YOU'RE DEAD! Short Film

DIRECTOR + PRODUCER STATEMENTS

Directors’ Statement:

We only had one weekend of shooting left, until a sandstorm blew everything away. Literally. Our cameras, our actresses, and our horse. We diligently put together our shoot days and built contingency plans for weather and travel. Initially, we were supposed to shoot the weekend prior, but due to shoot and safety concerns, we made the executive decision to adjust our schedule to best accommodate the number of moving parts necessary to make this shoot work. Yet, as is the case with production, our Plan A shifted to a Plan B and ended up turning into a Plan C–that was then interrupted by a sudden, unprecedented sandstorm.

Our production was foiled not by a lack of human planning, but rather divine environmental intervention.

Our camera team went above and beyond by putting unpaid time into cleaning the camera equipment to the best of their ability, but due to the intensity of the sand and wind, we still incurred damages to our camera equipment that will need to be paid for.

As two young filmmakers who were lucky enough to win a community arts grant, we don’t have the funds to adequately pay off the weekend AND finish the film. We’re a ragtag team of creatives going to school, working multiple jobs, and pulling together whatever we can to create meaningful narrative projects like You’re Dead. We are investing as much of our own personal finances and resources as we can into this film, but it’s not enough.

We set out to make this movie, because we wanted to capture a very specific sensation: release. Death is the catalyst of our story, but not the driving theme. We seek to tell a grounded family narrative set in a high concept, fantastical world. It’s an Alice in Wonderland-esque short, taking you from the suburbs of Los Angeles to the sand dunes of the afterlife. It’s a story about accepting the unfathomable. By relying heavily on experimental tonalism and visual symbolism, allows for us to tell a simple story whose complexity is derived from cultural specificity. We’ve put our whole souls into this project. We hope you join us in our journey, and thank you for considering our campaign!

Producer’s Statement:

This film is the result of a collaborative effort among numerous young, talented filmmakers who have devoted countless hours to its creation. The support we've received from various individuals has been invaluable, allowing us not only to bring this project to fruition but also to film in stunning locations such as the Mountain View Mausoleum and the Buttercup Sand Dunes.

Utilizing the grant we received, we've transformed it into an ambitious endeavor featuring horses, a diverse SAG cast, VFX, multiple locations, a full funeral scene, and a journey to the Mexican border. This underscores not only the vision of our directors and their belief in the project but also the unwavering support of our community in realizing something of exceptional production value, far exceeding our financial limitations.

This film exemplifies why I embarked on my own entrepreneurial journey and my passion for filmmaking. It demonstrates the power of leveraging the resources and talents within our reach to create something extraordinary, showcasing the diverse skills and experiences of individuals from all walks of life.

For me, this project has been transformative. Its emphasis on inclusivity and diverse perspectives aligns with my vision of effecting meaningful change within the cultural landscape of the film industry. "You're Dead" aspires to set a new standard for the industry, propelled by the voices of youth, women, people of color, and those committed to not just participating but reshaping and improving the industry along the way.

STORY

Title: You’re Dead

Logline: A grieving sister embarks on a surreal journey into the afterlife to reconcile with her deceased sibling.

Summary: After the death of her sister, Maya, Talia struggles to make sense of the world she’s living in. She closes her sister’s accounts, boxes up her things, and deals with the logistics of loss. At her sister’s funeral, Talia spots a Black man on a horse. Irritable and distracted, she snaps when the Priest attempts to comfort her. She takes too much of her late sister’s pain medication, and stumbles outside. There, she’s confronted once again with the mysterious horseback rider. She chases him until they’re face to face. He shoots her. She awakens in the afterlife. Trying to squeeze the horseback rider for more information, Talia realizes that he has her sister’s locket. She realizes that this man is Death. He leads her to a mountainside where she sinks at the bottom. There, she reunites with her sister. The two girls come to the conclusion that the only way Talia can stop sinking, is if she and her sister go up the mountainside together. They struggle upwards. They share one final moment with Death. Death shoots Talia and awakens, back at the funeral. She cries for the first time. Finding solace in the embrace of mourners, her catharsis marking the beginning of a journey towards healing.

Characters

Locations

Buttercup Sand Dunes

Mountain View Mausoleum

Los Angeles, TBD

FINANCIAL

High Level Financial Breakdown

Due to the sandstorm, we were only able to shoot out ⅓ scenes needed for the “afterlife” portion of the film. This means we need to pay for roughly one day of local reshoots/B-roll. Reimagining this world in a way that supports our vision, yet can be built within our financial constraints is our #1 priority. That means we’re not going back to the desert, but we’re shooting out the emotional beats necessary to complete this story in a location that best supports us creatively and financially.

Explicit Financial Breakdown

Target Number: $25,000

PRODUCTION STATUS + NEXT STEPS

What We’ve Done So Far

We have ¾ of this film done! We’ve shot out our mausoleum and desert locations. This means that we have the beginning and the ending of the film completed. Equally as important, we have our entire film in sound. We now need to build out our middle.

