Director's Intro:

The After Party is a Twilight Zone-inspired  project that is very near and dear to me.  I am not just a writer/director, but I am a dad of two teen daughters. And I am gravely concerned about the world of addiction they are growing up in. I am watching their friends casually take everything from Adderall to Heroin. I just read in my daughter's social media post that one of her friends died from a drug overdose. It terrifies me. And now I want to scare them. But not in a preachy way. In the way that only I know how - create a compelling story. I want them to see that this world of addiction that we live in is not only hurting them but they are putting others around them at risk. So this project is very personal to me. It's my intervention.

I have decided to use five very strong and diverse female characters to explore different aspects of substance and alcohol abuse.  Why just females? To me, females are the strength of our society. They are now also the most vulnerable group when it comes to alcohol abuse and alcohol-related deaths. See Washington Post article. Their rampant social media use combined with rising alcohol and drug abuse are hindering them from reaching their full potential.  I want to see my girls not only reach for the stars but make it.

By working with the talented actresses we have cast, I have been able to develop the  honest characters who believe they are invincible, but soon discover how wrong they are.  As a generation who was taught everything is possible, it's very disconcerting to find out that there are things stopping it.

Synopsis:

Meet Skye Monroe. Reality Show Star. Social Media Queen. And blissfully unaware of how self-centered she is. The red carpets Skye casually steps on with her Jimmy Choo's, could be said to represent the spilled blood of those she walked on to get where she is today. In Skye's mind a party just is not a party without the Monroe touch. And as long as she is game, the party never ends.

Skye drinks what she wants. Snorts what she wants and takes who she wants.  With every deplorable act Skye does, she believes it makes her more powerful. Someone like Skye doesn't really have friends, but followers - tagging along for every moment of her life thanks to her endless streams of posts covering everything from her morning workout  to her exciting night on the town. 

But for women like Skye, who ultimately are addicted to themselves, there does come a judgement day. And we're not talking the amount of likes on her latest Instagram post. Tonight, Skye will be put on trial for her deeds. Her courtroom is a little dive bar tucked away in the corner of any urban decay, appropriately called, "The After Party." Her jury will be four sophisticated women shooting a game of billiards.              

Style:

Since we are filming a mystery/thriller in the vein of The Twilight Zone, Black Mirror and Tales From the Crypt, stylistically we want to film something contemporary but still pays homage to the series. We feel that lighting played as much of character in each story as did the actors. So we will be shooting in Black and White, which means we will be lighting and costuming the actors for B&W. We also feel lighting will help bring attention to each of the actors as they describe their stories to main character, Skye. We believe this, combined with contemporary camera angles as well as the dialogue will make for a powerful piece. 

The Production:

The After Party has an estimated three-night shooting schedule and is seeking to raise  $16,000 for production, but with Seed&Spark we are greenlit when we reach 80%! 

Although the script is 15 pages, we plan to bring high production value to the project. In order to accomplish this, there will have to be intense pre-production as well as post-production.

Along with a notable cast, we have assembled an experienced crew that is diverse, with women and people of color in most key positions.  Funds that we raise will support all of our departments, from casting, to catering, to camera package rental.  We are shooting on a stage with some green screen which will be a significant portion of our budget.  

Most of our crew and cast are willing to work for lower rates, necessary due to our independent budget. Many of our crew members will be wearing a number different hats..  In short, we have assembled an incredible, passionate crew that will work hard to create a thrillr with a message.

This is also a message we plan to take to more than film festivals. We believe our message is strong enough to bring to MADD as well as other places of intervention. 

We invite to you join us at this party we are about to throw. It's sure to be scary good!