Agents of Change

Los Angeles, California | Film Short

Comedy, LGBTQ

Shaan Dasani

1 Campaigns | California, United States

Green Light

This campaign raised $35,168 for development. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.

265 supporters | followers

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A secret agent is on a mission to save the future of food, and as a transgender man, save humanity: one gender stereotype at a time! By re-imagining one of the most recognizable male archetypes in the history of media, we aim to probe the narrow expectations society uses to define masculinity.

In Partnership With

About The Project

  • The Story
  • Wishlist
  • Updates
  • The Team
  • Community

Mission Statement

AGENT OF CHANGE attempts to mitigate the need to ask: why isn’t there better representation of trans male characters in the media? We believe “Representation matters…It helps people dream and it helps us see value in the parts of ourselves that overlap with the celebrated parts of others."

The Story

The Series:

 

 

Guy Longoni. Top spy for a secret government agency known as Agricultural Crimes Unit (ACU). Come along on this wild ride with a spy like you’ve never seen before. One who worries about his hairline, his waistline and the line at the juice bar to get his favorite drink. As he puts it, “Kombucha. Don’t shake it!” There’s something else you don’t know about this spy. He’s a transgender man. Based on current media representation, you may not think there is such a thing, but fear not…Guy Longoni is here to save the world, one gender stereotype at a time.

 

The Reason:

We’re convinced that this series, while geared toward the millennial and GenZ LGBTQ audience, can break out of the four-quadrant quagmire by not assuming that stories about white men best represent a universal theme. By parodying one of the most recognizable figures, we also have instant international appeal. We don’t need the old network or tent-pole mentality in this new media world, so get ready for a Bond-ish hero in bite-sized digital niblets. Think of a Guy Longoni episode as your 100-calorie snack pack: downright tasty and leaves you wanting one more. 

 

 

 

 

The Characters: 

GUY LONGONI

Part of the new masculinity, he brings his authentic self to all he does. He tackles gender norms as easily as he tackles bad guys, which is to say, while battling a mid-section bulge and a receding hairline. He is fighting against the boy-men in the media who have a hard time expressing emotion. So yeah, he’s that guy.

 

 

MADAM Z

The only one who knows more about Guy than he knows about himself, she doles out missions for her underfunded government organization, the Agricultural Crimes Unit.

 

 

EVE QUARTERBACK

Tough and precise, she is the yang to Guy’s yin, the south to his north, the fire to his water. As a woman, she must constantly fight to be seen and heard (and promoted) in the spy business. Even below the glass ceiling, she'd take a bullet for Guy, but she'll never laugh at his jokes.

 

 

JACK WHAD

Awash in questionable global practices, Whad wants to help the Agricultural Crimes Unit solve the case of the missing bambaberry in the belief that it will help his genetically modified seeds dominate the market, but now, he may need someone to save him, primarily from himself.

 

 

PUSSY AMORE

Small business owner and health food connoisseur, this self-assured woman has a few skeletons in her closet, which only makes her all the more interesting to a superstar agent-in-training like Guy Longoni.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wishlist

Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.

Cash Pledge

Costs $0

Locations

Costs $1,500

We need cools space to film to make realistic

Camera

Costs $6,000

In order to create the most professional series, we need the best camera equipment.

Catering

Costs $2,500

Keeping the cast and crew energized is important!

Transporation

Costs $1,000

To allow us to get our cast, crew, and needed equipment to set!

Insurance

Costs $1,300

To keep us covered in case of an accident.

Sound

Costs $2,400

An important aspect for our episodes!

Hair & Make up

Costs $2,300

Getting our cast ready for the camera!

Wardrobe

Costs $2,000

Providing our cast with the necessary clothing for their part!

Editor

Costs $3,500

We need to put the series together once it is filmed!

Production Design

Costs $2,300

Bringing the set to life.

Grip and Lighting

Costs $2,000

Renting necessary grip and lighting equipment.

Music Score

Costs $1,200

Hiring a talented composer to create the music for our series!

Props

Costs $2,000

We need cool props to make this possible!

Special Effects

Costs $5,000

A secret agent needs special weapons to protect the world. He'll get those weapons on post!

About This Team

 

Mikki del Monico

Writer/Co-Creator

A lifelong storyteller, Mikki del Monico is currently co-creating Agent of Change, an agricultural secret agent short-form series, and writing a political workbook. He has blogged for The Huffington Post and worked as a writer, film director, editor, personal trainer, and digital media assistant on a ship that sailed the Atlantic Ocean.  His feature film debut, Alto, earned accolades in NYC and LA (and lots of places in between) and is currently available on Amazon, iTunes, and other VoD platforms.  Receiving both a Screenwriting Award and Feature Film Production Grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, del Monico has also directed and edited music videos for the all-female alt-rock band, Antigone Rising.  Currently living in Los Angeles, he’s still just a heartbeat away from another east coast story and is happy to extend the conversation about gender identity, film, and lots of other topics over a good sfogliatelle.  He’d like to help create a world in which art is as important as commerce and gender is just another dimension of self-expression.

 

Jett Garrison

Director

Jett Garrison is a trans identified director & producer whose films have played in over 100 film festivals worldwide & have received global distribution and awards. Some of these accolades include a Student Academy Award (OSCAR) nomination, an EMMY, the Jury Prize at the Bologna International Women's Film Festival, the Audience Award at the Night Gallery Film Festival and a Members Choice award at PlanetOUT.com.   Jett’s work has been broadcast on MTV’s LOGO network and PBS affiliate KLRU.  Jett was selected as one of Film Independent’s Project:Involve fellows.  Through that fellowship, Jett’s work was featured in Vanity Fair and showcased internationally in the W Hotels.  Jett’s work was also sponsored by Banana Republic and NBC/Universal Studios.  Jett was chosen to participate in SONY’s Inaugural Diverse Director’s Program and has shadowed several working television directors. Jett is currently the Creative Director at SixTwo Creative. Current projects include: Director for Agent of Change & Director/Producer on a feature documentary about transgender rights in Texas. Preferred pronouns are he/they.

 

 

 

Shaan Dasani

Actor/Producer 

Shaan Dasani made his LA stage debut in The Blank Theater’s The Not Lesbians (dir. Michael A. Shepperd). He went on to portray multiple characters, from a flirtatious immigrant taxi driver to a loveable in-over-hishead Uber driver, in Teada Productions’ Global Taxi (dir. Leilani Chan). Shaan was cast as Kate in Queer Classic’s rendition of The Taming of the Shrew for the Hollywood Fringe Festival and the following summer as E.Q. in Porno Dido, playwright Sean Graney’s absurdist dark comedy. He had a co-starring role in Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders and has starred in commercials for Google Goals, Wells Fargo, and an ice-cream startup. With an MFA from Chapman University and as a Film Independent Project: Involve alum, he has written and directed over 30 short films, commercials, and music videos, including a short film that screened in front of 40,000 fans for the world-renowned, Oscar-winning composer, A.R. Rahman. Shaan has been a member of the Director’s Guild of America since 2013.

 

Claudia Marino 

Producer

Claudia Marino recently received her BFA in Film and Television Producing from Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University. As a student, Claudia has specialized in short form content and performed multiple management roles including producer, production manager, location manager, and screenwriter. Her films have played in over 40 film festivals. Most notably her Animated film Good Boy has been selected to play in Cannes Animation Film Festival, and has been a finalist at Sony's animation marathon and the Annual USA film festival.  Claudia has worked for various companies including VIACOM, ABC and AMC doing both physical production and developmental work. AGENT OF CHANGE is Claudia's debut as an independent producer.

 

 

Current Team

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