Losing Color
Donation protected
Hello! My name is Danielle Ring and I am a recent graduate of Syracuse University. "Losing Color" is a thesis film that recently finished post-production, but I ask for your help to take the next step and bring this heartwarming story to life and to film festivals around the world.
THE STORY
LOGLINE: Unsure of how to tell her daughter that her grandma is dying, a young woman remembers her own first experience with death.
Children are more intuitive than we think. They can sense when we’re sad, even when we’re putting up a front to shield them from it and pretend everything is okay. But what they usually can't understand is that everyone handles things in their own way.
When my grandfather passed away when I was 8 years old, I apologized to my mom for not being able to cry at the funeral. It wasn’t because I wasn’t sad or hurting, but I just physically could not cry and felt guilty because of it. I thought that there must have been something wrong with me seeing that everyone else around me was in tears. Trying to understand death and how we as humans each process this heartbreaking part of life is even more confusing at such a young age. I even wrote a letter to Santa Claus that year bargaining to give up my Christmas gifts to bring him back, which was sweet, but clearly not plausible. It made my mom smile for the daughter she raised, but it also broke her heart.
That's another excruciatingly tough thing, the first holiday or Christmas without your loved one. It is supposed to be a joyous time for everyone and particularly magical for kids, but all of the traditions and celebration magnify the empty space left by their absence. You wonder if you should still hang up their stocking this year or set a place for them at the table in their memory or if the reminder is too painful.
This film represents that exact heartbreaking struggle which we have all experienced in one way or another.
It tells the story of a memory through the eyes of Mazie, an 8-year-old girl, and her observations of her mother during their first Christmas after Mazie’s grandfather passes away. She witnesses her mother struggle between wanting to be happy and keep the mood joyous for her daughter during the holidays while also still in the process of mourning and feeling her dad's absence more than ever. As an adult years later with children of her own, Mazie is put in a similar situation and looks for answers in her past. These early experiences as children carry us through life and into adulthood.
Ilsa Denton (Daughter) and Abby Brockamp (Mazie) mid-scene.
Danielle Ring (Director) talking with Eva Jette (Young Mazie) in preparation for the next take.
THE TEAM
Danielle Ring - Director, Producer, Writer & Editor
Danielle Ring is a director, producer, editor and AD raised in a small town on the Jersey shore. She graduated Syracuse University with a B.F.A. in Film from the College of Visual and Performing Arts and a minor in General Management Studies at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management in 2017. Her films, often quirky, focus on human relationships and the struggles within them, presenting visual pieces with new perspectives that others can relate to. In spring 2016 she spent four months studying in Prague, Czech Republic at the renowned Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts (FAMU) where she was the Assistant Director and Editor of the 35mm short film "For My Lovers,” which screened at the 2016 Santa Fe Film Festival and the Syracuse International Film Festival Spring Fest 2017.
Eliot Grigo - Director of Photography
Eliot Grigo, a cinematographer from Maine, has studied the visual arts for the greater portion of his academic career. Studying at respectable institutions before entering college such as Maine Media Workshops and Rochester Institute of Technology, he has most recently finished his B.F.A in Film at Syracuse University. During his time at Syracuse, Grigo has shot and directed several films, including writing and co-directing a social-activism short film, "All Is Forgiven" (2015), which was screened at the Women's and Minorities in Film Festival, and received 3rd place at the (In)Justice For All Film Festival. In the spring of 2016, Grigo traveled to Prague in the Czech Republic to film a short romantic drama, "For My Lovers" (2016), which went on to premiere at the Santa Fe Film Festival that December. While refining his craft, Grigo has also been a supporter of the revival of analog film mediums, shooting "For My Lovers" on 35mm and more recently a soon-to-be-released drama shot on 16mm. While being involved in academia and making short films inside and outside of school, Grigo always focuses on and puts care into how light, color, and the movement of the camera can tell beautiful stories concerning humanity.
Justin Ramer - Assistant Director, Assistant Writer
Justin Ramer is a recent graduate from the Film program at Syracuse University where he has directed several short films. Whether comedy or drama, he has established himself as a humanistic storyteller, always developing characters and shaping images that are able to connect with his audience. He is currently working on two other films: a 35mm short drama about a Czech father and son, "Outgrowth," and a surreal biographical short about his grandparents, "Ashes.” Last spring, he spent a semester in Prague studying at the world-renowned film school, FAMU.
