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White Like Me

A film about what happens when a struggling black actress becomes a powerful white man.

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White Like Me

White Like Me

White Like Me

White Like Me

White Like Me

A film about what happens when a struggling black actress becomes a powerful white man.

A film about what happens when a struggling black actress becomes a powerful white man.

A film about what happens when a struggling black actress becomes a powerful white man.

A film about what happens when a struggling black actress becomes a powerful white man.

Brandee Steger
Brandee Steger
Brandee Steger
Brandee Steger
1 Campaign |
Los Angeles, United States
$37,309 USD 330 backers
14% of $250,000 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal
Choose your Perk
UPGRADE Personalized video
featured

UPGRADE Personalized video

$75 USD $150 USD (50% off)
Est. Shipping
December 2018
5 out of 25 of claimed
Empty Box Robot

A personal Thank You

$10 USD
34 claimed
Thank you on social media

Thank you on social media

$25 USD
33 claimed
Thank You & Signed Headshot

Thank You & Signed Headshot

$35 USD
13 claimed
Thanks, Headshot & Tee Shirt

Thanks, Headshot & Tee Shirt

$55 USD
21 claimed
Empty Box Robot

Instagram Thank You

$100 USD
24 claimed
Personal Thank You Video

Personal Thank You Video

$150 USD
4 claimed
Harlem RagShop 1934 purse

Harlem RagShop 1934 purse

$175 USD
3 out of 15 of claimed
Funny video and Headshot

Funny video and Headshot

$250 USD
2 claimed
Facetime, Video and Headshot

Facetime, Video and Headshot

$500 USD
1 claimed
Special Thanks in Film Credits

Special Thanks in Film Credits

$1,000 USD
3 claimed
On Set Visit

On Set Visit

$2,000 USD
0 out of 5 of claimed
Empty Box Robot

Party Guest!

$3,000 USD $15,000 USD (80% off)
1 out of 10 of claimed
Featured Extra Role and Script

Featured Extra Role and Script

$5,000 USD
0 claimed
You're a Producer!

You're a Producer!

$10,000 USD
0 claimed
Overview
In 2008, I married my half-white, nerdy best friend from junior high. When he became a heartthrob on a popular TV series, I was in a unique position to learn a lot about people's attitudes toward race. My screenplay, "White Like Me," is about a black actress like me, Gretchen Jones, who becomes so frustrated with where she is in life and so fascinated with the idea of white privilege that she decides to change her appearance to see if things will work out differently for her.

Short Summary

God, I miss romantic comedies! Films like When Harry Met Sally, Pretty Woman, You've Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, Love Actually, Sixteen Candles, Say Anything... I could go on and on and on. These are the movies that made me want to start acting. I wanted to be that girl who met the guy and didn't realize I met the guy and then later realized, I met the guy! And then we would run through the streets of some big city looking for each other, meet in the rain in front of a beautiful American monument and kiss passionately. But over time, it became clear that girls like me weren't cast in this kind of movie. I'm considered more "the sassy friend," or "the friend who helps the heroine get the guy," or... "bus driver #2." (Although, I still hold tightly to the fact that my all-time favorite, Whoopi Goldberg, got to play not just the lead role but some of the best non-stereotypical characters in film.) 

Now, when a studio wants to "diversify" their film, they cast a black man or other man of color. It is very rare to see a black female lead on the big screen, and more often than not she's a famous singer in real life. Which is fine. But why doesn't a white actress have to be a famous musician in order to get a lead role in a film? Next time you're scrolling through Netflix or driving past a movie billboard, think about this.

"I've never done a movie, any movie, the silliest movie, where someone, some studio person, hasn't gone, 'Does the girl have to be black?'" -- Chris Rock, in Essence magazine 

Hi! Thank you so much for coming to our campaign page. It's so great to have you here. Take a look around. Make yourself comfortable. I'm Brandee Steger! I'm an African-American actress ("20s, urban, sassy"--kidding!), a writer (having started off as a journalist) and a producer (with a couple of awards for a short film starring Ted Danson and Emmy-considered for a comedic web series). I've been lucky enough to train with renowned acting teacher Warner Loughlin and am proud to be a lifetime member of the Actors Studio where I've learned from greats like Martin Landau, Lou Antonio and Lisa Richards. 

In junior high, I met my now husband and producing partner, Michael Steger. When we were 12 years old we didn't like each other very much.

