Blindsided
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Horror, Sci-Fi
Blindsided is a horror short film from award winning filmmakers that stars low vision actors and will immerse audiences in the disconcerting and terrifying experience of fighting off an alien monstrosity while blind, reminding us that sometimes, the most horrifying things are those we cannot see...
Blindsided
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Horror, Sci-Fi
2 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $7,150 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
54 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
Blindsided is a horror short film from award winning filmmakers that stars low vision actors and will immerse audiences in the disconcerting and terrifying experience of fighting off an alien monstrosity while blind, reminding us that sometimes, the most horrifying things are those we cannot see...
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Blindsided is a riveting short horror film that takes a unique narrative approach, providing audiences with an immersive glimpse into the harrowing experience of Maria, a blind woman confronting the most terrifying ordeal of her life. The horror remains unseen, both to her and the audience, heightening the suspense and reminding us that sometimes, the most horrifying things are those we cannot see.
Blindsided - Maria won't see it coming, and neither will you....
This is an innovative short film that ventures into uncharted territory within the horror genre. The narrative unfolds in a tranquil neighborhood, abruptly disrupted by a crashing alien spacecraft and the horrifying monster it unleashes into the night. However, what sets this film apart is the unique perspective from which the story is told – the POV of Maria, a blind schoolteacher living alone. Maria's desperate struggle to evade the otherworldly predator, guided solely by what she hears, will give provide an experience unlike any other horror short.
Additionally, to promote diversity and inclusivity, in conjunction with our Disability Authenticity Consultant Vanni Le and Casting Director Danielle Pretsfelder Demchick, all of the characters in the film will be played by low vision actors, placing the spotlight on the often-overlooked talent within the low vision community.
Some of Our Awards
Produced by award-winning producer Ana Krista Johnson, Blindsided promises to deliver a unique and terrifying experience that originated from the twin talents of P. Patrick Hogan as both an award-winning writer/director and a 10-time Emmy nominated sound editor/supervisor, to craft a story with a unique sonic landscape that will keep audiences riveted to their seats with an unprecedented perspective that redefines the boundaries of traditional cinema, creating a short film unlike anything you've ever seen. Or heard.
We hope to raise $5800 with this crowdfunding campaign, a small budget for a short film. But with our experience, connections, ability to pull favors, and existing equipment, that basic budget will be all that is required to produce the film -- including the rental of the sound stage, the construction of the monster, the specialized lighting equipment and lens needed, food for the cast and crew, and insurance.
Blindsided Stretch Goals
While our fundraising goal is to fund the basic necessities of the production, if we can surpass that goal, additional money will be used to cover cast and crew expenses, fund post-production and cover film festival submissions and promotion (which can often cost as much if not more than the production).
If we raise $6,500 we'll be able to cover per diem for all the cast and crew!
If we raise $7,000 we'll be able to cover editing costs!
If we raise $8,000 we'll be able to cover all remaining post-production costs!
If we raise $10,000 we'll be able to cover film festival submissions and promotion!
TIMELINE
Our plan is to film by the end of March 2025 and have the film completed and ready to submit to festivals by early summer of 2025. We think this film will do extremely well on the festival circuit with its combination of inclusivity and diversity, unique and fresh presentation of a horror staple, and film festival friendly running time. Once the festival run is complete, we intend to pursue multiple distribution opportunities to make sure that audiences around the world can enjoy the unique story of Blindsided.
CONTRIBUTE AND PLEDGE!
You can make a contribution by making a pledge (we need to collect at least 80% of our crowdfunding goal to keep our funds). You can choose an incentive or make a pledge to a specific wishlist item. You decide what fits your budget. Seriously, no pledge is too small. Every dollar makes a difference in making our film possible!
We have some awesome incentives including behind the scenes access, unique sound and visual keepsakes, a monster memento, and so much more. But no matter what dollar amount you can or cannot afford, you can also help contribute to the film by getting word about Blindsided out to the world:
1. FOLLOW US ON ALL OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS
Be sure to follow us here on Seed&Spark, but also visit our website -- www.jhdanger.com to keep up to date on this film and all of our projects and follow us on social media (links at website). And encourage your friends to follow us too by sharing our Seed&Spark page and our website.
2. SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT "BLINDSIDED"
Tell you friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors about this unique horror short film. Share our posts, campaign page, and our backer updates.
3. KEEP FOLLOWING OUR CAMPAIGN
Regular visits to our Seed&Spark page keep you in the know AND increase our chances of being featured on the site.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Sound stage rental
Costs $2,400
The unique filming and lighting for this short film requires that we film on a set on a sound stage and not at a practical location.
Film Gear Rental and Purchases
Costs $900
There are some special rigging and lens requirements for this shoot.
Meals and Craft Services
Costs $760
You gotta feed your cast and crew and keep them energized!
Props and Creature Design
Costs $1,240
Specialized props and the design and fabrication of the monster practical effects.
Insurance
Costs $500
When you have to rent a sound stage and rent equipment, that means you need insurance!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
THE TEAM
P. PATRICK HOGAN -- writer/director/editor
Born and raised on the island of Guam, Patrick attended Northwestern University and then earned his MFA from USC film school. His thesis film The Business Card was an award-winning short that had the distinction of being the first student film ever sold to an airline for in-flight entertainment.
Promise Me Tomorrow (formerly titled “Pope Dreams”) – Patrick’s feature debut – screened at 30 festivals around the world, won 11 Best Film awards, and was distributed by Porchlight Entertainment. It aired on Lifetime Network in the USA and in over 40 countries world-wide and was released on DVD home video. It is currently available to stream on most popular streaming services, including for free on Tubi.
His multiple award-winning short films, including the romance-sci-fi Virtually, sci-fi-horror Killing TIme, and horror-comedy Quiet! Mom’s Working! are festival favorites, with his films having appeared at well over 100 festivals around the world and racking up more than 30 awards. Virtually and Killing Time are currently available to watch on the YouTube shorts channel Omeleto.
Along with his award-winning work as a writer/director, Patrick is a highly accomplished supervising sound editor with more than 100 television shows and movies to his credit. He’s earned 10 Emmy Nominations and 3 Golden Reel Awards for his work as a sound editor on such shows as HBO’s “Six Feet Under”, Fox’s “Family Guy” and FX Network’s “Reservation Dogs”. He is currently the supervising sound editor on the CBS hit “Fire Country” and the Netflix global phenoms “Cobra Kai” and “Umbrella Academy”.
Ana Krista Johnson -- producer
Writer/Performer/Filmmaker Ana Krista Johnson is a graduate of Northwestern University with a degree in theater. She has decades of experience as a video editor, producer and production co-ordinator in theater, film and the event production arena.
Ana is a published novelist and an award winning film producer on projects such as the short films Virtually, Killing Time and Quiet! Mom's Working!. Her documentary project Choosing Compassion is currently in production. She lives and works in Los Angeles where she serves as a producer and creative partner at JohnHogDanger Productions.
Ana’s work includes 16 years of leadership and training through Landmark Education Worldwide’s personal development programs. She has been a performer and presented multiple workshops on creativity and storytelling at Landmark’s annual Conference for Global Transformation.
She is currently pursuing a PhD degree in Transformative Social Change with a specialization in Social Impact Media. She is committed to opening up dialogue and new narratives that foster compassion in our communities and in public policy.
Danielle Pretsfelder Demchick -- casting director
Danielle Pretsfelder Demchick, CSA is an advocate manifesting change in how the real world is reflected in today’s media. Her focus is on elevating underrepresented and misrepresented communities.
An active member of the New York casting community since 2004, Nickelodeon was her casting home for over 14 years.
Since her departure from Nickelodeon to open her own casting office in April 2022, some of her favorite credits include RespectAbility's Disabled Children's Content Creator's Lab (sponsored by Netflix), American Girl: Corinne Tan, the first American Girl of the Year film, which tells the story of the first Chinese American Girl, for HBOMax and Marvista Entertainment, Matt Rogers: Have You Heard of Christmas? for Showtime, You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah for Happy Madison Productions, airing on Netflix, Well-Versed for Nickelodeon, and the upcoming series, Pulse (Netflix) and upcoming Deaf led feature film, The Flash Before the Bang.
