Time Again: a USC thesis film

In 1989, Griffin Wyatt blew his chance with the girl of his dreams. Now, 30 years later, Griffin has a time machine, as well as a  chance to fix his past in order to give himself the future he’s always dreamed of.

 

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

 
My time at USC has prepared me with the tools and skills I need to make this movie. I’ve been taught by Emmy and Academy Award-winning filmmakers. I’ve gotten real experience working on film sets, both here in Los Angeles and in Europe. I’ve learned how to be a filmmaker in the same place where my idols, George Lucas, Robert Zemeckis, and Judd Apatow did.

As I’ve learned, part of knowing how to make films is knowing how to get films made. This is where I turn to all those who have supported me along the way. Due to the scale of this film, there are a lot of expenses that need to be covered. I mean, we need to build a time machine!

Every bit helps, so I’m asking you to help contribute to making this film. A contribution of $50 could get us a makeup artist for a day to recreate those 80’s looks. $200 could feed the cast and crew for a day. $2,500 could get us our camera package for the entire shoot!

Thank you for all of the support you’ve given me. I hope I can count on your help as I take this next leap towards making my dream of being a filmmaker come true!

 

 

WHY DO I WANT TO MAKE THIS MOVIE?

 
So far, in the earliest stages of my career as a filmmaker, there’s one piece of advice that I hear more than most: “make the film that you would want to see”.

The kind of film I want to see, more than any other, is a time travel film.

Time travel stories have always been my favorite, ever since I first saw lightning hit the Hill Valley clock tower, sending the DeLorean back to the future. The plot was mind-bending. The dialogue was funny. The action sequences were exciting.

As I grew up, I learned what really made time travel special for me. Despite the mind-bending plots and visual effects, time travel stories can be deeply personal and genuine.  It can let us explore things about ourselves that no other genre can. We can relive moments in our lives. We can see how we came to be who we are. We can see who we’re going to be. Time travel stories can be extremely heartfelt. This is the sort of story I’ve always wanted to tell.

My film is called Time Again, and it follows the story of Griffin Wyatt. When he was in high school, Griffin screwed up the biggest moment of his life. When he gets the opportunity to go back to the ’80s and make things right, he must learn whether his destiny is already chosen for him or if it’s his to decide.

As a massive fan of time travel films, one of the things that I want to do is turn the genre on its head. Griffin Wyatt is not Marty McFly. He is not a wide-eyed kid who accidentally goes back in time, and he certainly doesn’t need to have the concept of time travel explained to him. Griffin has seen time travel movies. He invented a time machine. He knows the tropes, he knows the clichés, and he knows the rules. At least, he thinks he does.

This is a film about second chances. It’s a film about living in the present and letting go of the past. This is a film about choosing your own destiny.

I want this film to be fun, with jokes that the audience can laugh along with. I want this film to be nostalgic, capturing the styles and bright, neon colors of the 1980s. Most importantly, I want this film to be honest and heartfelt.

 

Time Again is the sort of film I’d want to see, and I hope other people feel that way too!

 


THE TEAM

 

DARREN COHN – WRITER/DIRECTOR



Darren Cohn is a writer and director from South Florida. He studied production at the University of Florida, and is currently earning his M.F.A. in Film and Television Production at the University of Southern California. Darren has served as a head writer for multiple comedy web series and has directed dozens of short comedy films and sketches. His passions have always been comedy and science fiction. He grew up on a steady diet of Twilight Zone, Monty Python, and Back to the Future. Darren’s dream is to use science fiction to tell fun stories with heartfelt meanings that audiences can relate to.

 


ANABEL IÑIGO – PRODUCER / CO-WRITER



Anabel Iñigo was born and raised in Miami, Florida. From an early age, Anabel always knew she wanted to be an artist. In her younger years, her family would hope that she would grow up to be a lawyer due to her inability to stop speaking. However, as she got older, she began to write stories and poetry, reading them to her grandparents. This cemented her love for film and theatre and led her to complete her B.A. in Theatre at Florida State University, where she worked on numerous shows and films in various capacities. Her free time is spent writing about her personal experiences and those around her, specifically people of color.




ALEXA VILLAREAL - PRODUCER



Alexa Villarreal was born in Texas and lived in Mexico for a big part of her childhood before moving back, watching American movies to hone her English speaking skills. Alexa’s mother would often send her to choose a selection of movies for the family to watch together from their old VHS cassette library in her parents’ closet, some of the favorites being ‘Home Alone’, ‘You’ve Got Mail’ and ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’. Her taste in movies made Alexa her family’s favorite and only film curator. She studied English Lit and Radio-TV-Film at the University of Texas at Austin and is currently pursuing her MFA in Film Production at USC, helping great filmmakers like Darren make the fascinating stories she would pick out of her VHS library any day. 




JACK WALTERMAN - PRODUCER

A native of Lakeville, Minnesota, Jack Walterman graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theatre Arts: Acting/Directing from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota in 2017. While there, he was able to study abroad and perform in both London, England, and at the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin, Ireland. He also directed stage productions and coached competitive speech for neighboring high schools. During the summer he worked as a teaching artist at the renowned Guthrie Theater. He has recently moved to Los Angeles to pursue a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Film and Television Production at the University of Southern California, where he focuses his energy on writing, producing, and directing stories about characters overcoming personal fears and allowing more room for love in their lives.

www.JackWalterman.com




LEAH STARR - ASSOCIATE PRODUCER



Leah Starr was born and raised in Long Island, New York. In addition to being a professional movie-watcher and television-binger, Leah is a senior studying Cinema & Media Studies at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and a producer, director, and editor. She has worked in the production of television, feature and short films, music videos, documentaries, and commercials. As a vocal advocate for women in film, her work pushes for equal representation in front of and behind the camera.


 

YANNIS FAIDHERBE – DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY



Yannis Faidherbe is a director of photography from Belgium, currently studying in the M.F.A. Film and Television Production program at the University of Southern California. His specialties are cinematography and still photography. He has worked on multiple types of pictures, fictional and documentary, in the United States as well as in Europe. Sharing his vision and appreciation for the surrounding world while emotionally touching audiences through the imagery he creates is what drives him every day to do the work he does.

Reel: https://vimeo.com/221976509




PAOLO ANTYPAS - EDITOR



Paolo Antypas was born and raised on the southern coast of Cyprus. Having worked as a projectionist in his youth, his passion for film took him to New York state where he completed several short films during his Bachelor's at SUNY Buffalo. He has a work background in film distribution and marketing and has worked with companies in the U.S.A., Europe, and the Middle East. Since joining USC's School of Cinematic Arts, Paolo has worked on advanced projects as a Producer, Director, and Cinematographer and is excited to add Editor to that C.V. with the completion of this project!