In our teens, we brushed by each other trading curious adolescent smirks, and in college we shared stories, hung out in bookstores and made fun of each other's crushes. After college, we fell in love and got married. My real life became a romantic comedy! Although there still weren't any heroines like me in my beloved "boy meets girl next door" films. In 2008, our small-town selves were blown away when Michael became the lead on 90210, a popular TV show. The experiences we had on that wild ride, and the insights I've had since then, as a black woman and an actress, inspired me to write "White Like Me."  

Our campaign goal is to raise money to turn my script into a finished film. We want to make a movie that has an African-American female lead but is not a "black movie" or a "white movie," but instead one that acknowledges women of color and the experience of trying to succeed in what often feels like a predominantly white, male industry.

If you share our love of movies that have both comedy and romance, 

or if you're curious about different people's experiences in Hollywood, 

or if you value the fact that diversity makes everyone smarter, more creative and more innovative, we would be so excited and honored if you would contribute to our mission. We are grateful for your time and attention, and we hope you'll be there when we have the communal experience in a darkened theater watching the premiere of "White Like Me"!

What We Need and What You Get

It can cost well over a million dollars to make even a small, independent film. Our goal is to raise the bare minimum--$250,000--for an ultra low budget production of "White Like Me," to be shot in 20 days. All donations are welcome, and no amount is too small. Here is a breakdown of where the money will go: 

 

 

  • Please check out our perks and incentives!
  • Any and all funds will go toward producing this original piece.

Producers' History 

Brandee Steger and Michael Steger are not new to producing. The first project they produced together was Brandee's one-woman show, Brandee Built on Crazee, which ran for eight weeks to sold-out audiences at the Stella Adler Theatre in Hollywood. Soon after this production, the Stegers started their production company, Book 11 Productions. 

Through Book 11 Productions, Brandee and Michael co-produced The Wrights, an award-winning short film with Nina Fehren and Kate Danson and starring Ted Danson. This experimental film was mostly a dramatic improv, in which the scenes were partially written and the actors had to improvise their lines in only 2-3 takes. It was an edgy drama that centered around death, trust and family secrets.

Shortly after The Wrights, Brandee and Michael produced an Emmy-considered comedic web series called, Not So Union. This series followed a group of friends who were brand-spankin' new to Hollywood and struggling with how to navigate their aspirations. Many comedians and seasoned actors jumped on board to help create this series described by viewers as "hysterical" and "offbeat."

After Not So Union, Michael branched out to produce an independent short film called, Fifteen Years Later, starring Manish Dayal, Tracy Mulholland, Rachel Brosnahan, and Matt McGorry. 

Now, the Stegers are excited to take the next step and produce a full-length feature film, "White Like Me," under Book 11 Productions.  

Special thanks for helping us get this far  

Courtney Daniels - Director/Writer/Producer  (What Other Couples Do, This Fucking Town) 

Dylan Kussman - Actor/Writer/Director (Dead Poets Society, Mission: Blacklist)

Mengfang Yang - Editor/Director (Devotion, Generation Z)   

Josie Martineaux - Actress/Director (When It Rains, Lonely Lil) 

And to our makeup artist (you know who you are!) - THANK YOU! 

Risks and Challenges

It can be so scary to put yourself out there like this. But we recently decided we had a choice:  we could sit around and wonder what it would be like to create our own full-length feature film, complain about the small percentage of black women in film, let time go by, wait for our next big breaks and hope for the best, OR we could get off our butts and make a feature film from our original perspective. Obviously, the risk is that nobody will give a damn, nobody will help, maybe the sky will fall in and our dreams will dissipate like the clouds. But now that we have a daughter, Poet, it has become clear just how important it is for her to see her parents strive to achieve their goals. So, here we are, as a team, holding up the sky with hard work, determination and faith. 

Other Ways You Can Help

Some folks just can't contribute money, but that doesn't mean you can't help! There are many ways you can help us get the word out and make some noise about our campaign: 

  • Use the Indiegogo share tools! 
  • Repost/Share/Tweet our campaign on your social media! 
  • Find us on Social Media  and Follow, Repost, Retweet and Share - 

Instagram - @brandeesteger @michaelsteger11

Facebook Page - @WhiteLikeMe

Twitter - @BrandeeSteger @MichaelSteger11 

  • Tag your favorite celebrities on social media who care about a woman's perspective, female empowerment and African-American women in Hollywood. 
  • Tell your friends, family and acquaintances about our campaign.
  • TALK, SHARE, REPOST, TAG, FORWARD and REPEAT! 
  • Email us:  Book11Productions@gmail.com

www.WhiteLikeMethefilm.com

All donations welcome and will be so appreciated! THANK YOU!

