You know those designs on coffee cups? Who makes those, anyway? Is there an artist who works exclusively in the medium of cups?
There is. His name is Joe. And after spending decades as one of NY's premiere coffee cup designers, he's noticing changes in his neighborhood. He's seeing less people drink out of his cups. And he's having a tough time facing change in a world that sees his art as disposable.
Overview
Hi, I'm Hartley. I’m a New York-based director and script supervisor excited to share Empire, a short film that tells the unusual story of a coffee cup designer—a self-proclaimed “Godfather” of coffee cups—and his struggle for power and relevance. This film would not have been possible without the hard work, dedication, and talents of other New York-based filmmakers and actors. We utilized New York City—Astoria and the Upper West Side—the stories its streets tell on their own, as well some limited resources and the goodwill of family and friends to make this film happen. Now we need your support to get this story out.
All expenses to date have been paid by me personally. Although the film now is complete, our cast of talented actors kindly worked for deferred payment and there are festival expenses to be paid.
What We Need & What You Get
I am looking to raise $3000 to cover paying our team, paying festival expenses, and cover some of the out-of-pocket expenses--in that order. If you donate to our project, you'll be paying for:
- The great work of our talented cast (including pension & health benefits)
- Festivals
- Expenses we've already accrued
In return for your help, you can get:
- A specially-designed thank-you card
- Your very own Empire coffee cups
- Access to our short film before it's available to the public
- A piece of coffee art from our set
- A screening and Q&A for your film club
- The warm and fuzzy feeling of helping us out
The Impact of Your Help
Our ability to pay members of the team and pay for a proper festival run depends on your support. We did everything we could to run a lean production without sacrificing quality. I called in favors, I made deals with local cafes to allow us to film, and our cast agreed to defer payment until we raised money. Even still, Empire took about $4000 to make (so far) and some of our larger expenses lie ahead.
Film festivals are integral for projects like Empire but they come with costs: there's fees to submit, marketing materials, and some fests require you to travel and attend in person. In order to give our film the best chances, we need to run a strong festival campaign and be ready to pay up.
Other Ways You Can Help
Any amount you feel comfortable giving is a big help and very much appreciated. More importantly, you can still help by spreading the word--Indiegogo has helpful share tools that help you share our project with your friends and family. The more people we can reach, the better.
