“The Collatz Conjecture” is a short film scheduled to begin shooting in the early spring of 2013.  The film will run approximately ten minutes upon completion and the goal of the filmmakers is to create a unique and vibrant world where coincidence and fate struggle over the destiny of the film’s protagonist, Ben.  The goal of the film is not to offer definite answers but to pose questions about the people in life that we should or should not meet.

What is the film about?

Ben is a boy who sees the world in numbers.  He has recently become obsessed with a mathematical phenomenon called the Collatz Conjecture.  He struggles to develop a mathematical proof for this equation unaware that his preoccupation with the conjecture is preventing him from noticing the proximity of his soul mate.  

Who is involved?

The Filmmakers involved in this project are all current students or recent graduates of Loyola Marymount University.  Because of our affiliation with LMU we have access to industry standard camera and lighting equipment as well as high quality sound, editing, and coloring facilities.

Producer – Jasmine Chiong

Jasmine Chiong is a screenwriting and philosophy student at Loyola Marymount University.  She has been studying film for five years and is passionate about honest and powerful storytelling through mediums such as film, novels, comics, and video games.  She has produced a number of works during her time at LMU and hopes to continue working in production when she graduates.

Director – Kelsey Taylor 

Kelsey Taylor is a junior studying film production and music at Loyola Marymount University.  She has worked on many student and professional productions primarily as a cinematographer and camera assistant. Kelsey grew up in rural Eastern Washington and began making films at age eleven.  She is a highly visual person and loves photography and the outdoors.

Cinematographer – Adam Lee

Adam Lee has worked in various genres ranging from narrative, documentary, music video, to commercial formats. He has mentored under premiere cinematographers such as Fred Elmes, ASC and Michael Goi, ASC. With every project Adam strives to improve himself as a storyteller and find new ways of expression. In 2012 Adam won Honorable Mention for the Andrew Laszlo Heritage award from the American Society of Cinematographers. He also won the Ian Connor Cinematography Award that honors a young cinematographer who exemplifies a distinct passion and respect for the art of cinematography.

Check out Adam's website to see his work!

http://www.adamleedp.com/CINEMATOGRAPHER/HOME.html

How can you help?

We are ambitious young filmmakers striving to make this not only a strong narrative film but also a film of high technical quality.  To achieve such high quality we have chosen to shoot on 35mm film.  Although digital cameras are beginning to dominate the market, film is a gorgeous format and unrivaled in the quality of its texture and handling of light.  That being said, film is quite expensive.  That’s where we need YOUR support.  The bulk of this production’s budget will go to purchasing film stock and paying to develop and process the film after the shoot.  This alone costs thousands of dollars.  As digital continues to consume the market it is incredibly important to us to experience working with film because it demands such discipline and care from those who use it. 

Another expense of the shoot will be location costs.  We will be shooting at a fantastic bookstore in downtown Los Angeles called, “The Last Bookstore”.  This is a beautiful location stacked with shelves upon shelves of books and fantastic artwork.   They graciously welcome film crews to the bookstore but this welcome is not free of charge.  Keeping the bookstore open pasts hours and securing staff to stay and supervise into the wee hours of the morning is quite costly.  We need funding for the permits that will allow us to shoot in this beautiful and quirky bookstore. 

One cost that often goes overlooked is the price of feeding a crew.  Because we are using a great deal of equipment we will need many hands to help.  Our cast and crew of nearly twenty people is experienced and dedicated to the process of filmmaking.  It is important to keep them fed and happy because they are dedicating so much of their time and hard work to this production. 

What happens when you donate?

By donating to our cause you are helping us create a film we are all very excited about.  Not many people get to make a film in their lifetime and it is truly a gift to have the opportunity to bring to life a story just the way you imagined it.  In return for contributing to this campaign there are a number of perks listed under each donation level that can be yours if you choose to donate.  Many of the perks listed cannot be carried out until after completion of the film in May.  We ask that you are patient as we take the film through postproduction.  However, the $10 level of donation will ensure that you receive emails detailing progress on the film through pre and postproduction.  Please read the Indiegogo guidelines about donations if you have any questions.  They make it very clear how the site operates.

What happens after the film is done?

Once the film is completed it will be entered into a number of festivals for short films.  We hope that because of its unique story and technical quality it will be formidable competition in these festivals.  More importantly this film will serve as an example of the work this team can accomplish and will hopefully ensure more films to be made by this group of motivated individuals.  We cannot express our gratitude enough for any kind of contribution you can make towards our efforts!  We appreciate you reading about this campaign and hope that you can see our enthusiasm and determination.  This film will be made to the best of our abilities but your contributions will significantly affect the quality of our product.

How can we say thank you?

There are so many filmmakers out there struggling to make films!  We understand if you cannot contribute to this particular campaign but it still helps if you tell your friends about our film! Thank you for your support!