 

PARTIAL CAST BREAKDOWN for White Like Me -  

Dorothy: 50s - mid 60s, African-American, Gretchen's mom. She is a straight-forward, no-nonsense, opinionated, right-wing conservative.  Type: Alfre Woodard, Whoopi Goldberg, Viola Davis

Vetta: 50s - mid 60s, African American, she is one of Gretchen's dad's mistresses. She is a flamboyant, sexy romantic. Type: Whoopi Goldberg, Alfre Woodard, Viola Davis, Angela Bassett, Diahann Carroll, Lynn Whitfield

Harriet: 50s - 60s, African American, another one of Gretchen's dad's mistresses. She is mysterious, elegant and soulful. Type: Alfre Woodard, Phylicia Rashad, Angela Bassett, Viola Davis, S. Epatha Merkerson

Erica Cardi:  30s, white, pretty, snooty, know-it-all. She may or may not be a bigot, either way, she calls it how she sees it. Type: Bryce Dallas Howard, Jessica Chastain, Rachel McAdams, Katherine Heigl, Kristen Bell  

Cheryl: 30s, white, blunt, kind, intelligent. She's Gretchen's best friend. Type: Greta Gerwig, Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, Emily Blunt, Ellie Kemper

S. Mason: male, white, 50s - 70s, bold, arrogant, successful talent agent. Type: Jeff Daniels, Jeff Bridges, Richard Jenkins, Jon Hamm  

Brian: 30s, white, confident fast-talker who knows he's on his way to the top. Type: Sam Rockwell, Aaron Paul, Vincent kartheiser 

 

 

OUTREACH TEAM OF INSPIRING WOMEN - Bios

APRIL CHANEY - Founder and CEO of Effleurage, April M. Chaney has 18 years of direct, professional experience in the beauty sector. As a Southern Belle with a true passion for glamour and a gift for all things beauty, April has been elevating beautiful faces in cities around the country for over 18 years. After obtaining her degree from The University of Alabama at Birmingham with a B.A. in Mass Communications & Minor in African-American Studies, April has taken every opportunity to learn and hone her artistic craft. In 2015, April set her sights even higher and earned her esthetician license, while also accomplishing her dreams of becoming a member of IATSE Local 706 Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild.  With humble beginnings as a retail consultant and makeup artist in Beverly Hills, April has since seen her work featured on TV, film, print, and fashion runways. She has done over 100 commercials and has worked backstage on numerous awards shows, including Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Sports, The Emmy’s, BET Awards, Golden Globes, SAG Awards, and The Academy Awards. April continues to collaborate with L’Oreal as a Brand Ambassador and works frequently with Warner Bros for events, like WonderCon, Comic Con San Diego, and Comic Con New York. More recently, April worked with Francesca Tolot, Beyoncé’s personal makeup artist, on opening show makeup looks for Beyoncé’s dancers on The 2016 BET Awards. April has also Day played on such shows as The Doctors, The Real, Dancing With The Stars, World of Dance and Blackish. Her published works include features in Essence, People, Us Weekly, O Magazine, Variety, Essence, Marie Claire, and editorials for Kohls, GAP, Nordstrom, and Sears. In 2018, she also earned a Makeup & Hair Guild Award nomination for the TV movie Michael Jackson Searching for Neverland. For Booking please also view www.AprilChaney.com

PHYLLIS BANCROFT is known as a focused, calm, creative collaborator, Phyllis has directed several films, three episodes of the Emmy nominated web-series "Send Me" (Supervising director for all six). She's also produced ten short films, many award winning, and over 32 episodes of the web series "Ernie's Girls."  With a background in theater (directing over 20 plays), Phyllis is a current member of the Actor’s Studio West's Director’s Unit and P/D Lab, SAG-AFTRA. She is also an original member of the Lincoln Center Directors' Lab. She holds an M.F.A. in Producing from the AFI Conservatory and a B.A. in Creative Writing from Antioch University, Los Angeles.  Committed to Arts Education as well, she began Red Balloon Playroom in early 2017 to teach middle and high school students how to write and make their own films. In 2017, Phyllis has produced & directed fourteen of these student projects. www.redballoonplayroom.com.

