Funding for "City of Shells" film
Donation protected
THE FILM
I want to tell you a story that takes place in a city, much like my own (Philadelphia).
While looking into the cause of a woman's disappearance, a man gifted with otherworldly sight becomes aware of a powerful force that has been operating among the human world and manipulating it for its own purposes. City of Shells visually imagines how this force might be somehow connected to the city's changing landscape, and what its intentions are.
City of Shells is a short surreal supernatural thriller influenced by the classics made by filmmakers such as Bergman, Tarkovksy, Hitchcock, Polanski, Lynch, Cronenberg, & Kubrick, as well as other genres(maybe you can spot some of my other influences in the teaser video). We have decided to shoot on a rare Sony f35 Cinealta, a digital cinema camera which gives the look of 35mm film. The film is currently in its mid-stages of pre-production. It is almost fully cast, and several production positions are filled including all key department heads. We have had production meetings, done test shoots, location scouts and have held rehearsals. We are a team of industry professionals and artists coming together to work together and collaborate on an independent film for the sake of feeling that ultimate thrill that can happen unexpectedly on a set, and making a piece of art that we can submit to a number of film festivals and hopefully be proud of for the rest of our lives. Our shoot takes place at the end of May 2015.
THE WRITER/DIRECTOR (AND HIS SNEAKY AGENDA)
I, Sean Hamilton, am a Temple University Broadcasting, Telecommunications & Mass Media graduate living in Philadelphia who has been working in film and television around the U.S. since 2006 as a sound mixer and sound designer. I've worked in the sound department on several feature films, countless short films, documentaries, art films, web series, web commercials, reality TV and corporate/industrial/medical videos. I have worked with names and talent such as Michael Showalter(The State, Stella, Wet Hot American Summer), Wolf Blitzer(CNN), William Forsythe(Boardwalk empire, The Rock, Raising Arizona), Peter Greene(Pulp Fiction, The Mask), Jim Parrack(Fury, True Blood), Waylon Payne(Walk the Line, Crazy), Douglas Smith(Big Love, Percy Jackson; Sea of Monsters), Rusty Schwimmer(Twister, The Perfect Storm, A Little Princess), Brian Anthony Wilson(The Wire, Broad City), Joilet Harris(The Wire, 12 Monkeys) & several others.
I have been writing my whole life and have wanted to write and direct films since youth. While at Temple I made a short documentary called "Inside The Circle" about a progressive religious organization in Philadelphia. I then studied abroad in Japan where I studied the films of Akira Kurosawa under instructor Donald Ritchie, one of the foremost authorities on Japanese cinema until his death in 2013. I also participated in a six week Visual Anthropology program for which I made the short documentary "Paulownia Dragon" about a U.S. expat teaching the KOTO, a traditional Japanese zither-like instrument, to Japanese students in Tokyo. In 2009 I created and produced a collection of short fiction and poetry called 4000 Flavors as a way to start sorting through and developing ideas for screenplays. I have decided 2015 is the year in which I will make my first narrative film, after almost 30 years of watching films and almost 10 years of watching them being made.
This film is also my reaction and response to, or a social commentary if you will on a situation happening right now in the city of philadelphia, my home for the past 11 years that angers, frustrates and saddens me, yet I feel there is nothing I can do about. The preexisting architecture of this city and many others is being neglected and torn down, rather than preserved, while newer, less interesting architecture, specifically condo/housing developments are going up at an alarming rate, which to me seem to have little to no forethought in design and craftsmanship. It is tragic to me that the landscape of our city with so much rich culture and history is not-so-slowly becoming one homogenous prison of bland boxes made of tacky colored brick and aluminum siding. Something must be done to stop them! To be clear, this isn't about gentrification - that is a different issue although it is somewhat connected. This is about holding a certain regard for visual aesthetic as our cities and technologies inevitably change and evolve, and what people see when they visit our city and what we see and live in every day and what that does to our imaginations, which is where art comes from. But since we're thinking about it- what are the social or cultural benefits of this type of housing and what is its role in the effort to improve our sustainability and energy consumption as a society? These are questions we can't allow to be unanswered. I realize there may be bigger, less superficial issues in today's world (and perhaps more active ways to respond to them) but, there are other stories for those issues, we are telling this one.
