Bartleby
New York City, New York | Film Short
Comedy, Drama
"Bartleby" is a satirical look into modern corporate America through the skewed perspective of the employer. Herman Melville originally wrote "Bartleby, the Scrivener" in 1853, but it's commentary on our work-to-live society is more relevant today than ever before.
Bartleby
New York City, New York | Film Short
Comedy, Drama
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $40,037 for pre-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
119 supporters | followers
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"Bartleby" is a satirical look into modern corporate America through the skewed perspective of the employer. Herman Melville originally wrote "Bartleby, the Scrivener" in 1853, but it's commentary on our work-to-live society is more relevant today than ever before.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Herman Melville’s 1853 novella Bartleby, the Scrivener tells the story of an employer whose world is turned upside down when a mysterious new employee named Bartleby begins to decline various requests by simply stating that he “would prefer not to.” As Bartleby begins to do less and less work, the employer descends into madness trying to figure out what the hell he could mean. Our adaptation brings this iconic story to life in modern times, further exploring the effects of capitalism on the human spirit.
Despite being 171 years old, Bartleby is even more relevant today than it was at the time of publication. The corporate world is more bureaucratic and regimented than ever before, and the jobs within it feel even more obsolete than scrivening. Most job titles nowadays are a combination of synonyms for the words “client,” “health” and “coordinator;" and honestly, their responsibilities can be boiled down to “emails” (as a former “customer success manager” and “office administrative assistant,” we’re acutely aware).
To combat this mundanity, companies whip up the tastiest Kool-Aid imaginable and do everything they can to curate a familial façade in the office. This was bad enough when people were in-office, but in the Covid world where working from home is the norm, separating the self from the workplace is almost impossible. Employees are expected to spend an indefinite number of hours working across Salesforce, Slack, Fleep, and Bullfrog; circling back and dotting “Ts” and crossing “Is” over Zoom meetings that should’ve just been emails. Bottom line, most people would rather bite off their tongue than talk about their job.
Visually, our two main influences are The Coen Brothers and Wes Anderson. We know it’s critically important that this tone has a dry and matter-of-fact tone, but through the lens of the uncanny valley that Melville so incredibly captured with the sword’s mightiest foe.
Here are some examples from our pitch deck:
The New York Foundation for the Arts empowers the creative community by providing critical support, resources, and opportunities; and for us, they have done just that! We are a fiscally sponsored project with NYFA: Fiscal sponsorship allows individual artists and emerging arts organizations raise funds using NYFA’s 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status; that means donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
We have worked with Wild Geese Productions LLC on a previous project as actors, writers, and co-producers and are thrilled to team up with them again for this project. With their tagline being: “A production company for the stage and screen with a focus on the absurd”, we knew there was no one else for the job.
Unfortunately, corporate America is still a boy's club; that’s why it’s important to attack this monster with a less narrow-minded team. Wild Geese Productions are a company founded by women that ensures film sets aren’t full of people that only look like us. They’ve helped us bring on an incredible team and we couldn’t be more excited work with them again.
Excellent Question! Here’s a breakdown of our Production Budget:
This brings our subtotal to $41,815. We've added at 10% contingency, however, which brings the total production budget up to $ 45,996.50.
A few things! Here they are:
- Ours is a film (Bartleby, the scrivener is a 42 page novella)
- Ours is a modern update, the original takes place in 1853
- Rather than at a law office on Wall St., our Bartleby takes place at a home office of a cryptocurrency mining company
- We’ve aged it down to reflect the contemporary workplace
( The original office consists of a 50 year-old, 60 year-old, 25 year-old, a 12 year-old errand boy, and Bartleby… so, not exactly modern-day Wall-Streeters )
We’ve stayed true to the tone Herman Melville set–he was spot on, after all–but our personal experience in the capitalist nightmare we live in called ‘The Real World’ comes with slightly different problems than 171 years ago.
So, where are we in the process? We’re currently putting the finishing touches on our incredible cast and crew!
Once this fundraiser is finished, we will secure a location where we will film in June. After than we will send the film off to post-production.
We plan on hosting the world premier of Bartleby at the end of 2024.
Does it sound like you would prefer not to too? Then please, follow us on Instagram and Facebook and help spread the word!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Location - Apartment
Costs $3,000
The entire film takes place in essentially one location: The Boss's home office. If we don't have the right location, we don't have a film.
Catering
Costs $4,500
We can't work if we don't eat; we can't eat we don't work - therefore, by the transitive property, we can't make the film if we can't eat.
Insurance
Costs $1,500
Would you drive a car without insurance? Well.. you shouldn't. You shouldn't make a movie without it either! We all know: things go wrong.
