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COMPOSING LIFE: a short film

"Composing Life" is about following your dreams, no matter the cost & laughing when you want to cry.

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COMPOSING LIFE: a short film

COMPOSING LIFE: a short film

COMPOSING LIFE: a short film

COMPOSING LIFE: a short film

COMPOSING LIFE: a short film

"Composing Life" is about following your dreams, no matter the cost & laughing when you want to cry.

"Composing Life" is about following your dreams, no matter the cost & laughing when you want to cry.

"Composing Life" is about following your dreams, no matter the cost & laughing when you want to cry.

"Composing Life" is about following your dreams, no matter the cost & laughing when you want to cry.

Jean Ann Garrish
Jean Ann Garrish
Jean Ann Garrish
Jean Ann Garrish
1 Campaign |
New York, United States
$2,310 USD 23 backers
19% of $12,000 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal

So, what's this thing about anyway?

Okay, I'll tell you: "Composing Life" is a short film, with original music, that explores not only the joy, but also the heartbreak of being an artist in this day and age.  It's about fighting for your dreams, no matter the cost; and laughing with your friends when you really want to cry.  And even though these characters may get knocked down, they keep going because it's not just something they want to do, but it's something they need to do; it's in their souls.  It's also a comedy, because I want to inspire people to follow their dreams, not make them feel they need to fill a prescription for Xanax after they watch it. 

JANIS, our documentarian, put her dreams aside many years ago to become a lawyer.  Now that she's "successful", she longs for something more.  Introduced to some artists by a mutual friend, she goes on a mission to figure out why they do what they do.   She sets her sights on SAM, a writer, MARIN, a musician, and SIOBHAN an actress.  Through them, she encounters a few other misfits who are also following their dreams, struggling to do so, but believing in their calling none-the-less. 

Okay, but why are you doing this?

I know why you're asking.   It's because everyone and their mother is asking you to fund their project, and you want to know why you should reach into your pockets for your hard earned cash and contribute to this.   Well, because we need you to and because we need to share this story.   I think it's also my attempt to show people, who are not in the industry, that making art is a worthwhile endeavor that should be supported, because art, whether it's music, theater, film, sculpture or comedy, is an important and vital component to our society.  As frivolous as it may seem to some people, I believe that art has the ability to save lives and change the world.

And on a very personal level, as a struggling artist myself, I would love to get some exposure for my own work and the work of the other artists who are lending their talents to this project, most of whom are my friends. They are all so extremely talented and deserve to have their gifts shared with a wider audience.  And the audience deserves to be entertained by them.

Speaking of talent, meet our cast:

              

Polly McKie (JANIS): is a character actress living and working in New York.  Film and T.V. credits include: Milking It, Frenemies, Born Again, Bystander and LOLO's music video, Hate U 2. Theatre credits include in New York: Richard the Third (The Secret Theatre) After the Circuit (Connelly Theatre); Dollface (Theatre for The New City); The Aunts (Abingdon Theatre).  Regional: Lost in Yonkers (New Harmony Theatre).  International favourites include: The Beauty Queen of Leenane (Maureen), Cabaret and Sweeney Todd. Polly trained full time at HB Studio in New York for 2 years and has an M.A. honors in Theatre and Philosophy from The University of Glasgow. Although often cast now as an American, she was thrilled to be the voice for the audiobook of "Brave" (Disney/Pixar) and excited to be using her native Scottish in "Composing Life".

                                 

Jean Ann Garrish (MARIN/screenwriter/composer):  Jean Ann Garrish (MARIN/Screenwriter): is an actress, singer and writer.  She graduated from Hofstra University with a B.A. in film production and creative writing.  After graduating, she focused on her first love, performing and was quickly cast in Richard Maxwell's "Showy Lady Slipper", where the New York Times called the performances "comically inspired". Most recently, she was seen in New York City Players' "Neutral Hero", debuting in Brussels, in 2011, and continued touring throughout Europe that year, including the Centre Pompidou in Paris. "Neutral Hero" opened in NYC at The Kitchen in the fall of 2012 to rave reviews from The New York Times and was named one of Ben Brantley's Top Ten shows of 2012. Working in such a creative environment with such talented people, she was inspired to write again, both music and screenplays, out of which "Composing Life" was born.  

                                      

Vanessa Spica (SIOBHAN): an actor/singer living and working in NY. Her favorite credits include: Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls, Anne in The Diary of Anne Frank, and Mommy in The American Dream (directed by John Hickok). She has performed in cabaret alongside Liz Callaway, Tommy Tune, Karen Ziemba, and Karen Akers. She also played Chloe in the premiere of Oedipus the Musical in Athens, Greece. She has trained extensively in classical voice and holds a B.A. in theatre from Queens College. 

                        

Rosie Cosch (GWEN): Film/TV: The Jim Norton Show (VICE.COM); Bad Pizza (Short); Drifters (Short); New York Theatre: I’m Ready for My Close-Up (Abingdon Theatre Company); Battle of the Bulge (Abingdon Theatre Company); 100 Saints You Should Know (Urban Stages); Paper Pusher (Abingdon Theatre Company); Bubby’s Shadow (Bleecker Street Theatre/Planet Connections Theatre Festival Lead Actress Nom.); Love Stinks (The Jewel Box/Midtown International Theatre Festival Award Best Production 2010, Best Actress Nom. 2013); Never Always (45th Street Theatre); This Side Up and Blue Tentacles (Love Creek Productions). She loves her support team, Zaccari, Rocco and Carlo. “Enjoy Life - It’s Not A Dress rehearsal”.