Here is a link to my IMDB page
THE CAST
Emilie Krause
Emilie is a local theater artist who has worked in and around Philadelphia for the past seven years. She is a company member with New Paradise Laboratories; an ensemble driven group focused on making surreal, athletic, experimental new work under the helm of the OBIE and Barrymore Award-winning director, Whit Maclaughlin. She has spent the last three years with the company, helping to create two original plays; 27 (2012) and The Adults (2014), which both premiered in the Philadelphia Fringe Festival. Emilie also works as an actor in the regional theater scene and last year two of her shows were nominated for Barrymore Awards for Outstanding Ensemble in a Play.
Aram Aghazarian
Aram Aghazarian is an actor, theater maker and teacher based in Philadelphia. He is a founding member of Strange Attractor Theatre Company: Enlightenment On E Floor North, A Terrific Fire. Theater work includes 99 Breakups, Pay Up (Pig Iron Theater Company), The Sincerity Project, Punchkapow (Team Sunshine Performance Corporation), Age of the Android (Animal Engine Theater Company, NYC), The 39 Steps, Eurydice(Perseverance Theatre, AK). Aram teaches theater at Community College of Philadelphia. He is a graduate of Temple University and the London International School of Performing Arts.
Jenna Horton
Jenna is an American performing artist who grew up in Denver, Colorado, and is a graduate of Brown University and Headlong Performance Institute ('09). She is an associate artist with Team Sunshine Performance Corporation and has worked with a number of companies and artists in Philadelphia including the Bearded Ladies, the Berserker Residents, Inis Nua, SCP, IRC, Applied Mechanics, Annie Wilson, and Mark McCloughan. Her solo Mounting Etna was curated in Performance Couture for the Brooklyn International Performing Arts Festival.
http://www.jennahorton.com/
Laura Chaneski
After graduating with a double major in Dance and Sociology from Rutgers University, Laura went on to perform in regional theaters throughout the country including Surflight Theater, Bucks County Playhouse, Bickford Theater and Society Hill Playhouse, to name a few. Her television appearances include Law & Order: SVU, Do No Harm and over 50 commercials.
www.laurachaneski.com
Michael Kelberg
Michael played the lead role in the Indie Feature Film "Parallax" (2015) now screening in various cities throughout the U.S. His short Comedy "The Lavatory," which he wrote and directed has played at various film festivals throughout the country (Arizona International, Gangrene in Utah, Philadelphia Independent, 15-Minutes in Florida and will screen again at the upcoming Volvo Cherry Hill Jewish Film Festival in April. He recently shot a commercial for VF Outlets, has done commercials for ShopRite (now airing), Sprint, Optimum and Di-Gel just to name a few.
www.MichaelKelberg.com
Nicholas DiCicco
Nick is a performer, composer and video artist who has played roles in previous films I have been involved with. He is a returning cast member from our DP's film "Manatees" and it is a pleasure to work with him again and give him an opportunity to exercise his natural acting talents.
THE CREW
Producer - Laris Kreslins
Laris has produced internationally recognized, large-scale multimedia events since 2001. Among the events he has produced are a benefit for Railpark in Philadelphia, which featured the Sun Ra Arkestra in collaboration with The Walkmen (2013); Arthurfest music festival, which included acts like Yoko Ono and Sonic Youth (Los Angeles, 2005); and Insound zine conference (New York City, 2001). Since 2009, Laris has been the video and film producer for All Ages Productions, whose clients include American Public Media, Britta, CNN, Comcast, Discovery Network, Ford, GAP, Girl Scouts of America, MTV, & Urban Outfitters. He also has extensive production experience in print; he was the founder and publisher of magazines like Sound Collector and Arthur, a nationally distributed arts and culture magazine. Laris is the founder of Lime Projects, a creative marketing and project management company, geared to handle solutions for advertisers looking for alternative means of marketing.
