A Life Together - Short Film
New York City, New York | Film Short
Comedy, Drama
A Life Together is a short film about a family on the verge of being turned upside-down. Set over one day in both a small-town restaurant and a New York City dive bar, the film explores love, responsibility, the paths we take in life, and where we unexpectedly end up.
A Life Together - Short Film
New York City, New York | Film Short
Comedy, Drama
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
32 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$4,071
Goal: $5,000 for production
A Life Together is a short film about a family on the verge of being turned upside-down. Set over one day in both a small-town restaurant and a New York City dive bar, the film explores love, responsibility, the paths we take in life, and where we unexpectedly end up.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
A Life Together
is a comedy/drama about Maddy, working in her mom’s small-town diner, unsure if she’s ready to go to New York City for a culinary summer program. When her mom reveals that the father she believed was dead her whole life is “lowkey not dead at all” and living in NYC, her world is thrown into chaos. That same night, her dad, a struggling musician onstage at a dive bar, receives news he never could have predicted.
Themes and Inspirations
At the heart of our story is family, unexpected family, sure, but family nonetheless. Writer Michael Ferrell is inspired by shows like Parenthood and This Is Us and films like Little Miss Sunshine, Lady Bird, and Almost Famous.
A Life Together is also about ambition, feeling stuck between hometown comfort and bigger goals in life. For mid-career artists, a lot of us are exploring the issues of reinvention, maintaining happiness and stability with our family while not giving up on our dreams. Our short film explores these issues with a light touch but a grounded reality.
As we move back-and-forth between a small-town diner and a NYC dive bar, funny conversations collide with emotional revelations, showing that we all share the same desires for connection and purpose.
Why This Film?
A Life Together is a contained story that stands on its own, meant for a prestigious festival run, but it's also a proof-of-concept for a feature. This short film is only the beginning, and represents the next step forward for us as filmmakers.
The Filmmakers
Filmmaking married couple Devin Sanchez and Michael Ferrell have made two feature films, Twenty Million People and Laura Gets a Cat. Both films exceeded expectations and screened at some of the best independent film festivals in the world; Cinequest, Raindance, Tallgrass, Cucalorus, Montclair, and many more, picking up awards along the way. They are teaming up with, for the third time, cinematographer Paul Rondeau, known around the indie film world as someone who can elevate any production.
Co-Producers and Cast
They've also teamed up with actors and co-producers Lacy Camp and Darby Camp, real-life mother and daughter, who will play the mother and daughter in A Life Together. Darby Camp has been the star of movies like The Christmas Chronicles, opposite Kurt Russell as Santa Claus, the lead in Clifford the Big Red Dog, and Reese Witherspoon's daughter in Big Little Lies.
For the male lead, actor Michael Stahl-David (Cloverfield, Narcos) will star, giving A Life Together the kind of credibility and prestige that is certain to turn heads.
Rounding out the producing team is Aaron Wertheimer, an award-winning filmmaker and experienced film producer out of Chicago, along with Jason Kravits (Snow White, Only Murders in the Building) and Elizabeth Dement, longtime collaborators with Devin and Michael.
The Plan
A Life Together will be shot over three days, early this summer. The locations have been scouted and secured. The cast and crew is coming together, and Michael and Devin are deep into pre-production as co-directors.
Indie films only happen when communities rally around them. By supporting A Life Together, you're helping a personal, funny, heartfelt story come to life. We believe that stories like this still matter. Thank you for helping us tell this one!
Here's what the budget will be used for during production:
Camera Department
Sound Department
Hair and Make up
Craft Services/Lunch
Talent
Locations
Equipment
Transportation
That's pretty much what it takes!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Wardrobe
Costs $500
The characters in the dive bar in NYC are a little punk rock, albeit "aging punk rock." We need the proper wardrobe to really rock out.
Transportation
Costs $400
We're shooting this film in NJ, a good drive away from the city, therefore we need money for transporting our stars from NYC to the burbs.
Crew
Costs $3,000
The biggest expense in making a film is the crew, the labor, the team. Help us shoot on a professional set and make our film excellent!
