Bite Me

New York City, New York | Film Feature

Comedy, Romance

Naomi McDougall Jones

1 Campaigns | New York, United States

Green Light

This campaign raised $35,405 for post-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.

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BITE ME is a unique, while universally relatable, story about outsiders and an edgy, whip-smart, funny, heart-felt update to the rom-com genre. Our award-winning creative team brings together an electric mix of innovative, up-and-coming talent with heavily experienced and acclaimed producers.

About The Project

  • The Story
  • Wishlist
  • Updates
  • The Team
  • Community

Mission Statement

BITE ME features an almost entirely female key creative team: our writer, director, DP, and three of four producers. Our crew was majority female and majority non-white, led by our female 1st AD. There are twice as many speaking female characters as male characters in the film.

The Story

 WHY SHOULD I SUPPORT THIS FILM?

Mostly you should support this film because you want to WATCH this movie!!! Believe us. We made it and even we can't wait to see it.

Bite Me is like nothing you've ever seen: it's a whip-smart and thoroughly modern update to the rom-com genre; it's a laugh-out-loud hilarious comedy; it's a story about true outsiders aching and fighting to be seen and accepted; it's a story about weirdos; it's edgy and bold; it's a sexy, heart-felt, unique love story between a woman who believes she's a vampire and the IRS agent who audits her; it's a film about big, timeless, and urgent themes: how to find love and hope in the face of cynicism and struggling to see past external differences to our common humanity.

Does that sound fun and weird and heart-lifting and soul-filling and FUN? It is. It is all of those things.

That doesn't even get into how incredible the team is...please, please read on to find out about our multi-multi award-winning (and almost entirely female) creative team and truly stellar cast. 

AND we're almost done! The film has already been shot! The whole thing is sitting on hard drives waiting to be edited and scored and generally put through post-production. As soon as we can pay for all of that, we can deliver this film directly to you!

Help us bring you this movie! As you sit there months from now watching Bite Me laughing, crying, and feeling joyful, you'll think, "Thank goodness I helped this movie get made!"

 THE CREATIVE TEAM

Bite Me is the second feature film from 12-time award-winning filmmaking team, writer/actress/producer Naomi McDougall Jones and director Meredith Edwards.

Their first feature, Imagine I'm Beautiful, swept the festival circuit before receiving theatrical and digital distribution (www.imagineimbeautiful.com).

Bite Me pairs this visionary, unstoppable team with acclaimed producers:

Jack Lechner

Blue Valentine

The Fog of War 

Sarah Wharton 

That's Not Us, 

The Ring Thing

Joanne Zippel

 Zip Creative                     

 

 THE CAST 

As announced in DEADLINE, our film stars...

Christian Coulson 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Love is Strange, Nashville

Naomi McDougall Jones

Imagine I'm Beautiful 

Annie Golden

Orange is the New Black, Hair, Cheers

Naomi Grossman

American Horror Story

 

And...

Antino Crowley-Kamenwati

Harold Surratt

Mahira Kakkar

Mia Romero                     

                              

 THE STORY

Bite Me opens in 2017 in New York City where 29-year-old Sarah wears her self-made freak status like armor. With her blue hair and facial tattoo, Sarah is part of a (real-life) fringe subculture of people who identify as vampires and believe they need to drink blood to stay healthy.

38-year-old James, an Englishman and IRS agent, has spent his entire life trying to make himself as bland and inoffensive as possible, terrified that people won’t like him if he reveals any part of his assiduously hidden personality.

When James is assigned to audit Sarah’s vampire “church” an unlikely spark of attraction ignites between the two misfits.

But as the pressures of their so-different worlds crash in on their burgeoning optimism...

...as Sarah wrestles with loyalty to her community...

...as James watches Sarah actually drink blood, and as the clock ticks on the impending IRS ruling, the two are forced to confront whether they have the courage necessary to commit the radical, terrifying act of falling in love.

Bite Me is a unique, while universally relatable, story about outsiders and offers an edgy, whip-smart, funny and heart-felt update to the rom-com genre.

 PROJECT STATUS

Bite Me was filmed in its entirety over 21 days in August/September. The full footage is now sitting on three separate hard-drives at undisclosed locations around the city and ready to be turned into a movie, which means...post-production.

The cast, crew, and footage that we shot are universally transcendent and gave us an electrifying preview into the film this is going to be. We cannot WAIT to share this, our love song to weirdos everywhere (http://www.indiewire.com/2017/08/vampire-comedy-bite-me-naomi-mcdougall-jones-1201866071/), with all of you.

