Acquired Taste
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Comedy, Horror
Acquired Taste follows best friends Georgia and Bianca as they attend a serial killer-themed Halloween dinner party. When Georgia finds something familiar in her soup, the night takes a cannibalistic turn. A female driven horror comedy about friendship, identity, and belonging.
Acquired Taste
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Comedy, Horror
8 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $7,400 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
40 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
Acquired Taste follows best friends Georgia and Bianca as they attend a serial killer-themed Halloween dinner party. When Georgia finds something familiar in her soup, the night takes a cannibalistic turn. A female driven horror comedy about friendship, identity, and belonging.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
You are cordially invited to a very special dinner party....
Acquired Taste follows best friends Georgia and Bianca as they attend a serial killer-themed Halloween dinner party.
Bianca and Georgia are meeting up with their friend Kyle at his coworker Brondon’s house for a serial killer-themed Halloween dinner party. Kyle hasn’t responded about his whereabouts by the time the girls arrive and Georgia is hesitant to attend, however Bianca convinces her to embrace the unknown of the night. They meet their eccentric host Brondon and his equally unique friends, Cheyanne and Jeffrey.
The night takes a turn from uncomfortable to horrifying when Georgia finds something familiar in her soup- and the girls realize they may be dining with cannibals. Acquired taste is a story about identity, belonging, and of course cannibalism. Why cannibalism? Perhaps cannibalism is the ultimate form of power to those with particularly twisted minds, and we are excited to explore that. Acquired Taste equally balances horror and dark comedy to tickle the funny bone and disturb the mind.
 (500 × 100 px).png)
.jpg)
We are excited to work with the talented actors whom we cast through an extensive process. They were selected due to their dynamic abilities to breathe life into our quirky characters.
Acquired Taste is written and directed by Emily Phillips. In the spring of 2020, Emily made a short while attending her film production program at Loyola Marymount University.
The short, Amphibibaby, is about a man who swallows a tadpole and gives birth to a frog. The production process was extremely rewarding and solidified her passion for filmmaking. She's taking everything that she learned from making Amphibibaby and applying it to Acquired Taste. The story will continue an absurd tone that she hopes to carry throughout her directorial work.
Acquired Taste is following a tight timeline.
We have a hard deadline of releasing by this Halloween. To give ourselves enough time to perfect the edit we are shooting at the end of July. We are already well underway with the process of casting, crewing up, securing a location, and sorting every small detail that goes into setting ourselves up for a successful production. Creative decisions are being made each day we near our shoot dates- and some of those decisions are expensive, but well worth the investment.
Our Director Emily and a sneak peak at our location!
We have a $16,500 total budget and our goal is to raise $8,000 through crowdfunding.
This project has its costly elements- a location full of character, knife stunts, specialty props, and special effects makeup. This is on top of basic needs like food, equipment, and paying crew. We are also building festival submission fees into our budget to make sure Acquired Taste gets viewed by the masses!
We have a range of incentives to make contributing even more exciting for you and to show our appreciation for your support.
Incentives start at $10 with a social media shout out on the ONYX instagram. If you have the means to contribute more, incentives include a physical poster and screen/IMDb credit. You can also choose to contribute a custom amount!
Make sure to follow @acquiredtastefilm on instagram for updates!
We are excited to be working with a talented and experienced crew.
It’s been a joy to collaborate with peers and we want to provide them with the resources they need to make the best production possible. We are asking for your support to help us provide these resources. As young filmmakers, it can be difficult to simultaneously make a living, establish oneself in the industry, and take on creative projects. Your support would mean the world because it would allow us to make a film that will help each of us express creativity, gain experience in a supportive environment, and make something that we can share with the world. If you want to learn more about the awesome creatives on the Acquired Taste team, check out the team tab!
Acquired taste is an ONYX Films production.
