Be the Best Tree
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Film Short
Documentary, Family
Set in a beloved theater camp, Be The Best Tree is about more than one place. It’s about the power of theater—and the urgency of protecting the spaces that help young people become who they are while exploring the legacies of the mentors who make it happen.
Be the Best Tree
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Film Short
Documentary, Family
1 Campaigns | Pennsylvania, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $22,525 for post-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
98 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
Set in a beloved theater camp, Be The Best Tree is about more than one place. It’s about the power of theater—and the urgency of protecting the spaces that help young people become who they are while exploring the legacies of the mentors who make it happen.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Every summer in a small town in Pennsylvania, Performing Arts Camp (PAC) brings together 100+ children ages 7 to 18 to stage nine full productions in just four weeks.
But this camp isn’t about becoming a star.
The phrase “be the best tree” is the mantra the co-founder, Pam, delivers every single year. It means even if you are not the lead role and were only cast as the tree, it is your job to be the very best tree you can be on that stage. It’s about learning to listen, take up space, work as a team, and express yourself with confidence.
Over the years, we’ve heard story after story from alumni who say they still hear the director’s voices — guiding them through life. However, after interviewing over 30 team members, students, and alumni, another theme emerged: Pam is now the backbone of PAC. Her vision, her energy, her fierce love for the work and the kids — it’s what has held this place together for the last 2 decades.
Threaded through the admiration was another constant: quiet concern. What happens when Pam is no longer at the center of it? Will PAC still be PAC? Will it carry the same fire, the same fearlessness?
This film doesn’t pretend to answer those questions — but it does give space for them to be asked. And in that space, we see the real legacy: not just what Pam built, but the way it continues to echo through generations.
Why Now?
PAC was established over in 1988 by Mario Melodia and Pam Gregg to provide young people with an opportunity to experience the performing arts in an intense 4-week program. After Mario's retirement, his daughter-in-law Dianne Melodia continued his legacy and although now retired herself, continues as a valued and enthusiastic advisor. Over the years, the camp has benefited from the dedication of many talented professionals who have devoted years to generations of young performers. Mario passed away in 2008 and Pam turned 81 last year. That’s why we’re making Be the Best Tree now — to explore a legacy that has quietly shaped generations and to capture the spirit of a place where kids learn to be brave on and off the stage. We believe the world needs more of that — and we don’t want this story to be lost.
Why Us?
We were first drawn to this story because our own children were transformed by Pam Gregg and her extraordinary team of directors and choreographers during this unique summer theater camp. We saw firsthand how our children and others gain confidence, creativity, and fearlessness.
As a longtime volunteer for the camp, Valerie witnessed the raw honesty, the tears, the joy — and the profound impact this program has on every child who walks through its doors.
As a filmmaker and artist, Sandra had a vision that connects Be The Best Tree to a larger story—one about how we grow into better human beings and build a more compassionate world together.
What we have so far and where we are headed
Last summer, we took the leap. We invested $10,000 of our own money and raised $9,000 from 36 generous PAC families and alumni who believe in this story as deeply as we do. With over 40 hours of footage and interviews from more than 30 voices — directors, tech crew, staff, students, and alumni — we’ve captured something truly special. Now, we need your help to bring it to life.
Our goal is $21,000
If we reach 80% of our goal ($16,800) our project will get the Greenlight (yay!) and we will receive funds. Your support will fund post-production: image and sound, an original score by one of the camp’s music directors, graphics, licensing, and legal fees.
Our Stretch Goal is an additional $11,000
Our stretch goal of an additional $11,000 will help the film reach wider audiences through festival submissions, distribution, social media management, subtitles and captions, and supporter incentives.
Who are we trying to reach?
- People who grew up doing school plays, running crew, or cheering from the wings.
- Parents of young performers
- Teaching artists
- Those who know the transformative power of the arts
- Anyone who had a mentor who changed their life — a teacher whose voice still echoes in their head, long after the final curtain.
