The Story
Believing there is no other option for him, Jason finds himself at the edge of a bridge. Just as he is about to jump off, he is interrupted by the ghost of an old friend, Sierra. Sierra's appearance spurs Jason to realize that if he can see a dead person, he must also be dead. Sure enough, he can see his body lying on the ground far below.
Seeking answers, Jason and Sierra embark on a journey where they review the events that lead up to not only Jason's death. As motives are uncovered, it seems that Sierra's are more than what Jason was lead to believe.
DEAD is about the effects of depression and how easily it can lead to suicidal tendencies. It highlights the logic behind such acts and how people come to believe that suicide is their only option. Most importantly, however, this story offers hope and strength in reaching out to those who love you.
What We Need
We aim to make this project the most professional film we've made over the course of our learning period. We want to challenge and stretch ourselves to our full potential. In order to do that, we need your help.
Our budget is $7,000 and will be going towards actor costs, locations, set decoration, actor lodging, transportation, and craft services. There are also other costs to consider like music, film festivals, and other fees. Below is a breakdown of our budget.
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We understand we are asking for a lot, but any amount you could possibly spare will help enormously. If you're able to give more, we are incredibly grateful, but even if you can only spare $5, it brings us that much closer to achieving our goal.
Other Ways You Can Help
There are other ways you can help us out in our project!
Take a look at our social media pages and our website. Share our updates and posts with our friends and help us spread the word about our project. We feature videos about who we are and why this film is important to us. We also showcase some of the reels of our creative core team members.
Website: https://www.deadshortfilm.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deadshortfilm/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dead_short_film
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnr_9ubz09TaiMdBMRGGgAA
The Team
It takes a lot of people to make a movie. We'd like to introduce to you the members of our core team.
Tian Kok - Writer/Head Producer
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Tian Kok is originally from the Bay Area in Northern California and moved down south at the age of 16 to pursue filmmaking. The subjects of mental health and suicide are personal for her, given her own struggle with major depression. She has been a part of other films pertaining to mental health, including having produced a short documentary about young women and their experiences with depression.
Sara Litke - Producer
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Sara Litke is excited to be co-producing DEAD. Born and raised in San Diego, California, Sara found a love for stories in high school and has been indulging herself in it through books, movies, poems, and creative writing. Sara discovered her talent and love for producing while at film school in Southern California. She was drawn to the script because of her close relationship to the writer and also the relatability of the characters. She believes that the story approaches the conversation of suicide in a new way that is insightful for all audience members.
Andrew Clancy - Director
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Andrew Clancy grew up in suburban Northern Virginia, and has been making up and telling stories for as long he can remember. Film is the most recent medium he’s fallen in love with, but he’s been experimenting with visual art, game design and novel writing since his early childhood. He was drawn to DEAD on account of how closely it’s themes and characters mirrored his own recent struggle with depression, and as its director he hopes it will speak in a constructive way to it’s viewers.
Michael Uyehata - Director of Photography
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Michael Uyehata is the Director of Photography on DEAD who is reveling in his status as a starving artist. He also loves observing and capturing beautiful things. When he’s not lighting sets or geeking out over camera gear, he’s probably watching an artsy film, or catching a couple of games of Overwatch. He currently works as a professional grip or gaffer and plans to continue after graduation from film school this year.
Maria Oscilowski - First Assistant Director
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Maria Oscilowski is the assistant director for DEAD. She deserted her home in central Pennsylvania to pursue her love of writing and filmmaking. She loves the collaborative process of creating films, and her experience includes producing, production design, assistant directing, and filling various other roles on dozens of short films, as well writing dozens of short scripts. Maria is excited to work with this team of individuals who constantly strive to do their best to convey the truth through their stories.