Director of Photography - Minka Farthing Kohl
Minka is a longtime friend and collaborator; he and I have worked together on 3 short films previously, for two of which I was Production Sound Mixer, one of which I was Co-Editor, and all three I was post production Sound Mixer/Sound Designer. One of these films called "Cheap Extermination" was awarded Best Narrative Short Film at the 2011 Brooklyn Film Festival, Storyteller Award at Malibu Film Festival, and was selected to screen at other festivals including South By Southwest and Los Angeles Film Festival. Minka has done cinematography for countless narrative short films, music videos and commercials for numerous high profile clients including Glade, LL Bean, Ford Models, MAD (Museum of Art and Design), Nike and This American Life.
http://www.minkafk.com/
Production Designer - Jesse Gorham Engaard
Jesse is a Philadelphia based video, multimedia,and sculpture artist; we have previously worked together on Mohamed Bourouissa's art film "Horse Day" for which Jesse was the artist/director's assistant and essentially production designer. He won a PIFVA finishing grant for his film "Critical Mass" which screened at the Philadelphia International Film Festival and the NYC Bicycle Film Festival in 2005. He has shown his artwork at Fleisher Ollman Gallery in Philadelphia, he created a live television studio in a Kensington warehouse called Channel 9, and he is the beloved Captain of the Rabble Rousers Mummers Brigade.
https://vimeo.com/69220204
Assistant Director - Kim Bunce
Kim has worked the last decade on various projects including short and long form narratives, documentaries, PSAs, and web series as a Producer, Cinematographer, and Assistant Director. Her AD credits include the comedy web series "Smart Guys" which is now in post-production and the short film "I Feel Nothing." She lives in New York City, and is currently on the road as Cinematographer for the documentary film "Beer of Life."
https://vimeo.com/kimbunce
Choreographer - Christina Gesualdi
Christina is a Philly based dancer, choreographer, movement educator, and community activist/listener. She is an artist in residence and coordinator at Mascher Space Cooperative in Kensington where she makes experiential work that researches a certain softness and imaginative off-ness in the body. Christina has performed with Nicole Bindler, Meg Foley, Annie Wilson, Melisa Putz, and Zornitsa Stoyanova - [Here]begin Dance. She is currently in process with Annie Wilson on a project called Lovertits that dares to ask “Why doesn’t burlesque dance have the political teeth that it could?”. She is also working on a full-length opera to Robert Ashley’s DUST with choreographer Megan Bridge that premieres at FringeArts in April. Christina has shown her own work at various venues in Philadelphia, New York City, D.C., Taipei and more.
http://www.mascherdance.org/artists-in-residence/#ChristinaGesualdi
Costume/Wardrobe Designer - Katie Coble
Katie is a Philadelphia visual artist and designer who has done work for many artists and performers including dance artist Leah Stein, film & performance artist Crispin Glover, choreographer Tania Issac, French visual artist Mohamed Bourouissa, The Wilma Theater, and Headlong Dance Theater.
http://www.katiecoble.com/
Gaffer - Ian Mosely-Duffy
Ian has worked in the camera department for several feature films and short films, which recently include "Obvious Child", "The North Star" and "The Suspect."
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4436913/
Production Sound Mixer - Sam Nuttle
Sam has been doing sound mixing in production and post in the Philadelphia area film business for several years, with many credits on feature and short films including "Bhakti Boy" and "Her Little Secret." He is also a regular sound engineer for Out of Town Films, capturing live music performances. Being a sound guy myself, I needed somebody I can trust to get what we need and I look forward to working with him.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4365713/
THE BUDGET
The thing about making a film is - to do it right, or at least to do it the way we plan to do it costs a lot of money. Although we have already done a lot of the work, most of what comes next is where we need your help.