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Michael Ferrell - Co-Director, Writer, Co-Producer
Michael is a filmmaker, writer, and actor whose plays have been produced in New York City and Los Angeles. He wrote and directed the feature films Twenty Million People and Laura Gets a Cat. His training includes improv comedy at i.O. in Chicago, acting at The Barrow Group in NYC, and a theatre degree from UNC Greensboro. Michael wanted to be an actor right after "cowboy" when he was about 5. Inspired by his dad's cousin, Conchata Ferrell, who became a real-life mentor as she was making everyone laugh as Berta in Two and a Half Men, Michael never doubted that a life in the arts was possible. More than anything, Michael is a storyteller, who believes in the power of storytelling to bring people together. He also loves soccer and wine.
Devin Sanchez - Co-Director, Co-Producer
Devin is a filmmaker and actor with experience as a stand-up comedian and stunt performer. She co-produced and starred in Twenty Million People and Laura Gets a Cat. Her training includes improv comedy at The PIT, acting at The Barrow Group, and a theatre degree from The University of Wyoming. As a stand-up, she opened for Kevin Nealon in LA. She has over 75 credits as a stunt double on imdb and has worked on high-profile projects like Stranger Things, IF, Fear the Walking Dead, Widow's Bay and many more. After years of on-set experience, Devin is excited to take the lead and direct her own films. She also enjoys watching bull riding.
Lacy Camp, Darby Camp - Co-Producers, Lead Actors
Lacy and Darby are the mother/daughter duo representing the “acting” half of the Camp family while Dad Clark and older sister Ruthie share a love and talent for basketball. Lacy earned a BFA in Acting at UNC Greensboro followed by four seasons of regional theatre tours. Lacy taught high school theatre and continued acting locally for film and television. Darby was always under foot while Lacy was auditioning and quickly showed her gift of acting. By eight years old, Darby booked a role that took the pair from their NC hometown to Hollywood. Since then, the Camp Family has enjoyed traveling to various places watching Darby’s star climb. Darby is best known for Big Little Lies, The Christmas Chronicles and Clifford. She has honed her skills working alongside greats such as Julia Roberts, Sean Penn, Cloris Leachman, Kurt Russell, Goldie Hawn, Margot Robbie, Nicole Kidman, and Reese Witherspoon. Darby and Lacy had the pleasure of sharing a role in When We Last Spoke and look forward to finally sharing the screen! Lacy has appeared in TV shows Outcast, Red Band Society, Vice Principals, Big Little Lies, and the Netflix hit movies Fear Street, among others.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
A Life Together
is a comedy/drama about Maddy, working in her mom’s small-town diner, unsure if she’s ready to go to New York City for a culinary summer program. When her mom reveals that the father she believed was dead her whole life is “lowkey not dead at all” and living in NYC, her world is thrown into chaos. That same night, her dad, a struggling musician onstage at a dive bar, receives news he never could have predicted.
Themes and Inspirations
At the heart of our story is family, unexpected family, sure, but family nonetheless. Writer Michael Ferrell is inspired by shows like Parenthood and This Is Us and films like Little Miss Sunshine, Lady Bird, and Almost Famous.
A Life Together is also about ambition, feeling stuck between hometown comfort and bigger goals in life. For mid-career artists, a lot of us are exploring the issues of reinvention, maintaining happiness and stability with our family while not giving up on our dreams. Our short film explores these issues with a light touch but a grounded reality.
As we move back-and-forth between a small-town diner and a NYC dive bar, funny conversations collide with emotional revelations, showing that we all share the same desires for connection and purpose.
Why This Film?
A Life Together is a contained story that stands on its own, meant for a prestigious festival run, but it's also a proof-of-concept for a feature. This short film is only the beginning, and represents the next step forward for us as filmmakers.
The Filmmakers
Filmmaking married couple Devin Sanchez and Michael Ferrell have made two feature films, Twenty Million People and Laura Gets a Cat. Both films exceeded expectations and screened at some of the best independent film festivals in the world; Cinequest, Raindance, Tallgrass, Cucalorus, Montclair, and many more, picking up awards along the way. They are teaming up with, for the third time, cinematographer Paul Rondeau, known around the indie film world as someone who can elevate any production.
