9 to 5: Pilot
New York City, New York | Series
Thriller, Comedy
"9 to 5" is a psych thriller comedy pilot capturing the strangely exhilarating and suffocating experience of becoming an adult in a non-stop world. For a generation questioning success and purpose, this is a story that makes space for the fear, the laughter, and those who help us find our way.
9 to 5: Pilot
New York City, New York | Series
Thriller, Comedy
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
19 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$3,425
Goal: $15,000 for pre-production
"9 to 5" is a psych thriller comedy pilot capturing the strangely exhilarating and suffocating experience of becoming an adult in a non-stop world. For a generation questioning success and purpose, this is a story that makes space for the fear, the laughter, and those who help us find our way.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Everyone knows the corporate office job.
The fluorescent lights.
The endless emails.
The meetings that should have been emails.
The feeling that life was somehow happening somewhere else.
For Mario...
that feeling becomes all. too. real.
Mario is a young office worker stuck in a corporate routine while dreaming of something bigger.
Then he begins hearing an impossible sound.
A thunderous THUD.
No one else hears it.
Not his boss.
Not his coworkers.
Not even Lisa... his most trusted coworker.
As conversations repeat...
people begin to glitch...
and reality starts quietly falling apart...
Mario discovers the office isn't just hiding secrets...
It may not even be real!
When I graduated from NYU, I thought I'd know exactly what my life would look like.
Instead...
I found myself doing what millions of young adults do.
Working.
Paying bills.
Trying to build a creative career.
Wondering if I was falling behind everyone else.
Wondering if I was wasting time.
Wondering if adulthood was supposed to feel like this.
That feeling became 9 to 5.
This isn't about "hating" work, rather about the fear of losing yourself while chasing the life you're trying to build.
Because somewhere between paying rent...
finding purpose...
and comparing ourselves to everyone online...
it's easy to forget that becoming who you are isn't something you're behind on.
It's something you're living through.
I wanted to make the kind of story I needed when I graduated college.
A story that says...
You're not behind. You're becoming.
- 9 to 5 is a story about friendship, love, fear, purpose, and the suffocating yet rewarding and beautiful experience of becoming a young adult. It began as a combination of a short play and a short screenplay I wrote in college in my Playwriting and Screenwriting classes. Ever since its original draft, I explored breaking out of the conformity of society and those who help you along the journey.
- 9 to 5 is modern and genre-bending, combining the uncertainty of becoming an adult and chasing your passions and dreams with a strange, thrilling sci-fi world. It is a story for anyone who is "figuring it out," trying to find their purpose, and wondering whether they are where they are supposed to be.
- That feeling is especially relevant now! For many young adults, the years after college can bring an overwhelming pressure to have everything figured out while still trying to build a life that feels meaningful. We see so much of where everyone else seems to be, and it can become difficult to know whether we are moving forward or falling behind. I believe these years deserve to be explored with more honesty, humor, and imagination.
- At its core, this story gives hope. It focuses on the idea that you are right where you are supposed to be, and that becoming who you are is a process worth living through. Sometimes, the people who love us are the ones who help us find our way back to ourselves.
This campaign will fund the production of a completed 20-minute pilot that will serve as a proof of concept for a larger television series.
Once 9 to 5 is wrapped and ready to go, our goal is to further develop the story, submit to festivals, then implement our various distribution strategies to get the resources we need to bring this series to life.
But the pilot is only the beginning…
As the story continues, Mario, Lisa, and Danielle will begin to uncover more about the strange system they've found themselves trapped in. What started as a ordinary office job, has now become something much bigger, and questioning this system comes with consequences.
The series will thrust us on the journey of figuring out who or what is behind this office, why the characters were targeted to work there, and what can they do the bring an end to this?
The pilot’s purpose is to open the door.
The series asks what happens when we walk through it.
9 to 5
Mario, a relatable, young office worker stuck in a monotonous corporate routine instead of chasing his dreams, starts hearing a strange, echoing “THUD” that no one else seems to notice in his office. As his coworkers glitch, repeat conversations, and ignore increasingly disturbing events, (including a coworker’s apparent death), Mario realizes something is deeply wrong with this environment. A cryptic janitor and an unstable boss hint at a hidden system controlling the office. Reality starts to crack, and after a failed attempt to escape what appears to be a fabricated world, Mario “wakes up” right back at his desk where he started, unsure of what is real. The episode ends with a chilling message from Lisa, (one of his only trusted coworkers) warning him: “DON’T LISTEN TO HER,” as he speaks to her in real life, suggesting multiple layers of reality, and deception, are at play.