Although we were able to raise sufficient funds through private investors to get the film through production, we need your help to pay for post-production costs (editing fees, sound mixing, sound design, score composition and licensing fees, color correction, etc).

We hope that you will join us on this incredible journey, take advantage of our exciting perks, and contribute what you can so that we can complete post-production and deliver you this delicious, lol-inducing, heart-string pulling, joy-ride of a film!

 

 TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS AND INVESTMENTS

If you would like to make a larger, tax-deductible donation, we are able to accept them oustide of this campaign. For that, or to find out more about the possibility of investing in the film, please contact us directly at [email protected].

Wishlist

Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.

Film Editing

Costs $10,000

Our editor will cut together all the best moments from our shoot to make our story soar!

Score

Costs $5,000

Our composer will create an original score for our film.

Sound Design

Costs $8,000

A skilled sound designer will mix the music and dialogue and add sound effects.

Music Licensing

Costs $2,000

In addition an original score, we want to license the right to use songs from existing bands.

Harddrives

Costs $500

We need large capacity hard drives to store and transport the film files.

Film Festival Application Fees

Costs $500

We want to share the film at festivals all over the world. Help us cover the entry fees!

Color Correction

Costs $8,000

After we picture lock our edit, a colorist needs to color correct the raw footage.

Trailer Costs

Costs $1,000

Our official trailer will need an editor and music licensing too!

Cash Pledge

Costs $0

About This Team

 THE CREATIVE TEAM

MEREDITH EDWARDS (Director) is an award-winning film and theatre director, producer, and artist based in New York. Her first feature film, Imagine I'm Beautiful, took home twelve awards on the film festival circuit, including four Best Pictures and Best Director. The film was distributed theatrically and digitally by Candy Factory Films. Meredith was the director, producer and co-writer of Coney Island, a short film based on the full-length multimedia play, Degeneration X, that she co-created, directed, produced and starred in. Degeneration X had an extended, two-month run at the renowned Living Theatre on Manhattan's Lower East Side. Meredith co-founded the 2012 production company, Perf Productions, and currently creates, performs, and produces original, innovative and immersive theatrical experiences throughout New York City. As an artist and creator, Meredith is interested in spiritually transcendent work that opens people's eyes and shakes them to the core.

NAOMI MCDOUGALL JONES (Writer/Producer/Sarah) is an award-winning writer, actress, and producer based in New York City. She wrote, produced, and starred in the 12-time award-winning feature film, Imagine I’m Beautiful, for which Naomi received three Best Actress Awards and “The Don Award” for Best Independently Produced Screenplay of 2014. The film received a 12-city theatrical release and is now available on iTunes, Amazon, and GooglePlay (www.imagineimbeautiful.com). A pilot she wrote, The Dark Pieces, is now in development for Canadian television after being named on The 2016 WriteHer List as one of the top 16 unproduced pilots by a female screenwriter. Naomi was one of the writers for Amazon’s TV series The New Yorker Presents, which premiered at Sundance 2016. Naomi has become an advocate and speaker for bringing gender parity to cinema. In November 2016, she gave a TEDxTalk, The Women in Film Revolution Begins With You, available to watch on YouTube. Her podcast, Fear(ful)less: Filmmaking from the Edge, is available on iTunes.

SARAH WHARTON (Producer) is an award-winning producer and actor based in New York City. Her feature That’s Not Us played at over 35 festivals around the world and was released as a Netflix exclusive through Strand Releasing. She previously collaborated as an actor and producer on Percival’s Big Night and Jane Wants A Boyfriend, currently playing on Showtime. She has produced work in Oslo, London, New Orleans and served as associate producer for the Harare International Festival of The Arts in Zimbabwe. She is currently a producer with The Spangler Group - a film, television and theater production company currently developing Happy Trails, a Broadway-bound musical written by Marshall Brickman and composed by T Bone Burnett. Her next feature, The Ring Thing, a documentary-narrative hybrid about same-sex marriage, is currently in production.

JACK LECHNER (Producer) has produced for film and television – scripted and unscripted – in New York, Los Angeles, and London. Producing credits include Explorer for National Geographic; The New Yorker Presents for Amazon; The Fog Of War; Blue Valentine; Left Of The Dial for HBO; TruInside for TruTV; Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys for Sundance; and the pilot of Mad Men. As an executive at Miramax and Film Four, he was involved in the production and development of dozens of movies, including The Crying Game, Good Will Hunting, and The Full Monty. Jack is an associate professor at Columbia University.

