a universal activity. We are asking for you to join our team and support this project by donating whatever you can. Your contribution will help us achieve our goal: a collaborative film that inspires the creators and the viewers alike. Thank you.
Co-organizers (4)
Harrison Witt
Organizer
Brooklyn, NY
Jax Damon
Co-organizer
Yonatan Margalit
Co-organizer
Andrew Trice
Co-organizer