Director's Note
Hello, my name is Jamel Northern and I am MFA candidate in
the Film and Media Arts department at Temple University. I worked for 12 years
as a video editor/ producer in local TV news. Tried as I might, I couldn’t
resist the urge to branch out on my own and become a filmmaker. So, with a deep
breath and a (relatively) small cry of “Geronimo”, I quit my job and went back
to school to learn the filmmaking craft.
Blind Date is near
and dear to my heart because I have had enough with the “crying girlfriend” characters
that litter the screen, both big and small. I didn’t grow up with characters
like this- I had a strong female presence in my wonder years, and I wanted to
showcase characters that reflected that. I want to use this story to explore
the intrusion of a person’s professional life on their personal one. And I
wanted to shed a humorous light on what happens when family decides to stick
their nose in your business.
There is a quote from author Toni Morrison: “if there’s a
book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write
it.” This is why artists draw or paint, why authors write, why filmmakers make
films. I want to see female action heroes (or in this case, anti-heroes.) I
want to use these characters to explore the daily situations that we as a
people complain about. The process is not as simple as it seems from the
outside, and if you’re going to do it, you need to do it right. This story is funny
and awesome, and it’s a project that’s very near and dear to me.
Our goal for the project is $10,000. It’s a lot, no doubt about it. To do a
project, and do it well, it requires money. Doing it from “the goodness of your
heart” doesn’t get you a good cast or crew. It may get you your buddies, but
your buddies can’t act. The money will go towards cast and crew, the purchase
of wardrobe and props, the hiring of a fight coordinator, a composer and her
band (along with their studio time), and sound design and visual effects. We
have a list of perks for you on this page as reward for your contributions. I
don’t ask for anything that’s not important or trivial, and this project is
very important. That’s why I’m asking
for you to be part of this project.
I know some of you don’t know me, and that’s okay. I want
you to get to know me through this project. I want to see more films with
female action leads- I’m still waiting for my Wonder Woman or Black Widow
films. Until that day comes, I have something really cool that you will enjoy.
We’re on the plane, and this project is the parachute. Take the jump with me.
Sample Character Card
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