Are You Kidding me?!
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Horror, LGBTQ
Jordyn is a broke birthday party clown, slowly losing his grip on sanity. In the middle of a gig, he gets a disturbing phone call – his mother is on her deathbed. Now, with -$65 and a Long Island housewife from hell on his back, will he get the cash he needs to fly home to say goodbye to his mom?
Are You Kidding me?!
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Horror, LGBTQ
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $40,000 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
227 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
Jordyn is a broke birthday party clown, slowly losing his grip on sanity. In the middle of a gig, he gets a disturbing phone call – his mother is on her deathbed. Now, with -$65 and a Long Island housewife from hell on his back, will he get the cash he needs to fly home to say goodbye to his mom?
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Hey there! I'm Zachary Solomon, your friendly neighborhood queer Jewish ex-New York City birthday clown. Picture this: from 2014 to 2018, I entertained children and adults all over the Tri-State area at birthday parties, christenings, holiday parties, and even the occasional Bris.
I ultimately deleted most of the photos from my clown era, but I did find some of me absolutely mothering in this pink pony suit
Now, don't let the colorful makeup and oversized shoes fool you – NYC birthday clowns are some of the toughest folks out there. I mean, between dodging traffic on the West Side Highway, dealing with helicopter parents, and surviving rowdy kids who think they're balloon-sword-wielding ninjas, it was a circus in every sense of the word.
actual text thread from when I quit and then my boss texted me hours later
Our bosses would throw us under the bus at the drop of a juggling pin if we so much as sneezed the wrong way at a party. Living paycheck-to-paycheck and barely making rent every month was my reality, and it’s the reality of many Americans to this day. Hell, it’s still my reality. I’m in the film industry, and I spend most of my days pretending to be Captain Planet on TikTok Live to make money.
seriously...it's lucrative but ultimately exhausting and time consuming and I miss the outdoors.
Manifesting that the AMPTP will give SAG-AFTRA a deal that allows actors to earn more, but I digress….
In 2019 as I was driving home from work, I got the news that my mom was moving into hospice. My immediate thought was, “I can’t afford to fly home and miss work.” I was faced with the gut-wrenching dilemma of choosing between saying goodbye to my dying mother and keeping my finances afloat. I chose to be there for her, but that shouldn't even be a choice anyone has to make.
And that terrifying decision, my friends, is how Are You Fucking Kidding Me?! came to be – a film born out of the sheer absurdity of late-stage capitalism. Because, at the end of the day, we're all just clowns trying to keep the party going, dancing through the chaos that is the gig economy, and doing our best to make ends meet.
Are You Fucking Kidding Me?! is the lovechild of Uncut Gems and It with a skosh of American Psycho. It meets at the intersection of grief and gruesome, anxiety and absurdity.
AYFKM?! vision, featuring storyboard images by David Jaffe
AYFKM?! is a character driven film that blends realism and psychological terror. The muted color palette mirrors the characters' harsh reality. Taking inspiration from films like Parasite, Hereditary, and Shiva Baby, we'll evoke tension and dread, using techniques like slow push-ins, zooms, and steadicam shots.
We are a team made up of predominantly queer artists. It is a film for (and by) queer people being crushed under the boot of capitalism. It took me years of being beat down by my boss for me to finally stand up and say enough is enough. If one person can see our film and feel catharsis, then we will have won, diva! When you support this film, you quite literally are taking a stand for workers’ rights, equity and protection.
Here’s an overview of where your pledges will go:
Pledgers will receive some really exciting perks including but not limited to: social media shout-outs, custom sad clown poetry, private Zoom clown workshops, and even in-person clown appearances. After reaching our goal, we aim to begin production as early as November of this year! All proceeds will go towards paying our team, COVID protections, making this film extra spooky and beautiful in post-production, and festival submissions. Any funds raised over our goal will go towards higher wages for our cast and crew, because they deserve it!
Follow, pledge, and share!
For your convenience, I've crafted some social media copy for your tweets (are we still calling them that?) and IG posts.
Feel free to copy and paste!
"I just pledged to help Zachary Solomon make his film #AreYouFuckingKiddingMe?! on @seedandspark! Who’s next?"
"Do you love queer horror movies with sad clowns? SAME! Let's help Zachary Solomon fund his film #AreYouFuckingKiddingMe?! on @seedandspark. Would it kill you to smile?"
"Let's help Zachary Solomon stop being an NPC on TikTok live by funding his film, #AreYouFuckingKiddingMe?! on @seedandspark!"
If you've made it this far, thank you SO much in advance for your support of our film. It means the world to me and our production team. If you can't pledge your hard-earned dollars, please be sure to follow and share our campaign. More followers on Seed&Spark allows us to qualify for Filmmaker Rewards, including waivers for festival submissions, discounted post-production services, and more!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Locations
Costs $5,500
A stunning ballroom and bathroom to shoot in
Cast
Costs $10,000
Paying our incredibly talented cast of actors so the money the big money they deserve!
Lights, Camera, Production
Costs $15,000
To make movie magic!