JOANNE ZIPPEL (Producer) has over 25 years of experience as a manager, producer, entrepreneur, working in theatre, film, sponsorship, marketing, creative development and creative career/life coaching in the entertainment business. Joanne‘s consulting and management business Zip Creative, evolved out of her work as a manager of screenwriters and playwrights --guiding their careers, helping them to pursue their passions and stay true to their creative vision. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and did graduate work at NYU's Gallatin School.

 

JUDY HENDERSON (Casting Director) has been honored as one of the top 20 US Film Casting Directors. Highlights include: Emmy Award - Outstanding Casting in a Drama Series. 4 Artios Awards - Outstanding Achievement TV Series and Theatre Drama Casting. 9 Artios Nominations for TV Series and Theatre Drama Casting. Select Film credits: Before Midnight, Paranormal 2, 12 and Holding, L.I.E. (6 Independent Spirit Award Nominations), and Before Sunrise. Select TV credits: Homeland (Emmy Award and 2 Artios Awards) - Showtime Series. Broadway: Barefoot in the Park and Anna Karenina (4 Tony Nominations). Off-Broadway: Invasion (Obie Award), Lie of the Mind (Artios Award), The Kid (5 Drama Desk Nominations) and Hurlyburly (Artios Award). Member of CSA and Local 817 of the Teamsters Theatrical Union.

 

Executive Producer: Susan Stautberg

Co-Executive Producer: Penny Jackson & Thomas Campbell Jackson

Co-Executive Producer: Merry Glosband

Co-Executive Producer: Ira Lechner & Eileen Haag

Associate Producer: Bronwen Carson

Associate Producer: Hannah Cheesman

Associate Producer: Katherine Kahrs

Associate Producer: Jacqueline Pereda

 

CAST
James: Christian Coulson

Sarah: Naomi McDougall Jones

Faith: Annie Golden

Chrissy: Naomi Grossman

Stacz: Antino Crowley-Kamenwati

Tim: Harold Surratt

Lily: Mahira Kakkar

Regan: Mia Romero

Nan: Cynthia Mace

Pam: Susan Wands

Stella the Security Guard: Makia Martin

Waitress: Celey Schumer

Cindy: Bronwen Carson

Lindsay Bolt: Katherine Kahrs

Ambrosia: Cassandra Seidenfeld

Moody-Looking Man/Steve: Bob Jaffe

Calvin Klein Model Dude: Matthew Addison

Bartender: Lynne Marie Rosenberg

Businesswoman: Sarah Wharton

The Butler: Mark A. Keeton

Drunk Passerby: Chris Russell

Vampire Fop #1: Debargo Sanyal

Elspeth: Katie Morrison

Badass Becky: Rebecca Berardi

Aurelio Voltaire: Himself

Jersey Girl: Anna Weng

Corseted Vampiress: Gwenevere Sisco

Islay Fire: Meredith Edwards

Raul: Jack Lechner

 

CREW

Cinematographer: Eun-ah Lee

 

Line Producer: Rachel Liu

 

Editor/Composer: Chris Steele-Nicholson

 

Script Supervisor: Jason Avalos

 

Production Designer: Nicole Pursell

Art Director: Alberto D'Fonseca

Assistant Art Director: Matthew Morrison

 

Costume Designer: Veronica Hunsinger-Loe

Wardrobe Supervisor: Heather Carey

 

HMU Department Head: Charles Zambrano

Key HMU: Naomi Raddatz

Special Effects Make-Up: Jenai Chin

 

Production Manager: Jack Ganley

1st AD: Hannah Sheinkopf

2nd AD: Alex Burstein

 

 

1st AC: Jaime Medrano

2nd AC/DIT: Milton Guanga Pesantez

Gaffer: Freddy Cintron

Key Grip: Raphael Hernandez

Key Grip: John Gabriele

 

Sound Mixer: Alan Kudan

Boom Operator: Artur Szerejko

 

Catering: Charmaine DaCosta

 

On Set Photography: Adriana Rossetto

 

Stunt Coordinator: Paul Varacchi

 

Office PA: Sami Bass

Production Coordinator/Key PA: James Canellos

PA: Darius Owens

PA: Daniel Sanjur

PA: Ariel Mahler

 

 

Current Team

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