Be the Best Tree shines a light on those mentors — and the magic they create that stays with us forever.
Please Follow, Support and Share!
We chose Seed & Spark as our fundraising platform because they specialize in filmmaking and offer perks to campaigns that build their follower count. There are 3 things you can do to help bring this story to life:
Click on the Follow button - Following our campaign will give you updates from our campaign, including progress reports, sneak peaks, and special events that aren’t currently listed!
The next most amazing thing you can do is support Be The Best Tree! There are a few ways to do this:
- Click “Make a Pledge” to enter a $$ amount of your choice
- If you would like to contribute toward a specific wish list item, Go to the “Wishlist” tab, click on an item, then click “Make a Pledge”
- If you would like to take advantage of the incentives (rewards from US to YOU for supporting!), then go to the Incentives
- located on the right side of the screen on laptop/desktop OR switch from Campaign Details to Incentives tab on a phone or tablet
Our final ask, is to share this campaign and spread the word! Forward this Campaign to your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, mail carrier - the sky is the limit!
Watch our official trailer:
Here are some blurb ideas you can use on your social media or emails:
I’ve seen firsthand how this summer theater camp transforms kids into confident, creative leaders. This documentary captures that magic — and the mentor behind it. Be a part of the magic: www.seedandspark.com/fund/be-the-best-tree
Ever had a teacher or mentor whose voice still lives in your head? This film is about that kind of impact — told through the story of a legendary summer theater camp. Make their voices live on for everyone: www.seedandspark.com/fund/be-the-best-tree
If you love theater—or love someone who does—this doc is for you. It celebrates the power of creative spaces and the mentors who make them thrive.
Be a part of the story: www.seedandspark.com/fund/be-the-best-tree
Supporting a film about a summer theater camp that’s shaped generations. It’s beautiful, honest, and deserves to be seen. Support with me at www.seedandspark.com/fund/be-the-best-tree
Every share helps this legacy live on!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Post Production Editor/Assistant Editor
Costs $4,000
Supports editing time, story consultation, and structuring the narrative of 40+ hours of footage and interviews into a short film
Graphics
Costs $2,000
Additional post-production, including sound effects, animation and graphics, add to the overall quality of the film
Sound Design & Sound Mixer
Costs $4,000
Professional sound design and mixing ensures the film sound comes through clearly whether it is viewed on a device or festival theater.
Composer (Original Score)
Costs $4,000
Tim Heavner, one of PAC’s longtime music directors, will compose the film’s original score.
License Rights
Costs $1,500
This funding helps us pay for the rights to include any songs or references to licensed musicals.
Colorist
Costs $3,000
Color correction ensures the film will have depth and proper color grading regardless of the media used to view it.
Legal Fees
Costs $2,500
We will enlist legal help for contracts, licensing fees, copyrights and more.
Share this update!
About This Team
We’re Sandra Bacchi and Valerie Kahrs, the creative team behind Be the Best Tree.
Sandra is a Brazilian-American visual artist, photographer, and filmmaker whose work explores identity, connection, and belonging. With over 25 years of experience in film and video—including a decade running a production company in Brazil—she has worked as a cinematographer and executive producer, and studied under Academy Award–winning cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond. Since moving to the U.S. in 2012, she has focused on projects rooted in personal narrative and emotional truth. Sandra leads the creative and technical vision of the film, serving as its director, cinematographer, and editor. Her daughter Ana Luiza has attended the Performing Arts Camp (PAC) for years, and the camp’s creative process inspired her to tell this story.
Valerie is a producer, community leader, and longtime PAC parent. Since her son joined the camp in 2019, she’s become an essential part of the costume team and serves as Production Manager for Thom McLaughlin’s annual Edgeworth Club Christmas Play. With a background in engineering and business, Valerie brings a clear-eyed approach to creative logistics, budgeting, and coordination. She also leads several community organizations and supports local school theater programs.
