Short Summary
My name is Dani Eddy and I am the producer for the short film SAMI. Although my ultimate goal is to eventually become a Line Producer or UPM for film and TV, I am currently expanding my knowledge to encompass creative aspects of filmmaking into every aspect of my life as a student. I have worked for the past five months on the story and script for SAMI. I am currently taking a heavy role in casting and location scouting to make sure our key creatives needs are being met to tell the story.
On the side I am interning full time at a digital video company called Refinery29 where I am able to grow and expand my knowledge as a producer. Many of my internships have included tasks such as keeping producers organized, keeping them on schedule and on budget, helping with production needs such as submitting insurance requests and booking trucks, and making sure everything runs smoothly on set. I am adapting these skills I have learned to make myself a better producer not only for this short film but all future endeavors in filmmaking.
Your contributions will make our film possible by assisting us in creating the world that Sami and Lewis live in. Creating a distant planet in the near future is no easy task, especially on a college budget. Every donation will go directly towards achieving the look and feel of a planet that Sami could potentially be living on in another galaxy right now! Thank you!
What We Need & What You Get
Our goal is to raise $11,500 USD to make this film possible! Our location is distant and expensive, but on top of that, building the interior of a spaceship is not easy and has to be handled by our Production Designer.
To accomplish the look of a foreign planet, we plan to use a combination of Visual Effects alongside our other-worldly location in Sequoia National Park. This is no easy feat, so we have been planning for months as to how we will exactly pull this off. Using the massive Sequoia trees in our location next to our costumes, in combination with VFX and color, we will transport Sami to another planet.
One of our main characters, Lewis, is a robot. Since we unfortunately don't have that technology yet, we will use a combination of a practical model of Lewis as well as Visual Effects for when he floats, moves around, and talks to bring him to life.
We have some really neat perks including, but not limited to, a personal CD Mixtape that our director Eden Bailey will assemble with some of his favorite songs that inspired the film, a Blu Ray or DVD with a digital download link for the finished film, and invitation to our premier screening, and even grabbing a beer with the crew! We may even have a special perk involving one of our main characters (Lewis), but you'll just have to find that out!
Your contributions will help us bring this very personal, and demanding story to reality. We want to thank you for any and every donation you make to help us reach our goal!
The Impact
This film is incredibly special for our director Eden Bailey and has been a pleasure to develop with him over the last few months. The film involves an emphasis on nature and how we treat the natural world around us, a problem we see worsening each and every year. This piece is also uniquely nostalgic, challenging people to confront their demons rather than let them control your life.
We do have a successful past as a team. Our director, Eden Bailey, and cinematographer, Christian Colwell, have worked together over the past 3 years to make various short films. The most recent of which, they collaborated with our Production Designer, Kat Rodriguez, which is entering its festival circuit right now! I have produced 3 short films in my time at Chapman, and worked as the Assistant Director on three senior thesis films just last year! Our cinematographer has shot two senior thesis films in the past, the most recent one screening in 5 festivals around the country and even in the UK! Kat, a recent grad, is now a working Production Designer putting her full efforts into her creative passions for the past 6 months!
Risks & Challenges
We have a long road ahead of us. Luckily, we have a team of qualified department heads who have each tackled projects of this size in their respective roles in the past. We all have worked on thesis films in our specialties before, so when we combine to make this massive VFX-heavy film with a travel shoot in the mix, we are confident we can make it work!
We have been planning in weekly meetings for over three months with overheads, storyboards, and concise budgets to help guide our logistical planning to avoid on-set challenges we may face. We believe with our heavy planning and combined effort, we will be able to pull off the unique challenges this film poses.
Other Ways You Can Help
Any contribution is so extremely helpful, but even if you cannot donate to our project, sharing our information and spreading word of our film will also help! Thank you so much for donating, considering helping out, or even just visiting our page! Thanks!
