Anna, a concept/teaser trailer we shot to give you an idea of what to expect.

If you don't feel like listening to me ramble for two minutes, here's the text pitch for Monsters.

Hello, Indiegogoers. I'm Isiah Miller, the writer and director of Monsters. I fell in love with filmmaking towards the end of high school and since 2011, I've written and directed 5 short films and a web series pilot. Monsters is my next project and the most ambitious one to date. The film is about a young woman named Anna who witnesses her boyfriend's murder at the hands of two animal mask-wearing assailants known as The Pig and The Chimp. A few months after the murder, she meets Don, a mysterious older man who offers her a chance at revenge.

Anna, the heroine of our story, played by Catherine Epstein.

While most revenge films center on a protagonist whose an expert fighter or has an indifference to bloodshed (The Bride from Kill Bill, Oh Dae-su from Oldboy, Driver from Drive, Jacket and Biker from Hotline Miami), we want to avoid that with Monsters. Anna isn't a cold blooded killer; she's just a normal person who gets pulled into an increasingly grim situation.

The biggest questions Monsters will ask the audience are: If you had a chance to avenge a loved one's death, would you do it? How far would you be willing to go? And if you succeed, will it bring you peace or will you become the evil that you wanted to eliminate?

Just a few of the influences for the film.

Hey Isiah, Where's My Money Going?

Good question, Indiegogoer. As I type, I'm putting the finishing touches on the final draft of the script and the aim is to start production at the end of the month/early March. I'll be putting every cent I can manage into the project but due to my lack of a rich family member and/or a well paying job, we're aiming to raise $5,000 over the course of this 30 day campaign.

That money can go towards making a short film or 5,000 McDoubles.

While I've managed to secure some of our major props and a few other things, we still have some major expenses to cover to get through production and post-production:

• Food (The cast and crew are working for free on this project. The least I can do is provide them with nourishment throughout the day for their hard work)
• Equipment (Lenses, rigs, lighting, maybe even a better camera if we can raise the money. It'll be cheaper to buy some of the equipment, but most of what we'll need would put a huge hole in the budget so we'll be renting it for the weekends we shoot on)
• F/X (Like any good revenge film, blood will be spilled. Money will go into landing an experienced make-up/FX artist who can help amplify the brutality some of the characters are capable of and paying for the supplies they may need)
• Post-Production (While we have a few talented editors on the crew, some money will be put aside just in case we need assistance)
  
• Festival Fees/Materials (Paying festival fees and assembling the materials each festival may require will add up. Once the film is complete, we'll find festivals that Monsters would fit in at and submit)
• A clown for really somber shooting days (This is a lie. It'd be nice, though)
  

Anything left over once everything is covered will go to the cast and crew for their time.

Oh, The Perks You'll Receive

So now that you know WHERE the money's going, the most important question to answer is WHAT you'll get for helping us. In return for your hard-earned (or easily-earned. I don't judge) money, there are a couple of sweet perks available.  You can see them in more detail on the right but we'll be offering stuff like:

• Early screenings of the film.
• A mixtape made with love by me (I'll even slow dance with you if you're into that type of thing).
• An Indiegogo exclusive 11x17 poster designed by artist Eric Hibbeler.
• Monsters on DVD.
• One of the animal masks used in the film signed by the cast member who wore it (Fake blood and all. Very rare).
• Producer credits.
• A short story written by yours truly (This can range from kid friendly to erotic friend fiction).
  
• Spend a day on set (I'll even pay for your lunch).
  
• An invite to the cast and crew screening.
  
• Small business promotion (If you send us some merch, we'll display it on screen)
• I'll come to your house (as long as you live in the Tampa/Orlando area) and play the film for you before anyone else sees it. I'll even bring the popcorn.
  

The official poster for Monsters designed by Eric Hibbeler.

I Want to Help But I Don't Have Any Money

That's totally cool. If you dig the project and you still want to help us out, post the campaign page to any form of social media you can (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Myspace, Xanga, eHarmony, etc.). If you can convince a friend or family member to donate, you'll receive a shout out on Facebook. I might even send a poster or DVD your way if you can get enough people to donate/share the campaign.

Even though this will be a bare bones, only use what we absolutely need production, $5000 still might seem like a lot of money to give to someone who's admittedly still improving as a filmmaker. Even if this campaign fails to hit its goal, I'm not going to give up and Monsters will still happen. So give what you can, spread the word often and let's make this film happen!

Thank you,

Isiah Miller