Bad Religion
Phoenix, Arizona | Film Short
Thriller, Drama
Following the death of his Mother, a seminarian named Ryan has a crisis of faith that grants him a meeting with the Devil, who offers to bring his Mother back, at the cost of his soul. Ryan is forced to face his past and his overreliance on his Mother to decide how or if to move forward without her.
Bad Religion
Phoenix, Arizona | Film Short
Thriller, Drama
1 Campaigns | Arizona, United States
21 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$1,735
Goal: $5,100 for production
Following the death of his Mother, a seminarian named Ryan has a crisis of faith that grants him a meeting with the Devil, who offers to bring his Mother back, at the cost of his soul. Ryan is forced to face his past and his overreliance on his Mother to decide how or if to move forward without her.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Bad Religion utilizes supernatural elements and religious symbols to tell the story of a young seminarian and his struggle with a loss of faith and the journey to revive it. The film aims to relate to the feeling of doubt in oneself and the crippling effects it has by using visual symbolism, such as the Devil representing Ryan's Doubt and his Mother representing holding onto the past. Visuals like the church, rosaries, and the crucifix are meant to represent power from above and its relation to us below, and how that power can show the truth in yourself.
The Story:
Our story starts with Ryan, a seminarian, at the foot of his mother's bed as she takes her last breaths in life. He tells her how he feels that he cannot go on without her, and that becoming a priest would be impossible without her by his side. She gives some comforting words of wisdom and says how it is her time, that god has a plan for all of us, and this was hers. Slowly but surely, Ryan's mother takes her last breath and dies in the hospital. At the funeral, Ryan is approached by a priest and a father figure of sorts to him, Father Beck. Father Beck talks to him about taking his final oath and how to move forward, but Ryan doesn't want to hear any of it. As the funeral procession happens outside the church, Ryan decides to isolate himself inside the church. He pleads with God, asking him why he has done this to him. But God does not answer the call. Instead, the Devil decides to answer. The Devil then proceeds to give Ryan an ultimatum: I can give your mother life again, but it comes at a cost. That cost is Ryan's soul. The Devil takes Ryan on a journey throughout his life, seeing moments he forgot and moments he wished to forget. Will Ryan sell his soul to the Devil? Or will he move on from the past and continue within the present?
Visual style:
The visual style we are aiming for varies depending on the scene and its location. The church scenes will be an oxymoron of sorts, using lots of deep space as well as extreme close-ups. Using this mix of the 2 styles gives us a lot to play with, as well as being a representation of the dissents between Ryan and what lies ahead and conveying the deep emotion of the situation at hand. The outdoor scenes of the funeral procession will be shot in a medium space to show the whole situation with enough depth to convey the emotion. The camera that will be used will be a Sony FX3 for its dynamic usage and usage. The main goal of cinematography is to put the audience in the shoes of the characters. Our goal is to make you feel what you're seeing.
Our team:
Our team consists of many consistent and amazing talents, all of whom are local to the Phoenix, AZ area. Our crew consists of Arizona State University film students, with this project being their senior capstone film. The script was written by Elijah Brown, a writer and director with years of experience. The project will be directed by April Tarango, a director known for her dark and emotional style. Our producer is Gabriel Ortiz, who has worked on many film sets in every job. Dreamy and atmospheric sound will be done by JD Lazo, and cinematography by Killian McCullin.
Just like our crew, the cast of this project is entirely talent from Arizona. The lead, Ryan, is to be played by Jonathan Michaels, a Christian actor who was attracted to the project's themes of faith and loss. The devil will be played by Dorian Rattwel, a Slovenian-American character performer known for his dark and demon-like characters. Ryan's mother will be played by Erika Acuna Kore, a Mexican actress who debuted in Telenovelas and stage performances in Mexico. She will have her first English-language performance debut in this film. Father Beck will be played by James Yaw, a well-known stage performer in the Phoenix area, who has had experience in playing similar roles. The role of Ryan's dad will be played by Keeth Jones, for his commanding and masculine appearance. Finally, Young Ryan will be played by Lucas Moran, a child actor with experience on stages in LA and New York.
Why this story?:
Our world is changing. We live in a world now where the lines between nature and technology can be blurred, with the advent of AI and the sheer power technology has on even the most mundane of everyday tasks and activities. We feel personally that this has made us as human beings feel less and less, well, human. There is a striving and a need to feel primal and internal to who we are. The whole strive for this story is to satisfy the need to feel human in an inhumane time. We want the audience, even for the short time of this film, to forget the modern way and be entranced in a deeply human story about loss, faith, and redemption.
