At the beginning of Daisy Cutter, we find our hero Valentine deadlocked at an intersection of race, gender, and violence. Valentine must make decisions, as any leading lady must, to move her story along, but we frequently see supporting characters in the film attempt to make these choices for her. In this, we hope to tell a story that is inclusive of how societal factors shape Valentine’s identity. In Hollywood and beyond, stories with diverse casts have a hard time making it to into the spotlight. As college seniors participating in Point Park's Production Four program, we have the opportunity to bring one of those stories to life, but we need your help!
![]()
![]()
The crew of Daisy Cutter is a team of Point Park University students committed to bringing our work. Each with a unique focus, our crew has both spent time studying with professionals in our specific fields and garnered the first-hand production experience needed to make Daisy Cutter great!
![]()
![]()
Zakiyyah is a Point Park University senior born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. Having previously finished the intensive Production 3 program with a focus in directing, she's ready to bring what she's learned to her most challenging production yet.
"My goal with Daisy Cutter is to create a diverse film in which race and gender frame and influence Valentine's life, the way they would in reality. I want to craft a character that people of many different backgrounds can empathize with. It's such a privilege to be working with this amazing crew and I can't wait to see what we can create together!"
![]()
![]()
Matt is a 22 year old senior Cinema Production major hailing from Philadelphia, PA. Matt is looking forward to collaborating with the crew while getting to showcase his skills from the past years spent at school.
![]()
![]()
Kelley is a 2017 Point Park Cinema graduate. She is also a freelance stylist and set designer working in fashion and film.
"As the production designer of Daisy Cutter, I hope to create a world that is uniquely its own but with a familiarity the audience can easily gravitate towards. My goal is to use design elements that bring about a nostalgic tone with a modernized twist. Simultaneously connecting the audience to the story, while also engaging their curiosity in a world different than the one we know."
![]()
![]()
"Hi! I'm Alec D'Alesandro and I'm the editor of Daisy Cutter. I'm really excited to work on this project because it's a great story and we have a wonderful crew working along us!" Alec is currently a senior at PPU.
![]()
![]()
Alex Frontera is a Cinema Production major with a concentration in sound design. He has experience in many genres of film and with also be working on an animated production this semester! Alex is currently a senior at PPU.
![]()
![]()
Kyle Starsinic is a senior, working on his sound design major at PPU. He has previous experience working on another large crew production last fall, and will also be trying his hand at Production Design on an additional film this year!
![]()
![]()
Kaitlin is a senior Cinema Production major at Point Park University with a focus in producing. Over the past two years, she's been the producer and/or assistant director on over half a dozen short films, and is currently in pre-production of her senior thesis. She's excited to help the crew of Daisy Cutter produce their film, and tell the unique story of a character that often goes unheard.
Additional not pictured but awesome members of our crew include our composer Michael Debellevue and set decorator Clara Cuccaro!
![]()
The Daisy Cutter team is hoping to raise a total of $3000 to fund our film! Here's what it will go towards:
Production Design : Excellent production design is what brings a film to life. We need money to pay for costumes, props, makeup, and art supplies to make each and every one of our sets great.
Equipment: The majority of our equipment needs are taken care of by Point Park, but there are a few things we are responsible for picking up on our own, like electronic storage (hard drives and SD cards to hold the project and sound).
Meals on Set: We are responsible for feeding our crew and cast during long days on set (which can go up to 12 hours!) and with a cast of 12, this definitely adds up! We need to raise enough money to make sure everyone is healthy and keeping up their energy.
Locations and Transportation: When you're lucky locations are free...but quite often they are not! A portion of our budget is reserved for location costs, as well as transportation costs in getting our actors to and from set.
Film Festivals & Promotional: When our film is finished, we'd like the chance to share it outside of its Pittsburgh audience! A portion of the budget is reserved for festival submission fees, as well as prints of the finished poster of our film and DVD copies.
![]()
As with all productions, there are a few challenges along the way! Our biggest challenge is:
Securing Locations: While we only need to secure three locations, two of them are convenience stores, which will be difficult to secure on off-hours, while also making sure they fit the look of the script. We have been researching all summer and have begun scouting locations!
![]()
If you can't contribute monetarily, don't worry! You can still help us reach our goal by spreading the word and sharing the link to our campaign on any social media outlet!
Also, a huge thank you to Rose Savage for designing our campaign art! ✿