NO VACANCY - A Superhero Thriller Short Film
An M. Night Shyamalan-style film (think Unbreakable, Split, and Glass) from the Reclamation Society!
LOGLINE: Investigative journalist Leigh Larson arrives at a remote roadside motel where her past sins will come to haunt her.
Our short film, written and produced by Nathan Scheck and me (Jay Sherer), follows Leigh Larson as she has to deal with the shame and guilt that have come from making difficult decisions earlier in her life. This topic is more relevant now than ever. We were all isolated throughout the pandemic, and it became difficult to trust those around us (including our leaders and even the media). What does it mean to isolate yourself when you're faced with shame and guilt?
That's what we're exploring with NO VACANCY (and our follow-up feature film, THE HARLEQUIN, but more on that later). And we hope you'll help us produce this film! Keep reading to see what we've got planned!
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Why Do We Need NO VACANCY?
No Vacancy and The Harlequin both focus around a core truth: our shame and guilt can isolate us, and one of the primary ways to overcome that shame and guilt is that we must reject isolation.
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No Vacancy (our short) works as a standalone film, but it also serves as prequel and a proof of concept. With No Vacancy, we can showcase our story in such a way to attract investors to The Harlequin.
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The Harlequin (our feature) continues to explore the same theme: the consequences of doing the wrong thing, and the pull to isolate instead of coming together as community.
The Reclamation Society, the nonprofit production company Nathan Scheck and I run, is focused on bringing these meaningful stories to life. And we can't wait to partner with you to make these two films happen.
In a world of giant franchises, we want to bring new stories into the marketplace. And we can do it with your help. We can make a deep film like Unbreakable or Logan and remix it with crowd favorites like Knives Out. That's what we're aiming to bring to the screen. That's the genre where No Vacancy and The Harlequin live.
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Reasons Audiences Have Loved the No Vacancy Screenplay
As we've shown No Vacancy to others, here are some of the elements people love:
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Strong female lead character, Leigh Larson
- A focus on visuals and tension (it is a thriller!)
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Spy elements that unravel the mystery scene-by-scene
- A deeper message and themes around shame and guilt, trust, and truth
- Exploring relevant questions about how mainstream media can be weaponized
If any of those sound right up your alley, please consider supporting our project!
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Benefits of Supporting No Vacancy
We appreciate everyone who's willing to offer their support! We already have $25K set aside (saved over the course of the last three years) to film No Vacancy. But, we'd like to get that figure all the way up to $32K, if at all possible. Here's why:
- We'd like at least one "known" actor onboard (who also shows up in The Harlequin) so that the film will reach more people
- We want to get a professional cast and crew (who we've worked with in the past)
- We need to secure a strong location
- We'll need the additional funds to help us market the short, get it into festivals across the US, and advertise it on YouTube
- We won't be charging for the film, it will be free on YouTube
- Any additional funds not spent on No Vacancy will go to helping us raise money for The Harlequin
Your support will mean professionals will get work!
And here are just some of the benefits we'll be offering for those who support us:
- Signed copies of both finished screenplays (No Vacancy and The Harlequin)
- Signed copies of the finished storyboards (No Vacancy)
- You name in the credits
- Access to special Q&A sessions that will go up onto YouTube
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Other Ways You Can Help
If you can't help us financially, but would still like to get involved, here are some of the other ways you can help:
- Help connect us to actors (especially well-known names!) that would be willing to chat with us
- Join our production team
- Spread the word about the film (and share our progress updates and videos)
We sincerely thank you for taking the time to consider supporting our project!
NOTE: We've already raised most of the money we need to film NO VACANCY! We just need a little more to complete the film!