Christina McDonagh - Line Producer
Christina McDonagh is a director, editor, production designer and producer based out of New York City. Though she has a background in graphic design, her love of the arts and a passion for film lead her to pursue filmmaking. After interning at production companies such as Red Crown Productions and Wildchild Editorial, she was inspired to begin her own production company- Killian Films, LLC. She graduated from Syracuse University this year as a VPA Film major, a Newhouse Communications minor and a Renee Crown Scholar in the honors program. She is currently producing, directing and editing her soon to be released drama, “The Imaginary Dragons” as her Honors Capstone Project and Senior Thesis Film. While studying at the FAMU international film school in Prague she assistant directed, art directed and edited the soon to be released film “Svêtlo na Konci”. No matter her role, she strives to bring attention to interesting, progressive stories through the use of aesthetic appeal.
Kierra Jordan - Production Designer
Kierra grew up always embracing the arts often painting and finding creative forms of expression. She has graduated from Syracuse University with a BFA in Theatrical Design and Technology in 2017. Since entering college Kierra has been busy any spare moment between classes working on a variety of projects conceptualizing spaces that enhance character and story from set dressing and decorating, prop making, and production designing on short, feature, commercial and television productions.
WHY WE NEED FUNDS
We are setting a goal of $2500 to cover most of the budget costs. This includes paying for the location each day, food for cast and crew on set, transportation of cast and crew, renting a van to transport equipment, props & set design, storage, insurance, and film festival submissions, which can cost as much as $100 or more per submission. Many festivals also require a DCP (Digital Cinema Package) to be made of each film in order to be screened, which is a process I have recently begun which will cost an additional few hundred dollars.
WHEN
Even though we finished filming, there is still a substantial amount of debt to repay and funds needed for film festival submissions as soon as possible. This film serves as my business card in the film industry but has left a great financial burden ontop of the inevitable student debt. The goal is to submit to as many festivals as possible to explore every opportunity to be seen, but unfortunately it can only go as far as funds allow.
Forrest Vreeland (1st Assistant Camera) making sure camera is ready to go for the next shot.
WHY WE NEED YOU
We have an extremely talented and hardworking group of rising filmmakers aboard this project who I am extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to collaborate with. However, it is missing one member - you. Without your support, this story cannot be told. Not only this, but your donation would also be supporting the future of young filmmakers. Any small donation helps, and I will be so incredibly grateful for anything you can offer and will be sure to include you in the credits of the final film that will be submitted to festivals around the world!
Grace Cannon (Gaffer)
From left to right: Eliot Grigo, Sahan Jayawardena (Grip), Forrest Vreeland, Danielle Ring
Thank you for taking time to read about this project. Please LIKE, SHARE, and VISIT our Facebook page here for more information!
All behind-the-scenes photos taken by Tori Valentine
THE STORY
LOGLINE: Unsure of how to tell her daughter that her grandma is dying, a young woman remembers her own first experience with death.
Children are more intuitive than we think. They can sense when we’re sad, even when we’re putting up a front to shield them from it and pretend everything is okay. But what they usually can't understand is that everyone handles things in their own way.
When my grandfather passed away when I was 8 years old, I apologized to my mom for not being able to cry at the funeral. It wasn’t because I wasn’t sad or hurting, but I just physically could not cry and felt guilty because of it. I thought that there must have been something wrong with me seeing that everyone else around me was in tears. Trying to understand death and how we as humans each process this heartbreaking part of life is even more confusing at such a young age. I even wrote a letter to Santa Claus that year bargaining to give up my Christmas gifts to bring him back, which was sweet, but clearly not plausible. It made my mom smile for the daughter she raised, but it also broke her heart.
That's another excruciatingly tough thing, the first holiday or Christmas without your loved one. It is supposed to be a joyous time for everyone and particularly magical for kids, but all of the traditions and celebration magnify the empty space left by their absence. You wonder if you should still hang up their stocking this year or set a place for them at the table in their memory or if the reminder is too painful.
This film represents that exact heartbreaking struggle which we have all experienced in one way or another.
It tells the story of a memory through the eyes of Mazie, an 8-year-old girl, and her observations of her mother during their first Christmas after Mazie’s grandfather passes away. She witnesses her mother struggle between wanting to be happy and keep the mood joyous for her daughter during the holidays while also still in the process of mourning and feeling her dad's absence more than ever. As an adult years later with children of her own, Mazie is put in a similar situation and looks for answers in her past. These early experiences as children carry us through life and into adulthood.