Funds:
The funds from this film will go entirely into production costs. This includes actor pay, location fees, catering, equipment rental, insurance, props, and costuming. Any other funds that were not used or leftover from our budget will also go straight into making sure this film becomes more than just a senior project. After our calculations from budgeting, this film should cost no more than 5,000 dollars, but if we can get certain things for cheaper, we will. Any funds that were left over are going to be used for film festival submissions to make sure that this film has a life beyond our time in film school.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
LED lighting kit for day 2
Costs $150
Comes with set being used, will need to light studio.
Cast pay
Costs $500
Each main actor will be paid $100 dollars for participation. extras will be paid in food and credit
Insurance and remaining production cost
Costs $3,482
$1m GL insurance and locations, each location being about $1,000 each. Also included are contingency and festival submissions.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
April Tarango, Director:
Junior in the Film and Media Production program with
hands-on experience in directing workshops and completing
coursework in the Directing class. Experienced in leading teams
on film sets and in other work environments,
while also collaborating effectively within a crew.
Gabriel Ortiz, Producer:
An incoming Senior within the Film and Media Production program
at Arizona State University. His producing knowledge comes from a combination of coursework learning and salesmanship skills that he learned from his father. He has worked on many student and non-student sets throughout his time at the school, and in almost every job, including editor, production designer, director, producer, script supervisor, sound, gaffer, writer, and AD.
Elijah Brown, Writer:
Elijah has written several screenplays over the years at ASU,
with drama being the primary genre of choice.
Killian McCullin, Cinematographer:
Killian has been the Director of Photography on 5 large crew projects,
several smaller films, and multiple films on the camera team.
Each of those projects was dramatic, requiring a lot of visual tension,
which he was able to deliver.
JD Lazo, Sound:
A junior in the film and media production program who has done a
lot of sound recording and mixing throughout the years. They have
learned on-set sound production, as well as sound mixing. They
currently work for a wrestling company in which they manage
the mixing for their show.
Dave Perez, Editing:
Dave has done a variety of editing projects, including editing training videos
for Walmart employees on using cleaning products, working with a variety
of films for clubs at ASU (Maroon and Gold Entertainment), and producing
and editing a marketing video for a non-profit organization for my Eagle project.
Julian Ambriz III, AD:
Julian has been an AD on multiple short films at ASU. He has experience
working in most on-set roles, allowing him to understand the time it takes
to set up scenes and each shot. He is also a certified SAFE Set Deputy,
which makes him qualified to ensure the set is safe at all times
Maha Alghuraydh, Production Design:
Maha is a third-year Film Media and Production student with a focus on
production design. She has worked in supporting roles on several short films,
especially during her second year, where she explored how sets, props, and
color shape a scene. She discovered she really enjoys this role and chose it
for her capstone. Maha is creative and enjoys collaborating with others on set.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Bad Religion utilizes supernatural elements and religious symbols to tell the story of a young seminarian and his struggle with a loss of faith and the journey to revive it. The film aims to relate to the feeling of doubt in oneself and the crippling effects it has by using visual symbolism, such as the Devil representing Ryan's Doubt and his Mother representing holding onto the past. Visuals like the church, rosaries, and the crucifix are meant to represent power from above and its relation to us below, and how that power can show the truth in yourself.
The Story:
Our story starts with Ryan, a seminarian, at the foot of his mother's bed as she takes her last breaths in life. He tells her how he feels that he cannot go on without her, and that becoming a priest would be impossible without her by his side. She gives some comforting words of wisdom and says how it is her time, that god has a plan for all of us, and this was hers. Slowly but surely, Ryan's mother takes her last breath and dies in the hospital. At the funeral, Ryan is approached by a priest and a father figure of sorts to him, Father Beck. Father Beck talks to him about taking his final oath and how to move forward, but Ryan doesn't want to hear any of it. As the funeral procession happens outside the church, Ryan decides to isolate himself inside the church. He pleads with God, asking him why he has done this to him. But God does not answer the call. Instead, the Devil decides to answer. The Devil then proceeds to give Ryan an ultimatum: I can give your mother life again, but it comes at a cost. That cost is Ryan's soul. The Devil takes Ryan on a journey throughout his life, seeing moments he forgot and moments he wished to forget. Will Ryan sell his soul to the Devil? Or will he move on from the past and continue within the present?
Visual style:
The visual style we are aiming for varies depending on the scene and its location. The church scenes will be an oxymoron of sorts, using lots of deep space as well as extreme close-ups. Using this mix of the 2 styles gives us a lot to play with, as well as being a representation of the dissents between Ryan and what lies ahead and conveying the deep emotion of the situation at hand. The outdoor scenes of the funeral procession will be shot in a medium space to show the whole situation with enough depth to convey the emotion. The camera that will be used will be a Sony FX3 for its dynamic usage and usage. The main goal of cinematography is to put the audience in the shoes of the characters. Our goal is to make you feel what you're seeing.
