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The Music Coma

A Syrian, Jewish dancer living in NYC loses her hearing.

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The Music Coma

The Music Coma

The Music Coma

The Music Coma

The Music Coma

A Syrian, Jewish dancer living in NYC loses her hearing.

A Syrian, Jewish dancer living in NYC loses her hearing.

A Syrian, Jewish dancer living in NYC loses her hearing.

A Syrian, Jewish dancer living in NYC loses her hearing.

Rose Sutton
Rose Sutton
Rose Sutton
Rose Sutton
4 Campaigns |
New York, United States
$1,910 USD 25 backers
19% of $10,000 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal
Highlights
Mountain Filled 4 Projects Mountain Filled 4 Projects

THE STORY 

Our short film tells the story of 24-year-old dancer, Aries, who, when losing her hearing, is prompted to attend a local support group at a Jewish Deaf Center.

Aries primary form of auditory input, MUSIC, has been taken away from her; it is the otherworldly force in her life that has aided in her ADHD and served as the backbone behind her zealous pursuits of becoming a world-renowned dancer.  

Raised by her grandmother who now lives across the country, Aries struggles to stay in touch with the spiritual aspects of her Judaism and Syrian heritage, defining pillars of her life she has dissociated from as a result of living away from home (NYC) and continued hyper-fixation of her craft. Our film tracks Aries journey to reconnecting with her cultural identity as she immerses herself into a Jewish community that enables her to experience gradual, subtle forms of epiphany. 

Merging themes of womanhood and rebirth, our film demonstrates the profound perseverance of women within the Syrian Jewish community. It is an ode to the cultural connections that ground us in who we are, and the values in which we stand for. Additionally, our film seeks to demonstrate the great strength and beauty that lies within the deaf community, urging us to see the value of silence and our innate visual sense.

Our piece begs the question: Do we need challenges to be IMPOSED on us in order make a difference in the quality of our livelihood, to CONNECT  with varied aspects of our identity? Moreover, must we lose ONE THING in order to GAIN ANOTHER? In exploring these questions, it is unclear whether or not they can ever be followed up by concrete answers. I believe that the best art attempts to break down the intangible, which is rooted in the subliminal nature of this film. 

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT: 

While having adapted a sliver of my childhood family dynamics in “Color My Grey Street”, I wanted to think about the other integral parts of my life that have shaped my identity when making my thesis. The first thing that came to mind is my love for music. Ever since I was a little girl, music has been the guiding and ultimate force in my life; it is what has allowed me to manage both my anxiety and ADHD. But more than that, its force has always remained intangible to me. I often say that if I never experienced trauma, music would always feel and sound the same to me, never failing to make me feel truly alive. Like many, it awakens my body in ways I am not sure I will ever be able to articulate. 

 My mother grew up dancing and my father is a drummer. I truly believe music runs in my blood; it is apart of my culture– rooted in an expressive, artistic community of inquisitive thinkers who value varied methods of mythical storytelling. My love for music has never been rooted in one genre, it is universal. Music allows me to absorb a level of depth in my life I often feel the real world fails to provide.

However, returning to dance in high school, it took me years to finally appreciate movement as an expansive, therapeutic art form, rather than a mere visual aesthetic aided solely by music. These themes are present in Aries character arc, as we bear witness to a world of music turned silent. 

The second theme that came to mind is my Judaism, a part of my identity that I have been feeling a bit disconnected from. One of the core memories from my childhood is having Shabbat dinners with my Grandma who I lived with for several years following my parents divorce. My grandma has always been the most nurturing, loving spirit in the whole wide world; her presence is invaluable. Sometimes, it feels as though her Syrian dinners are the last bit of my heritage I can still truly hold on to. The same goes for my Grandma on my mothers side, who has always been a source of comfort and solitude throughout my life, offering her own variation of yummy, Syrian meals. As I frequently call my family away from home, I grow blind to their influence on me. There is a dissociation that occurs while living as an independent artist in New York City, away from my family, away from my home.  In situations like these, it often feels easier for me to lose myself in the music; comforts tangible to me, rather than face the hole in my heart. Sticking to what is comfortable has only been proven to drive the wound even deeper

It is these themes in my life that have propelled me create a film on the basis of spirituality and hidden family longing. 

