Hi! We are Dean Film Works LLC. We are a group of filmmakers, performers, and creative artist from all walks of life. We makes films because we have to do it. We couldn't stop if we wanted. We aren't waiting for opportunity to come to us. We create our own opportunity and love nothing more than to bring good, honest, and hardworking people along with us for the incredible journeys that we have...and YES! It is the journey that matters the MOST!
On a more personal note, my name is Stephen Dean. It is nice to meet you! I am the owner and creator of Dean Film Works LLC. I am a Director/Producer/Actor/ & Screenplay Writer. Over five years ago I was compelled to enter into the emerging Atlanta film and television industry. It was love at first set! Actually, in truth it was a rekindling of a long lost and forgotten dream. During my adolescence I had always imagined going to California to become an actor. In the back of my mind I strongly doubted that a small town country boy from Georgia would ever make it to the west coast much less see any level of success in the competitive field of Hollywood entertainment. Then the most unexpected thing happened! Hollywood started slowly but surely coming to film a few projects in and around the Atlanta area. Admittedly, it really made my blood boil (in a good way) when the movie "Blended", starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, setup filming locations in the nearby town of Buford, Georgia. After getting mad at myself for not already being involved with this project.....I asked myself how can I be a part of this? I MUST be a part of all of this! I told myself "I just have to get into this industry, there is simply no way around it!" The notion of money, fame, or material never entered my mind. It still hasn't to this day. I have always had a very pure and natural love for all things cinema and television. It wasn't long until my affections for the industry deepened and the fever became worse. Shortly after I begin acting I found myself taping auditions for myself and my acting friends. Then came small garage scenes and films. It seemed to be a natural progression for me. A whole new love of the industry came to be when I became a filmmaker. A love that was far beyond that of simply being considered "talent". It is safe to say I enjoy acting but admiration for film-making eclipses anything I have ever been a part of as an actor. Now that is a little about my recent past. The future is the most exciting and most relevant to this cause. On that note, let's talk about the future...
We have very luckily been granted a copyright permission from Stephen King to create a short entitled "Rest Stop". This is indeed a short film project based upon Mr. King's short story by the same name. You can read this 18 page short story in Stephen King's collection entitled "Just After Sunset".
As I outlined in the description the original source material is about a mystery writer by the name of John Dykstra who seemingly suffers from a split personality disorder. His pen name and alter persona, Rick Hardin, seem to guide the character through the story's progression at different times. During Dykstra's return trip home from his mystery writers meeting, a biweekly ritual for the author, John has to stop to relieve himself at a remote highway rest stop. It is during this chance encounter that the protagonist comes face to face with a shocking and uncertain situation that acts as a catalyst for strife between the character's two personalities.
Our project will maintain the primary story, but we have our own unique approach to adapting this exciting story into a screenplay and ultimately a short film.
A couple of key factors about this project:
This is a non-commercial project.
This project will NOT be sold or publicly distributed. Instead we will be submitting the project to major non-profit film festivals around the world (Sundance, SXSW, L.A. Film Fest, Atlanta Film Fest, Nashville Film Fest, etc .etc.) A large portion of the budget will be used to pay the submission fees for these film festivals.
A two minute trailer for this film can be viewed on the internet and will be shown after the project is completed. The entirety of the film can only be seen in film festivals, where the project is selected.
We will be sending a single copy to Stephen King for his viewing, collection, etc.
We can only accept funding that will be used directly towards the creation of this film project. All unused funding will be returned to the donors. We have set the goal for this project at $5,000, but we can "scale-up" to a much larger budget and acquire better locations, props, equipment rentals, etc. In fact, for the level of production we would ideally like to have, I would prefer to have a budget in the neighborhood of $10K +.
We have a flexible spending program, so we will accept all levels of donations. Regardless of campaign amount, we will make this film. The better the funding, the better the final product.
What We Need:
As mentioned in the video. We will need equipment rentals including generators, camera, support, and other related equipment, truck rentals for equipment transport, funding for crafty and meal services, potentially payment for hiring cast and crew. We may have to use funding for location rentals, but at this time locations casting is still underway.
As mentioned earlier, we also need funding for film festival submission fees.
The Impact/Past projects:
This project means a lot to us. Not only because it is a great story but also because we simply adore the many wonderful stories written and created by Stephen King. As true fans ourselves, we simply do not want to settle for a less than stellar outcome for this film project. While not all success is tied to funding when it comes to film-making, having a functional budget is a key factor on making many tasks achievable during the production process. We ask you to join us in helping to bring this story to life like never before!
A little about what we have done in the recent past: Dean Film Works LLC is a multi-award winning film production company. We produced and created the SAG-AFTRA web series entitled "Memoir of a Godfather". Earlier this year, we produced and created the feature film entitled "Clandestine Lives" which will hopefully premier at film festivals world-wide during the 2018 festival circuit. We also have experience producing and creating commercial work from retail stores to real estate listings. In addition, we are FAA licensed drone pilots!
Other Ways You Can Help
Please share!!! You may not be able to financially contribute yourself. That's understandable, but perhaps someone you know is able to contribute.
Also, many people want to know more about film-making and help support grass root efforts in the industry -- well here's a great place to start! We truly appreciate you sharing the campaign and spreading the word. The next person to see this might just be the one that helps push us over our funding goals! We appreciate you putting it out there and helping to gain exposure for the project. Thanks for your support!
