All You Have Is Love: Demand, Deception, and the Infant Adoption Industry
Los Angeles, California | Film Feature
Documentary
We will explore the challenges of an unplanned pregnancy and examine the coercive tactics used to persuade mothers to relinquish their infants. Now is the time to take a look at the infant adoption industry and ask the question: is it ethical to destroy one family to create another?
All You Have Is Love: Demand, Deception, and the Infant Adoption Industry
Los Angeles, California | Film Feature
Documentary
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $27,000 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
120 supporters | followers
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We will explore the challenges of an unplanned pregnancy and examine the coercive tactics used to persuade mothers to relinquish their infants. Now is the time to take a look at the infant adoption industry and ask the question: is it ethical to destroy one family to create another?
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Infant adoption has long been big business in the U.S. A typical domestic infant adoption runs between $40,000 and $70,000. Adoption entities - crisis pregnancy centers, agencies, lawyers, social workers and independent facilitators - may all profit from a finalized adoption. And the demand is huge! Each year, close to two million hopeful adoptive parents throw their well-crafted picture-perfect profiles into the adoption arena, hoping to be the chosen ones.
However, fewer than one percent of all pregnancies result in adoption. This means that most hoping to adopt will not. This also means that a lot of money is left on the table. So how does an industry survive with an inadequate supply? The answer: Rebrand with the promise of a "modern adoption." Then find resourceless women and convince them that their babies are better off being raised by someone with more to give.
All You Have Is Love will explore the challenges of an unplanned pregnancy and expose the tactics used to convince resourceless women to relinquish their babies. Most people assume that adoption is about finding parents for children, when in fact, the industry's focus is on finding children for parents.
The film will ask the question: Is it ethical to destroy one family to create another?
Through interviews with birth family members, industry professionals and reform advocates, this film will reveal the adoption process that so often exploits expectant mothers. We will identify the various entities in the industry pipeline, expose
the myth of "open" adoption and highlight a handful of devoted family preservation advocates.
Finally, we will present community-based solutions and evaluate proposed reforms that will place the focus on family preservation.
If this campaign is a success, we will be able to accomplish our summer shooting schedule. We will then have enough footage for a rough cut which will help us secure further funding. We are confident that our multi-stage fundraising plan will be successful and our film will be ready for distribution in the spring of 2024.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Production Crew
Costs $8,000
We have first-rate professional crew members ready to get started!
Travel
Costs $3,000
To thoroughly tell this story, we will be traveling to several different locations.
equipment purchase/rentals
Costs $5,000
We need memory cards, storage drives, lighting gear and some camera rentals.
Soundtrack Music
Costs $3,000
We need to license music.
Editor
Costs $4,000
We need to hire a post-production team.
Production Supervisor
Costs $1,000
We need to feed the crew during production.
Locations
Costs $1,000
We will need to rent studio space to conduct interviews.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Lisa Elaine Scott, writer/producer/director, received an undergraduate degree in secondary education from the University of Maryland, College Park, an MA in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution and Peace Building from California State University, Dominguez Hills and an MFA in Film from Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles. She spent several years in post-production at E! Entertainment Television and the American Film Institute. From there, she moved into production, and her credits range from production assistant to director.
Barry Seybert, Director of Photography, is an accomplished cinematographer with a long list of credits. From TV to feature films to live sporting events, Barry has worked on projects for AMC, the NFL Network, ESPN and the Discovery Channel. His vast experience includes SteadiCam operator and robotic camera operator.
Nihan Yesil, composer, is an award-winning sound artist. After her M.M. in Composition (UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance), she received her M.F.A. in Sound Design (UMKC Theatre). Her music has been performed in various venues, festivals, and artist residencies across the U.S. and Europe.
Renee Gelin, consultant, is the founder of Saving Our Sisters, a thriving non-profit family preservation first organization that helps mothers find the resources necessary to parent their children. After losing her son to a devastating unnecessary adoption, Renee discovered her purpose – to prevent other unnecessary separations by helping new mothers and fathers find the resources to preserve their families.