The school in which I studied film taught me that the necessary elements to make a narrative film as an art form that truly lasts forever are (aside from writing, acting, & editing) cinematography & lighting, production design, sound design & mixing, wardrobe, & hair and makeup. There are many others as well that may or may not be as necessary but in my opinion(and experience) if one of these elements is missing, there is no film, or at least one that is worth making.
Here is a list of all of the crew members I need to successfully make this film:
Producer
Assistant Director
2nd Assistant Director/Script Supervisor
Director of Photography
1st Assistant Camera
2nd Assistant Camera
Steadicam Operator
Production Designer
Set Builder
Sound Mixer/Boom Operator
Gaffer
Key Grip
Swing Grip
Best Boy Grip
Costume/Wardrobe Designer
Choreographer
Hair & Makeup Artist
+ 8 cast members!
We shoot for four days and I need to pay these professionals for their time or they simply will not have it. We need money for things in the budget like production design items(props, materials, furniture, scenery, etc…) equipment rentals, production vehicle rentals to transport props and equipment, a picture car to be shot in the film, costume materials, feeding everyone, locations, permits, etc…Then there is post production (editing & sound design) which I will mostly be doing myself but beyond that, we may want to do some color correction or license some music for the film and of course every film festival has a submission fee. We are applying for some grants, but don't know if we will get them. The more we raise, the more we can do and the better the film will ultimately be and if we can end up paying people more, they deserve it. Luckily we have a talented and experienced producer who is ensuring that we are budgeting properly and getting things done as cheaply and efficiently as possible. I'm sure it seems like a lot for a short film but I can assure you this is a modest budget for this project; some good friends will be working unpaid and we are cutting corners where we can and getting certain things we need on a favor/barter system, but things still add up very quickly. I also know that having money doesn't mean you will make a good film, which is why I have assembled this team of brilliant and talented people who I believe together will make something that is nothing short of amazing.
Everything is in place, now we just need your help to fund it.
I want to tell you a story that takes place in a city, much like my own (Philadelphia).
While looking into the cause of a woman's disappearance, a man gifted with otherworldly sight becomes aware of a powerful force that has been operating among the human world and manipulating it for its own purposes. City of Shells visually imagines how this force might be somehow connected to the city's changing landscape, and what its intentions are.
City of Shells is a short surreal supernatural thriller influenced by the classics made by filmmakers such as Bergman, Tarkovksy, Hitchcock, Polanski, Lynch, Cronenberg, & Kubrick, as well as other genres(maybe you can spot some of my other influences in the teaser video). We have decided to shoot on a rare Sony f35 Cinealta, a digital cinema camera which gives the look of 35mm film. The film is currently in its mid-stages of pre-production. It is almost fully cast, and several production positions are filled including all key department heads. We have had production meetings, done test shoots, location scouts and have held rehearsals. We are a team of industry professionals and artists coming together to work together and collaborate on an independent film for the sake of feeling that ultimate thrill that can happen unexpectedly on a set, and making a piece of art that we can submit to a number of film festivals and hopefully be proud of for the rest of our lives. Our shoot takes place at the end of May 2015.
THE WRITER/DIRECTOR (AND HIS SNEAKY AGENDA)
I, Sean Hamilton, am a Temple University Broadcasting, Telecommunications & Mass Media graduate living in Philadelphia who has been working in film and television around the U.S. since 2006 as a sound mixer and sound designer. I've worked in the sound department on several feature films, countless short films, documentaries, art films, web series, web commercials, reality TV and corporate/industrial/medical videos. I have worked with names and talent such as Michael Showalter(The State, Stella, Wet Hot American Summer), Wolf Blitzer(CNN), William Forsythe(Boardwalk empire, The Rock, Raising Arizona), Peter Greene(Pulp Fiction, The Mask), Jim Parrack(Fury, True Blood), Waylon Payne(Walk the Line, Crazy), Douglas Smith(Big Love, Percy Jackson; Sea of Monsters), Rusty Schwimmer(Twister, The Perfect Storm, A Little Princess), Brian Anthony Wilson(The Wire, Broad City), Joilet Harris(The Wire, 12 Monkeys) & several others.