ONYX films is an all female/non-binary production company that focuses on telling stories from the perspectives of unrepresented folks in the film industry including women, the LGBTQ+ community, and people of color. Emily has had the pleasure of working on many ONYX sets in the lighting and camera department and she can’t wait to step into the role of director with ONYX. ONYX sets are special because they are female-led and there’s a sense that everyone is crucial to the crew and has a voice.
for a second.
Emily here! Writing and directing is my dream and as cheesy as it sounds- working on this project has allowed me to embrace my dream and shed some of the anxiety and imposter syndrome that's been weighing on me. It feels good to take a creative risk, especially after the past two years of simply coping with the unknown of covid and life after graduation.
Amphibibaby crew photo :')
Speaking of covid!
We will continue to take every precaution necessary to ensure that everyone on our crew is safe and healthy. In addition, we are working with a professional stunt coordinator to keep everyone on set safe as we perform stunts.
Words cannot express how much your support means to the whole Acquired Taste team. We are so excited to make this film and to share it with you!
The easiest way for us to be able to achieve our crowdfunding goal is if the word is spread through social media! Please feel free to copy and paste the below text on your social media platforms- and don't forget to tag our Instagram: @acquiredtastefilm
Visit seedandspark.com/fund/acquired-taste-onyx-films to contribute to a cannibalistic horror comedy short film produced by @onyx.films !
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Crafty & Meals
Costs $500
To feed the cast & crew so they have energy to do their best work! (no human flesh will be served)
Crew
Costs $2,000
Our crew are professionals and deserve to be paid a liveable wage for all of their hard work!
Location
Costs $2,000
We are excited to shoot in a beautiful house that is a perfect fit for the story.
Equipment
Costs $500
We need all of the best equipment to allow our DP, Caleb's vision to come to life!
Insurance
Costs $500
We need to make sure that we don't lose money if there are any mishaps on set!
Festivals
Costs $500
This is gonna be our faces when Acquired Taste gets into festivals!
Production Design/SFX Makeup
Costs $750
We don't want to make an ugly film! And we know you don't want to watch one.
Stunts
Costs $750
We need to hire an amazing stunt coordinator in order to carry out our spooky stunts safety!
Post-Production
Costs $500
We need to pay our editors to mix all of our ingredients together to make a wonderful product!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
THE CREW
EMILY PHILLIPS, WRITER & DIRECTOR
Emily Phillips is an LA based filmmaker and recent LMU film production grad. Her goal is to create stories that are both heartfelt and comedic, with an absurdist slant. Her filmmaking journey began in middle school with music videos she forced her friends to star in. It flourished in college where she first stepped foot on set as a grip and she dove into the wonderful world of set lighting. Emily has been with ONYX since 2020 and she wholeheartedly believes in it's mission to create an inclusive environment on set to improve on-screen representation.
JORDAN PFEIFER, PRODUCER
Jordan Pfeifer is the owner, founder and executive producer of ONYX Films LLC, the company that is producing Acquired Taste. She recently graduated from the School of Film and Television at Loyola Marymount University, with an emphasis in directing. However, she got her start doing production design on many film sets. She is a lover of women and believes that the power amongst a group of females is unmatched. She is a huge horror fan, spending her college career interning at companies such as Blumhouse, Ghost House Pictures, and Raimi Productions. Her dream has always been to assemble a group of strong, creative women together to make empowering, inspiring and visceral art.
CALEB GARRETT, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Caleb Garrett is an award-winning Director of Photography based in Los Angeles. His varied shooting styles and adaptable lighting approach have been applied to several genres of narrative and documentary films. With mentoring from several notable and respected cinematographers in the industry Caleb has diluted aspects of photography from several backgrounds. A lifelong interest in the weird and macabre has connected him with the ONYX Films team and more specifically to Director Emily Phillips' vision for Acquired Taste.
