Revival Short Film - Production Budget
Donation protected
Why Are We Fundraising?
Revival is our BFA thesis film! It's a culmination of all that we have learned while attending Temple University's film school, which means we want it to be the best project that it can possibly be. We are hosting this crowdfunding campaign in order to reach our goal production budget of $13,000. Though we have been given a start up grant from the University, it does not cover all of the vital costs that arise during a film production.
If you contribute to our GoFundMe, you will be making a true impact on our project. The funds from this campaign will go directly towards camera rentals, catering for cast and crew, payments for our actors, production design expenses, transportation costs, and costs associated with safety. The covid pandemic has hit every industry hard, and the film industry is no different. Film budgets have increased as much as 33% to cover the additional costs to keep our cast and crew safe. This includes PPE, individualized food, testing services, covid compliance officers, and even shorter days.
No contribution is too small!! To give you a sense of our budget breakdown, a pledge of $25 will pay to feed one crew member for one day of shooting. Each contribution improves the quality of our project and the comfort of our team members. We truly appreciate any and all help that you can provide!
Why this Film?
Writer/Director Josh Han spent his childhood in Korean Churches around the globe. This script comes from those experiences, and a desire to see better representation in the media for Korean Americans. We hope that this project will help showcase diversity and tell a story that hasn't been done before.
Furthermore, Revival is based on themes that everyone can relate to. It presents the torment that arises when your desires and your relationships are at odds. We all have been in a place where we wish for the acceptance of our loved ones, and the inherent conflict that comes with it.
Project Synopsis
Luke Kim is a young Korean American drug dealer who needs to pay back a large sum of money to some violent people under a strict deadline. He and his friends decide on robbing an offering from a rival drug dealer who attends the same church where his estranged father ministers. As the plan commences, Luke attempts to balance his desire to attain the money with the need for his father’s love and acceptance. This becomes more difficult when the plan goes awry and Luke is forced to choose which direction he wants his life headed.
Director's Statement
I initially wrote Revival for a screenwriting class at Temple but as it began to take shape, I realized how personal of a story it was and how valuable it was to me because of that. Much like the protagonist of the story, I’ve been in positions before where I felt stuck between two polar opposite spheres of my life and how tormenting that experience is, especially if you want to reconcile those worlds. Another aspect of its conception was due to representation. I’ve always wanted to see an accurate portrayal of the Korean American experience, something that captured part of our culture that hasn’t really been done before. We hope to accomplish this through your support!
Meet the Characters
- Luke Kim - A somewhat built, young Korean American man. Thrill seeker mixed with an addictive personality. Luke has been on his own for a while ever since he ran away from home; an extremely Christian household in which lofty expectations were imposed on him. Living independently as a young kid in a crime ridden area, he turned to dealing drugs which he eventually got good at. Even with this income, he hasn’t forgotten when he had nothing; he’s constantly looking for different ways to make money which certainly helps supplement his hedonistic lifestyle. He had to build a tough exterior in order to protect himself but deep down in his core, he is extremely sensitive and hurt.
- Pastor Kim - An older, short Korean American man although the “American” in the title is a bit misleading. He immigrated to the States as a relatively young man but hasn’t really bothered to work on his English skills out of stubbornness. In Korea, he was an army chaplain and has maintained this rigid religiosity ever since. Being an immigrant, he’s had to go above and beyond to reach a normal standard of living; a sentiment he’s imposed on his sons. He’s been trying to mold his sons into his perception of who they should be ever since they were young children. Much like many Korean fathers, he’s not much for outward physical or verbal affection which he secretly views as a sign of weakness.
- Marcus - An intelligent, decently tall, handsome Black man who is composed and stoic most of the time. His stoicism stems from a tumultuous childhood; he uses that mode of thinking to cope with the chaos of his life although he does occasionally snap when pushed. There are moments where he represses his emotions when he thinks he’s maintaining them responsibly. Deals drugs on the side but his main focus is in academics; wants to save up money for school to study literature.
- Dodo - A somewhat short, wiry Hispanic kid. A fun-loving, happy-go-lucky guy who enjoys the simple things in life. As a child, Dodo would be exposed to the drug dealers in his neighborhood who always looked out for him and his family; this motivated him to be just like them. Although new to the drug dealing game, he has Luke and Marcus there to teach him the ropes plus he’s shown some promise as he overcompensates for his inexperience with boldness. His real name is Fernando but ever since he was a kid, his friends would call him Dodo which stuck. Dodo’s emotionally volatile; he can either be your best friend or your worst enemy, no in between.
- Johnny - A short, brash Korean American drug dealer that has been in the game for quite some time. He’s quick to violence which is a method he’s used while dealing drugs to become financially successful. This perspective he’s adopted due to him being the only Asian dealer and the constant disrespect that comes with that. Johnny has been trying to wean himself off this lifestyle and live a more wholesome life but he’s not sure if he knows any other way of living.