Director of Photography
Costs $2,400
A film is literally impossible without a DP - especially this one. The cinematography will make or break this film, so we need the best.
Editor
Costs $5,000
Shooting the film is only half the battle; we need our editor to be on exactly the same page as us during post-production. It is not cheap.
The Cast!
Costs $4,350
Would you prefer to see a movie with absolutely no one in it and where nothing happens because there aren't any actors? We'd prefer not to.
The Crew
Costs $14,000
A movie inherently wouldn't be a movie if there weren't anyone to shoot it. The DP is a team player, so we need a team.
Equipment
Costs $7,340
It would just be silly to get all these actors and crew on set without anything to make the movie with. We like to hangout, but still.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Gray and Robin met in 2015 at Vassar College while simultaneously under the illusion that tennis is the be-all and end-all of life. Now, they would prefer not to.
They are coming together now, in 2024 (in Brooklyn, this time) to create this modern interpretation of Herman Melville's 1853 Novella, Bartleby The Scrivener.
Gray Thurstone
Gray studied acting at the Yale School of Drama Summer Session in 2017 and graduated from the 3-year conservatory at The Stella Adler Studio of Acting in 2022. Since then, he has produced the play The Night Alive at The Chain Theatre (2022). He also co-wrote and acted in the 2023 Wild Geese Productions LLC on-going project Trauma School. Additionally, he co-wrote and acted in the 2023 award winning short film, Space Car 3: Out of Bounds. He is also an Associate Office Records Manager at The Chain Theatre.
Robin Drummond
Robin began his career in corporate America as a biotechnical recruiter before transitioning to customer success in the ad-tech industry. During his tenure, he was able to master the art of emailing and circling back and became proficient in Excel (but don’t ask him about it). Since deciding to pursue his passion for screenwriting, he’s finished several independent projects while working as a tennis coach. He also co-wrote and acted in Trauma School, an ongoing project from Wild Geese Productions LLC. He is also an Associate Office Records Manager at The Chain Theatre.
Molly Ehrenberg-Peters
Molly Ehrenberg-Peters is an actor, director, and producer originally from the UK and now based in NYC. Molly’s acting experience spans across the stage, radio, and screen–including for the BBC. In 2022, Molly embarked on her producing debut with “The Night Alive” by Conor McPherson at the Chain Theatre, a sold-out production which received rave reviews. She is a co-creator of Wild Geese Productions and executive producer of their tv series “Trauma School.” Molly is also working with Good Shout Productions as a producer and director; shooting for their third short film “In the Dark” continues in California in April 2024.
The New York Foundation for the Arts:
This is a fiscally sponsored project by The New York Foundation for the Arts, which means all donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Herman Melville’s 1853 novella Bartleby, the Scrivener tells the story of an employer whose world is turned upside down when a mysterious new employee named Bartleby begins to decline various requests by simply stating that he “would prefer not to.” As Bartleby begins to do less and less work, the employer descends into madness trying to figure out what the hell he could mean. Our adaptation brings this iconic story to life in modern times, further exploring the effects of capitalism on the human spirit.
Despite being 171 years old, Bartleby is even more relevant today than it was at the time of publication. The corporate world is more bureaucratic and regimented than ever before, and the jobs within it feel even more obsolete than scrivening. Most job titles nowadays are a combination of synonyms for the words “client,” “health” and “coordinator;" and honestly, their responsibilities can be boiled down to “emails” (as a former “customer success manager” and “office administrative assistant,” we’re acutely aware).
To combat this mundanity, companies whip up the tastiest Kool-Aid imaginable and do everything they can to curate a familial façade in the office. This was bad enough when people were in-office, but in the Covid world where working from home is the norm, separating the self from the workplace is almost impossible. Employees are expected to spend an indefinite number of hours working across Salesforce, Slack, Fleep, and Bullfrog; circling back and dotting “Ts” and crossing “Is” over Zoom meetings that should’ve just been emails. Bottom line, most people would rather bite off their tongue than talk about their job.
Visually, our two main influences are The Coen Brothers and Wes Anderson. We know it’s critically important that this tone has a dry and matter-of-fact tone, but through the lens of the uncanny valley that Melville so incredibly captured with the sword’s mightiest foe.
Here are some examples from our pitch deck:
The New York Foundation for the Arts empowers the creative community by providing critical support, resources, and opportunities; and for us, they have done just that! We are a fiscally sponsored project with NYFA: Fiscal sponsorship allows individual artists and emerging arts organizations raise funds using NYFA’s 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status; that means donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
We have worked with Wild Geese Productions LLC on a previous project as actors, writers, and co-producers and are thrilled to team up with them again for this project. With their tagline being: “A production company for the stage and screen with a focus on the absurd”, we knew there was no one else for the job.