Together, we’re making a film that uses this camp as a lens to explore something bigger: how creativity, mentorship, and high expectations shape who we become. With deep ties to the PAC community and a shared passion for storytelling, we’re excited to bring Be the Best Tree to life.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Every summer in a small town in Pennsylvania, Performing Arts Camp (PAC) brings together 100+ children ages 7 to 18 to stage nine full productions in just four weeks.
But this camp isn’t about becoming a star.
The phrase “be the best tree” is the mantra the co-founder, Pam, delivers every single year. It means even if you are not the lead role and were only cast as the tree, it is your job to be the very best tree you can be on that stage. It’s about learning to listen, take up space, work as a team, and express yourself with confidence.
Over the years, we’ve heard story after story from alumni who say they still hear the director’s voices — guiding them through life. However, after interviewing over 30 team members, students, and alumni, another theme emerged: Pam is now the backbone of PAC. Her vision, her energy, her fierce love for the work and the kids — it’s what has held this place together for the last 2 decades.
Threaded through the admiration was another constant: quiet concern. What happens when Pam is no longer at the center of it? Will PAC still be PAC? Will it carry the same fire, the same fearlessness?
This film doesn’t pretend to answer those questions — but it does give space for them to be asked. And in that space, we see the real legacy: not just what Pam built, but the way it continues to echo through generations.
Why Now?
PAC was established over in 1988 by Mario Melodia and Pam Gregg to provide young people with an opportunity to experience the performing arts in an intense 4-week program. After Mario's retirement, his daughter-in-law Dianne Melodia continued his legacy and although now retired herself, continues as a valued and enthusiastic advisor. Over the years, the camp has benefited from the dedication of many talented professionals who have devoted years to generations of young performers. Mario passed away in 2008 and Pam turned 81 last year. That’s why we’re making Be the Best Tree now — to explore a legacy that has quietly shaped generations and to capture the spirit of a place where kids learn to be brave on and off the stage. We believe the world needs more of that — and we don’t want this story to be lost.
Why Us?
We were first drawn to this story because our own children were transformed by Pam Gregg and her extraordinary team of directors and choreographers during this unique summer theater camp. We saw firsthand how our children and others gain confidence, creativity, and fearlessness.
As a longtime volunteer for the camp, Valerie witnessed the raw honesty, the tears, the joy — and the profound impact this program has on every child who walks through its doors.
As a filmmaker and artist, Sandra had a vision that connects Be The Best Tree to a larger story—one about how we grow into better human beings and build a more compassionate world together.
What we have so far and where we are headed
Last summer, we took the leap. We invested $10,000 of our own money and raised $9,000 from 36 generous PAC families and alumni who believe in this story as deeply as we do. With over 40 hours of footage and interviews from more than 30 voices — directors, tech crew, staff, students, and alumni — we’ve captured something truly special. Now, we need your help to bring it to life.
Our goal is $21,000
If we reach 80% of our goal ($16,800) our project will get the Greenlight (yay!) and we will receive funds. Your support will fund post-production: image and sound, an original score by one of the camp’s music directors, graphics, licensing, and legal fees.
Our Stretch Goal is an additional $11,000
Our stretch goal of an additional $11,000 will help the film reach wider audiences through festival submissions, distribution, social media management, subtitles and captions, and supporter incentives.
Who are we trying to reach?
- People who grew up doing school plays, running crew, or cheering from the wings.
- Parents of young performers
- Teaching artists
- Those who know the transformative power of the arts
- Anyone who had a mentor who changed their life — a teacher whose voice still echoes in their head, long after the final curtain.
Be the Best Tree shines a light on those mentors — and the magic they create that stays with us forever.
Please Follow, Support and Share!