                                

Ines Chouciño (GLORIANA)is an actress and singer born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She came to New York almost two years ago to learn more about acting. In Argentina she has been in a featured film, two short films and in a TV show shot in Uruguay. She is sassy, attractive, talented and smart.

                     

James Moore (CHARLIE/musician/composer): a versatile guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, he has been active in New York since 2006, earning the titles of "local electric guitar hero" by Time Out NY and "model new music citizen" by the NY Times. Performing on a wide variety of guitars, banjos, mandolins and home-made instruments, James incorporates his classical training and a healthy dose of improvisation, theatrics, and experimentation. 

                     

Andie Tanning Springer (BECCA/musician): a native of Fairbanks, Alaska and currently based in Brooklyn, Andie Springer is a violinist specializing in contemporary music. A founder and co-director of new music ensembles TRANSIT, Redshift, and Wild Shore New Music Andie is also a member of Hotel Elefant and has performed and recorded with such bands as Redhooker, Arturo en el Barco, Phthia, Pearl and the Beard and TheThreefifty Duo. Andie has also had the pleasure of performing with David Byrne, Victoire, Ensemble de Sade, Anti-Social Music, theWordless Music Orchestra, the Argento Ensemble, and American Opera Projects. She is a member the New York City Players, has toured with their production of Richard Maxwell’s theater piece, “Neutral Hero,” and is in the cast of his most recent work, "The Evening."

Fine. So, What Do You Need & What Will I Get?

Thanks for asking.  How much time to you have?

  • Okay, let's start with the video.  Did you watch the one above?  Yeah, I wrote it, filmed it and edited it, and well, that CANNOT happen on this film.  Yes, I did write "Composing Life", but it deserves to be well made, and so we need to hire a professional crew to shoot, light and edit it, and none of that comes cheaply.
  • Since the film features original music, it needs to be recorded, mastered and reproduced professionally. But that also means we'll have a soundtrack album, one that will be offered to you as a perk! Yay!
  • Food, glorious food!  We need to feed the actors, and crew, and I'm always hungry, so your money will feed our ever growing appetites!
  • I'd also really love to be able to pay our actors.  I've worked for free many times and sometime's I still do.  We all do it for many reasons.  But I've also been paid, and guess what?  Getting paid is more fun.  If I can give each performer a small stipend for their hard work, my conscience will be lighter!  

The Impact?

I've had the dream to entertain since I was a kid, and I know there are others, many others out there who have dreams as well.  Sometimes life, family and society can stifle those dreams, and it's my hope that this little story might inspire people to stop listening to others, stop listening to their fears, start listening to their hearts, and start following their dreams, even if it's not in the performing arts.  This world NEEDS dreamers.  If I can inspire one person, through entertainment, to fight for their dreams and to let them know that, though it will never be easy, in the end it will be worth it, then I will have accomplished my goal.

Risks & Challenges

Let's face it, short films don't make any money and that's fine because I hope it's clear that's not my intention.  But it also makes it that much more difficult to find investors because they most certainly won't recoup their investments.  Ever hear of an investor invest in something they know they won't be making money on?  NOPE. Not a smart one anyway.  But you can donate and get some fun perks.  Then we can make this movie and WE ALL WIN.  And I can honestly say, I CANNOT DO THIS WITHOUT YOU!

Other Ways You Can Help

All of us involved with "Composing Life" know that times are tough, and you may not be able to contribute a dime, and that's okay, it doesn't mean you can't help:

  • Please forward this campaign to anyone who you think may want to contribute!
  • And please share our Indiegogo  campaign on social media using the share tools!

We'll never be able to express how grateful we are to all of you!! 

Thank you!

And While I'm Thanking You...

Please let me thank all of those great people who helped make this video!
In Order of Appearance: Beth Adubato, Janine Hegarty, Britt Cryer, Richard Alleman, Polly McKie, Vanessa Spica, Andrew David Sotomayor (Genius Pianist), Otto Walberg, Rebbekah Vega Romero, Yvonne Strumecki, Rosie Cosch, Ryan McCurdy (Guitar), Sophie Yaeger and Sophie's Open Mic (318 W 53rd St, NYC). 
My gratitude is endless!  Now let's go make a movie! 
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Choose your Perk

featured

Action!

$100 USD
A digital copy of the entire "Composing Life" soundtrack, plus a t-shirt, signed poster, a personal Thank You on all our social media pages and a special thank you in the film's credits.
5 claimed

Audition

$5 USD
A personal Thank You on all "Composing Life"'s social media pages.
0 claimed

The Callback

$10 USD
A personal Thank You on all our social media pages and a special thank you in the film's credits.
1 claimed

Booked it!

$25 USD
A digital download of one song from the "Composing Life" soundtrack, plus a personal Thank You on all our social media pages and a special thank you in the film's credits.
4 claimed

Call time.

$50 USD
A "Composing Life" t-shirt, signed poster, plus a personal Thank You on all our social media pages and a special thank you in the film's credits.
3 claimed

On set.

$75 USD
A digital download of two songs from the "Composing Life" soundtrack, plus a t-shirt, a personal Thank You on all our social media pages and a special thank you in the film's credits.
2 claimed

And cut!

$250 USD
Get all of the above, and be listed as an Associate Producer in the film's credits as well as on IMDB.
0 claimed

That's a wrap.

$500 USD
Get all of the above, plus come on set to be a featured background performer, and receive a Co-Producer title in the film's credits and on IMDB.
0 out of 6 of claimed

And the nominees are...

$1,000 USD
All of the above, and receive an Executive Producer title in the film's credits and on IMDB. Plus, a personal live concert in your home (only available in the NY tri-state area) of all the songs featured in "Composing Life" and a few more.
1 out of 2 of claimed
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