A Forced Exposure - Short Film
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Thriller, Horror
Peri, a quiet observer of the world with a passion for photography, finds a certain beauty in images at night. With an opportunity to exhibit her pictures, she sets out on one last night of shooting, but surreal and unsettling events on the streets of LA threaten to ruin her usual solace.
A Forced Exposure - Short Film
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Thriller, Horror
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $12,750 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
66 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
Peri, a quiet observer of the world with a passion for photography, finds a certain beauty in images at night. With an opportunity to exhibit her pictures, she sets out on one last night of shooting, but surreal and unsettling events on the streets of LA threaten to ruin her usual solace.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
*excerpt from A Forced Exposure Pitch Deck - Image from Drive My Car - Dir. R. Hamaguchi*
A Forced Exposure is a psychological thriller that creates the internal suffering of the protagonist as an external experience for the audience. A short film about a quiet observer of the world : Peri, a night photographer who feels safest in the unseen places left behind. With an opportunity to exhibit her photographs, Peri sets out for one last shot, but surreal and unsettling events threaten her usual solace and bring all of her demons to light.
This film is for artists on the brink, pushing themselves to the edge towards their dreams.
This film is for those who experience anxiety and for those who watch their loved ones navigate internal suffering unseen.
This film is for those who love classic horror tropes and tension that you can cut with a knife.
A Forced Exposure brings the audience into the mind of our protagonist, Peri. With surrealist imagery and classic horror devices, we will experience Peri’s paranoia and fear as she catapults towards her worst case scenario: that she will not be capable of thriving in this world where art, talent and skill aren’t enough.
*excerpt from A Forced Exposure Pitch Deck*
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Film making is the art of collaboration, with many creative minds working together towards making something great. Your belief in this project and this team is the first step of that collaboration. Your financial support will help us bring to light a story that we believe can make an impact for the better. Your support not only helps make this film a reality, but also directly impacts and invigorates the careers of filmmakers and actors. The last few years have been challenging for the film industry, but with great adversity comes the chance to create something new. Now, more than ever, is the time to invest in independent film and budding filmmakers at the start of their journey. Please join our team as we set out on the genre-defying adventure that is
A Forced Exposure
Los Angeles is an expensive city. Period. Making movies is expensive. Period. It is especially expensive making movies in Los Angles as a budding filmmaker at the start of her career. It is important to this team to pay our crew for their labor and contribution. We are looking to raise funds to make this film the best it can be: with top talent creatives in the cast & crew, top of line equipment, and shooting at various locations throughout the city. This guerilla crew is down to clown to make this movie happen, but every donation allows for one less (insert problem here) in production to stress about.
Although better than it has been, there is still massive gender inequity in the film industry. A Forced Exposure is a story about a complex female
character created by a female led, & inclusive crew & cast. With limited opportunities offered to young female filmmakers, we realized :
Sometimes the best way to get an opportunity is to open the damn door yourself.
But You have the key.
*Images & Study from NYFA cir.2018*
*An Excerpt from A Forced Exposure Pitch Deck - Image: The Girl on The Train - Dir. Tate Taylor*
*Excerpt from A Forced Exposure Pitch Deck - Credits below*
PERI - THE PHOTOGRAPHER
*Excerpt from A Forced Exposure Pitch Deck - Credits below*
THE PEOPLE
People have asked "Why a Short Film?" - I believe a short film is the place where filmmakers get to grow, where they get to play and explore without interference. This short film is a small slice of a world and character I hope to continue to build, and this short film is the foundation from which I will build a career as a director and producer. There is great creativity that arises from limitations of time and budget, and I have been dazzled as an audience member by what a filmmaker is able to do with so little. I am hungry for that challenge, and with the incredible collaborators on our team, like D.P Bryce Fortner & Producer Jayne Mclendon, I know we will rise to the challenge. With the incredibly diverse selection of Film Festivals around the world showcasing new, upcoming talent, it's the perfect opportunity to invite the audience into Peri's world and her experience, and hopefully in the process, leave them wanting more.
