Ruth(less)
Donation protected
We are collection of students and artists from all around the globe now living and studying in Boston. This spring, we are setting out to make a short film. With your help, we can bring this story to life.
The Story:
Ruth(less) is a short comedy set during and around a high school election. Ruth Johnson is a type-A overachiever who will stop at nothing to beat her nemesis, Samuel Witt, in their Senior Class Presidential Election. As Ruth and Sam lie, cheat, and slander their way to the top, their ridiculous antics morph into sharp political satire about dirty politics. Ruth(less) emphasizes the childishness of our current political process by showing how the behavior looks with actual children.
The Support:
Making a short film includes a lot of different costs, below is a total budget breakdown. The majority of the film is set in and around a high school, making it imperative that the film be shot on location in a Massachusetts school. As such, most of your contributions will help us pay for location permits and the transportation of cast, crew, and equipment to those locations.
And of course, if you can’t give financial support, there are other ways to be part of our team! Spread the word online and in person or send us kind messages. A few words of support can help expand our audience and give us a little extra confidence in our creative process.
The Team:
Lauren Marie Miller: Writer, Director, & Executive Producer
Lauren grew up in Merced, CA where she developed a passion for storytelling through local theatre, both as a student and eventually as a teacher. While in high school, she attended the California State Summer School for the Arts in Theatre and the Interlochen Summer Academy for Screenwriting, where Ruth(less) was first written. Her script for Ruth(less) won the Young Screenwriter Short competition at the 2017 Nashville Film Festival and the Platinum Short Screenplay Award at the 2017 Oregon International Film Awards. Now a freshman Visual Media Arts student, she’s worked as part of the camera and directing teams on a variety of student films. She’s looking forward to bringing a story she’s lived with for a long time to life.
Favorite Comedy: Shaun of the Dead
Thomas McCorkle: Executive Producer
Thomas McCorkle is a sophomore pursuing a major in Creative Writing, and a minor in Business Studies. He hails from the peaceful backwoods of Weddington, North Carolina where his initial love for writing and creative productions spawned from reading Percy Jackson, and watching Cartoon Network everyday after school. Before saddling on as Executive Producer for Ruth(less), Thomas served as Script Supervisor, Second Audio Assistant, Best Boy Electric, and Production Assistant for a variety of student-run films and shows. He is simply thrilled at the prospect of watching Ruth(less) come into reality on the screen.
Favorite Comedy: Thank You for Smoking
Giavanna Mariano: Ruth Johnson
A proud resident of Wilmington, Delaware, Giavanna Mariano has been performing in community theatre since the age of 7 and has no intention of stopping anytime soon. She has worked with Delaware All-State Theatre, the DuPont Playhouse, Delaware Children's Theatre, The Everett Theatre, and The Wilmington Drama League, in addition to her school's drama clubs, and enjoyed every second of it. She hopes to broaden her horizons from the stage to the screen at the collegiate level, and cannot wait to tackle Ruth(less) with the rest of the fantastic production team. In her nonexistent spare time she likes to perfect her bullet journalling skills and read long books in short amounts of time (perhaps she isn't so different from Ruth after all...).
Favorite Comedy: Bo Burnham’s what.
Eitan Miller: Director of Photography
Eitan Miller is a VMA student planning to concentrate in directing and cinematography. He loves to be behind the camera and has filmed everything from a cooking show series to music videos to short films. Eitan’s films have screened at numerous film festivals from NYC to Morocco. He has enjoyed working on a variety of student film sets in multiple positions. Eitan is also an award winning photographer, and enjoys roaming the streets of Boston with his camera. In his free time, he enjoys composing and listening to music. Eitan is very excited about the opportunity to help make Ruth(less) a reality.
You! Your support of this project makes you an invaluable part of our creative team. We wouldn’t be able to make this film without you.
Contribution Tiers & Perks:
A $10 Contribution: A special thanks to you in our credits.
A $20 Contribution: A “Make Witt Quit Button” used in the production and a special thanks to you in our credits. (We only have 50 buttons, but we have unlimited room to say thank you in our credits!)
A $25 Contribution: A campaign poster used in the production of your choice and a special thanks to you in our credits. (We have a limited quantity of each poster, but we have unlimited room to say thank you in our credits!
A $35 Contribution: A free copy of the original score composed for the film and a special thanks to you in our credits.
A $50 Contribution: Special early access to the finished film and a special thanks to you in our credits.
A $75 Contribution: Exclusive access to our first blooper reel, full of out of context quotes from our days on set along with special early access to the finished film and a special thanks to you in our credits.
A Contribution of $100 or More: Exclusive access to both our blooper reels: the first with out of context quotes from the set and a more traditional one with hilarious on-camera errors, along with special early access to the finish film, a free copy of the original score, and a very special thanks to you in our credits.
If at any time you decide you don’t want one of your perks, let us know and we’ll find another way to appreciate your contribution to our project.