Meet the Team
- Josh Han - Writer/Director - Josh Han is a senior, Korean American, directing student at Temple University. Being a lifelong fan of movies, it wasn’t until his freshman year of college that he began delving into the world of creation and hasn’t stopped since. Writing/directing are his favorite aspects of production and sees himself continuing this route after college. Josh’s work mostly centers around drama and interpersonal conflict but based on widely varied premises that adhere to different genres.
- Anya Popko - Producer - Anya is in her senior year at Temple University. She is an emerging film producer who aspires to work on narrative features and episodic television. She has worked on a wide range of projects in the past, including short films of various genres, documentary projects, and live broadcast television shows. Her most recent work was as a producer for a miniseries and as the head of the art department for a sketch comedy show. Currently, Anya is president of a short film production club and an intern at the Greater Philadelphia Film Office, in addition to producing “Revival”. She is incredibly excited to help the rest of the team in making this film come to life!
- Greg Taylor - Director of Photography - Greg D. Taylor is a 21 year old, Arri-certified, senior cinematography student at Temple University. Greg’s early start in still photography acted as a stepping stone for his success working with moving images. He has been involved in all aspects of movie making but is most interested in cinematography. Greg has shot a wide range of projects in various genres, including noir, drama, post-apocalyptic and documentary, on both film and digital. Greg prides himself on his great compositional and lighting abilities and welcomes any challenges on set.
- Tony McCall - Editor - Tony McCall is a student and filmmaker studying at Temple University and living in Philadelphia. He is currently pursuing a concentration in Post-Production. Tony’s knowledge and passion for the arts stems back to his high school years, where he started out learning Adobe Premiere. Tony is fortunate enough to have worked as BTS, DIT, and editor. At this moment, Tony is wrapping up post production on several projects ranging from an online mini-series, to music videos, and short films.
- Adam McAlonie - Assistant Director - Adam is a Philadelphia based filmmaker who specializes in directing, cinematography, AD-ing, and editing. He works with his ever expanding network of peers to pursue his passion of telling stories and creating compelling films aimed to connect with an audience and to make people feel invested to the characters on screen. Adam thrives off of the fast paced nature of being on set as an AD and hopes to continue this line of work in the future. He cannot wait to work on Revival to make new memories, meet new friends, and help make a film that people will remember!
- Dharma Grasso - Associate Producer - Dharma Grasso is a current junior at Temple University studying film and media arts with a concentration in producing. She hopes to one day work as a producer for television or a media company. Dharma’s passion for film dates back to her childhood, and she later went on to make short films of her own in high school. In addition to associate producing for “Revival”, she serves as the president and treasurer of Mise En Femme, a student organization dedicated to uplifting female and non-binary filmmakers. “Revival” is Dharma’s first time associate producing and she looks forward to gaining on set experience as well as meeting new people.
- Kristen Chaballa - Associate Producer - Kristen Chaballa is an emerging producer and screenwriter based in Philadelphia and New Jersey. She is a junior at Temple University, majoring in film and media arts pursuing a concentration in producing. Kristen is currently working as a producer on a short comedy for Wandering Studios, a student short film production club. She is developing multiple short narrative scripts as well and has produced a short sports documentary among other fiction pieces. Revival is Kristen’s first thesis project that she is working on as an associate producer and is excited to work with the crew and get valuable on set experience.
- Leslie Alcantar - Sound Mixer - Leslie Alcantar is a first-gen senior film major at Temple University with a music technology certificate. Growing up, she's always had a love for media and worked on her highschool's morning announcements. She's done sound for several other student films and once made a commercial for her hometown pizzeria. She's looking forward to getting to know the crew more!
- Gabby Perera - Production Designer
- Alex Comly - Fundraising Coordinator
Future of the Film
We plan to start principal production in December 2021. All measures will be taken to ensure that our set is a safe place for our cast and crew in terms of the covid-19 pandemic, including masks, sanitizing stations, individualized meals, and vaccinations. Once production is complete, we will move onto post-production, and eventually our festival run. We plan to submit this short film to a variety of festivals so that a broader audience (and all our supporters!) have a chance to see our project. There is no greater feeling than seeing a film you helped make possible screen somewhere!
Share Our Story!
Contributions aren't the only way you can support our project!! We hope that you are passionate enough about this story that you take a few minutes to share it with your own networks. The more buzz we generate the greater our chances of being green lit! After all, crowdfunding is made possible through the support of the masses. We cannot make this project a reality without your help, so keep spreading the news, and follow us to keep up to date with our production!
Instagram: @revivalshortfilm
Co-organizers (3)
Anya Popko
Organizer
Plymouth Meeting, PA
Dharma Grasso
Co-organizer
Kristen Chaballa
Co-organizer