Bench
Boston, Massachusetts | Series
Drama
We have a deeply held belief that stories can truly uplift us out of darkness and the scenes within Bench are created for just that purpose. The strength and love of family is what shines through to help us persevere these hard times and your support will help us illuminate these important stories.
Green Light
This campaign raised $8,550 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
112 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
We have a deeply held belief that stories can truly uplift us out of darkness and the scenes within Bench are created for just that purpose. The strength and love of family is what shines through to help us persevere these hard times and your support will help us illuminate these important stories.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
A family is tested by issues ranging from homelessness to infertility. Moving from one generation to the next, can Love conquer all?
Our project...
Our project evolved after the devastating passing of Robin Williams. His death hit home for our team and we were reminded of his iconic bench scene in Good Will Hunting, which compelled us to create this web series.
Bench is a 7 epsiode series about a family who struggles to deal with issues such as homelessness, drug abuse, infertility, mental illness, and more. Will they be able to overcome the challenges they face?
We are...
We are a group of storytellers from Boston, MA, who feel strongly about sharing compelling stories. We’re planning to make a web series that allows our audience to understand complex issues that face us as individuals and as a society.
Together, with the help of organizations dedicated to raising awareness, we intend to spark conversations around homelessness, mental illness, infertility, drug addiction, and more.
Our goal is to start filming in September 2017, moving into post-production by November and having the series completed by Spring 2018.
We need your help!
Of course, in order to shed light on these powerful stories and hire the most professional cast and crew, we’ve created a budget. This is where you come in! We’re anticipating a budget of $10,000 to bring these stories to life. If you’d like to see our budget breakdown, please visit the wishlist section.
This is important to us.
In sharing these stories, we’re hoping to bring awareness to sensitive subjects that are real. We want our viewers who are experiencing struggles similar to those of our characters to know they aren’t alone.
Follow along
Stay updated on our progress by following us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Boston Public Garden permit
Costs $500
In order to film in the Boston Public Garden we need a permit.
Insurance
Costs $500
Since we are a professional crew, we must have insurance.
Catering
Costs $1,200
Since we'll be filming for long days, we must provide food to the cast and crew.
SAG Actor Fees
Costs $3,000
For Bench, we've chosen the best actors to tell our stories. With that comes SAG fees.
Crew members
Costs $1,200
Some crew members will need to hired in order to ensure Bench will be the best it can be.
Sound Mixer
Costs $2,000
Sound is vital in film. Once Bench has been edited, it will be passed to a professional sound mixer.
Sennheiser AVX MKE2 wireless lav
Costs $500
Having these wireless mics on our actors will allow us to get the best possible sound.
Sennheiser MKH 416 boom mic
Costs $500
While we will be using lavs to capture most sound, we'll rent a boom mic to capture the rest.
Butterflies
Costs $100
One of the episodes features a live butterfly.
Copyrights
Costs $50
We will be copyrighting our scripts
Zoom F4 audio recorder
Costs $200
To record audio, our sound recordist will be using this.
Misc fees
Costs $250
Things such as website hosting, gas, parking, etc.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Diana Porter, Director/Writer/Producer/Actor
Diana is an award winning actor who entered into producing film with Healed (2015), a short film based on the comic series of the same name. Soon she satisfied the urge to write her own stories. She teamed up with Kyle Johannassen to write Looker (2016), which she also stars in. Looker won the audience award at the Stories by the River film festival and also played at the prestigious Boston Underground Film Festival. She was then approached to write and direct as part of an all woman anthology of political shorts due out next year. With Bench, Diana is thrilled to be Producing, Writing, Directing and Acting alongside such a talented cast and crew.
Connor Crosby, Cinematographer/Producer
Since the age of 10, Connor has had a love for filmmaking. What started out as a fun hobby has turned into a full time career. In freshman year of college, Connor created a short documentary called Through Gay Eyes. He successfully raised over $20,000 through crowdfunding with the documentary going on to be shown in classrooms in Massachusetts and California. Today he runs Ignition Visuals, which focuses on creating videos and websites for businesses. Connor is excited to be Cinematographer on the set of Bench.