A Note from the Director :
Movies have been the great love of my life. They have been a sanctuary, an escape, a bridge, and ultimately the seed of my dreams. The person I can thank for truly introducing me to what movies are, and what they could be, is my brother Matt. I have so many memories of sitting on the couch with him watching great films on TCM, or the endless passionate dissections of films driving home from the theater. I have always dreamed of, and have worked towards, being in movies but that passion has bled into a new direction: the dream of creating work myself, and to offer new opportunity to my favorite unseen artists. My brother and I always talked about being a film making duo, and now it's actually here. Collaborating on the script with him, and packing it with shared experiences and inspired by mutual favorite film references, was such a fulfilling, full-circle moment. A Forced Exposure will be a thrilling, unsettling film with dazzling images that is grounded by real experiences and struggles. Anxiety can show up in many forms. I've seen anxiety hinder lives and bring them to a halt. For me, if often presents as a physical experience of the imagined worst case scenario. Peri's experience is an extreme one, but very much rooted in fears of my worst case scenario: that it might become debilitating and get in the way of my dreams. My goal is to bring that physical experience to the audience through devices they/you already know. Throughout the last 15 years, I have had the extreme fortune of working with and learning from some of the best directors, writers, producers and actors in the business. All the while I was soaking it all in and taking notes for when it would be my turn. With your support, this could be the start of my turn. I'm so excited to create this film and I hope you can leave with a better understanding of the silent struggle so many deal with. Thank you for your consideration and generous support of A Forced Exposure. -- Elizabeth McLaughlin (Director & Co-Writer)
A Note from The Writer:
A Forced Exposure is a labor of love by two young people whose calling is storytelling. We love what stories can make us feel and think, and our ultimate purpose is to share that experience with others. Elizabeth and I are thankful for everything that stories have brought to our lives, and we would like to now contribute by putting our ideas, knowledge, and tastes together to produce something for people to enjoy. - Matthew McLaughlin (Co-Writer)
A Note from the Producer:
I have admired Elizabeth as an actor for many years, and am honored to be a part of her directorial debut. I began Houselight in order to produce a friend's play (and then short film adaptation) that I believed in deeply. I have continued to be committed to producing compelling, personal works by first-time or early screenwriters/directors that explore the intricacies of the human psyche. I'm drawn to the captivating images and unsettling events of this psychological thriller that ultimately envelope the audience in the complexities of Peri's internal struggle. A Forced Exposure explores many themes that I am personally invested in as an artist, and also aligns with Houselight's mission statement:
Houselight sets out to produce new works by emerging playwrights and screenwriters as well as reimagined existing works, and hopes to give voice to those who have not yet had the chance to have their story told. We strive to be reckless and daring in our storytelling, while believing that sometimes the quietest voices can be the most powerful. It takes only a little light to tell a story in a simple and compelling way. - Jayne Mclendon (Producer)
Pitch Deck Credits:
SETTING:
-Aftersun - Dir. Charlotte Wells
-It Follows - Dir. David Robert Mitchell
-Candyman - Dir. Nia DaCosta
-Mulhollhand Drive - Dir. David Lynch
-Drive My Car - Dir. Ryusuke Hamaguchi
-Magnolia - Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson
-After Hours - Dir. Martin Scorsese
-Zodiac - Dir. David FIncher
-Gloria Bell - Dir. Sebastian Lelio
PERI:
-Lost River - Dir. Ryan Gosling
-Black Swan - Dir. Darren Aronofsky
-It Follows - Dir. David Robert Mitchell
-Magnolia - Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson
-Pleasure - Dir. Ninja Thyberg
-Sofia Black D'Elia & Saffron
THE PEOPLE:
-Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Dir. Michel Gondry
-Deep Red - Dir. Dario Argento
-Lost Highway - Dir. David Lynch
-Mulholland Drive - Dir. David Lynch
-Matrix Resurrections - Dir. Lana Wachowski
-West Side Story - Dir. Steven Spielberg
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Feed Our Cast & Crew!
Costs $500
Help keep our team nourished and creativity fueled throughout the shoot. Also night shoots? We're gonna need a lot of coffee!
Location Location Location (s)
Costs $1,500
Shooting in LA is expensive especially when booking locations! Looking for an Art Gallery, A Gas Station, A Photography Store etc Intrigued?
Equipment Rentals - Lighting Rigs
Costs $1,500
Let's make sure we can see the damn movie and give our DP the lights of his dreams
Cast & Crew Compensation
Costs $7,000
In film making, Collaboration is everything. This is the gift of compensation for the incredible cast & crew and their creativity
Post Production Bundle - Crew Compensation
Costs $2,500
A four day shoot is just the beginning. Lets go into Post Production with the strongest editor, colorist & sound mixer possible.