Daniel "DJ" Tomalin
Writer • Actor • Producer
"Some guy." (Clearly I wrote this mini bio)
Lighthouse Ladies, LLC
Production Company
"Championing bold independent filmmaking through collaboration."
Sònia Victoria Werner
Producer/Actress
"The CEO behind Lighthouse Ladies. A force. The most well-rounded artist I know."
Toon de Melker
Director
"The Glue. A fearless leader and collaborator helping bring this vision to life."
Matt Liang
Director of Photography
"This guy shoots the most amazing, cinematic stories. Every time."
Mariah Moss
Actress
"Our leading lady. If she's in it, it crushes. Extremely talented and a true professional."
EXPANDED BIOS IN THE TEAM SECTION
We're thrilled to introduce 9 to 5 as Toon de Melker's directorial debut! Bringing together his experience as an award-winning actor, cinematographer, and storyteller, Toon is crafting a visually distinctive world that balances mystery, emotion, and dark humor. His collaborative spirit and cinematic eye make him the ideal director to lead this ambitious pilot.
By supporting us along this journey you are becoming a part of our team and process. We could not do this without your support and all the support from the wonderful community we already have and are currently assembling. Thank you for believing in us and we are so so EXCITED for the future of 9 to 5!!
(The above budget image and mood-board image were made with GenAI - everything else was human made.)
LET'S GET TO WORK!!!!!!!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Visual Operations (Camera and Lighting)
Costs $4,500
Optics are everything here. This covers the equipment to achieve the controlled, corporate visual language we're going for!
Employee Resources (Cast and Crew)
Costs $3,750
Compensation is what helps keep YOU at 9 to 5... nothing else of course...
Workspace Optimization (Production Design and Props)
Costs $2,250
A habitable office is a happy office! An office so nice you don't ever want to leave!
Facility Management (Location and Permits)
Costs $1,500
Upkeep in an office is second to none. Our Janitor ensures that everything is where it's meant to be at ALL times!
Employee Wellness (Craft Services)
Costs $1,200
You simply can NOT work efficiently on an empty stomach. Hydrate. Make sure you are just full enough to work and just hungry enough to excel
Communications (Post Sound Department)
Costs $750
The central THUD of our film & sound scape is everything, and we intend to allocate the proper resources there!
Data Processing (Post Production)
Costs $750
Keep Track of Data is not only about integrity but uploads the safety of the office floor. If you see something, say something!
System Maintenance (Contingency)
Costs $300
At 9 to 5, you are the System. We MUST maintain you. Let us. Maintain. You.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Daniel "DJ" Tomalin
Writer • Actor • Producer
Daniel "DJ" Tomalin is a writer, actor, and producer from just outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts, he earned his B.F.A. in Acting with a concentration in Writing, Directing, and Design, training at both Playwrights Horizons Theatre School and Stonestreet Studios while graduating a year early with Academic Excellence honors.
As an actor, DJ has appeared in projects including The Lawless, in collaboration with Justin Cole Mossa and Bryce Dallas Howard, and Pear, which premiered at SeriesFest and received awards for Best Comedic Digital Short and Best Writing.
Beyond acting, DJ has written, produced, and directed award-winning work, including Thursday Night Live, a sketch comedy show he created to raise funds for his high school drama program, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which earned Best Direction at DramaFest.
9 to 5 is DJ's most personal project to date. A story inspired by the uncertainty of early adulthood and the search for purpose. Through genre-bending storytelling, he hopes to create stories that remind people they aren't alone, and that becoming who you are is part of the journey.
Lighthouse Ladies
Production Company
Lighthouse Ladies is an independent, female-founded production company co-founded by international women working across mediums. The company works across three divisions: Stories, Services, and Society, supporting projects from development through production while creating opportunities for artists to build and lead their own work.
Lighthouse Ladies came onto 9 to 5 early in its development and has helped move the project from an idea into a production. Through producing, development support, industry guidance, and the resources of its creative network, the company has been a key part of building the team and getting the pilot ready to shoot.
9 to 5 is a project that reflects what Lighthouse Ladies does best: helping independent filmmakers develop original work and giving emerging artists the support and infrastructure to actually make it.