Katie Burns, consultant, is a first mom from Atlanta who has become a family preservation supporter and board member at her local crisis center. She has participated in podcasts, blogging and legislative lobbying on behalf of family preservation. In response to expectant mothers lacking resources, she created the page The Family Preservation Project, which works in conjunction with Saving Our Sisters. She is also a co-founder of Adoption Surveys.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Infant adoption has long been big business in the U.S. A typical domestic infant adoption runs between $40,000 and $70,000. Adoption entities - crisis pregnancy centers, agencies, lawyers, social workers and independent facilitators - may all profit from a finalized adoption. And the demand is huge! Each year, close to two million hopeful adoptive parents throw their well-crafted picture-perfect profiles into the adoption arena, hoping to be the chosen ones.
However, fewer than one percent of all pregnancies result in adoption. This means that most hoping to adopt will not. This also means that a lot of money is left on the table. So how does an industry survive with an inadequate supply? The answer: Rebrand with the promise of a "modern adoption." Then find resourceless women and convince them that their babies are better off being raised by someone with more to give.
All You Have Is Love will explore the challenges of an unplanned pregnancy and expose the tactics used to convince resourceless women to relinquish their babies. Most people assume that adoption is about finding parents for children, when in fact, the industry's focus is on finding children for parents.
The film will ask the question: Is it ethical to destroy one family to create another?
Through interviews with birth family members, industry professionals and reform advocates, this film will reveal the adoption process that so often exploits expectant mothers. We will identify the various entities in the industry pipeline, expose
the myth of "open" adoption and highlight a handful of devoted family preservation advocates.
Finally, we will present community-based solutions and evaluate proposed reforms that will place the focus on family preservation.
If this campaign is a success, we will be able to accomplish our summer shooting schedule. We will then have enough footage for a rough cut which will help us secure further funding. We are confident that our multi-stage fundraising plan will be successful and our film will be ready for distribution in the spring of 2024.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Production Crew
Costs $8,000
We have first-rate professional crew members ready to get started!
Travel
Costs $3,000
To thoroughly tell this story, we will be traveling to several different locations.
equipment purchase/rentals
Costs $5,000
We need memory cards, storage drives, lighting gear and some camera rentals.
Soundtrack Music
Costs $3,000
We need to license music.
Editor
Costs $4,000
We need to hire a post-production team.
Production Supervisor
Costs $1,000
We need to feed the crew during production.
Locations
Costs $1,000
We will need to rent studio space to conduct interviews.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Lisa Elaine Scott, writer/producer/director, received an undergraduate degree in secondary education from the University of Maryland, College Park, an MA in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution and Peace Building from California State University, Dominguez Hills and an MFA in Film from Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles. She spent several years in post-production at E! Entertainment Television and the American Film Institute. From there, she moved into production, and her credits range from production assistant to director.
Barry Seybert, Director of Photography, is an accomplished cinematographer with a long list of credits. From TV to feature films to live sporting events, Barry has worked on projects for AMC, the NFL Network, ESPN and the Discovery Channel. His vast experience includes SteadiCam operator and robotic camera operator.
Nihan Yesil, composer, is an award-winning sound artist. After her M.M. in Composition (UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance), she received her M.F.A. in Sound Design (UMKC Theatre). Her music has been performed in various venues, festivals, and artist residencies across the U.S. and Europe.
Renee Gelin, consultant, is the founder of Saving Our Sisters, a thriving non-profit family preservation first organization that helps mothers find the resources necessary to parent their children. After losing her son to a devastating unnecessary adoption, Renee discovered her purpose – to prevent other unnecessary separations by helping new mothers and fathers find the resources to preserve their families.
Katie Burns, consultant, is a first mom from Atlanta who has become a family preservation supporter and board member at her local crisis center. She has participated in podcasts, blogging and legislative lobbying on behalf of family preservation. In response to expectant mothers lacking resources, she created the page The Family Preservation Project, which works in conjunction with Saving Our Sisters. She is also a co-founder of Adoption Surveys.