Unfortunately, corporate America is still a boy's club; that’s why it’s important to attack this monster with a less narrow-minded team. Wild Geese Productions are a company founded by women that ensures film sets aren’t full of people that only look like us. They’ve helped us bring on an incredible team and we couldn’t be more excited work with them again.
Excellent Question! Here’s a breakdown of our Production Budget:
This brings our subtotal to $41,815. We've added at 10% contingency, however, which brings the total production budget up to $ 45,996.50.
A few things! Here they are:
- Ours is a film (Bartleby, the scrivener is a 42 page novella)
- Ours is a modern update, the original takes place in 1853
- Rather than at a law office on Wall St., our Bartleby takes place at a home office of a cryptocurrency mining company
- We’ve aged it down to reflect the contemporary workplace
( The original office consists of a 50 year-old, 60 year-old, 25 year-old, a 12 year-old errand boy, and Bartleby… so, not exactly modern-day Wall-Streeters )
We’ve stayed true to the tone Herman Melville set–he was spot on, after all–but our personal experience in the capitalist nightmare we live in called ‘The Real World’ comes with slightly different problems than 171 years ago.
So, where are we in the process? We’re currently putting the finishing touches on our incredible cast and crew!
Once this fundraiser is finished, we will secure a location where we will film in June. After than we will send the film off to post-production.
We plan on hosting the world premier of Bartleby at the end of 2024.
Does it sound like you would prefer not to too? Then please, follow us on Instagram and Facebook and help spread the word!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Location - Apartment
Costs $3,000
The entire film takes place in essentially one location: The Boss's home office. If we don't have the right location, we don't have a film.
Catering
Costs $4,500
We can't work if we don't eat; we can't eat we don't work - therefore, by the transitive property, we can't make the film if we can't eat.
Insurance
Costs $1,500
Would you drive a car without insurance? Well.. you shouldn't. You shouldn't make a movie without it either! We all know: things go wrong.
Director of Photography
Costs $2,400
A film is literally impossible without a DP - especially this one. The cinematography will make or break this film, so we need the best.
Editor
Costs $5,000
Shooting the film is only half the battle; we need our editor to be on exactly the same page as us during post-production. It is not cheap.
The Cast!
Costs $4,350
Would you prefer to see a movie with absolutely no one in it and where nothing happens because there aren't any actors? We'd prefer not to.
The Crew
Costs $14,000
A movie inherently wouldn't be a movie if there weren't anyone to shoot it. The DP is a team player, so we need a team.
Equipment
Costs $7,340
It would just be silly to get all these actors and crew on set without anything to make the movie with. We like to hangout, but still.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Gray and Robin met in 2015 at Vassar College while simultaneously under the illusion that tennis is the be-all and end-all of life. Now, they would prefer not to.
They are coming together now, in 2024 (in Brooklyn, this time) to create this modern interpretation of Herman Melville's 1853 Novella, Bartleby The Scrivener.
Gray Thurstone
Gray studied acting at the Yale School of Drama Summer Session in 2017 and graduated from the 3-year conservatory at The Stella Adler Studio of Acting in 2022. Since then, he has produced the play The Night Alive at The Chain Theatre (2022). He also co-wrote and acted in the 2023 Wild Geese Productions LLC on-going project Trauma School. Additionally, he co-wrote and acted in the 2023 award winning short film, Space Car 3: Out of Bounds. He is also an Associate Office Records Manager at The Chain Theatre.
Robin Drummond
Robin began his career in corporate America as a biotechnical recruiter before transitioning to customer success in the ad-tech industry. During his tenure, he was able to master the art of emailing and circling back and became proficient in Excel (but don’t ask him about it). Since deciding to pursue his passion for screenwriting, he’s finished several independent projects while working as a tennis coach. He also co-wrote and acted in Trauma School, an ongoing project from Wild Geese Productions LLC. He is also an Associate Office Records Manager at The Chain Theatre.
Molly Ehrenberg-Peters
Molly Ehrenberg-Peters is an actor, director, and producer originally from the UK and now based in NYC. Molly’s acting experience spans across the stage, radio, and screen–including for the BBC. In 2022, Molly embarked on her producing debut with “The Night Alive” by Conor McPherson at the Chain Theatre, a sold-out production which received rave reviews. She is a co-creator of Wild Geese Productions and executive producer of their tv series “Trauma School.” Molly is also working with Good Shout Productions as a producer and director; shooting for their third short film “In the Dark” continues in California in April 2024.
The New York Foundation for the Arts:
This is a fiscally sponsored project by The New York Foundation for the Arts, which means all donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.