MORGAN MONTGOMERY, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
A current MFA candidate at USC's School of Cinematic Arts, Morgan holds a Bachelor of Arts from Loyola Marymount Univeristy in Film and Television Writing and Production. She has a passion for science fiction. The genre is special to her because of its ability to comment on major environmental, political, and technological advancements through examining the possible futures of humanity. Morgan’s focus is on telling female-centric narratives that show women as multi-faceted, flawed, and complex individuals. She is born and raised in California but has family ties to Arkansas and Texas. She has traveled to Cuba and Vietnam to make documentaries. You can find her at the beach, on the golf range, shooting 35mm film, making music, or bingeing the latest TV and movies.
JEREMY OWENS, EDITOR
Jeremy Owens is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University’s School of Film and TV with a focus on the world of post-production and editing. His experience includes editing several award-winning short films and documentaries. Through his work, Jeremy tries to portray topics and issues that are important and personal to him. Outside of the world of film, Jeremy enjoys nature, photography, music, graphic design, and prides himself on being a walking Beatles encyclopedia.
ALARA WORRICK, PRODUCTION DESIGNER
Originally from Ventura, CA, Alara previously earned her AA in film production at Santa Barabara City College, and now is earning her bachelors in film production at CSUN. She has been a production designer on several short films in both Santa Barbara and LA. She loves storytelling through the use of physical space and believes that the environment around a character can tell a lot about who they are. She is excited to be a part of this project and help bring this vision to life!
DANUTA JANISZEWSKI, SCRIPT SUPERVISOR
Danuta Janiszewski (they/them) is a first-gen working-class queer and nonbinary trans writer located in East LA. Hailing from Massachusetts and a very Polish family, Danuta enjoys exploring themes through multicultural contexts. They love humanized villains, magical realism, complex characters and problematic faves. Tiny acts of rebellion and book recommendations are Danuta's love language. They’re a Scorpio.
NADIA STONE, SPECIAL FX MAKEUP ARTIST
Nadia Stone is a makeup artist originally from Chicago, IL, who recently relocated to Los Angeles, CA. Nadia started her freelance career doing event makeup for clients of all ages, races, and genders. She has since expanded her focus to include film, television and special effects. She has worked extensively on editorial photoshoots and music videos, both on site and in studio. Nadia is extremely passionate about creating an inclusive environment for everyone involved with any project she works on. Nadia leads her career by believing that even the biggest dreams you have can be brought to life in front of the camera.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
You are cordially invited to a very special dinner party....
Acquired Taste follows best friends Georgia and Bianca as they attend a serial killer-themed Halloween dinner party.
Bianca and Georgia are meeting up with their friend Kyle at his coworker Brondon’s house for a serial killer-themed Halloween dinner party. Kyle hasn’t responded about his whereabouts by the time the girls arrive and Georgia is hesitant to attend, however Bianca convinces her to embrace the unknown of the night. They meet their eccentric host Brondon and his equally unique friends, Cheyanne and Jeffrey.
The night takes a turn from uncomfortable to horrifying when Georgia finds something familiar in her soup- and the girls realize they may be dining with cannibals. Acquired taste is a story about identity, belonging, and of course cannibalism. Why cannibalism? Perhaps cannibalism is the ultimate form of power to those with particularly twisted minds, and we are excited to explore that. Acquired Taste equally balances horror and dark comedy to tickle the funny bone and disturb the mind.
We are excited to work with the talented actors whom we cast through an extensive process. They were selected due to their dynamic abilities to breathe life into our quirky characters.
Acquired Taste is written and directed by Emily Phillips. In the spring of 2020, Emily made a short while attending her film production program at Loyola Marymount University.
The short, Amphibibaby, is about a man who swallows a tadpole and gives birth to a frog. The production process was extremely rewarding and solidified her passion for filmmaking. She's taking everything that she learned from making Amphibibaby and applying it to Acquired Taste. The story will continue an absurd tone that she hopes to carry throughout her directorial work.
Acquired Taste is following a tight timeline.