Kristin Riopelle, Writer/Director/Producer/Actor
Storytelling is what makes Kristin feel alive and she is always working on something, whether it be acting in a film or writing and creating her own films. Stories just flow onto the page when she writes and she is full of all sorts of stories, many with a science fiction theme or with a twist. She has had several of her short films produced. She is currently finishing up filming Broken Tuner, a science fiction thriller, which is her directorial debut. She is thrilled to be working on Bench alongside a wonderful cast and crew.
Christine Celozzi, Writer/Director/Producer/Actor
Christine is an LA based actor, writer, and producer whose strong creativity combined with a business and accounting background allow her to successfully balance both the storytelling and the logistical side of filmmaking. She is an active member of Women in Film and is currently undergoing heavy improv training through The Second City as well as Meisner training with Anthony Montes, a former student of Sandy Meisner. She was recently cast as Mistress, a supervillain, in the upcoming, 8-week play, Wonder Women, at the Berubians Theater in Los Angeles. Bench is a project she has been very excited to pursue, especially with an all female writing team and a cast and crew whose talent and dedication she very much appreciates and admires.
Tiffany Crosby, Producer/Director/Writer/Actor
Tiffany has followed the intuitive pull to tell stories since 2010 and has since played a variety of characters in independent films, student films, web series, and even braved the stage as a stand up comedian. When Tiffany is not diving into character, she is “on call” as Melissa McCarthy’s “go-to” Boston based stand in for major motion pictures such as The Heat and Ghostbusters. With a passion for learning and fostering a community, Tiffany began sharpening her producer’s edge as the City Producer of Boston Straeon Acting Studios where she prides herself on building a powerful, close knit group of extraordinary storytellers-- most of whom are cast in Bench. Tiffany is very excited to collaborate with this fierce creative team to share these incredible stories.
Andy Crosby, Editor/Cinematographer/Producer
Andy has been editing video since high school, and has worked his way through the corporate and broadcast world over the past 12 years. From assistant editor to his own edit suite, Andy has had the pleasure of editing and compositing for companies such as Toyota, Hasbro, Reebok, and Cinemax, including the main title sequences for 4 seasons of the hit show Banshee (2013-2016), and the main title for the show Quarry (2016). Last year he cut his first feature film and a 6 episode sitcom web series, and is excited to be diving deep into scripted storytelling. Now freelance editor turned business owner, Andy enjoys working with other like minded, hardworking teams of talented individuals, which is why Bench is such an exciting project for him to be a part of.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
A family is tested by issues ranging from homelessness to infertility. Moving from one generation to the next, can Love conquer all?
Our project...
Our project evolved after the devastating passing of Robin Williams. His death hit home for our team and we were reminded of his iconic bench scene in Good Will Hunting, which compelled us to create this web series.
Bench is a 7 epsiode series about a family who struggles to deal with issues such as homelessness, drug abuse, infertility, mental illness, and more. Will they be able to overcome the challenges they face?
We are...
We are a group of storytellers from Boston, MA, who feel strongly about sharing compelling stories. We’re planning to make a web series that allows our audience to understand complex issues that face us as individuals and as a society.
Together, with the help of organizations dedicated to raising awareness, we intend to spark conversations around homelessness, mental illness, infertility, drug addiction, and more.
Our goal is to start filming in September 2017, moving into post-production by November and having the series completed by Spring 2018.
We need your help!
Of course, in order to shed light on these powerful stories and hire the most professional cast and crew, we’ve created a budget. This is where you come in! We’re anticipating a budget of $10,000 to bring these stories to life. If you’d like to see our budget breakdown, please visit the wishlist section.
This is important to us.
In sharing these stories, we’re hoping to bring awareness to sensitive subjects that are real. We want our viewers who are experiencing struggles similar to those of our characters to know they aren’t alone.
Follow along
Stay updated on our progress by following us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Boston Public Garden permit
Costs $500
In order to film in the Boston Public Garden we need a permit.
Insurance
Costs $500
Since we are a professional crew, we must have insurance.
Catering
Costs $1,200
Since we'll be filming for long days, we must provide food to the cast and crew.
SAG Actor Fees
Costs $3,000
For Bench, we've chosen the best actors to tell our stories. With that comes SAG fees.
Crew members
Costs $1,200
Some crew members will need to hired in order to ensure Bench will be the best it can be.