Sònia Victoria Werner
Producer • Actress
Sònia Victoria Werner (or Vikki for short) is an actress, producer, and founder. She’s a series regular voice actor on Netflix’s Winx Club: The Magic Is Back, the first performer to bring a Hispanic voice to the role of Flora in the globally distributed series, in addition to her appearances on HBO Max, Buzzfeed, and an upcoming series she showran.
Alongside her acting, Vikki is co-founder and CEO of Lighthouse Ladies, an award-winning, female-founded production company operating across 3 divisions: stories, services, and society. www.lighthouse-ladies.com
Toon de Melker
Director
Toon de Melker is an actor and filmmaker whose passion for visual storytelling has shaped every stage of his creative journey. A graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Toon trained at Playwrights Horizons Theatre School, The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, and Stonestreet Studios, developing a unique perspective from both in front of and behind the camera.
As an actor, Toon has appeared in award-winning short films including One Day, Urgent Care, and Hunt for Serenity. Most recently, he shared the screen with Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore in Pedro Almodóvar's acclaimed film The Room Next Door.
Beyond acting, Toon has built extensive experience in cinematography and production, serving as Director of Photography and Equipment Manager at Stonestreet Studios, where he has shot numerous short films and MicroMovies. His deep understanding of visual language and collaboration makes him the perfect creative partner to bring the world of 9 to 5 to life.
9 to 5 proudly marks Toon's directorial debut, showcasing his cinematic vision in a psychological mystery that blends suspense, heart, and striking visual storytelling!
Matt Liang
Director of Photography
Matt Liang is an award winning NYC/Toronto based cinematographer who grew up in Hong Kong. As a Director of Photography, he has shot various short films, commercials, and music videos. He recently won the ARRI Volker Bahnemann Award for outstanding cinematographer in NYU and has also worked on multiple award winning projects, including films that have been selected for Tribeca Film Festival and New York Short Film Festival. He believes strongly in the power of cinema and the responsibility that comes with it, and he is committed to uplifting Asian stories and drawing artistic inspiration from diverse cultures in order to bring people together.
Mariah Moss
Actress
Mariah Moss is an award-winning actress and NYU Tisch School of the Arts graduate whose professional credits span film, television, theater, musical theater, and new media. She has established herself as a standout performer in the rapidly growing vertical film space, starring in numerous successful vertical series including The Divorced Billionaire Heiress, Love & Blood, and Queen of the Court. Mariah is also a singer and pianist, and continues to expand her creative work as a writer, director, and producer, developing original projects both on and off screen.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Everyone knows the corporate office job.
The fluorescent lights.
The endless emails.
The meetings that should have been emails.
The feeling that life was somehow happening somewhere else.
For Mario...
that feeling becomes all. too. real.
Mario is a young office worker stuck in a corporate routine while dreaming of something bigger.
Then he begins hearing an impossible sound.
A thunderous THUD.
No one else hears it.
Not his boss.
Not his coworkers.
Not even Lisa... his most trusted coworker.
As conversations repeat...
people begin to glitch...
and reality starts quietly falling apart...
Mario discovers the office isn't just hiding secrets...
It may not even be real!
When I graduated from NYU, I thought I'd know exactly what my life would look like.
Instead...
I found myself doing what millions of young adults do.
Working.
Paying bills.
Trying to build a creative career.
Wondering if I was falling behind everyone else.
Wondering if I was wasting time.
Wondering if adulthood was supposed to feel like this.
That feeling became 9 to 5.
This isn't about "hating" work, rather about the fear of losing yourself while chasing the life you're trying to build.
Because somewhere between paying rent...
finding purpose...
and comparing ourselves to everyone online...
it's easy to forget that becoming who you are isn't something you're behind on.
It's something you're living through.
I wanted to make the kind of story I needed when I graduated college.
A story that says...
You're not behind. You're becoming.
- 9 to 5 is a story about friendship, love, fear, purpose, and the suffocating yet rewarding and beautiful experience of becoming a young adult. It began as a combination of a short play and a short screenplay I wrote in college in my Playwriting and Screenwriting classes. Ever since its original draft, I explored breaking out of the conformity of society and those who help you along the journey.
- 9 to 5 is modern and genre-bending, combining the uncertainty of becoming an adult and chasing your passions and dreams with a strange, thrilling sci-fi world. It is a story for anyone who is "figuring it out," trying to find their purpose, and wondering whether they are where they are supposed to be.