The co-VP of Advocacy for the Casting Society of America, her work elevating underrepresented communities has been barrier breaking. She has led open calls for Performers with Disabilities, MENASA (Middle Eastern, North African, South Asian), Veterans, Senior, Native American, Indigenous, Trans & Non-Binary, Black, Asian, and oversaw the most recent global initiative, Mi Gente, for Latine actors.
In addition to being on the board of the Casting Society of America and Casting Society Cares, she serves as a faculty advisor for Disability Belongs and talent and casting consultant for GAMUT management, which works exclusively with talent with disabilities. She is also on the Actor's Fund's Looking Ahead Advisory Board. Currently she is pursuing a master's degree in Disabilities Studies at the City University of New York.
Crystal Loverro -- lead actress, "Maria"
Crystal is an actor, producer, writer, and advocate for creatives with disabilities. As a visually impaired actor, she navigates life and storytelling from a unique perspective. She overcomes her obstacles through creativity, and embraces her differences as strengths. Crystal loves horror and sci-fi. She is thrilled to bring the protagonist, Maria, in Blindsided from the page to the screen!
James Suter -- director of photography
James was born and raised in Las Cruces, New Mexico and attended college at San Francisco State University, earning a B.A. in Cinema Production. After graduating, he moved to Los Angeles where he currently resides and works as a freelance Director of Photography. He has shot a wide variety of short films, music videos, tv pilots, and commercials, as well as co-directed the upcoming feature documentary, Tiwahe, a slice-of-life portrait of a native community in Northern Montana, which is currently making film festival rounds. When not on set he enjoys rock climbing, reading, and walking his stinky little dog.
Dustin Washburne -- creature design
Dustin Washburne is a LA-based practical effects artist, designer and sculptor. Through Studio ADI, Dustin was a Foam Latex runner on popular feature films such as: Jurassic World:Fallen Kingdom, IT, The Predator , Sorry to Bother You, and many more. He’s a graduate of Cal Arts with a BFA in Design and Production. Outside of his position as special effects technician at Full Scale Effects, he works on various experimental projects to further explore his artistic storytelling with state of the art technology like animatronics, 3D printing and laser cutting. “I'm exited to be working alongside a talented cast and crew on Patrick's new project Blindsided.”
David Barbee -- sound design
David is a Los Angeles native who developed an affinity for the way things sound as a child. He grew up listening to the world, playing with the sounds in his head, having no idea that he might be able to make a career at it! He received his bachelors degree from California State University, Northridge in Radio-Television-Film, and shortly after graduation found himself working as an assistant for the television sound editorial department at Todd AO/Glen Glenn Studios. His first job as a sound effects editor came working on the final season of "Melrose Place" starring Heather Locklear. While working on the television series “Angel”, a spinoff of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", he got his first taste of working in sound design and found he loved it. Since then, David has worked on countless hours of television (CSI:NY, The Boys, Maya and the Three, The Umbrella Academy) and feature films (Star Trek, Paranormal Activity), blending his skills as a sound effects editor and sound designer. Currently, he has just completed working on the television series. “What We Do in the Shadows“, and is serving as co-supervising sound editor on season 18 of "Criminal Minds". David has 12 Emmy nominations and two Emmy wins, along with 20 MPSE Golden Reel nominations with one win. David lives in the Los Angeles area with his two amazing children, and his 15-year-old wonder pup, Maggie.
Vanni Le -- Disability Authenticity Consultant
Vanni Le is a neurodivergent DEIA advocate and the Senior Manager of Entertainment Partnerships at Disability Belongs™. Vanni has advised major studios, production companies, and independent filmmakers on over 100 films and TV episodes to promote authentic portrayals of disability and inclusive hiring practices behind the camera. Vanni was part of the Cultural Story Trust on Walt Disney Animation Studios’ 2023 film Wish, which featured the animation studio’s first physically disabled Asian character.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Blindsided is a riveting short horror film that takes a unique narrative approach, providing audiences with an immersive glimpse into the harrowing experience of Maria, a blind woman confronting the most terrifying ordeal of her life. The horror remains unseen, both to her and the audience, heightening the suspense and reminding us that sometimes, the most horrifying things are those we cannot see.
Blindsided - Maria won't see it coming, and neither will you....
