At its core, this film is a satire on conformity, the cages we choose to put ourselves in, and our fear of breaking free. While the story and its characters are entirely made up, this is loosely inspired by a real scandal that happened in Emma’s hometown.
This is Emma’s senior capstone project and the culmination of her education at NYU Tisch.
Visual References
Our big visual inspirations for this film include Fargo, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and Thelma & Louise. We're trying to capture a softer, more muted image and incorporate dynamic movement into our shots.
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One of the biggest things that we're aspiring for visually is the idea of showing this world as a "cage" for these women. We're using a lot of frames within frames and trapping characters with objects in the foreground, as shown below.
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Meet Our Cast!
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Talia Saraceno - Kelly Busch
Talia Saraceno is a Brooklyn based theatre, film, and television actor. She is originally from Endicott, NY, but she moved to Los Angeles at age 17 to study theatre at the University of Southern California, where she earned her BA. She eventually pursued a Master's degree in Theatre and Dance at Binghamton University. Her favorite theatrical roles include Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible, Thelma Harris in Tom Stoppard's After Magritte, and Sabina in The Skin of Our Teeth.
Talia is a certified yoga instructor who rarely teaches but practices regularly. She loves to travel, is an ardent reader and writer, and spends her free time hiking, dancing, or at the beach.
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Diahanna Davidson - Ellen Boone
Diahanna Davidson, an accomplished voiceover artist and stage actress, has intrigued film and television audiences with her dynamic and honest portrayals. Apart from charming stage and screen audiences, Diahanna revels in melting the faces of rock enthusiasts as she pounds on her drum kit and belts out anthems along with her guitar-shredding husband, in their all-original rock band, Bad with People. Diahanna resides in Manhattan with her husband, Tom, and their dog, Raiko.
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Michael W. Anderson - Scott Busch
Michael W. Anderson is a comedian, actor and improviser. He created the popular “COMEDY MACHINE” stand-up tournament, going into its 4th year, and recently debuted his “badtherapy” comedy showcase. He starred in the award-winning independent feature “Snowflake”. Michael lives with his wife, daughter and dog in a spacious, New York walk-in closet.
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Alex Scyocurka - Phil Steer
Alex Scyocurka is a Massachusetts native living in Brooklyn. When he’s not working or acting, you can find him wandering around the different boroughs with his headphones on trying different food.
Meet the Team
Emma Gobillot - Director
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Emma Gobillot is a writer and director originally from Houston, Texas. She is currently a senior studying Film & Television at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and pursuing a career in writing. Emma’s films have been featured in festivals across the US. She’s also worked at companies such as Warner Bros., Village Roadshow, and Bleecker Street. At NYU, she’s loved to bring stories to life as a director, producer, and assistant director. She’s inspired by stranger-than-fiction, too-good-to-be-true stories (like this one).
Zach Nagin - Producer
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Zach Nagin is a Film and TV Production senior at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. He grew up in Larchmont, NY and is now living in the urban jungle. At school, Zach specializes in writing and producing with a focus on children’s television. He is currently interning with the Live Action Development and Production team at Nickelodeon and has worked in the past at Frederator Studios and NBCUniversal’s Talk Stoop with Cat Greenleaf. He’s especially drawn to stories with strong characters and interesting, unique environments.
Kylan Tyng - Co-Producer
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Kylan Tyng is a junior majoring in Film & TV Production and minoring in Entertainment Business at New York University. Since being admitted, he has worked on professional and student-run sets ranging from California to Maine to Oklahoma and was named 2016’s Best Student Director at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
Anatola Pabst - Co-Producer
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Anatola Pabst is a Film and TV Production sophomore at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She was born in San Francisco, California and was raised in New York City. She has had three internship experiences at MoMA, The Museum of Modern Art, including a position on their digital advisory board team. She also collaborated on and was featured in a series of photographs that were prominently featured in Being: New Photography 2018, a six-month long exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art. At NYU, Anatola is passionate about producing and editing. She loves sharing stories that teach, heal, and inspire others, and most importantly, bring about social change.
Vihan Shah - Director of Photography
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Vihan Shah graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in Film & Television this spring, where he focused on cinematography and directing. He initially pursued his interest in photography at UAL’s London College of Communication. Transitioning to the moving image, he worked as an assistant director in Bollywood on two feature films, ‘Bang Bang,’ ‘A Gentleman’ and other commercials before moving to New York to further his education in film. He has since directed and shot numerous commercials, a few of which have gone on to win awards and receive nominations at various events. Vihan currently resides in New York City working as a freelance cinematographer.
Gabby Giacomo - Assistant Director
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Gabby Giacomo is currently a senior at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, pursuing her BFA in Film and Television production. She has interned with various production companies including Likely Story and Season 7 of Elementary on CBS. She has assistant directed many projects at NYU, most recently Hannah Ponder’s “The War Years,” and has worked as 1st AD on commercials and music videos produced by The College Board, Couch Potato App, and the band Birch.
Jin Rhim - Production Designer
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Jin Rhim is a senior at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, concentrating in Production Design. She has served as production designer on many student and independent films, and aided in set and props design for student and professional theatre productions. She also storyboards and paints on the side. She currently interns in the art department at Elementary on CBS.
So, where's my money going?
To bring this film to life, Emma has gathered a large, dedicated crew who all share her vision. A film production is a costly endeavor though. That’s why we need your help! Through grants, the NYU allotment, and personal savings, Emma is able to account for approximately half of the necessary funds, but we’re relying on the kindness of friends, family, and strangers to help bring this story to the big screen.
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We have fun, amazing rewards for those who decide to donate (check ‘em out!). We hope you decide to donate or share this campaign on social media and spread the word!