Hair, Makeup, and Special Effects
Costs $4,000
We gotta look cute and spooky ooky on camera!
Post Pro and Editing
Costs $5,500
Making the final product look stunning and scary!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
ZACHARY SOLOMON - Writer, Producer, "Jordyn"
ZEN PACE - Director
KRISTEN LAFFEY - Producer
RIVKAH REYES - Producer, "Laura"
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Hey there! I'm Zachary Solomon, your friendly neighborhood queer Jewish ex-New York City birthday clown. Picture this: from 2014 to 2018, I entertained children and adults all over the Tri-State area at birthday parties, christenings, holiday parties, and even the occasional Bris.
I ultimately deleted most of the photos from my clown era, but I did find some of me absolutely mothering in this pink pony suit
Now, don't let the colorful makeup and oversized shoes fool you – NYC birthday clowns are some of the toughest folks out there. I mean, between dodging traffic on the West Side Highway, dealing with helicopter parents, and surviving rowdy kids who think they're balloon-sword-wielding ninjas, it was a circus in every sense of the word.
actual text thread from when I quit and then my boss texted me hours later
Our bosses would throw us under the bus at the drop of a juggling pin if we so much as sneezed the wrong way at a party. Living paycheck-to-paycheck and barely making rent every month was my reality, and it’s the reality of many Americans to this day. Hell, it’s still my reality. I’m in the film industry, and I spend most of my days pretending to be Captain Planet on TikTok Live to make money.
seriously...it's lucrative but ultimately exhausting and time consuming and I miss the outdoors.
Manifesting that the AMPTP will give SAG-AFTRA a deal that allows actors to earn more, but I digress….
In 2019 as I was driving home from work, I got the news that my mom was moving into hospice. My immediate thought was, “I can’t afford to fly home and miss work.” I was faced with the gut-wrenching dilemma of choosing between saying goodbye to my dying mother and keeping my finances afloat. I chose to be there for her, but that shouldn't even be a choice anyone has to make.
And that terrifying decision, my friends, is how Are You Fucking Kidding Me?! came to be – a film born out of the sheer absurdity of late-stage capitalism. Because, at the end of the day, we're all just clowns trying to keep the party going, dancing through the chaos that is the gig economy, and doing our best to make ends meet.
Are You Fucking Kidding Me?! is the lovechild of Uncut Gems and It with a skosh of American Psycho. It meets at the intersection of grief and gruesome, anxiety and absurdity.
AYFKM?! vision, featuring storyboard images by David Jaffe
AYFKM?! is a character driven film that blends realism and psychological terror. The muted color palette mirrors the characters' harsh reality. Taking inspiration from films like Parasite, Hereditary, and Shiva Baby, we'll evoke tension and dread, using techniques like slow push-ins, zooms, and steadicam shots.
We are a team made up of predominantly queer artists. It is a film for (and by) queer people being crushed under the boot of capitalism. It took me years of being beat down by my boss for me to finally stand up and say enough is enough. If one person can see our film and feel catharsis, then we will have won, diva! When you support this film, you quite literally are taking a stand for workers’ rights, equity and protection.
Here’s an overview of where your pledges will go:
Pledgers will receive some really exciting perks including but not limited to: social media shout-outs, custom sad clown poetry, private Zoom clown workshops, and even in-person clown appearances. After reaching our goal, we aim to begin production as early as November of this year! All proceeds will go towards paying our team, COVID protections, making this film extra spooky and beautiful in post-production, and festival submissions. Any funds raised over our goal will go towards higher wages for our cast and crew, because they deserve it!
Follow, pledge, and share!
For your convenience, I've crafted some social media copy for your tweets (are we still calling them that?) and IG posts.
Feel free to copy and paste!
"I just pledged to help Zachary Solomon make his film #AreYouFuckingKiddingMe?! on @seedandspark! Who’s next?"
"Do you love queer horror movies with sad clowns? SAME! Let's help Zachary Solomon fund his film #AreYouFuckingKiddingMe?! on @seedandspark. Would it kill you to smile?"
"Let's help Zachary Solomon stop being an NPC on TikTok live by funding his film, #AreYouFuckingKiddingMe?! on @seedandspark!"
If you've made it this far, thank you SO much in advance for your support of our film. It means the world to me and our production team. If you can't pledge your hard-earned dollars, please be sure to follow and share our campaign. More followers on Seed&Spark allows us to qualify for Filmmaker Rewards, including waivers for festival submissions, discounted post-production services, and more!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Locations
Costs $5,500
A stunning ballroom and bathroom to shoot in
Cast
Costs $10,000
Paying our incredibly talented cast of actors so the money the big money they deserve!
Lights, Camera, Production
Costs $15,000
To make movie magic!
Hair, Makeup, and Special Effects
Costs $4,000
We gotta look cute and spooky ooky on camera!
Post Pro and Editing
Costs $5,500
Making the final product look stunning and scary!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
ZACHARY SOLOMON - Writer, Producer, "Jordyn"
ZEN PACE - Director
KRISTEN LAFFEY - Producer
RIVKAH REYES - Producer, "Laura"