The logistic, boring stuff - Permits, Payroll etc
Costs $800
We're crossing all the i's and dotting the t's.
Design is in the details
Costs $1,200
A sturdy budget to build our world from! Covering production design, props, costuming and make-up & hair
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Elizabeth McLaughlin (Director, Producer, Co-Writer) - is an actor and producer, making her directorial debut with A Forced Exposure. Notable acting credits include,The Clique, Amazon's Hand of God, Pretty Little Liars, Dexter, Grand Hotel and many others. She has recently worked as a Producer of The SAG Awards. Connecting to her theatre roots, Elizabeth studied Shakespeare at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Having spent the last 15 years working many jobs on Film & Television sets, she is thrilled to be at the helm of a piece of her own creation.
Jayne McLendon (Producer) - Jayne is an actor, producer & founder of Houselight (www.houselight.org). She recently produced the short film Alive & Well and workshopped The Recovery Project, a devised theatre project in association with Notch Theatre Company. As an actor, favorite theatre credits include Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Northern Stage, Trinity Rep, Detroit Rep, White Heron Theatre, Cherry Lane & The Malibu Playhouse. Other recent credits include "The Changeling", Don't Look Up & Prom Car '91. Jayne received her BFA from NYU Tisch and MFA from Brown/Trinity Rep.
Matthew McLaughlin (Co-Writer) - Matthew is a director and actor based in Los Angeles. He earned his BFA in Theatre direction from UCLA and went on to be a part of many celebrated productions in the LA theatre scene both behind the scenes and center stage. His directorial work includes productions of Lucille Fletcher's Sorry, Wrong Number, Arthur Miller's The Crucible on the stage and a short film adaptation of Harold Pinter's Victoria Station. Notable acting credits include George in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Lewis Carroll in an original adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, and Toby Belch in Twelfth Night . As a writer, Matthew sets out to create a legacy, an anthology of thought-provoking stories that will continue to inspire and provoke thought long after the credits roll or the curtain drops.
Bryce Fortner (Director of Photography) is the visionary cinematographer behind such works as Ingrid Goes West, I Am Your Woman, Portlandia & many more. He is based in Los Angeles.
Claire Leahy (Associate Producer) Claire is Photographer, Director and Producer, whose past clients include Nike, Nordstroms, Casetify, L'Officiel & Dior. She is based in Los Angeles
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
*excerpt from A Forced Exposure Pitch Deck - Image from Drive My Car - Dir. R. Hamaguchi*
A Forced Exposure is a psychological thriller that creates the internal suffering of the protagonist as an external experience for the audience. A short film about a quiet observer of the world : Peri, a night photographer who feels safest in the unseen places left behind. With an opportunity to exhibit her photographs, Peri sets out for one last shot, but surreal and unsettling events threaten her usual solace and bring all of her demons to light.
This film is for artists on the brink, pushing themselves to the edge towards their dreams.
This film is for those who experience anxiety and for those who watch their loved ones navigate internal suffering unseen.
This film is for those who love classic horror tropes and tension that you can cut with a knife.
A Forced Exposure brings the audience into the mind of our protagonist, Peri. With surrealist imagery and classic horror devices, we will experience Peri’s paranoia and fear as she catapults towards her worst case scenario: that she will not be capable of thriving in this world where art, talent and skill aren’t enough.
*excerpt from A Forced Exposure Pitch Deck*
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Film making is the art of collaboration, with many creative minds working together towards making something great. Your belief in this project and this team is the first step of that collaboration. Your financial support will help us bring to light a story that we believe can make an impact for the better. Your support not only helps make this film a reality, but also directly impacts and invigorates the careers of filmmakers and actors. The last few years have been challenging for the film industry, but with great adversity comes the chance to create something new. Now, more than ever, is the time to invest in independent film and budding filmmakers at the start of their journey. Please join our team as we set out on the genre-defying adventure that is
A Forced Exposure
Los Angeles is an expensive city. Period. Making movies is expensive. Period. It is especially expensive making movies in Los Angles as a budding filmmaker at the start of her career. It is important to this team to pay our crew for their labor and contribution. We are looking to raise funds to make this film the best it can be: with top talent creatives in the cast & crew, top of line equipment, and shooting at various locations throughout the city. This guerilla crew is down to clown to make this movie happen, but every donation allows for one less (insert problem here) in production to stress about.