Co-Producers and Cast
They've also teamed up with actors and co-producers Lacy Camp and Darby Camp, real-life mother and daughter, who will play the mother and daughter in A Life Together. Darby Camp has been the star of movies like The Christmas Chronicles, opposite Kurt Russell as Santa Claus, the lead in Clifford the Big Red Dog, and Reese Witherspoon's daughter in Big Little Lies.
For the male lead, actor Michael Stahl-David (Cloverfield, Narcos) will star, giving A Life Together the kind of credibility and prestige that is certain to turn heads.
Rounding out the producing team is Aaron Wertheimer, an award-winning filmmaker and experienced film producer out of Chicago, along with Jason Kravits (Snow White, Only Murders in the Building) and Elizabeth Dement, longtime collaborators with Devin and Michael.
The Plan
A Life Together will be shot over three days, early this summer. The locations have been scouted and secured. The cast and crew is coming together, and Michael and Devin are deep into pre-production as co-directors.
Indie films only happen when communities rally around them. By supporting A Life Together, you're helping a personal, funny, heartfelt story come to life. We believe that stories like this still matter. Thank you for helping us tell this one!
Here's what the budget will be used for during production:
Camera Department
Sound Department
Hair and Make up
Craft Services/Lunch
Talent
Locations
Equipment
Transportation
That's pretty much what it takes!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Wardrobe
Costs $500
The characters in the dive bar in NYC are a little punk rock, albeit "aging punk rock." We need the proper wardrobe to really rock out.
Transportation
Costs $400
We're shooting this film in NJ, a good drive away from the city, therefore we need money for transporting our stars from NYC to the burbs.
Crew
Costs $3,000
The biggest expense in making a film is the crew, the labor, the team. Help us shoot on a professional set and make our film excellent!
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Michael Ferrell - Co-Director, Writer, Co-Producer
Michael is a filmmaker, writer, and actor whose plays have been produced in New York City and Los Angeles. He wrote and directed the feature films Twenty Million People and Laura Gets a Cat. His training includes improv comedy at i.O. in Chicago, acting at The Barrow Group in NYC, and a theatre degree from UNC Greensboro. Michael wanted to be an actor right after "cowboy" when he was about 5. Inspired by his dad's cousin, Conchata Ferrell, who became a real-life mentor as she was making everyone laugh as Berta in Two and a Half Men, Michael never doubted that a life in the arts was possible. More than anything, Michael is a storyteller, who believes in the power of storytelling to bring people together. He also loves soccer and wine.
Devin Sanchez - Co-Director, Co-Producer
Devin is a filmmaker and actor with experience as a stand-up comedian and stunt performer. She co-produced and starred in Twenty Million People and Laura Gets a Cat. Her training includes improv comedy at The PIT, acting at The Barrow Group, and a theatre degree from The University of Wyoming. As a stand-up, she opened for Kevin Nealon in LA. She has over 75 credits as a stunt double on imdb and has worked on high-profile projects like Stranger Things, IF, Fear the Walking Dead, Widow's Bay and many more. After years of on-set experience, Devin is excited to take the lead and direct her own films. She also enjoys watching bull riding.
Lacy Camp, Darby Camp - Co-Producers, Lead Actors
Lacy and Darby are the mother/daughter duo representing the “acting” half of the Camp family while Dad Clark and older sister Ruthie share a love and talent for basketball. Lacy earned a BFA in Acting at UNC Greensboro followed by four seasons of regional theatre tours. Lacy taught high school theatre and continued acting locally for film and television. Darby was always under foot while Lacy was auditioning and quickly showed her gift of acting. By eight years old, Darby booked a role that took the pair from their NC hometown to Hollywood. Since then, the Camp Family has enjoyed traveling to various places watching Darby’s star climb. Darby is best known for Big Little Lies, The Christmas Chronicles and Clifford. She has honed her skills working alongside greats such as Julia Roberts, Sean Penn, Cloris Leachman, Kurt Russell, Goldie Hawn, Margot Robbie, Nicole Kidman, and Reese Witherspoon. Darby and Lacy had the pleasure of sharing a role in When We Last Spoke and look forward to finally sharing the screen! Lacy has appeared in TV shows Outcast, Red Band Society, Vice Principals, Big Little Lies, and the Netflix hit movies Fear Street, among others.