I have been writing my whole life and have wanted to write and direct films since youth. While at Temple I made a short documentary called "Inside The Circle" about a progressive religious organization in Philadelphia. I then studied abroad in Japan where I studied the films of Akira Kurosawa under instructor Donald Ritchie, one of the foremost authorities on Japanese cinema until his death in 2013. I also participated in a six week Visual Anthropology program for which I made the short documentary "Paulownia Dragon" about a U.S. expat teaching the KOTO, a traditional Japanese zither-like instrument, to Japanese students in Tokyo. In 2009 I created and produced a collection of short fiction and poetry called 4000 Flavors as a way to start sorting through and developing ideas for screenplays. I have decided 2015 is the year in which I will make my first narrative film, after almost 30 years of watching films and almost 10 years of watching them being made.
This film is also my reaction and response to, or a social commentary if you will on a situation happening right now in the city of philadelphia, my home for the past 11 years that angers, frustrates and saddens me, yet I feel there is nothing I can do about. The preexisting architecture of this city and many others is being neglected and torn down, rather than preserved, while newer, less interesting architecture, specifically condo/housing developments are going up at an alarming rate, which to me seem to have little to no forethought in design and craftsmanship. It is tragic to me that the landscape of our city with so much rich culture and history is not-so-slowly becoming one homogenous prison of bland boxes made of tacky colored brick and aluminum siding. Something must be done to stop them! To be clear, this isn't about gentrification - that is a different issue although it is somewhat connected. This is about holding a certain regard for visual aesthetic as our cities and technologies inevitably change and evolve, and what people see when they visit our city and what we see and live in every day and what that does to our imaginations, which is where art comes from. But since we're thinking about it- what are the social or cultural benefits of this type of housing and what is its role in the effort to improve our sustainability and energy consumption as a society? These are questions we can't allow to be unanswered. I realize there may be bigger, less superficial issues in today's world (and perhaps more active ways to respond to them) but, there are other stories for those issues, we are telling this one.
Here is a link to my IMDB page
THE CAST
Emilie Krause
Emilie is a local theater artist who has worked in and around Philadelphia for the past seven years. She is a company member with New Paradise Laboratories; an ensemble driven group focused on making surreal, athletic, experimental new work under the helm of the OBIE and Barrymore Award-winning director, Whit Maclaughlin. She has spent the last three years with the company, helping to create two original plays; 27 (2012) and The Adults (2014), which both premiered in the Philadelphia Fringe Festival. Emilie also works as an actor in the regional theater scene and last year two of her shows were nominated for Barrymore Awards for Outstanding Ensemble in a Play.
Aram Aghazarian
Aram Aghazarian is an actor, theater maker and teacher based in Philadelphia. He is a founding member of Strange Attractor Theatre Company: Enlightenment On E Floor North, A Terrific Fire. Theater work includes 99 Breakups, Pay Up (Pig Iron Theater Company), The Sincerity Project, Punchkapow (Team Sunshine Performance Corporation), Age of the Android (Animal Engine Theater Company, NYC), The 39 Steps, Eurydice(Perseverance Theatre, AK). Aram teaches theater at Community College of Philadelphia. He is a graduate of Temple University and the London International School of Performing Arts.