Although better than it has been, there is still massive gender inequity in the film industry. A Forced Exposure is a story about a complex female
character created by a female led, & inclusive crew & cast. With limited opportunities offered to young female filmmakers, we realized :
Sometimes the best way to get an opportunity is to open the damn door yourself.
But You have the key.
*Images & Study from NYFA cir.2018*
*An Excerpt from A Forced Exposure Pitch Deck - Image: The Girl on The Train - Dir. Tate Taylor*
*Excerpt from A Forced Exposure Pitch Deck - Credits below*
PERI - THE PHOTOGRAPHER
*Excerpt from A Forced Exposure Pitch Deck - Credits below*
THE PEOPLE
People have asked "Why a Short Film?" - I believe a short film is the place where filmmakers get to grow, where they get to play and explore without interference. This short film is a small slice of a world and character I hope to continue to build, and this short film is the foundation from which I will build a career as a director and producer. There is great creativity that arises from limitations of time and budget, and I have been dazzled as an audience member by what a filmmaker is able to do with so little. I am hungry for that challenge, and with the incredible collaborators on our team, like D.P Bryce Fortner & Producer Jayne Mclendon, I know we will rise to the challenge. With the incredibly diverse selection of Film Festivals around the world showcasing new, upcoming talent, it's the perfect opportunity to invite the audience into Peri's world and her experience, and hopefully in the process, leave them wanting more.
A Note from the Director :
Movies have been the great love of my life. They have been a sanctuary, an escape, a bridge, and ultimately the seed of my dreams. The person I can thank for truly introducing me to what movies are, and what they could be, is my brother Matt. I have so many memories of sitting on the couch with him watching great films on TCM, or the endless passionate dissections of films driving home from the theater. I have always dreamed of, and have worked towards, being in movies but that passion has bled into a new direction: the dream of creating work myself, and to offer new opportunity to my favorite unseen artists. My brother and I always talked about being a film making duo, and now it's actually here. Collaborating on the script with him, and packing it with shared experiences and inspired by mutual favorite film references, was such a fulfilling, full-circle moment. A Forced Exposure will be a thrilling, unsettling film with dazzling images that is grounded by real experiences and struggles. Anxiety can show up in many forms. I've seen anxiety hinder lives and bring them to a halt. For me, if often presents as a physical experience of the imagined worst case scenario. Peri's experience is an extreme one, but very much rooted in fears of my worst case scenario: that it might become debilitating and get in the way of my dreams. My goal is to bring that physical experience to the audience through devices they/you already know. Throughout the last 15 years, I have had the extreme fortune of working with and learning from some of the best directors, writers, producers and actors in the business. All the while I was soaking it all in and taking notes for when it would be my turn. With your support, this could be the start of my turn. I'm so excited to create this film and I hope you can leave with a better understanding of the silent struggle so many deal with. Thank you for your consideration and generous support of A Forced Exposure. -- Elizabeth McLaughlin (Director & Co-Writer)
A Note from The Writer:
A Forced Exposure is a labor of love by two young people whose calling is storytelling. We love what stories can make us feel and think, and our ultimate purpose is to share that experience with others. Elizabeth and I are thankful for everything that stories have brought to our lives, and we would like to now contribute by putting our ideas, knowledge, and tastes together to produce something for people to enjoy. - Matthew McLaughlin (Co-Writer)
A Note from the Producer:
I have admired Elizabeth as an actor for many years, and am honored to be a part of her directorial debut. I began Houselight in order to produce a friend's play (and then short film adaptation) that I believed in deeply. I have continued to be committed to producing compelling, personal works by first-time or early screenwriters/directors that explore the intricacies of the human psyche. I'm drawn to the captivating images and unsettling events of this psychological thriller that ultimately envelope the audience in the complexities of Peri's internal struggle. A Forced Exposure explores many themes that I am personally invested in as an artist, and also aligns with Houselight's mission statement:
Houselight sets out to produce new works by emerging playwrights and screenwriters as well as reimagined existing works, and hopes to give voice to those who have not yet had the chance to have their story told. We strive to be reckless and daring in our storytelling, while believing that sometimes the quietest voices can be the most powerful. It takes only a little light to tell a story in a simple and compelling way. - Jayne Mclendon (Producer)
Pitch Deck Credits:
SETTING:
-Aftersun - Dir. Charlotte Wells
-It Follows - Dir. David Robert Mitchell
-Candyman - Dir. Nia DaCosta
-Mulhollhand Drive - Dir. David Lynch
-Drive My Car - Dir. Ryusuke Hamaguchi
-Magnolia - Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson
-After Hours - Dir. Martin Scorsese
-Zodiac - Dir. David FIncher
-Gloria Bell - Dir. Sebastian Lelio
PERI:
-Lost River - Dir. Ryan Gosling
-Black Swan - Dir. Darren Aronofsky
-It Follows - Dir. David Robert Mitchell
-Magnolia - Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson
-Pleasure - Dir. Ninja Thyberg
-Sofia Black D'Elia & Saffron
THE PEOPLE:
-Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Dir. Michel Gondry
-Deep Red - Dir. Dario Argento
-Lost Highway - Dir. David Lynch
-Mulholland Drive - Dir. David Lynch
-Matrix Resurrections - Dir. Lana Wachowski
-West Side Story - Dir. Steven Spielberg
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Feed Our Cast & Crew!