ARLENE SANTANA was raised in a small town in South Texas, then moved to Austin to attend college at St. Edward’s University where she earned her degree in Theater Arts. After graduating, Arlene moved to Los Angeles to pursue her passion and has been working steadily as an actress and host.  As an actress, Arlene's film credits include the blockbuster films Star Trek Beyond and Fast 5. Other film projects include the indies This Path, Luna and Violeta. Arlene can currently be seen on the 3rd season of SONY/Crackle’s hit show, Startup. She has also worked on many notable television shows like Scandal and Agents of SHIELD, has guest starred on NCIS: Los Angeles, Castle, Franklin and Bash and has recurred on Grey's Anatomy.  Arlene’s love for sports and entertainment has guided her hosting career. She can currently be seen on The Doctors hosting the lifestyle segment Retail Therapy and guest hosting the segment Save The Day on The Talk, both on CBS. In addition, Arlene also hosted E! News Now for E! Online, guested hosted on the popular online series, Live From E! and covered Sundance 2015 for the E! Network. Arlene began hosting on LATV Live, a hip music/entertainment television show that showcased music from around the world and was geared toward the young bilingual Latino community. Arlene also hosted the daily sports segment Court Report for the Tennis Channel, the only 24-hour, television-based multimedia destination dedicated to the professional sport and lifestyle of tennis.  Arlene is also incredibly passionate about working in the field. During the 2016 Presidential Election, she began working with Voto Latino, a civic media organization that seeks to transform America by recognizing Latinos’ innate leadership. She was directly involved in their initiatives to educate and empower the Latino community. She was also given the opportunity to cover the Democratic National Convention for Fuse TV. After the election, Arlene continued working with Fuse partnering with Alex Padilla, California’s Secretary of State, to help educate and engage young voters to pre-register or register to vote. Most recently, Arlene worked as a Community Organizer with From Lot to Spot, an organization dedicated to improving blighted urban neighborhoods in the greater Los Angeles area one vacant space at a time.  Additionally, Arlene has held true to her theater roots starring opposite Patrick J. Adams (USA's SUITS) in the LA Premier of Bill Cain's play, NINE CIRCLES. The production garnered a Best Production and Best Acting Ensemble nominations by LA’S Ovation Awards. She also performed in the Los Angeles premier of Edwin Sanchez's UNMERCIFUL GOOD FORTUNE, in which she played the lead character, Maritza Cruz.

ERIN TAYLOR is a Los Angeles based actor who believes that storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to connect people, to engage people, to encourage thinking, and to inspire action. She is excited to support Brandee Steger as she embarks on sharing a story that she has worked on for countless hours, a story that is near and dear to her heart, with the world. 

PATRICIA SILL is an empowerment coach who supports creators to actualize the full potential of their talent. Patricia’s creative empowerment work is based in a deeply spiritual approach. She draws on a variety of practices and techniques that she has combined to offer her clients an innovative means to access their “inner cast of characters”,  and give voice to their authentic self expression as a fulfilled, liberated and thriving artist. In her work, Patricia draws upon 3 decades of experience as a working actress and her extensive education in Spiritual Psychology, healing and transformational arts,  EFT, Kundalini Yoga, Mediation, Breath Work, Astrology and Sacred Contracts. Ms. Sill is a published author, she holds a B.A  in the classics from New York University and a Masters of Arts in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica. Patricia studied acting at The Eugene O’Neill Drama School in Connecticut, Circle in the Square in New York, The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London and The British American Drama Academy at Oxford University in England.

KRYSTAL GREATHOUSE is a fashion retail shopgirl by day and a Netflix n' chill type by night. She CANNOT WAIT for the Steger's film to be released! While you're keeping up with their latest project, you should swing by her Instagram @_kgvintage

SHANA HILTON ROGERS has been a long time friend and supporter of Brandee's since college. Shana grew up in a small town in Manning, South Carolina. After graduating from college with a bachelors degree in media arts she decided to move to California to work in television production. She started working in post production as a logger & transcriber on reality shows and eventually became an assistant editor.  She is a proud mom of two boys. 

 

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