Our team:
Our team consists of many consistent and amazing talents, all of whom are local to the Phoenix, AZ area. Our crew consists of Arizona State University film students, with this project being their senior capstone film. The script was written by Elijah Brown, a writer and director with years of experience. The project will be directed by April Tarango, a director known for her dark and emotional style. Our producer is Gabriel Ortiz, who has worked on many film sets in every job. Dreamy and atmospheric sound will be done by JD Lazo, and cinematography by Killian McCullin.
Just like our crew, the cast of this project is entirely talent from Arizona. The lead, Ryan, is to be played by Jonathan Michaels, a Christian actor who was attracted to the project's themes of faith and loss. The devil will be played by Dorian Rattwel, a Slovenian-American character performer known for his dark and demon-like characters. Ryan's mother will be played by Erika Acuna Kore, a Mexican actress who debuted in Telenovelas and stage performances in Mexico. She will have her first English-language performance debut in this film. Father Beck will be played by James Yaw, a well-known stage performer in the Phoenix area, who has had experience in playing similar roles. The role of Ryan's dad will be played by Keeth Jones, for his commanding and masculine appearance. Finally, Young Ryan will be played by Lucas Moran, a child actor with experience on stages in LA and New York.
Why this story?:
Our world is changing. We live in a world now where the lines between nature and technology can be blurred, with the advent of AI and the sheer power technology has on even the most mundane of everyday tasks and activities. We feel personally that this has made us as human beings feel less and less, well, human. There is a striving and a need to feel primal and internal to who we are. The whole strive for this story is to satisfy the need to feel human in an inhumane time. We want the audience, even for the short time of this film, to forget the modern way and be entranced in a deeply human story about loss, faith, and redemption.
Funds:
The funds from this film will go entirely into production costs. This includes actor pay, location fees, catering, equipment rental, insurance, props, and costuming. Any other funds that were not used or leftover from our budget will also go straight into making sure this film becomes more than just a senior project. After our calculations from budgeting, this film should cost no more than 5,000 dollars, but if we can get certain things for cheaper, we will. Any funds that were left over are going to be used for film festival submissions to make sure that this film has a life beyond our time in film school.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
LED lighting kit for day 2
Costs $150
Comes with set being used, will need to light studio.
Cast pay
Costs $500
Each main actor will be paid $100 dollars for participation. extras will be paid in food and credit
Insurance and remaining production cost
Costs $3,482
$1m GL insurance and locations, each location being about $1,000 each. Also included are contingency and festival submissions.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
April Tarango, Director:
Junior in the Film and Media Production program with
hands-on experience in directing workshops and completing
coursework in the Directing class. Experienced in leading teams
on film sets and in other work environments,
while also collaborating effectively within a crew.
Gabriel Ortiz, Producer:
An incoming Senior within the Film and Media Production program
at Arizona State University. His producing knowledge comes from a combination of coursework learning and salesmanship skills that he learned from his father. He has worked on many student and non-student sets throughout his time at the school, and in almost every job, including editor, production designer, director, producer, script supervisor, sound, gaffer, writer, and AD.
Elijah Brown, Writer:
Elijah has written several screenplays over the years at ASU,
with drama being the primary genre of choice.
Killian McCullin, Cinematographer:
Killian has been the Director of Photography on 5 large crew projects,
several smaller films, and multiple films on the camera team.
Each of those projects was dramatic, requiring a lot of visual tension,
which he was able to deliver.
JD Lazo, Sound:
A junior in the film and media production program who has done a
lot of sound recording and mixing throughout the years. They have
learned on-set sound production, as well as sound mixing. They
currently work for a wrestling company in which they manage
the mixing for their show.
Dave Perez, Editing:
Dave has done a variety of editing projects, including editing training videos
for Walmart employees on using cleaning products, working with a variety
of films for clubs at ASU (Maroon and Gold Entertainment), and producing
and editing a marketing video for a non-profit organization for my Eagle project.
Julian Ambriz III, AD:
Julian has been an AD on multiple short films at ASU. He has experience
working in most on-set roles, allowing him to understand the time it takes
to set up scenes and each shot. He is also a certified SAFE Set Deputy,
which makes him qualified to ensure the set is safe at all times
Maha Alghuraydh, Production Design:
Maha is a third-year Film Media and Production student with a focus on
production design. She has worked in supporting roles on several short films,
especially during her second year, where she explored how sets, props, and
color shape a scene. She discovered she really enjoys this role and chose it
for her capstone. Maha is creative and enjoys collaborating with others on set.