"Speak to Me" Short Film Finishing Funds

Hi all!

My name is Anmol Bajpai and I’m a recent USC grad. This summer, I embarked on a journey to write and direct my first film, SPEAK TO ME. A deeply intimate tale pulled from my own journey as an Indian-American immigrant, the film is a character study of a mother and a daughter, torn apart by grief, resentment, and mental illness. This short film was meant to be a jumping-off point to either attend graduate school or simply catapult my filmmaking career.

Back at the start of summer, our team adequately budgeted and fundraised for a micro-budget of $4300. However, unexpected production challenges outside of our control have forced us to seek fundraising once again as we continue with pickups and post-production. I’d like to walk through our production challenges to explain why we’re asking for these donations now.

(Stills from the film)

When it came to filming, our cinematographer (DP) was the one position we struggled to lock down. We knew we needed someone talented, but also someone who could work with our budget. After a series of interviews, we hired a DP based on their impressive reel, camera, and equipment list that compensated for their very steep rate. For weeks before the shoot, we worked with them. Everything seemed fine at first, but that soon changed.

Firstly, our DP was dishonest about the extensivity of their equipment list. Much of their equipment was not professional standard, i.e. unusable, and their insistence that we would not need outside rentals turned out to be untrue. This lack of transparency forced us to spend hundreds of dollars last minute on rentals. Additionally, they showed a lack of commitment on multiple occasions, missing meetings and not responding for long periods of time. We gave them many chances given their experience and camera, which was our mistake. On the first day of production, they showed up on set unfamiliar with the shot list and plan for the day. They also acted with an unprofessional conduct that was felt by the entire crew. Ultimately, this compromised the incredible work everyone else was putting in. Hours behind schedule and miles from our vision, we decided to part ways with them halfway through the first day.

Thankfully, we were able to pull through with our amazing crew, friends, and USC alumni who helped us complete the shoot. Within the same night, we found a new camera and equipment, finalized a new DP, adjusted the script, and expanded our shoot to accommodate for lost time. That being said, we are now over budget due these last minute expenditures. The lost production day also cost us time, requiring one more day for reshoots. While our contingency covered a portion of these last minute costs, we still need some help!

(Stills from the film)

Here is a breakdown from our producer for the $2000 figure, and what that money would cover. With the additional fees from Go-Fundme, that comes out to a $2100 fundraising goal.

EXTRA PRODUCTION COSTS

$500 - Payment for new DP

$250 - new camera rental

$100 - Last minute equipment rentals

$150 - Additional Location Hours

REMAINING POST PRODUCTION COSTS

$400 - Composer

RE-SHOOTS/PICKUPS

$250 - Location rental

$250 - Camera Rental

$50- Grip/Electric

$40 - Various (Transportation, Food)

Total: $1975

We are all passionate about this film and want to see it finished, with a deadline of mid-November to apply to our top programs and festivals! Therefore, we are humbly asking for donations in order to help us finish the film. If you are unable to donate, even a share or repost would be much appreciated. Thank you so much!

-- THE SPEAK TO ME TEAM