Distribution Plan

Timeline

Pickups: TBD

Final Delivery for finishing: May 6

Final Film Delivery: August 1

Premiere: Fall 2024

TEAM

Directors

Luna Garcia is a multiracial writer, director, and comedian from Los Angeles, CA. An alumna of Ghetto Film School, she seeks to tell culturally specific, female-forward narratives through comedy. Her directorial style takes a story first approach, and focuses on making the highly personal feel universal. At only sixteen years old, she penned her first short film, Charley Horse, which went on to compete at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth, SFFILM, and the Bentonville Film Festival.

Sarah Jean Williams was born and raised in Los Angeles and is in her last year at NYU Tisch. Focused on storytelling, Sarah Jean has a desire to reframe the fantasy genre to represent contemporary culture and make space for voices today. Her work is a lyrical approach exploring the idea of what Black fairy-tales would look like, and reimagine a genre in which black bodies have been notably absent. Sarah Jean has made films in partnership with Netflix, Neutrogena, and the Huntington Museum. Sarah Jean is eager to keep writing and directing, learning about human emotion with each new project she makes with a dark and whimsical twist.

Cinematographer

Shane Bagwell has successfully lensed films showcased at Tribeca and SXSW, earning him acclaim for his exceptional visual storytelling. Beyond the silver screen, Bagwell’s artistic prowess extends to the music world, having skillfully crafted visuals for artists like Doja Cat, Aerosmith, and Yaeji. With an unwavering commitment to elevating the director’s vision, Bagwell’s work stands as a testament to his dedication to creating compelling and immersive cinematic experiences.

Producers

Bre Kelly, hailing from Woods Hole, Massachusetts, transitioned from a love for marine biology to a film career in Brooklyn after studying film production at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. While there, she gained experience in production and project management as a consultant at Island and Columbia Records. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, she founded BrickHead, a production company supporting emerging Gen Z filmmakers, which has since flourished. With a focus on socially impactful storytelling, she has completed over 60 projects ranging from music videos to documentaries. Kelly recently wrapped her debut feature film, "Isle Child," and now serves as Supervising Producer at Stept Studios, overseeing initiatives to bring in young talent. When not working, she enjoys exploring with her dog, spending time with family by the ocean, and skiing.

Nate Memba is a producer/writer/actor from Wilmington, Delaware and currently based in Los Angeles. A recent graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara, Nate has been self-producing short films and web series. Nate’s goal as a producer is to expand the market’s perspective on minority storytelling. Nate is dedicated to facilitating the creation of Black and Brown film and hopes to bring his perspective to all the work that he engages with and works on.

When he’s not producing, Nate is an accomplished actor of both stage and screen and enjoys spending his off time running a Dungeons and Dragons campaign for his friends and cheering voraciously for the Philadelphia 76ers, his hometown team.

Actresses

Jasmine Ashanti earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre from Temple University and went on to receive a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from UC-San Diego. Jasmine has since made notable appearances on popular shows including the ABC series "The Good Doctor", "Black-Ish", and "Grey's Anatomy", as well as the Netflix series "On My Block", "Lucifer", Hulu's "Wu-Tang: An American Saga," and CBS's "East New York." In 2023, Jasmine returned to the stage for Zora Howard's Pulitzer Prize nominated production of STEW, acting alongside LisaGay Hamilton and Rosyln Ruff at the Tony Award Winning Pasadena Playhouse. With her impressive range and dedication to her craft, Jasmine continues to make a name for herself as a rising star in the entertainment industry.

Arianna Williams is a 2020 graduate of New York University, receiving a B.F.A in Drama from the Tisch School of the Arts. She is most known for her series regular role in the Amazon Prime Pilot "Once Upon A Time In Aztlan" Starring George Lopez which she booked less than a year out of school. She also originated the starring role of Robin in the Off-Broadway World Premiere "Eco Village" at the St. Clements Theatre in New York City in 2019. Other notable theater credits include playing the role of Mattie Campbell in the Black Arts Institute X Billie Holiday production of "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" by August Wilson. She can also be seen in the supporting role of Dee in the Lifetime Feature Desperate Measures starring Denise Richards. She is now based in Los Angeles, California.

Community Partnerships

This film is being made in collaboration with three community based arts organizations:

Ghetto Film School (GFS) is an award-winning nonprofit founded in 2000 to educate, develop and celebrate the next generation of great storytellers. With locations in New York City, Los Angeles and London, GFS equips students for top universities and careers in the creative industries through two tracks: an introductory education program for high school students and early career support for alumni and young professionals.

The Dolby Institute was created to educate, inspire, and empower the next generation of filmmakers, musicians and game developers. Through university partnerships and community programs, they’re actively involved in helping new creatives find their voice by expanding access to software, making professional technology easier to use and getting artists the resources they need.

Antigravity Academy is a multi-hyphenate creative home for emerging artists across mediums. We develop and produce projects for film, television, short form and beyond. Additionally, Antigravity's various educational initiatives aim to make filmmaking affordable and accessible to all.

*No raffles, sweepstakes, giveaways, or returns on investment are offered in exchange for any donations made to my GoFundMe.