Jenna Horton
Jenna is an American performing artist who grew up in Denver, Colorado, and is a graduate of Brown University and Headlong Performance Institute ('09). She is an associate artist with Team Sunshine Performance Corporation and has worked with a number of companies and artists in Philadelphia including the Bearded Ladies, the Berserker Residents, Inis Nua, SCP, IRC, Applied Mechanics, Annie Wilson, and Mark McCloughan. Her solo Mounting Etna was curated in Performance Couture for the Brooklyn International Performing Arts Festival.
http://www.jennahorton.com/
Laura Chaneski
After graduating with a double major in Dance and Sociology from Rutgers University, Laura went on to perform in regional theaters throughout the country including Surflight Theater, Bucks County Playhouse, Bickford Theater and Society Hill Playhouse, to name a few. Her television appearances include Law & Order: SVU, Do No Harm and over 50 commercials.
www.laurachaneski.com
Michael Kelberg
Michael played the lead role in the Indie Feature Film "Parallax" (2015) now screening in various cities throughout the U.S. His short Comedy "The Lavatory," which he wrote and directed has played at various film festivals throughout the country (Arizona International, Gangrene in Utah, Philadelphia Independent, 15-Minutes in Florida and will screen again at the upcoming Volvo Cherry Hill Jewish Film Festival in April. He recently shot a commercial for VF Outlets, has done commercials for ShopRite (now airing), Sprint, Optimum and Di-Gel just to name a few.
www.MichaelKelberg.com
Nicholas DiCicco
Nick is a performer, composer and video artist who has played roles in previous films I have been involved with. He is a returning cast member from our DP's film "Manatees" and it is a pleasure to work with him again and give him an opportunity to exercise his natural acting talents.
THE CREW
Producer - Laris Kreslins
Laris has produced internationally recognized, large-scale multimedia events since 2001. Among the events he has produced are a benefit for Railpark in Philadelphia, which featured the Sun Ra Arkestra in collaboration with The Walkmen (2013); Arthurfest music festival, which included acts like Yoko Ono and Sonic Youth (Los Angeles, 2005); and Insound zine conference (New York City, 2001). Since 2009, Laris has been the video and film producer for All Ages Productions, whose clients include American Public Media, Britta, CNN, Comcast, Discovery Network, Ford, GAP, Girl Scouts of America, MTV, & Urban Outfitters. He also has extensive production experience in print; he was the founder and publisher of magazines like Sound Collector and Arthur, a nationally distributed arts and culture magazine. Laris is the founder of Lime Projects, a creative marketing and project management company, geared to handle solutions for advertisers looking for alternative means of marketing.
Director of Photography - Minka Farthing Kohl
Minka is a longtime friend and collaborator; he and I have worked together on 3 short films previously, for two of which I was Production Sound Mixer, one of which I was Co-Editor, and all three I was post production Sound Mixer/Sound Designer. One of these films called "Cheap Extermination" was awarded Best Narrative Short Film at the 2011 Brooklyn Film Festival, Storyteller Award at Malibu Film Festival, and was selected to screen at other festivals including South By Southwest and Los Angeles Film Festival. Minka has done cinematography for countless narrative short films, music videos and commercials for numerous high profile clients including Glade, LL Bean, Ford Models, MAD (Museum of Art and Design), Nike and This American Life.
http://www.minkafk.com/
Production Designer - Jesse Gorham Engaard
Jesse is a Philadelphia based video, multimedia,and sculpture artist; we have previously worked together on Mohamed Bourouissa's art film "Horse Day" for which Jesse was the artist/director's assistant and essentially production designer. He won a PIFVA finishing grant for his film "Critical Mass" which screened at the Philadelphia International Film Festival and the NYC Bicycle Film Festival in 2005. He has shown his artwork at Fleisher Ollman Gallery in Philadelphia, he created a live television studio in a Kensington warehouse called Channel 9, and he is the beloved Captain of the Rabble Rousers Mummers Brigade.
https://vimeo.com/69220204
Assistant Director - Kim Bunce
Kim has worked the last decade on various projects including short and long form narratives, documentaries, PSAs, and web series as a Producer, Cinematographer, and Assistant Director. Her AD credits include the comedy web series "Smart Guys" which is now in post-production and the short film "I Feel Nothing." She lives in New York City, and is currently on the road as Cinematographer for the documentary film "Beer of Life."
