Short Summary
Susan finds out her 15-year-old daughter is pregnant by her 21-year-old boyfriend. In this post Roe world some hard choices need to be made.
15 is a short film based on my own experience with a decision about abortion, mostly. After Roe was overturned by Dobbs I knew it was time to tell my story.
Since writing my script and sharing it in some Facebook communities, the response has been overwhelmingly positive, so I knew that this film is exactly what we need right now.
If you're feeling despair and utterly devastated over the backwards direction the Dobbs court just took overturning Roe v. Wade like I do, and you feel like you just have to do something, but not sure what, you are exactly why we are making this movie.
I knew I just had to do something, but what?I wrote this film to give us a way to make a difference. Can you think of a better way to reach the masses? ![]()
If you can only donate to one movie, here is why you should make it this one!
This short film is going to be made either way. If it is funded, we can do soooo much more. I am well known for completing and producing award winning films on shoestring budgets.
- My name is Melody Brooke, I am an award-winning producer, and I'm also a licensed marriage and family therapist for 30+ years, so I see firsthand the turmoil and devastation people go through when they don't get their mental health and medical needs addressed.
- This film will move people and motivate them to do something about the negative effects Dobbs (the Supreme Court Decision which overturned Roe v. Wade) has on our mental health, medical care, and effects on attitudes towards reproduction.
- Your donations all go towards the making of this film series, and some towards the perks. The more you donate, the more you get from this film: better equipment, more experts, more perks, which all means bigger impact and better movie experience. Think about the impact well-funded movies have on you compared to a film that didn't quite have the money to produce the best sound quality, awesome cinematography, and wide distribution.
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Once the money is in our producer’s hands – every single dollar will go entirely to making a totally intense immersive short film. Also creating and shipping the passionate gifts we’re sending you. But mostly to the movie.
What We Need & What You Get
Once we raise $20,000:
BETTER FILM:
- We can rent a truck the cinematographer needs to make the cinematography better.
- We can pay for a basic location to accommodate the look and feel envisioned for the film. Right now with no money for location the location owners keep pulling the locations from us (we've already had several houses fall through). This doesn't happen when you can pay for it. We could rent a place, even an airBnB if we had some funds that we could allocate towards the location
- Cast and crew get paid a little. Paid actors are happier actors. Happier actors give better performances. (Not that a volunteer actor cannot be amazing, but come on we all know how expensive it is just to drive to location, and most indie actors are stretched financially as it is. So when they don't have to worry about the basics and being stretched, they can focus totally on their performance.)
- There are a lot of expenses associated with even a shoestring budget film that most people aren't aware, things like feeding the crew over the two days of filming that this film will take, the creation of this campaign, the creation of the website pages, creation of the Facebook and other social media presence, and the maintenance of all of these social media pages, moderators, and the necessity for therapists to be available to be able to handle the responses from people being affected by Dobbs, and the coordination of the movement and efforts to get the rights that were taken away protected again.
BETTER PERKS:
PERK LEVELS at $20,000:
Reach this level and unlock perks 4 and 5.
- Perk 5 get a pillow with a signed poster printed on the pillow.
Raise more money and unlock more perks and benefits!
If we raise $50,000:
BETTER FILM
- We can pay two cinematographers who will be able to make the scenes even more amazing.
- We can pay for more than just a location, but we can pay for a location that fits the look and style envisioned in the script, and the location will be reliable and available since it will be a paid contract agreement. No more settling for any location willing to let us film there.
- We can hire a beginner level editor to work with our awesome volunteers
- We can hire a beginner musical score professional
- We can hire a beginner hair, makeup, and wardrobe to work with our volunteers.
- We can pay for better crafts for more amazing sets.
- Some will go towards the podcast.
- Some will go towards the website creation and graphic designs
- Some will go towards the marketing
- Some will go towards publicity
BETTER PERKS
PERK LEVELS at $50,000:
Reach this level and unlock perks 6 and 7.