We have a hard deadline of releasing by this Halloween. To give ourselves enough time to perfect the edit we are shooting at the end of July. We are already well underway with the process of casting, crewing up, securing a location, and sorting every small detail that goes into setting ourselves up for a successful production. Creative decisions are being made each day we near our shoot dates- and some of those decisions are expensive, but well worth the investment.
Our Director Emily and a sneak peak at our location!
We have a $16,500 total budget and our goal is to raise $8,000 through crowdfunding.
This project has its costly elements- a location full of character, knife stunts, specialty props, and special effects makeup. This is on top of basic needs like food, equipment, and paying crew. We are also building festival submission fees into our budget to make sure Acquired Taste gets viewed by the masses!
We have a range of incentives to make contributing even more exciting for you and to show our appreciation for your support.
Incentives start at $10 with a social media shout out on the ONYX instagram. If you have the means to contribute more, incentives include a physical poster and screen/IMDb credit. You can also choose to contribute a custom amount!
Make sure to follow @acquiredtastefilm on instagram for updates!
We are excited to be working with a talented and experienced crew.
It’s been a joy to collaborate with peers and we want to provide them with the resources they need to make the best production possible. We are asking for your support to help us provide these resources. As young filmmakers, it can be difficult to simultaneously make a living, establish oneself in the industry, and take on creative projects. Your support would mean the world because it would allow us to make a film that will help each of us express creativity, gain experience in a supportive environment, and make something that we can share with the world. If you want to learn more about the awesome creatives on the Acquired Taste team, check out the team tab!
Acquired taste is an ONYX Films production.
ONYX films is an all female/non-binary production company that focuses on telling stories from the perspectives of unrepresented folks in the film industry including women, the LGBTQ+ community, and people of color. Emily has had the pleasure of working on many ONYX sets in the lighting and camera department and she can’t wait to step into the role of director with ONYX. ONYX sets are special because they are female-led and there’s a sense that everyone is crucial to the crew and has a voice.
for a second.
Emily here! Writing and directing is my dream and as cheesy as it sounds- working on this project has allowed me to embrace my dream and shed some of the anxiety and imposter syndrome that's been weighing on me. It feels good to take a creative risk, especially after the past two years of simply coping with the unknown of covid and life after graduation.
Amphibibaby crew photo :')
Speaking of covid!
We will continue to take every precaution necessary to ensure that everyone on our crew is safe and healthy. In addition, we are working with a professional stunt coordinator to keep everyone on set safe as we perform stunts.
Words cannot express how much your support means to the whole Acquired Taste team. We are so excited to make this film and to share it with you!
The easiest way for us to be able to achieve our crowdfunding goal is if the word is spread through social media! Please feel free to copy and paste the below text on your social media platforms- and don't forget to tag our Instagram: @acquiredtastefilm
Visit seedandspark.com/fund/acquired-taste-onyx-films to contribute to a cannibalistic horror comedy short film produced by @onyx.films !
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Crafty & Meals
Costs $500
To feed the cast & crew so they have energy to do their best work! (no human flesh will be served)
Crew
Costs $2,000
Our crew are professionals and deserve to be paid a liveable wage for all of their hard work!
Location
Costs $2,000
We are excited to shoot in a beautiful house that is a perfect fit for the story.
Equipment
Costs $500
We need all of the best equipment to allow our DP, Caleb's vision to come to life!
Insurance
Costs $500
We need to make sure that we don't lose money if there are any mishaps on set!
Festivals
Costs $500
This is gonna be our faces when Acquired Taste gets into festivals!
Production Design/SFX Makeup
Costs $750
We don't want to make an ugly film! And we know you don't want to watch one.
Stunts
Costs $750
We need to hire an amazing stunt coordinator in order to carry out our spooky stunts safety!
