UPDATE AS OF 10/24/13:
We DID IT -- or should we say, YOU did it! We cannot thank you all enough for your generous spirits that have helped us surpass our $5,000 goal with 7 days to go in the campaign. We are overwhelmed by your support and cannot wait to enter the next phase of production!
Speaking of production, now that the initial goal has been reached, we're not stopping there! With production and post just around the corner now, our creative team is bubbling a cauldron of ideas including a big dream of our director's, which would be to have a line in the budget to create special effects shadows that move during post-production. These techniques are expensive and require special skill. Will the film still happen with the $5,000 we've raised together? YES! But if we continue to get the word out and reach a STRETCH GOAL of $7,500 then we will be able to take the production values of this short to a new level.
Please share the love & this link: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-minions
Again, thank you for walking with us down the witches path...
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WHAT'S THE STORY?
LOG LINE // A man’s walk home becomes perilous when he decides to walk down ‘the witches’ path’ and happens upon two drunk girls who need his help.
INSPIRATION // THE MINIONS is based on a true incident. The story is about being thrust into a desperate situation that requires mutual trust between strangers. Given the volatility of the circumstances and the uneasy state of mind of the characters, a lot can go wrong. And does.
WHY TELL THIS STORY NOW? // Living in New York, many of have had the experience of talking to someone and slowly realizing that they are ‘not quite right’. THE MINIONS allows us to explore this in the context of a very scary story. William’s reactions move from reasonable to questionable to frightening as the girls’ need for his help grows. In our film, we explore just how well thought out and reasonable insanity can be.
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WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP: "HOW WILL THE FUNDS I CONTRIBUTE BENEFIT THE PRODUCTION?"
After carefully considering our production budget (and many cuts later!), we still need funding to complete the project. We seek your generous support to help with the following:
- Publicity and expanding outreach to the community
- Covering the rental of technical equipment and insurance costs
- Location and transportation expenses
- Materials to realize ambitious set dressing, wardrobe and lighting techniques
- Administrative costs (permitting fees, etc)
- Covering our editor and supervising editor fee stipends
- Funds to realize an ambitious original score and sound design
- Subsidizing costs of hefty film festival submission fees
HOW YOU CAN MAKE AN IMPACT
We need one FINAL PUSH to make this project happen. Our current goal is to raise $5,000 by the time we start principal photography in Spring 2014. This is a vitally important story, told in a truly unique and innovative fashion, and we are confident that this project will get some great exposure in the festival circuit. But in order to do so, we need to be able to get the film in the can. Please contribute whatever you can! Any amount at all, big or small, will help us on this journey.
SIDE NOTE: Our producer, Lauren Rayner Productions, is fiscally sponsored by the non-profit Fractured Atlas, so your contribution to the project will be TAX-DEDUCTIBLE!
OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP OUT THE PROJECT
Just because you may not be able to contribute at this time doesn’t mean you lose your chance to help make this project happen!
- Please help us get the word out and make some noise about this campaign!
- Use the Indiegogo share tools to make it super easy to share on social media.
- Tell people how much you want to see this film be completed and pass this onto your fancy friends with deep pockets!
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BEHIND THE SCENES: Cinematographer Brian Dilg & Director Jeremiah Kipp shooting scenes for our trailer in DUMBO (Brooklyn, NY)
MEET THE PRODUCTION TEAM
Writer / Producer: Joseph Fiorillo
Director: Jeremiah Kipp
Producer: Lauren Rayner
Director of Photography: Brian Dilg
Trailer Editor: Miguel Parga
"William" - Lukas Hassel
"Sarah" - Cristina Doikas
"Abigail" - Lauren Fox
MEET OUR LEAD ACTOR
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LUKAS HASSEL - "William" // Born and raised in Denmark, Lukas Hassel left family and friends behind at 19 to study to become an actor in The Samuel Beckett Theatre School at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Some seven years later, ambitions, opportunity and a desire to truly experience New York City, drove him across the Atlantic Ocean in 1996. In film, Lukas was in BORSTAL BOY, in the Sundance winning short MAN ABOUT TOWN, and IN MONTAUK directed by Kim Cummings for which his performance garnered a nomination for “Best Male Lead” in the Washington DC Film Festival. He is the beloved figure of Mr. Milk, the spokesperson for milk in Scandinavia (“Mr. Melk”, check it out on youtube... seriously, it’s fun). Recently, he co-starred in THE DAYS GOD SLEPT which had its World Premiere in the 2013 Coney Island Film Festival. As a screenwriter, Lukas’ action script, FURY, was a semifinalist in the PAGE Awards. His light comedy script, GIRLS ON THE RUN, won ‘Best Screenplay’ in the Carolina Film Festival, and became a finalist at Cinestory 2009. GALAPAGOS, won Lukas the “Best Screenplay Award” at Willifest NY 2011. Lukas’ latest feature script, his first drama, LE MÉCANO, won the CineStory Fellowship 2012, placed top 30 in Nicholl’s Screenwriting Competition, and became a top 10 finalist in Big Break Final Draft Competition. Lukas’ latest project, a sci fi short film, INTO THE DARK, is near completion and will soon venture into the film festival circuit. lukashassel.com // www.imdb.com/name/nm1225439
MEET OUR DIRECTOR
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JEREMIAH KIPP // Directing credits include THE SADIST starring Tom Savini, THE POD starring Larry Fessenden, CONTACT (commissioned by Sinister Six annual screening series), THE DAYS GOD SLEPT (Coney Island Film Festival), CRESTFALLEN, THE CHRISTMAS PARTY (Cannes and Clermont-Ferrand), BAGGAGE produced by and starring Rob Dimension, EASY PREY (commissioned by NYC's annual VisionFest), DROOL (commissioned by Mandragoras Art Space), SNAPSHOT and THE APARTMENT (commissioned by Canon to premiere their XL2 at DV Expo 2004). Producing credits include the feature films SATAN HATES YOU (created by Glass Eye Pix, starring Angus Scrimm, Michael Berryman and Reggie Bannister), GOD'S LAND, LET'S PLAY, IN MONTAUK, THE JONESTOWN DEFENSE starring Amy Seimetz and THE BED-THING (directed by Pulitzer Prize-nominated Matt Zoller Seitz). Assistant director credits include I SELL THE DEAD starring Dominic Monaghan, SOMEWHERE TONIGHT starring John Turturro, ONE NIGHT starring Melissa Leo, and the Sundance Award-winning MAN (dir: Myna Joseph). kippfilms.com // www.imdb.com/name/nm0456031
MEET OUR SCREENWRITER
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JOSEPH FIORILLO // Joe has written several plays including GHOSTS IN THE PARLOR, PICKING UP GIRLS IN HELL and most recently SQUAT THRUSTS OF THE HEART. He ran the writers’ “Last Stop” reading series and is currently working on a series of essays on theatre, language and moral philosophy. His first produced short film, THE DAYS GOD SLEPT, had its World Premiere at the 2013 Coney Island Film Festival. This is his second collaboration with Jeremiah Kipp and producer Lauren Rayner.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT!
LUKAS HASSEL - "William"
JOSEPH FIORILLO 