- Perk 6 Get a personalized recording thanking you for your donation
- Perk 7 get to be in a zoom call with the cast
If we raise $100,000:
EVEN BETTER FILM
- We can pay for more editing time making the film even more amazing. You wouldn't believe what a difference the editors can make. If you watched the Johnny Depp Amber Heard trial you would have heard the Aquaman Producer testify that if it wasn't for the editing department Amber's scenes would have shown a lack of connection between the characters. Connection is everything and can break or make a movie.
- We can hire a next level musical score professional for an even better sound experience -- more money buys more talent.
- We can hire a personal hair and makeup professional for the two main stars. If you've read about Melody in the past on her film "The Littles," you'll know that she is very particular about who she hires to work with her film projects. She even waited to make a film until she could hire the person she wanted for the film. She was very patient and produced an award-winning short.
- We can pay for better wardrobe, more accessories and more complete look. Just imagine a teenager without the shoes they want or a handbag that matches their outfit.
- We can pay for better crafts that our craft department can use to make even better sets. This completes a look and feel for a movie. Sets are everything for an immersive experience.
- Some will go towards the maintenance of the website, social media pages, and the ongoing marketing.
- And we can add a really cool cameo appearance by a big name person -- we will surprise you on this one.
EVEN BETTER PERKS
PERK LEVELS at $100,000:
Reach this level and unlock perks 8 and 9.
- Perk 8 join a watch party with one of the crew
- Perk 9 get a copy of the script signed by each cast and crew member
WAY BETTER FILM AND EXPERIENCE
If we raise $250,000:
We will turn the script into an audiobook.
- We can hire even more experience and pay for wider distribution of the film.
- We can pay for more marketing and publicity to reach a larger audience.
WAY BETTER PERKS
UNLOCK PERK LEVELS at $250,000:
Reach this level and unlock perk 10.
- Perk 10 Get a personalized message on a movie poster and a recording of the message
If we raise $500,000:
AWESOME FILM WITH STAR POWER
- We can look at hiring someone with a little star power to promote the film, reaching an even larger audience
- We can hire full-time publicity and marketing, growing the movement for overturning Dobbs
UNLOCK PERK LEVELS at $500,000:
Reach this level and unlock perks with star power, Perk 11.
Perk 11 get a chance to have a song you wrote and perform added to the film or to one of the promotions
If we raise one million dollars:
SPECTACULAR FILM
- We will animate the film and create a superhero for it.
SPECTACULAR PERK
PERK LEVELS at $100,000,000:
Reach this level and unlock perk 12.
- Perk 12 two of the cast will record a short skit that you wrote
Raise one million five hundred thousand dollars:
OUT OF THIS WORLD FILM EXPERIENCE
- We will turn the script into a choosable path book.
HOW DOES A MOVIE MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
Filmmaking is such a powerful medium because when you’re able to put a story, characters, and a visual to an important topic like this, emotions come in to play and we have the ability to captivate and immerse audiences in ways that other mediums like the news and social media don’t.
VOLUNTEERS ARE GREAT BUT THERE IS A LIMIT TO WHAT CAN BE DONE WITHOUT MONEY?
As of now, the production crew and cast is working on this project purely out of passion on a volunteer basis.
While it’s been amazing to see so many people working together for this cause purely out of passion, this method of filmmaking is tricky. Locations fall through, crew members have to prioritize paid projects, our art department suffers with no budget for props, etc. to dress sets. And the list goes on.
HOW DOES MONEY MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
When we add money into the equation, now we can pay our crew and actors for their hard work and dedication, rent locations so they’re locked in and secured, purchase props and wardrobe for the cast, rent the gear necessary for making a film that people want to watch, distribute the film to a wider audience, and overall take the film to the next level.
What Impact can this Film Have?
The impact that this film will have on the public:
- Film creates long lasting impressions that get remembered - 15 not only gives another perspective to the effects of Dobbs but also keeps the conversation going -- ever still watch a movie long after it was made? We remember movies and stories from movies much better than we do just reading about it.
- Movies reach more people.
