Overview
Scenes From A Room will be my final student film, and I'd like for my final project to go out with a bang. I really want to create a short film that can really help get my foot in the door in the film & television industry, and I really want to tell a story about the experiences we share about the uncertainty and anxiety surrounding money, life, and death.
Since I plan on assembling a crew for help, using local actors, and getting licensing and permits, I simply cannot pay for this project out of pocket. Your contributions will go solely into the pre-production, production, and post-production phases of the project.
Story Synopsis
Scenes From A Room follows a day in the life of two women, best friends, stuck with a dead-end job, no money, and piling debt. Their lives are changed after an encounter with an eccentric man living out of a briefcase who preaches a nihilistic and carefree lifestyle that ends with self-destruction.
The story will be told with an experimental narrative structure, being split up between 3 acts, each following the character's perspective during the events of the film before wrapping up in the end.
What I Need
My goal is to reach $2,000 before I leave pre-production and enter production around late February. While my school provides me the equipment I need to film, light, and audio-engineer my thesis film, I just simply cannot pay for everything with my job.
Why $2,000?
Film production is expensive, long, and hard work. Money received will go directly into my budget for:
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Crew: I plan on arranging a small crew, with friends and other students taking the roles of cinematographer, boom operator & sound recorder, gaffer, assistant camera operators, and production assistants. I'd like to pay them for their time, as an incentive for them to show up on time and be productive.
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Actors: There are 5-speaking roles in my screenplay, and a couple scenes will require extras. I'd like to work with local actors in my city, and pay them for their work and to motivate them to do their best.
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Transportation: I do not have a car, so I will be relying on friends and services such as Uber & Lyft for carrying all the equipment I need and crew/actors multiple times throughout a day. I need money to cover transportation services and to pay gas for people I'm working with, along with the actors.
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Props & Production: Money is needed to buy the props needed for this film, as well as costumes, makeup, set design and buying equipment such as hard-drives, extension cables, batteries, and anything else I can't pick up from my school's equipment checkout.
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Catering: FOOD! A fed crew is a happy crew. I'd like to feed my actors and crew, as well as keep them hydrated and provide them with coffee.
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Permits & Licensing: Money will be needed to get permission to film a few scenes at a local business and other locations throughout the film. I need money to cover any damages that could occur, cover the salary of any employees that are suppose to work while we film, and to cover any lost profits from a store shutting down for a few hours. I would also like to license a song from one of my favorite artists for the final scene and credits.
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Post-Production: I need money to cover fees for editing, VFX and sound design/audio engineering software. Money will also go into upgrading accounts on cloud storage sites, since I will be working with hours of audio & video files.
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Emergency Funds: In case something goes wrong, it's always good to have money to mitigate any damage. Money will go into a budget for first aid supplies as well as medical treatment if anything were to occur, covering damages to equipment or props, or to compensate cast & crew if we need to reschedule.
If we don't reach all $2,000, that's okay! Money will be used as efficiently and conservatively as possible. If we reach over $2,000, that's even better!
Impact
Creating a really good student thesis film is important to me. I really want something that shows how much I've grown since I've started school, as well as something that can go well in a show reel and impress any potential employers.
Other Ways You Can Help!
If you cannot spare any money to contribute, that's okay! Spreading the word out to others will help greatly. I'll be keeping people updated every week!
Thank you so much!