Costs $500
Help keep our team nourished and creativity fueled throughout the shoot. Also night shoots? We're gonna need a lot of coffee!
Location Location Location (s)
Costs $1,500
Shooting in LA is expensive especially when booking locations! Looking for an Art Gallery, A Gas Station, A Photography Store etc Intrigued?
Equipment Rentals - Lighting Rigs
Costs $1,500
Let's make sure we can see the damn movie and give our DP the lights of his dreams
Cast & Crew Compensation
Costs $7,000
In film making, Collaboration is everything. This is the gift of compensation for the incredible cast & crew and their creativity
Post Production Bundle - Crew Compensation
Costs $2,500
A four day shoot is just the beginning. Lets go into Post Production with the strongest editor, colorist & sound mixer possible.
The logistic, boring stuff - Permits, Payroll etc
Costs $800
We're crossing all the i's and dotting the t's.
Design is in the details
Costs $1,200
A sturdy budget to build our world from! Covering production design, props, costuming and make-up & hair
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Elizabeth McLaughlin (Director, Producer, Co-Writer) - is an actor and producer, making her directorial debut with A Forced Exposure. Notable acting credits include,The Clique, Amazon's Hand of God, Pretty Little Liars, Dexter, Grand Hotel and many others. She has recently worked as a Producer of The SAG Awards. Connecting to her theatre roots, Elizabeth studied Shakespeare at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Having spent the last 15 years working many jobs on Film & Television sets, she is thrilled to be at the helm of a piece of her own creation.
Jayne McLendon (Producer) - Jayne is an actor, producer & founder of Houselight (www.houselight.org). She recently produced the short film Alive & Well and workshopped The Recovery Project, a devised theatre project in association with Notch Theatre Company. As an actor, favorite theatre credits include Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Northern Stage, Trinity Rep, Detroit Rep, White Heron Theatre, Cherry Lane & The Malibu Playhouse. Other recent credits include "The Changeling", Don't Look Up & Prom Car '91. Jayne received her BFA from NYU Tisch and MFA from Brown/Trinity Rep.
Matthew McLaughlin (Co-Writer) - Matthew is a director and actor based in Los Angeles. He earned his BFA in Theatre direction from UCLA and went on to be a part of many celebrated productions in the LA theatre scene both behind the scenes and center stage. His directorial work includes productions of Lucille Fletcher's Sorry, Wrong Number, Arthur Miller's The Crucible on the stage and a short film adaptation of Harold Pinter's Victoria Station. Notable acting credits include George in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Lewis Carroll in an original adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, and Toby Belch in Twelfth Night . As a writer, Matthew sets out to create a legacy, an anthology of thought-provoking stories that will continue to inspire and provoke thought long after the credits roll or the curtain drops.
Bryce Fortner (Director of Photography) is the visionary cinematographer behind such works as Ingrid Goes West, I Am Your Woman, Portlandia & many more. He is based in Los Angeles.
Claire Leahy (Associate Producer) Claire is Photographer, Director and Producer, whose past clients include Nike, Nordstroms, Casetify, L'Officiel & Dior. She is based in Los Angeles