- This film motivates a movement
- Melody Brooke is an award-winning movie producer and knows how to create films that win awards.
Risks & Challenges
There are risks and challenges involved with this film topic:
- Melody is uniquely positioned to handle this topic. Not only does she bring her personal experience into this, she also knows what is needed professionally to address the triggering topic this film is addressing. Melody has made sure that therapists are available for the influx of people that are being triggered by this topic. The film is intended to attract those being hurt by Dobbs so that Melody and her team can help them. So this film gives the victims a vehicle and a place to go for support and groups that understand what they are going through.
- There are also risks to people from pro-lifers. We all know the extent that pro-lifers went through to stop people from getting abortions when abortions were legal, so there is the real possibility since the pro-lifers have been empowered that they will attack those who work on this film. So as this film reaches more people and has a bigger influence the actors and producers can get threatened by those who don't want protections put back in place for women.
Where do the funds go if we don't meet our entire goal?
- If we don't meet the $20,000 goal, this film will still be made, and what we raise will go first to securing the location, creating the set, doing make up, hair, and wardrobe, and paying the cast and crew, marketing, distribution, and publicity. The added benefit of raising the money is that the film can be made so much better and be a more awesome experience for the consumer, and reach more people. Reaching more people will make a bigger impact. So what is raised here from you is what will really make a difference.
What are a couple more great reasons to support this film?
- Since 1973 women have been able to legally obtain medical and chemical abortions as a constitutional right. In 1972, the year before Roe v. Wade, the rate of maternal mortality in the United States was 34 deaths for every 100,000 births. In 1973, after legalization of abortion, the rate declined by 50%.
- Illegal abortions in the 1950s and 1960s ranged from 200,000 to 1.2 million per year.
- Among poor women, eight in 10 (77%) said that they had attempted a self-induced procedure, with only 2% saying that a physician had been involved in any way.
- Trends in abortion in the U.S.:
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The Alan Guttmacher Institute, Trends in Abortion in the United States, 1973-2000, January 2003.The Alan Guttmacher Institute, Trends in Abortion in the United States, 1973-2000, January 2003.
- The Dobbs ruling is the first time the Supreme Court of the United States has taken away a constitutional right. Prior to this ruling SCOTUS has protected rights and expanded on those rights.
- Out of 116 Supreme Court justices, only 5 of them were originalists. Justice Alito's analysis screams originalism. Only through education like this film will we be able to help the next generations understand what this means, and the damage, the suffering, and deaths this Dobbs ruling has unleashed.
- Since 2010 Melody has produced and directed or co-directed 6 short films and a feature film which have earned Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Ensemble, Best Female Director, Best Short Drama, and more.
- As a Woman owned business, Melody Brooke Films is among the few film production companies in the world making films addressing issues specifically affecting women and their families.
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Other Ways You Can Help
Some people just can't contribute, so there are other ways you can help. You can get the word out and make some noise about this film by posting 15 on your social media pages.
- Share this Indiegogo fundraiser on your Facebook page.
- Share 15 on your Instagram page:
- Tweet about 15 on your Twitter:
- Make your own video about the film 15. Use the hashtag #15afterROE so we can see you. When we see you we can give you a thumbs up!
- Hashtag: #15afterROE (Yeah I know I just said this.)
- Use our hashtag on everything you post about this film so we can acknowledge you.
- Tell your friends, family, and co-workers about 15. We have a Facebook page they can check out too.
Thank you for all of your support!
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#15postROE #prochoice #roevwade #womensrights #mybodymychoice #bansoffourbodies #reproductiverights #humanrights #reverseDOBBS #postROE #kansas #SupremeCourt #Constitution #Alito #truestory #NARAL #plannedparenthood #NAF #Guttmacher #CFFC #NAPW #NNAF#PRHC #SIECUS
The Alan Guttmacher Institute, Trends in Abortion in the United States, 1973-2000, January 2003.The Alan Guttmacher Institute, Trends in Abortion in the United States, 1973-2000, January 2003.