Sound Mixer
Costs $2,000
Sound is vital in film. Once Bench has been edited, it will be passed to a professional sound mixer.
Sennheiser AVX MKE2 wireless lav
Costs $500
Having these wireless mics on our actors will allow us to get the best possible sound.
Sennheiser MKH 416 boom mic
Costs $500
While we will be using lavs to capture most sound, we'll rent a boom mic to capture the rest.
Butterflies
Costs $100
One of the episodes features a live butterfly.
Copyrights
Costs $50
We will be copyrighting our scripts
Zoom F4 audio recorder
Costs $200
To record audio, our sound recordist will be using this.
Misc fees
Costs $250
Things such as website hosting, gas, parking, etc.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Diana Porter, Director/Writer/Producer/Actor
Diana is an award winning actor who entered into producing film with Healed (2015), a short film based on the comic series of the same name. Soon she satisfied the urge to write her own stories. She teamed up with Kyle Johannassen to write Looker (2016), which she also stars in. Looker won the audience award at the Stories by the River film festival and also played at the prestigious Boston Underground Film Festival. She was then approached to write and direct as part of an all woman anthology of political shorts due out next year. With Bench, Diana is thrilled to be Producing, Writing, Directing and Acting alongside such a talented cast and crew.
Connor Crosby, Cinematographer/Producer
Since the age of 10, Connor has had a love for filmmaking. What started out as a fun hobby has turned into a full time career. In freshman year of college, Connor created a short documentary called Through Gay Eyes. He successfully raised over $20,000 through crowdfunding with the documentary going on to be shown in classrooms in Massachusetts and California. Today he runs Ignition Visuals, which focuses on creating videos and websites for businesses. Connor is excited to be Cinematographer on the set of Bench.
Kristin Riopelle, Writer/Director/Producer/Actor
Storytelling is what makes Kristin feel alive and she is always working on something, whether it be acting in a film or writing and creating her own films. Stories just flow onto the page when she writes and she is full of all sorts of stories, many with a science fiction theme or with a twist. She has had several of her short films produced. She is currently finishing up filming Broken Tuner, a science fiction thriller, which is her directorial debut. She is thrilled to be working on Bench alongside a wonderful cast and crew.
Christine Celozzi, Writer/Director/Producer/Actor
Christine is an LA based actor, writer, and producer whose strong creativity combined with a business and accounting background allow her to successfully balance both the storytelling and the logistical side of filmmaking. She is an active member of Women in Film and is currently undergoing heavy improv training through The Second City as well as Meisner training with Anthony Montes, a former student of Sandy Meisner. She was recently cast as Mistress, a supervillain, in the upcoming, 8-week play, Wonder Women, at the Berubians Theater in Los Angeles. Bench is a project she has been very excited to pursue, especially with an all female writing team and a cast and crew whose talent and dedication she very much appreciates and admires.
Tiffany Crosby, Producer/Director/Writer/Actor
Tiffany has followed the intuitive pull to tell stories since 2010 and has since played a variety of characters in independent films, student films, web series, and even braved the stage as a stand up comedian. When Tiffany is not diving into character, she is “on call” as Melissa McCarthy’s “go-to” Boston based stand in for major motion pictures such as The Heat and Ghostbusters. With a passion for learning and fostering a community, Tiffany began sharpening her producer’s edge as the City Producer of Boston Straeon Acting Studios where she prides herself on building a powerful, close knit group of extraordinary storytellers-- most of whom are cast in Bench. Tiffany is very excited to collaborate with this fierce creative team to share these incredible stories.
Andy Crosby, Editor/Cinematographer/Producer
Andy has been editing video since high school, and has worked his way through the corporate and broadcast world over the past 12 years. From assistant editor to his own edit suite, Andy has had the pleasure of editing and compositing for companies such as Toyota, Hasbro, Reebok, and Cinemax, including the main title sequences for 4 seasons of the hit show Banshee (2013-2016), and the main title for the show Quarry (2016). Last year he cut his first feature film and a 6 episode sitcom web series, and is excited to be diving deep into scripted storytelling. Now freelance editor turned business owner, Andy enjoys working with other like minded, hardworking teams of talented individuals, which is why Bench is such an exciting project for him to be a part of.