We chose Seed & Spark as our fundraising platform because they specialize in filmmaking and offer perks to campaigns that build their follower count. There are 3 things you can do to help bring this story to life:
Click on the Follow button - Following our campaign will give you updates from our campaign, including progress reports, sneak peaks, and special events that aren’t currently listed!
The next most amazing thing you can do is support Be The Best Tree! There are a few ways to do this:
- Click “Make a Pledge” to enter a $$ amount of your choice
- If you would like to contribute toward a specific wish list item, Go to the “Wishlist” tab, click on an item, then click “Make a Pledge”
- If you would like to take advantage of the incentives (rewards from US to YOU for supporting!), then go to the Incentives
- located on the right side of the screen on laptop/desktop OR switch from Campaign Details to Incentives tab on a phone or tablet
Our final ask, is to share this campaign and spread the word! Forward this Campaign to your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, mail carrier - the sky is the limit!
Watch our official trailer:
Here are some blurb ideas you can use on your social media or emails:
I’ve seen firsthand how this summer theater camp transforms kids into confident, creative leaders. This documentary captures that magic — and the mentor behind it. Be a part of the magic: www.seedandspark.com/fund/be-the-best-tree
Ever had a teacher or mentor whose voice still lives in your head? This film is about that kind of impact — told through the story of a legendary summer theater camp. Make their voices live on for everyone: www.seedandspark.com/fund/be-the-best-tree
If you love theater—or love someone who does—this doc is for you. It celebrates the power of creative spaces and the mentors who make them thrive.
Be a part of the story: www.seedandspark.com/fund/be-the-best-tree
Supporting a film about a summer theater camp that’s shaped generations. It’s beautiful, honest, and deserves to be seen. Support with me at www.seedandspark.com/fund/be-the-best-tree
Every share helps this legacy live on!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Post Production Editor/Assistant Editor
Costs $4,000
Supports editing time, story consultation, and structuring the narrative of 40+ hours of footage and interviews into a short film
Graphics
Costs $2,000
Additional post-production, including sound effects, animation and graphics, add to the overall quality of the film
Sound Design & Sound Mixer
Costs $4,000
Professional sound design and mixing ensures the film sound comes through clearly whether it is viewed on a device or festival theater.
Composer (Original Score)
Costs $4,000
Tim Heavner, one of PAC’s longtime music directors, will compose the film’s original score.
License Rights
Costs $1,500
This funding helps us pay for the rights to include any songs or references to licensed musicals.
Colorist
Costs $3,000
Color correction ensures the film will have depth and proper color grading regardless of the media used to view it.
Legal Fees
Costs $2,500
We will enlist legal help for contracts, licensing fees, copyrights and more.
Share this update!
About This Team
We’re Sandra Bacchi and Valerie Kahrs, the creative team behind Be the Best Tree.
Sandra is a Brazilian-American visual artist, photographer, and filmmaker whose work explores identity, connection, and belonging. With over 25 years of experience in film and video—including a decade running a production company in Brazil—she has worked as a cinematographer and executive producer, and studied under Academy Award–winning cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond. Since moving to the U.S. in 2012, she has focused on projects rooted in personal narrative and emotional truth. Sandra leads the creative and technical vision of the film, serving as its director, cinematographer, and editor. Her daughter Ana Luiza has attended the Performing Arts Camp (PAC) for years, and the camp’s creative process inspired her to tell this story.
Valerie is a producer, community leader, and longtime PAC parent. Since her son joined the camp in 2019, she’s become an essential part of the costume team and serves as Production Manager for Thom McLaughlin’s annual Edgeworth Club Christmas Play. With a background in engineering and business, Valerie brings a clear-eyed approach to creative logistics, budgeting, and coordination. She also leads several community organizations and supports local school theater programs.
Together, we’re making a film that uses this camp as a lens to explore something bigger: how creativity, mentorship, and high expectations shape who we become. With deep ties to the PAC community and a shared passion for storytelling, we’re excited to bring Be the Best Tree to life.