The Story:
Ruth(less) is a short comedy set during and around a high school election. Ruth Johnson is a type-A overachiever who will stop at nothing to beat her nemesis, Samuel Witt, in their Senior Class Presidential Election. As Ruth and Sam lie, cheat, and slander their way to the top, their ridiculous antics morph into sharp political satire about dirty politics. Ruth(less) emphasizes the childishness of our current political process by showing how the behavior looks with actual children.
The Support:
Making a short film includes a lot of different costs, below is a total budget breakdown. The majority of the film is set in and around a high school, making it imperative that the film be shot on location in a Massachusetts school. As such, most of your contributions will help us pay for location permits and the transportation of cast, crew, and equipment to those locations.
And of course, if you can’t give financial support, there are other ways to be part of our team! Spread the word online and in person or send us kind messages. A few words of support can help expand our audience and give us a little extra confidence in our creative process.
The Team:
Lauren Marie Miller: Writer, Director, & Executive Producer
Lauren grew up in Merced, CA where she developed a passion for storytelling through local theatre, both as a student and eventually as a teacher. While in high school, she attended the California State Summer School for the Arts in Theatre and the Interlochen Summer Academy for Screenwriting, where Ruth(less) was first written. Her script for Ruth(less) won the Young Screenwriter Short competition at the 2017 Nashville Film Festival and the Platinum Short Screenplay Award at the 2017 Oregon International Film Awards. Now a freshman Visual Media Arts student, she’s worked as part of the camera and directing teams on a variety of student films. She’s looking forward to bringing a story she’s lived with for a long time to life.
Favorite Comedy: Shaun of the Dead
Thomas McCorkle: Executive Producer
Thomas McCorkle is a sophomore pursuing a major in Creative Writing, and a minor in Business Studies. He hails from the peaceful backwoods of Weddington, North Carolina where his initial love for writing and creative productions spawned from reading Percy Jackson, and watching Cartoon Network everyday after school. Before saddling on as Executive Producer for Ruth(less), Thomas served as Script Supervisor, Second Audio Assistant, Best Boy Electric, and Production Assistant for a variety of student-run films and shows. He is simply thrilled at the prospect of watching Ruth(less) come into reality on the screen.
Favorite Comedy: Thank You for Smoking
Giavanna Mariano: Ruth Johnson
A proud resident of Wilmington, Delaware, Giavanna Mariano has been performing in community theatre since the age of 7 and has no intention of stopping anytime soon. She has worked with Delaware All-State Theatre, the DuPont Playhouse, Delaware Children's Theatre, The Everett Theatre, and The Wilmington Drama League, in addition to her school's drama clubs, and enjoyed every second of it. She hopes to broaden her horizons from the stage to the screen at the collegiate level, and cannot wait to tackle Ruth(less) with the rest of the fantastic production team. In her nonexistent spare time she likes to perfect her bullet journalling skills and read long books in short amounts of time (perhaps she isn't so different from Ruth after all...).
Favorite Comedy: Bo Burnham’s what.
Eitan Miller: Director of Photography
Eitan Miller is a VMA student planning to concentrate in directing and cinematography. He loves to be behind the camera and has filmed everything from a cooking show series to music videos to short films. Eitan’s films have screened at numerous film festivals from NYC to Morocco. He has enjoyed working on a variety of student film sets in multiple positions. Eitan is also an award winning photographer, and enjoys roaming the streets of Boston with his camera. In his free time, he enjoys composing and listening to music. Eitan is very excited about the opportunity to help make Ruth(less) a reality.
You! Your support of this project makes you an invaluable part of our creative team. We wouldn’t be able to make this film without you.
Contribution Tiers & Perks:
A $10 Contribution: A special thanks to you in our credits.
A $20 Contribution: A “Make Witt Quit Button” used in the production and a special thanks to you in our credits. (We only have 50 buttons, but we have unlimited room to say thank you in our credits!)
A $25 Contribution: A campaign poster used in the production of your choice and a special thanks to you in our credits. (We have a limited quantity of each poster, but we have unlimited room to say thank you in our credits!
A $35 Contribution: A free copy of the original score composed for the film and a special thanks to you in our credits.
A $50 Contribution: Special early access to the finished film and a special thanks to you in our credits.
A $75 Contribution: Exclusive access to our first blooper reel, full of out of context quotes from our days on set along with special early access to the finished film and a special thanks to you in our credits.
A Contribution of $100 or More: Exclusive access to both our blooper reels: the first with out of context quotes from the set and a more traditional one with hilarious on-camera errors, along with special early access to the finish film, a free copy of the original score, and a very special thanks to you in our credits.
If at any time you decide you don’t want one of your perks, let us know and we’ll find another way to appreciate your contribution to our project.
Organizer
Lauren Marie Miller
Organizer
Boston, MA