Go to @themonkeyshort or email themonkeyshortfilm@gmail.com to contribute to this ongoing project!
What is this?
Stephen King lets people adapt his massive catalogue of work all the time. Whether you're a big studio looking for the next horror blockbuster, or a film student looking for some exposure, there are many classic King stories that have had films based off of them. This campaign, however, is unique: not only is it one of the more memorable of King's shorts, it's also NEVER been adapted before.
So I, Spencer Sherry (nice to meet you), have a rare opportunity to be the first filmmaker to take a crack at this King property: The Monkey.
Published in Skeleton Crew (1985), The Monkey is a story about Hal Shelburn, a young father whose children find a wind-up cymbal-clanging monkey in their attic- the exact same one Hal found when he was a kid. The problem, you see, is that the toy is cursed; every time it claps its cymbals, someone dies. So Hal takes one of his sons to a lake, where they rid their lives of the monkey once and for all. Or so they think...
My adaptation will take these characters and progress the original narrative one generation. Hal is an old man, hospitalized as he recovers from a heart attack. His son Pete has mostly forgotten about that day at the lake, and is now married with his first child on the way. A near-accident causes him to reflect on the toy that haunted his family, and he begins to suspect it isn't truly gone.
What I Need & What You Get
The screenplay I've written is just about as long as it's allowed to be to still be considered a short film. The end product will be 45 minutes long; so it's a pretty good bang for your buck! I estimate that it will take about ten days to shoot this thing, and the goal amount directly reflects the budget for those ten days.
I need to find and pay:
- cameraperson/s
- sound people
- grips
- gaffers
- production assistants
- editors
- actors
- CHILD actors
- people that I am forgetting
I have to potentially house and feed all of these talented people, possibly have to rent a boat or two, and of course, pay for a prosthetic pregnant belly (Ready-2-Pop model).
I've tried to come up with as many fulfilling and clever ways of rewarding your generosity as possible. I want my donors to receive things that are truly unique to this project, including but not limited to:
- A shout out on the film's Instagram and Facebook pages
- Pages of the script signed by the writer, director, AND producer (me, me, and me)
- One of a kind Polaroid photographs taken throughout the production of the film
- A private virtual screening of the finished film, for your home viewing enjoyment
- A special thank you in the credits
- Your very own cymbal-clapping-monkey-toy used in the film (do not feed after midnight)
But that's not all! Everyone that donates will receive a custom sticker designed and produced specifically for this project!
You may say "Wait a second bozo, I don't know you from a wet turd; how do I know you're not just gonna take the money and run?" To which I would answer: I signed a very scary piece of paper that a very famous and powerful man gave to me, explicitly stating I am not allowed to profit off of this in any way shape or form, or low men in yellow coats will come looking for me. Simply put: I'm the only one not getting paid! Yippee!
So then why are you doing this...?
Because when the inevitable blood, sweat, and tears have ceased their flow, and there's a finished product fit for public consumption, I can submit this film to festivals all over the world. And after I do, I'll be able to say that I, and many other talented and exceptional artists from upstate New York, made a freakin' Stephen King movie. I'd love for this to be a demonstration of what I, my community, and my peers are capable of, and the hope is that it will open more doors for financing future projects.
How can I help?
Tell every Stephen King fan you know about this! Ask them if they remember the original story. If YOU haven't read the original story, get on it. Then reach out and tell me your favorite part.
No matter what you can afford to give, share this site on social media as much as humanly possible. The more active people are about this campaign, the more attention it will get from the ALGORITHM and the more people will get to see it.
Any last words?
Thank you for reading all that. It means so much to me to have people be interested and invested in this opportunity, and I can't wait to share this experience with all you Constant Readers.
