The Film
Disco is Dead is a film that follows Harriet Barris as a young woman and Harriet as a struggling business owner. This thesis film is the work of several talented Ithaca College film students who want to capture all the good parts of disco in the 70's. So, here's a little bit about the film:
The film starts with Harriet, a roller rink owner, who is struggling to keep the place afloat. With the same customers coming in weekly, it's beginning to wear on her that it may be time to let go. It doesn't help that her children are constantly pushing Harriet to sell the rink and think that disco is lame.
Every day, Harriet thinks back on why she fell in love with the roller rink in the first place. The film even flashes all the way back to the first night she ever skated.
After so many tough conversations with her children and an attempt to save the rink, Harriet learns that only she can make the choice of letting go or keep moving forward.
What We Need
So as you all know the goal here is to make a film. In order to make this film be the best it can, we will need your help!
Period pieces can be rather pricey so let me break it down for you:
![]()
Art 46.7%: will maintain the majority of our budget, because we need to create realistic 70's costuming and set design.
Crafts Services 23.3%: hard working crews get hungry so we need to make sure everyone is fed!
Equipment 13.3%: the camerawork on this film will be more advanced than we have done before, therefore we need all the resources possible to make it look the best.
Locations 6.7%: in order to shoot in an actual roller rink, filled with people, we need to pay the owner for their time and space.
Marketing 6.7%: in order to have the best actors and investments for our film we have to advertise all over, as well as market the film after production in order to share it in festivals.
Reimbursement 3.3%: because we are using many extras, we want to reimburse drivers for taking their time to help us out.
The Team
Disco is Dead is the product of many talented film students from Ithaca College!
Here's a little bit about us!
MaryKate Mastrobuoni - The Director
![]()
MaryKate is a young aspiring filmmaker who made her directorial debut with Checkmate and is finishing her degree with Disco is Dead. She is 21 years old, originally from a small suburban town in New Jersey. She is currently a Senior at Ithaca College studying Cinema Production. Her love of film originated from the many films she watched as a child with her dad. MaryKate's work generally follows themes of feminism and are often dramas. She hopes to work in the department of sound for films in her future career.
Erin Gardener - Producer
![]()
Erin Gardiner is currently a senior Cinema and Photography major at Ithaca College, but has her roots in a small town in southern Rhode Island. Her interest in production was sparked while participating in a cinematography workshop with the New York Film Academy while she was in high school. She is still on the fence about what her niche in the film world is, but is enjoying exploring producing and assistant directing at the moment. Her favorite place to be is on set, even if it’s before the sun comes up.
Katlyn Cummings - Writer
![]()
Kat Cummings is a screenwriter who made her film debut with “Checkmate” and is finishing her college career with Disco is Dead. She comes from Yardley, Pennsylvania which is a town about 45 minutes outside of Philadelphia. Her goals as a writer are to write for Marvel or Disney.
Sydney Agona - Production Manager
![]()
Sydney is a Senior Cinema Production major at Ithaca College. Roles on various student films include producer, director, editor, and many others. She hopes to peruse a career in post production to educate people about sustainability.
Christina Fleming - Publicity Manager
![]()
Christina is a Senior Film, Photography, and Visual Arts major at Ithaca College. She minors in Integrated Marketing Communications and would like to use her degree in a marketing position or as a photographer on a cruise ship. One of her favorite roles to work as on set is the Set Photographer because it allows her to combine her love of photography and cinema.
Nate Vanaskie - Director of Photography
![]()
Nate Vanaskie is Senior at Ithaca College who has worked on a number of projects as Director of Photography. Some of his work includes short films such as A Familiar Story, Fork, Love Handles, and Prophet. This past semester he interned in LA at Birns and Sawyer. He hopes to relocate to LA after college and work in the camera department for on-set prodution.
Megan Trapani - Production Design
![]()
Megan Trapani is a Senior Cinema Production major at the Park School. Some of her previous production and costume design roles include Trophy Girls (2016), Lets Rob A Fucking House (2016), Orange You Glad (2016), Sunnyside (2016), Sell By (2016), Somewhere (2016), Love Handles (2017), Letters From A Friend (2017), and Checkmate (2017). She was nominated for best production design at the Ithaca Student Film Festival for Sunnyside.
The Impact
Not only do you help us make this film the best it can be, you will allow us to finish production feeling proud and happy. By funding this film you give us the chance to learn professionalism and gain set experience, while showing the world why we love disco.
This film is special because we are able to create something that we can all say we had a part in. It can be entered into a variety of festivals that can help us get discovered, moving our careers in the right directions. This allows you and the rest of the world to see us succeed.
Risks & Challenges
We have a few challenges ahead of us:
- Securing a roller rink for production.
- Organizing and costuming tons of extras to make a believable 70's roller disco scene.
- Present a genuine nostalgia for disco.
Other Ways You Can Help
If for some reason rent is tight this month and you can't find the means to donate, that's ok!
Sharing our campaign is enough to get us started. If you share it with others, it gives us a chance to raise the money we need.
Every little thing helps!
All the best,
- The Disco is Dead Production Team