CAMERA & COMPOSITIONAL STYLE: 

The original gold standard of cinematography, our film will be shot in a 1:66 aspect ratio to amplify the wonderful landscape shots throughout the film and sustain an element of nostalgia. It will serve to make Aries conflict captivating, yet deeply heartbreaking to witness, putting us in an intimate and, otherwise, intrusive space. Dance coverage will be a thrilling challenge, as we capture her compelling movements and facial expressions throughout her performance. 

While the lighting throughout our film is highly dynamic, each scene will cater to the Aries world, a life gone sour yet, gradually reignited again: dimly lit green/yellow hues during our doctor's office scene, contrasts between warm and cool tones, and a mix of both soft and hard lighting. See reference images below

Some of our comps for the film are Black Swan (2010), "Still" Dance Short (2021)  and Tree Of Life (2011). 

Visuals above will be prevalent during Aries dance sequence and her experience at the deaf center. 

 

THE TEAM: 

ROSE SUTTON - Writer, Director  Image by: Anna Henderson 

Rose Sutton is a multi-hyphenate artist based in Brooklyn, New York with a focus on directing, editing, and photography. Born in Los Angeles to parents of Syrian & Jewish ancestry, Rose moved around various schools and homes following her parents divorce, where she was exposed to dynamic environments with unique, multi-faceted perspectives. Much of her childhood and young adulthood has informed her expansive approach to storytelling and collaborative communication style as a director. Rose's work focuses on bridging the connection between SELF V.S OTHER, dismantling various aspects of her identity hidden under the surface that often touch on themes of: family dynamics, dissociation, self-empowerment, and conflicting desires. Unenthused by traditional storytelling methods, Rose's style of experimentation focuses tying together numerous story threads with music as a supplemental force. She has created several dance films in the past and worked with various organizations including Tisch Dance & Gallim Dance. She is ecstatic to be bringing, “The Music Coma” to life. Her previous film, "Color My Grey Street" has just reached picture lock (see stills below). Checkout more of her work at https://www.rosesutton.com

A Brooklyn-based painter is prompted by her therapist to explore the synastry between her recent break up and childhood traumas.  DOP: Maggie Brill 

IRIS SEWELL as "ARIES"


Iris Sewell is a New York-based choreographer and director. Her creation style focuses on world-building and thematic symbolism. In 2019, she attended the New School where she studied theater and dramaturge practices. In 2020, she began studying dance with the New York University Tisch Dance Program. Iris currently works for the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Arts Administration and hosts improvisation jams to encourage collaboration between musicians and movement artists. Checkout her work at https://www.irissewell.com/

ZISHAN SUN  - Executive Producer 

Zishan Sun is a filmmaker from Shanghai, China, and Seattle, WA. In 2023, she graduated from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, earning a B.F.A. in Film & TV Production and a minor in Business, Entertainment, Media, and Technology. Zishan's cinematic journey began with her early artistic pursuits in songwriting and acting, evolving into a passion for directing and producing. Motivated by the profound influence of art in her life, Zishan focuses on stories that inspire reflection, encouraging viewers to embrace new perspectives while infusing her projects with authenticity and emotional depth.

PATRICE YIP - Creative producer 

Patrice Yip is a producer & dancer. A current junior at NYU, she is majoring in Computer Science and Economics. As a lover of stories and creative endeavors in general, the kaleidoscope of art that is film attracted her freshman year and she has worked on over 50+ student and professional productions since then. 

CARLEY LOVITO - Associate Producer 

Carley Lovito (she/her) is a producer, writer, director, and actress as well as a recent graduate of NYU Tisch Drama’s 2023 class. She has worked closely with the New York Theatre Barn, MTV, and written original music and lyrics for multiple new works including her debut short film Everything I Never Told you.  You can find her work here: https://www.carleylovito.com/

MAGGIE BRILL - Director Of Photography 

 
Maggie Brill is a NYC-based director and cinematographer with a B.A. in Radio/Television/Film from Northwestern University. She is particularly passionate about character-driven stories, queer representation, and coming-of-age narratives. Her recent cinematography work includes the dance film BACK IN A STORM and psychological horror short JINX. In 2022, Maggie was awarded the Northwestern University Women Filmmakers Alliance’s annual grant for her short film HOW TO GLOW IN THE DARK, which she wrote and directed. Maggie also graduated with honors from Prague Film School’s 2021 Autumn Filmmaking program, where her short film WALTER won the Audience Award for Best Film. Checkout her work at https://www.bymaggiebrill.com/

HUSSEIN SMKO - Choreographer & Movement Artist 

Image by Rose Sutton

Hussein Smko was an Adel Euro Fellow from 2016 to 2020. He is a self-trained Kurdish dancer and choreographer whose talent was spotted by Battery Dance. Summer of 2014, he was subsequently trained via Skype from his home in Iraq and connected with Battery Dance practitioners through their studios in New York City. Hussein completed his residency in October 2020 and has created his own dance company entitled Project Tag.