https://vimeo.com/kimbunce
Choreographer - Christina Gesualdi
Christina is a Philly based dancer, choreographer, movement educator, and community activist/listener. She is an artist in residence and coordinator at Mascher Space Cooperative in Kensington where she makes experiential work that researches a certain softness and imaginative off-ness in the body. Christina has performed with Nicole Bindler, Meg Foley, Annie Wilson, Melisa Putz, and Zornitsa Stoyanova - [Here]begin Dance. She is currently in process with Annie Wilson on a project called Lovertits that dares to ask “Why doesn’t burlesque dance have the political teeth that it could?”. She is also working on a full-length opera to Robert Ashley’s DUST with choreographer Megan Bridge that premieres at FringeArts in April. Christina has shown her own work at various venues in Philadelphia, New York City, D.C., Taipei and more.
http://www.mascherdance.org/artists-in-residence/#ChristinaGesualdi
Costume/Wardrobe Designer - Katie Coble
Katie is a Philadelphia visual artist and designer who has done work for many artists and performers including dance artist Leah Stein, film & performance artist Crispin Glover, choreographer Tania Issac, French visual artist Mohamed Bourouissa, The Wilma Theater, and Headlong Dance Theater.
http://www.katiecoble.com/
Gaffer - Ian Mosely-Duffy
Ian has worked in the camera department for several feature films and short films, which recently include "Obvious Child", "The North Star" and "The Suspect."
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4436913/
Production Sound Mixer - Sam Nuttle
Sam has been doing sound mixing in production and post in the Philadelphia area film business for several years, with many credits on feature and short films including "Bhakti Boy" and "Her Little Secret." He is also a regular sound engineer for Out of Town Films, capturing live music performances. Being a sound guy myself, I needed somebody I can trust to get what we need and I look forward to working with him.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4365713/
THE BUDGET
The thing about making a film is - to do it right, or at least to do it the way we plan to do it costs a lot of money. Although we have already done a lot of the work, most of what comes next is where we need your help.
The school in which I studied film taught me that the necessary elements to make a narrative film as an art form that truly lasts forever are (aside from writing, acting, & editing) cinematography & lighting, production design, sound design & mixing, wardrobe, & hair and makeup. There are many others as well that may or may not be as necessary but in my opinion(and experience) if one of these elements is missing, there is no film, or at least one that is worth making.
Here is a list of all of the crew members I need to successfully make this film:
Producer
Assistant Director
2nd Assistant Director/Script Supervisor
Director of Photography
1st Assistant Camera
2nd Assistant Camera
Steadicam Operator
Production Designer
Set Builder
Sound Mixer/Boom Operator
Gaffer
Key Grip
Swing Grip
Best Boy Grip
Costume/Wardrobe Designer
Choreographer
Hair & Makeup Artist
+ 8 cast members!
We shoot for four days and I need to pay these professionals for their time or they simply will not have it. We need money for things in the budget like production design items(props, materials, furniture, scenery, etc…) equipment rentals, production vehicle rentals to transport props and equipment, a picture car to be shot in the film, costume materials, feeding everyone, locations, permits, etc…Then there is post production (editing & sound design) which I will mostly be doing myself but beyond that, we may want to do some color correction or license some music for the film and of course every film festival has a submission fee. We are applying for some grants, but don't know if we will get them. The more we raise, the more we can do and the better the film will ultimately be and if we can end up paying people more, they deserve it. Luckily we have a talented and experienced producer who is ensuring that we are budgeting properly and getting things done as cheaply and efficiently as possible. I'm sure it seems like a lot for a short film but I can assure you this is a modest budget for this project; some good friends will be working unpaid and we are cutting corners where we can and getting certain things we need on a favor/barter system, but things still add up very quickly. I also know that having money doesn't mean you will make a good film, which is why I have assembled this team of brilliant and talented people who I believe together will make something that is nothing short of amazing.
Everything is in place, now we just need your help to fund it.
Organizer
Shinjo Tikotsu
Organizer
Philadelphia, PA