Post-Production
Costs $500
We need to pay our editors to mix all of our ingredients together to make a wonderful product!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
THE CREW
EMILY PHILLIPS, WRITER & DIRECTOR
Emily Phillips is an LA based filmmaker and recent LMU film production grad. Her goal is to create stories that are both heartfelt and comedic, with an absurdist slant. Her filmmaking journey began in middle school with music videos she forced her friends to star in. It flourished in college where she first stepped foot on set as a grip and she dove into the wonderful world of set lighting. Emily has been with ONYX since 2020 and she wholeheartedly believes in it's mission to create an inclusive environment on set to improve on-screen representation.
JORDAN PFEIFER, PRODUCER
Jordan Pfeifer is the owner, founder and executive producer of ONYX Films LLC, the company that is producing Acquired Taste. She recently graduated from the School of Film and Television at Loyola Marymount University, with an emphasis in directing. However, she got her start doing production design on many film sets. She is a lover of women and believes that the power amongst a group of females is unmatched. She is a huge horror fan, spending her college career interning at companies such as Blumhouse, Ghost House Pictures, and Raimi Productions. Her dream has always been to assemble a group of strong, creative women together to make empowering, inspiring and visceral art.
CALEB GARRETT, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Caleb Garrett is an award-winning Director of Photography based in Los Angeles. His varied shooting styles and adaptable lighting approach have been applied to several genres of narrative and documentary films. With mentoring from several notable and respected cinematographers in the industry Caleb has diluted aspects of photography from several backgrounds. A lifelong interest in the weird and macabre has connected him with the ONYX Films team and more specifically to Director Emily Phillips' vision for Acquired Taste.
MORGAN MONTGOMERY, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
A current MFA candidate at USC's School of Cinematic Arts, Morgan holds a Bachelor of Arts from Loyola Marymount Univeristy in Film and Television Writing and Production. She has a passion for science fiction. The genre is special to her because of its ability to comment on major environmental, political, and technological advancements through examining the possible futures of humanity. Morgan’s focus is on telling female-centric narratives that show women as multi-faceted, flawed, and complex individuals. She is born and raised in California but has family ties to Arkansas and Texas. She has traveled to Cuba and Vietnam to make documentaries. You can find her at the beach, on the golf range, shooting 35mm film, making music, or bingeing the latest TV and movies.
JEREMY OWENS, EDITOR
Jeremy Owens is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University’s School of Film and TV with a focus on the world of post-production and editing. His experience includes editing several award-winning short films and documentaries. Through his work, Jeremy tries to portray topics and issues that are important and personal to him. Outside of the world of film, Jeremy enjoys nature, photography, music, graphic design, and prides himself on being a walking Beatles encyclopedia.
ALARA WORRICK, PRODUCTION DESIGNER
Originally from Ventura, CA, Alara previously earned her AA in film production at Santa Barabara City College, and now is earning her bachelors in film production at CSUN. She has been a production designer on several short films in both Santa Barbara and LA. She loves storytelling through the use of physical space and believes that the environment around a character can tell a lot about who they are. She is excited to be a part of this project and help bring this vision to life!
DANUTA JANISZEWSKI, SCRIPT SUPERVISOR
Danuta Janiszewski (they/them) is a first-gen working-class queer and nonbinary trans writer located in East LA. Hailing from Massachusetts and a very Polish family, Danuta enjoys exploring themes through multicultural contexts. They love humanized villains, magical realism, complex characters and problematic faves. Tiny acts of rebellion and book recommendations are Danuta's love language. They’re a Scorpio.
NADIA STONE, SPECIAL FX MAKEUP ARTIST
Nadia Stone is a makeup artist originally from Chicago, IL, who recently relocated to Los Angeles, CA. Nadia started her freelance career doing event makeup for clients of all ages, races, and genders. She has since expanded her focus to include film, television and special effects. She has worked extensively on editorial photoshoots and music videos, both on site and in studio. Nadia is extremely passionate about creating an inclusive environment for everyone involved with any project she works on. Nadia leads her career by believing that even the biggest dreams you have can be brought to life in front of the camera.