KHALIL AYED - Graphic Designer & Calligrapher 

Khalil is a Tunisian calligrapher, designer, & fine artist based in New York City. Khalil strives to provide beauty through art for all his patrons as a storyteller, as his work is a glimpse into his life and journey into artistic expression.

LO POPPY - Choreographer, Movement Artist 


Lo Poppy is a fluid movement-based artist, researcher, facilitator, and experimentalist. They direct their creative life towards abundant expansion and radical deconstruction; working to illuminate the raw human form, voice, motive, action, and thought; flipping them upside down so a new perspective is brought forward. Lo is innately inspired by the imaginative world within each person and builds their classes, phrases, and works from a place of play, honesty, and wild expression. Checkout their work at https://www.lopoppy-fluidcreature.com/

 

Chaz Strickland - Production Designer

Chaz Strickland (he/they) is a production designer and stage manager. He has experience working in theater, film, and dance. Regardless of the medium, his work focuses on curating and fostering grounded spaces that support collaboration, exploration, innovation, and inclusion through both an organizational and creative lens. He is currently working with the NYU grad department on their second-year project. His past credits include: Monks of Lorisidia (Asst. PD), HomeBody (Scenic Designer), and Anxiety is the Dizziness of Freedom (Asst. Scenic Designer).

Aspen Nelson - Art Director 

ASPEN NELSON (they/them) is a producer, director, and production designer based in New York. Raised in Florida, they discovered a necessary interest in combining media and advocacy. This extended into their undergraduate career, where their research focused on uncovering underrepresented perspectives and icons in horror history. Now focusing on production, their goal is to change set culture to value accessibility, diversity, and sustainability.

 

HOW CAN YOU HELP? 

Given the caliber of our production, it is critical ensure we get the funding needed for: locations, transportation/ PD/wardrobe/makeup/food and so much more. The safety and well-being of our team is of utmost priority. Post-production will be largely allocated towards sound design & VFX, two huge elements of our production that are vital to creating this world. The RED AURA seen throughout the film will require a hefty VFX team able to tackle its specificity and cadence within each scene. This is just one of the MANY elements of our production that will require adequate funding. Locations such as the subway, stage, Aries room, the deaf center, etc... are needed to amplify a sense of realism the film desperately needs. Any form of donation, NO MATTER HOW SMALL would be immensely appreciated. As I work a part-time job, my parents are not billionaires and do not have the money to put in hefty funds for my film. 

If you are unable to donate, please share our story with friends/family/social media. Spread the word! As a student with limited income trying to graduate their senior year of NYU, any and all support would mean the absolute world to me. Be sure to follow our Instagram, @themusiccomafilm for any and all updates! :) THANK YOU!!! 

 

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Receive all previous incentives and get early access to the film stills as well as a copy of the script!
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A free ticket to our private screening in August, a special thanks credit included!!
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July 2024
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Special Thanks Credit

$250 USD $500 USD (50% off)
A special thanks with your full name that will be played during the ending credits of our film.
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July 2024
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Associate Producer Credit

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Executive Producer Credit

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July 2024
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Camera Equipment Fund

$2,500 USD
To make a film as high quality as our favorite movies and show, we need to rent and care for top-quality gear so our incredible & highly experienced cinematographer can ensure each shot is curated with specificity and beauty. For a donation to cover our camera equipment, we will credit you as one of our Executive Producers and meet 1v1 with you!
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June 2024
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Post-Production Fund

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For your valued support, you will have your own executive producer title card in the opening end credits of our film with just your name. This contribution is for someone passionate about filmmaking who wants to join the team through a donation, allowing us to use professional colorization and editing to drive the narrative.
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June 2024
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