Downbeat Entertainment
"At Downbeat, we believe in creating genre defining content for this generation and the next. We aim to serve the people and the communities we cherish – to demand a new normal. Only question is….
You Down?"
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The Crew
Writer/Director: Matthew Allen
Matthew Allen is a student at USC studying Law, History, and Culture, with a minor in cinematic arts. As co-founder of Downbeat Entertainment and part of the Executive Council of USC’s Professional Cinematic Fraternity Delta Kappa Alpha, Matt has taken on various leadership roles, especially in terms of film productions. He is extremely determined to showcase various diverse stories and is extremely devoted to making “Sunday Morning”, which will be his first major writing and directing credit, as amazing as possible. Personally connected to the story due to the fact that he grew up gay in Orange County, Matt’s main goal is to stay true to the experiences he endured and understands in order to make the story’s impact so much greater.
Producer: Anngelica-Marie Eshesimua
Anngelica-Marie Eshesimua is currently studying the Business of Cinematic Arts at USC. A member of USC's Professional Cinematic Fraternity Delta Kappa Alpha, Anngelica has dived head first into producing multiple digital projects, most recently her Cultural Beauty Series. Passionate about showcasing diverse subjects and stories, Anngelica has devoted her time to making "Sunday Morning" the best it can be! She serves as Creative Director and Producer for Downbeat Entertainment.
Rudy Pesci: Director of Photography
Rudy Pesci, born and raised in Fullerton, California, has been working part-time in the film industry for the past three years while concurrently studying cinematography at Fullerton College. Having shot a variety of projects for Downbeat since their start up, Rudy is no stranger to the fun, kind, and passionate crew working on SundayMorning. Adding to these experiences, earlier this year he completed photography for his first short film entitled “Pinned.” Beyond filmmaking and commercial photography, Rudy enjoys traveling around the beautiful state of California and researching new technologies. Rudy sees the experiences he’s had as a culmination of efforts already working towards making “Sunday Morning” succeed in expanding people's horizons as an equal world for all.
Anna Dellaria: Original Soundtrack
At just 21 years old, singer-songwriter Anna Dellaria has performed with the likes of Chaka Khan, John Fogerty, Lamont Dozier, and more. Dellaria currently studies music at the prestigious USC Popular Music Program in Los Angeles, CA. Dellaria's passion for artists joining together to create a voice and perspective on humanity has enabled her to work with artists ranging from film, digital art, literature and more. Working on the short film, “Sunday Morning”, combines both Dellaria’s love of collaboration while also addressing issues that society must confront, such as sexual harassment and sexuality. Fusing sound design with honest lyricism and film offers an exciting opportunity for Anna to experiment creatively while focusing on a significant issue that young adults are especially confronted with. Dellaria voices her gratitude to be apart of such an important piece of art that she hopes will offer some insight into how we can move forward as a society to bring to light the issues of sexual assault and sexuality that are too often ignored. Official Artist Site: annadellaria.com
What We Need
This will be a 25 minute short film, so every dollar counts!
The Impact
This film touches on a story that resonates with many of the cast and crew involved, who are closely connected to the topics of homosexuality and sexual assault. Growing up gay in a conservative area, the director himself underwent many internal struggles faced by the main character as he went through the process of developing his identity and sexuality. This topic, along with the additional topic of sexual assault in today's political climate serve to create a story that is necessary to tell.
Our hope is for the film to go to American and international festivals.
As current students of USC, we at Downbeat have carved our niche in music videos, known for our high quality projects at a low cost. With our experience producing quality content, the expanded budget from this campaign will open new possibilities for our team to create.
Other Ways You Can Help
Please "like" the Facebook Page for our project, as well as share the Indiegogo on Facebook! We would love for this film to excite as many people as possible.