- That feeling is especially relevant now! For many young adults, the years after college can bring an overwhelming pressure to have everything figured out while still trying to build a life that feels meaningful. We see so much of where everyone else seems to be, and it can become difficult to know whether we are moving forward or falling behind. I believe these years deserve to be explored with more honesty, humor, and imagination.
- At its core, this story gives hope. It focuses on the idea that you are right where you are supposed to be, and that becoming who you are is a process worth living through. Sometimes, the people who love us are the ones who help us find our way back to ourselves.
This campaign will fund the production of a completed 20-minute pilot that will serve as a proof of concept for a larger television series.
Once 9 to 5 is wrapped and ready to go, our goal is to further develop the story, submit to festivals, then implement our various distribution strategies to get the resources we need to bring this series to life.
But the pilot is only the beginning…
As the story continues, Mario, Lisa, and Danielle will begin to uncover more about the strange system they've found themselves trapped in. What started as a ordinary office job, has now become something much bigger, and questioning this system comes with consequences.
The series will thrust us on the journey of figuring out who or what is behind this office, why the characters were targeted to work there, and what can they do the bring an end to this?
The pilot’s purpose is to open the door.
The series asks what happens when we walk through it.
9 to 5
Mario, a relatable, young office worker stuck in a monotonous corporate routine instead of chasing his dreams, starts hearing a strange, echoing “THUD” that no one else seems to notice in his office. As his coworkers glitch, repeat conversations, and ignore increasingly disturbing events, (including a coworker’s apparent death), Mario realizes something is deeply wrong with this environment. A cryptic janitor and an unstable boss hint at a hidden system controlling the office. Reality starts to crack, and after a failed attempt to escape what appears to be a fabricated world, Mario “wakes up” right back at his desk where he started, unsure of what is real. The episode ends with a chilling message from Lisa, (one of his only trusted coworkers) warning him: “DON’T LISTEN TO HER,” as he speaks to her in real life, suggesting multiple layers of reality, and deception, are at play.
Daniel "DJ" Tomalin
Writer • Actor • Producer
"Some guy." (Clearly I wrote this mini bio)
Lighthouse Ladies, LLC
Production Company
"Championing bold independent filmmaking through collaboration."
Sònia Victoria Werner
Producer/Actress
"The CEO behind Lighthouse Ladies. A force. The most well-rounded artist I know."
Toon de Melker
Director
"The Glue. A fearless leader and collaborator helping bring this vision to life."
Matt Liang
Director of Photography
"This guy shoots the most amazing, cinematic stories. Every time."
Mariah Moss
Actress
"Our leading lady. If she's in it, it crushes. Extremely talented and a true professional."
EXPANDED BIOS IN THE TEAM SECTION
We're thrilled to introduce 9 to 5 as Toon de Melker's directorial debut! Bringing together his experience as an award-winning actor, cinematographer, and storyteller, Toon is crafting a visually distinctive world that balances mystery, emotion, and dark humor. His collaborative spirit and cinematic eye make him the ideal director to lead this ambitious pilot.
By supporting us along this journey you are becoming a part of our team and process. We could not do this without your support and all the support from the wonderful community we already have and are currently assembling. Thank you for believing in us and we are so so EXCITED for the future of 9 to 5!!
(The above budget image and mood-board image were made with GenAI - everything else was human made.)
LET'S GET TO WORK!!!!!!!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Visual Operations (Camera and Lighting)
Costs $4,500
Optics are everything here. This covers the equipment to achieve the controlled, corporate visual language we're going for!
Employee Resources (Cast and Crew)
Costs $3,750
Compensation is what helps keep YOU at 9 to 5... nothing else of course...
Workspace Optimization (Production Design and Props)
Costs $2,250
A habitable office is a happy office! An office so nice you don't ever want to leave!
Facility Management (Location and Permits)
Costs $1,500
Upkeep in an office is second to none. Our Janitor ensures that everything is where it's meant to be at ALL times!
Employee Wellness (Craft Services)
Costs $1,200
You simply can NOT work efficiently on an empty stomach. Hydrate. Make sure you are just full enough to work and just hungry enough to excel
Communications (Post Sound Department)
Costs $750
The central THUD of our film & sound scape is everything, and we intend to allocate the proper resources there!
