Who We Are
We are a passionate group of student filmmakers from Emerson College in Boston. Through our intermediate film class we have an amazing opportunity to tell a unique story. As dedicated and experienced film students we have been eagerly awaiting our chance to produce our very own short film.
When we got together as a team we wanted to tell an engaging story but also represent diversity on screen. Looking at the film industry, we often notice a lack of diversity on-and-off-screen, hence the name of our film: Allen and Imran.
We need your help to make this story come alive! As students we are presented with amazing resources but money is always a hindrance. With a student film comes a student budget, and we need to cover expenses such as feeding our crew and cast as well as getting the equipment we need and the transportation necessary. Your contributions would help us make the production of Allen and Imran come true and run seamlessly.
What We Need & What You Get
Some may balk at the idea of such a high budget for what is essentially a school project. What we are doing is bigger than anything we've done before: this is more than a couple of kids and a camcorder. Working with film is an expensive process, and while we're excited to work with this medium, it's also required. The physical processing and digitizing of film is expensive: specialized labs charge several hundred dollars. We must pay to shoot on a privately-owned location in Cambridge, Massachusetts. We also need to rent certain equipment to achieve the look we want for Allen and Imran. And, last but not least, we must pay to feed our wonderful and dedicated cast and crew!
Our unique perks will help solve world problems, relationship issues, and make you famous! This will come to life with our inspirational haikus, free advice and associate/executive producer credit! As well as a behind the scenes video of a talented dedicated cast crew! The more you donate the more goodies you get!
While we'd obviously like to reach our goal and even surpass it, we have to be prepared in case we don't. The biggest and most important costs are the film processing and paying for our location. Therefore, our funds will first be directed in those areas. This is also why we are leaving our indiegogo page up past the shooting dates (March 27-29) so that we can continue funding our project into the post-production stage.
The Impact
Our project aims to show a simple story about simple people. The fact that we experience struggle, pain, and joy is what makes us super heroes. We want to celebrate the seemingly-ordinary people who are truly special in both their actions and the way they choose to live their lives. The true magic of cinema is recreating a facet of that truth on screen.
Risks & Challenges
One of the biggest risks on this shoot is working with actual 16 mm film: as previously mentioned, the post production process of this project is expensive and worrying. The ever-changing Massachusetts weather has taught us that Mother Nature can be moody. Our film is an exterior shoot, with the outdoor setting playing an integral part of the story, and we are praying that the weather will be on our side. As our professor said, God is our gaffer on set.
These elements may present a challenge, but our professors have faith in us and have trained us to work properly with film. Furthermore, we believe that the beauty and magic that film still holds will help this story become real. The director, producer, cinematographer and editor have all worked on similar projects before and feel confident coming into this professional production. Our years of experience in personal projects has helped us understand the complexities of making a film and joy in creating something.
Other Ways You Can Help
Please get the word out there! Like and share our Facebook page! We have a unique short film about a young man. The mystery surrounding the film's story will only come to light once it's actually made! We understand it's hard to donate money, but you are all powerful in many ways. If our project even minutely intrigues you please share it with your friends and family. You have no idea what a difference it makes. Thank you so much for taking the time to hear us out.