Ilsa Denton (Daughter) and Abby Brockamp (Mazie) mid-scene.Danielle Ring (Director) talking with Eva Jette (Young Mazie) in preparation for the next take.THE TEAM
Danielle Ring - Director, Producer, Writer & Editor
Danielle Ring is a director, producer, editor and AD raised in a small town on the Jersey shore. She graduated Syracuse University with a B.F.A. in Film from the College of Visual and Performing Arts and a minor in General Management Studies at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management in 2017. Her films, often quirky, focus on human relationships and the struggles within them, presenting visual pieces with new perspectives that others can relate to. In spring 2016 she spent four months studying in Prague, Czech Republic at the renowned Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts (FAMU) where she was the Assistant Director and Editor of the 35mm short film "For My Lovers,” which screened at the 2016 Santa Fe Film Festival and the Syracuse International Film Festival Spring Fest 2017.Eliot Grigo - Director of Photography
Eliot Grigo, a cinematographer from Maine, has studied the visual arts for the greater portion of his academic career. Studying at respectable institutions before entering college such as Maine Media Workshops and Rochester Institute of Technology, he has most recently finished his B.F.A in Film at Syracuse University. During his time at Syracuse, Grigo has shot and directed several films, including writing and co-directing a social-activism short film, "All Is Forgiven" (2015), which was screened at the Women's and Minorities in Film Festival, and received 3rd place at the (In)Justice For All Film Festival. In the spring of 2016, Grigo traveled to Prague in the Czech Republic to film a short romantic drama, "For My Lovers" (2016), which went on to premiere at the Santa Fe Film Festival that December. While refining his craft, Grigo has also been a supporter of the revival of analog film mediums, shooting "For My Lovers" on 35mm and more recently a soon-to-be-released drama shot on 16mm. While being involved in academia and making short films inside and outside of school, Grigo always focuses on and puts care into how light, color, and the movement of the camera can tell beautiful stories concerning humanity.Justin Ramer - Assistant Director, Assistant Writer
Justin Ramer is a recent graduate from the Film program at Syracuse University where he has directed several short films. Whether comedy or drama, he has established himself as a humanistic storyteller, always developing characters and shaping images that are able to connect with his audience. He is currently working on two other films: a 35mm short drama about a Czech father and son, "Outgrowth," and a surreal biographical short about his grandparents, "Ashes.” Last spring, he spent a semester in Prague studying at the world-renowned film school, FAMU.Christina McDonagh - Line Producer
Christina McDonagh is a director, editor, production designer and producer based out of New York City. Though she has a background in graphic design, her love of the arts and a passion for film lead her to pursue filmmaking. After interning at production companies such as Red Crown Productions and Wildchild Editorial, she was inspired to begin her own production company- Killian Films, LLC. She graduated from Syracuse University this year as a VPA Film major, a Newhouse Communications minor and a Renee Crown Scholar in the honors program. She is currently producing, directing and editing her soon to be released drama, “The Imaginary Dragons” as her Honors Capstone Project and Senior Thesis Film. While studying at the FAMU international film school in Prague she assistant directed, art directed and edited the soon to be released film “Svêtlo na Konci”. No matter her role, she strives to bring attention to interesting, progressive stories through the use of aesthetic appeal.Kierra Jordan - Production Designer
Kierra grew up always embracing the arts often painting and finding creative forms of expression. She has graduated from Syracuse University with a BFA in Theatrical Design and Technology in 2017. Since entering college Kierra has been busy any spare moment between classes working on a variety of projects conceptualizing spaces that enhance character and story from set dressing and decorating, prop making, and production designing on short, feature, commercial and television productions.WHY WE NEED FUNDS
We are setting a goal of $2500 to cover most of the budget costs. This includes paying for the location each day, food for cast and crew on set, transportation of cast and crew, renting a van to transport equipment, props & set design, storage, insurance, and film festival submissions, which can cost as much as $100 or more per submission. Many festivals also require a DCP (Digital Cinema Package) to be made of each film in order to be screened, which is a process I have recently begun which will cost an additional few hundred dollars.
WHEN
Even though we finished filming, there is still a substantial amount of debt to repay and funds needed for film festival submissions as soon as possible. This film serves as my business card in the film industry but has left a great financial burden ontop of the inevitable student debt. The goal is to submit to as many festivals as possible to explore every opportunity to be seen, but unfortunately it can only go as far as funds allow.
Forrest Vreeland (1st Assistant Camera) making sure camera is ready to go for the next shot.WHY WE NEED YOU
We have an extremely talented and hardworking group of rising filmmakers aboard this project who I am extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to collaborate with. However, it is missing one member - you. Without your support, this story cannot be told. Not only this, but your donation would also be supporting the future of young filmmakers. Any small donation helps, and I will be so incredibly grateful for anything you can offer and will be sure to include you in the credits of the final film that will be submitted to festivals around the world!
Grace Cannon (Gaffer)From left to right: Eliot Grigo, Sahan Jayawardena (Grip), Forrest Vreeland, Danielle RingThank you for taking time to read about this project. Please LIKE, SHARE, and VISIT our Facebook page here for more information!
All behind-the-scenes photos taken by Tori Valentine
Organizer
Danielle Ring
Organizer
Neptune, NJ