Data Processing (Post Production)
Costs $750
Keep Track of Data is not only about integrity but uploads the safety of the office floor. If you see something, say something!
System Maintenance (Contingency)
Costs $300
At 9 to 5, you are the System. We MUST maintain you. Let us. Maintain. You.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Daniel "DJ" Tomalin
Writer • Actor • Producer
Daniel "DJ" Tomalin is a writer, actor, and producer from just outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts, he earned his B.F.A. in Acting with a concentration in Writing, Directing, and Design, training at both Playwrights Horizons Theatre School and Stonestreet Studios while graduating a year early with Academic Excellence honors.
As an actor, DJ has appeared in projects including The Lawless, in collaboration with Justin Cole Mossa and Bryce Dallas Howard, and Pear, which premiered at SeriesFest and received awards for Best Comedic Digital Short and Best Writing.
Beyond acting, DJ has written, produced, and directed award-winning work, including Thursday Night Live, a sketch comedy show he created to raise funds for his high school drama program, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which earned Best Direction at DramaFest.
9 to 5 is DJ's most personal project to date. A story inspired by the uncertainty of early adulthood and the search for purpose. Through genre-bending storytelling, he hopes to create stories that remind people they aren't alone, and that becoming who you are is part of the journey.
Lighthouse Ladies
Production Company
Lighthouse Ladies is an independent, female-founded production company co-founded by international women working across mediums. The company works across three divisions: Stories, Services, and Society, supporting projects from development through production while creating opportunities for artists to build and lead their own work.
Lighthouse Ladies came onto 9 to 5 early in its development and has helped move the project from an idea into a production. Through producing, development support, industry guidance, and the resources of its creative network, the company has been a key part of building the team and getting the pilot ready to shoot.
9 to 5 is a project that reflects what Lighthouse Ladies does best: helping independent filmmakers develop original work and giving emerging artists the support and infrastructure to actually make it.
Sònia Victoria Werner
Producer • Actress
Sònia Victoria Werner (or Vikki for short) is an actress, producer, and founder. She’s a series regular voice actor on Netflix’s Winx Club: The Magic Is Back, the first performer to bring a Hispanic voice to the role of Flora in the globally distributed series, in addition to her appearances on HBO Max, Buzzfeed, and an upcoming series she showran.
Alongside her acting, Vikki is co-founder and CEO of Lighthouse Ladies, an award-winning, female-founded production company operating across 3 divisions: stories, services, and society. www.lighthouse-ladies.com
Toon de Melker
Director
Toon de Melker is an actor and filmmaker whose passion for visual storytelling has shaped every stage of his creative journey. A graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Toon trained at Playwrights Horizons Theatre School, The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, and Stonestreet Studios, developing a unique perspective from both in front of and behind the camera.
As an actor, Toon has appeared in award-winning short films including One Day, Urgent Care, and Hunt for Serenity. Most recently, he shared the screen with Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore in Pedro Almodóvar's acclaimed film The Room Next Door.
Beyond acting, Toon has built extensive experience in cinematography and production, serving as Director of Photography and Equipment Manager at Stonestreet Studios, where he has shot numerous short films and MicroMovies. His deep understanding of visual language and collaboration makes him the perfect creative partner to bring the world of 9 to 5 to life.
9 to 5 proudly marks Toon's directorial debut, showcasing his cinematic vision in a psychological mystery that blends suspense, heart, and striking visual storytelling!
Matt Liang
Director of Photography
Matt Liang is an award winning NYC/Toronto based cinematographer who grew up in Hong Kong. As a Director of Photography, he has shot various short films, commercials, and music videos. He recently won the ARRI Volker Bahnemann Award for outstanding cinematographer in NYU and has also worked on multiple award winning projects, including films that have been selected for Tribeca Film Festival and New York Short Film Festival. He believes strongly in the power of cinema and the responsibility that comes with it, and he is committed to uplifting Asian stories and drawing artistic inspiration from diverse cultures in order to bring people together.
Mariah Moss
Actress
Mariah Moss is an award-winning actress and NYU Tisch School of the Arts graduate whose professional credits span film, television, theater, musical theater, and new media. She has established herself as a standout performer in the rapidly growing vertical film space, starring in numerous successful vertical series including The Divorced Billionaire Heiress, Love & Blood, and Queen of the Court. Mariah is also a singer and pianist, and continues to expand her creative work as a writer, director, and producer, developing original projects both on and off screen.