This is an innovative short film that ventures into uncharted territory within the horror genre. The narrative unfolds in a tranquil neighborhood, abruptly disrupted by a crashing alien spacecraft and the horrifying monster it unleashes into the night. However, what sets this film apart is the unique perspective from which the story is told – the POV of Maria, a blind schoolteacher living alone. Maria's desperate struggle to evade the otherworldly predator, guided solely by what she hears, will give provide an experience unlike any other horror short.
Additionally, to promote diversity and inclusivity, in conjunction with our Disability Authenticity Consultant Vanni Le and Casting Director Danielle Pretsfelder Demchick, all of the characters in the film will be played by low vision actors, placing the spotlight on the often-overlooked talent within the low vision community.
Some of Our Awards
Produced by award-winning producer Ana Krista Johnson, Blindsided promises to deliver a unique and terrifying experience that originated from the twin talents of P. Patrick Hogan as both an award-winning writer/director and a 10-time Emmy nominated sound editor/supervisor, to craft a story with a unique sonic landscape that will keep audiences riveted to their seats with an unprecedented perspective that redefines the boundaries of traditional cinema, creating a short film unlike anything you've ever seen. Or heard.
We hope to raise $5800 with this crowdfunding campaign, a small budget for a short film. But with our experience, connections, ability to pull favors, and existing equipment, that basic budget will be all that is required to produce the film -- including the rental of the sound stage, the construction of the monster, the specialized lighting equipment and lens needed, food for the cast and crew, and insurance.
Blindsided Stretch Goals
While our fundraising goal is to fund the basic necessities of the production, if we can surpass that goal, additional money will be used to cover cast and crew expenses, fund post-production and cover film festival submissions and promotion (which can often cost as much if not more than the production).
If we raise $6,500 we'll be able to cover per diem for all the cast and crew!
If we raise $7,000 we'll be able to cover editing costs!
If we raise $8,000 we'll be able to cover all remaining post-production costs!
If we raise $10,000 we'll be able to cover film festival submissions and promotion!
TIMELINE
Our plan is to film by the end of March 2025 and have the film completed and ready to submit to festivals by early summer of 2025. We think this film will do extremely well on the festival circuit with its combination of inclusivity and diversity, unique and fresh presentation of a horror staple, and film festival friendly running time. Once the festival run is complete, we intend to pursue multiple distribution opportunities to make sure that audiences around the world can enjoy the unique story of Blindsided.
CONTRIBUTE AND PLEDGE!
You can make a contribution by making a pledge (we need to collect at least 80% of our crowdfunding goal to keep our funds). You can choose an incentive or make a pledge to a specific wishlist item. You decide what fits your budget. Seriously, no pledge is too small. Every dollar makes a difference in making our film possible!
We have some awesome incentives including behind the scenes access, unique sound and visual keepsakes, a monster memento, and so much more. But no matter what dollar amount you can or cannot afford, you can also help contribute to the film by getting word about Blindsided out to the world:
1. FOLLOW US ON ALL OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS
Be sure to follow us here on Seed&Spark, but also visit our website -- www.jhdanger.com to keep up to date on this film and all of our projects and follow us on social media (links at website). And encourage your friends to follow us too by sharing our Seed&Spark page and our website.
2. SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT "BLINDSIDED"
Tell you friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors about this unique horror short film. Share our posts, campaign page, and our backer updates.
3. KEEP FOLLOWING OUR CAMPAIGN
Regular visits to our Seed&Spark page keep you in the know AND increase our chances of being featured on the site.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Sound stage rental
Costs $2,400
The unique filming and lighting for this short film requires that we film on a set on a sound stage and not at a practical location.
Film Gear Rental and Purchases
Costs $900
There are some special rigging and lens requirements for this shoot.
Meals and Craft Services
Costs $760
You gotta feed your cast and crew and keep them energized!
Props and Creature Design
Costs $1,240
Specialized props and the design and fabrication of the monster practical effects.
Insurance
Costs $500
When you have to rent a sound stage and rent equipment, that means you need insurance!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
THE TEAM
P. PATRICK HOGAN -- writer/director/editor
Born and raised on the island of Guam, Patrick attended Northwestern University and then earned his MFA from USC film school. His thesis film The Business Card was an award-winning short that had the distinction of being the first student film ever sold to an airline for in-flight entertainment.
Promise Me Tomorrow (formerly titled “Pope Dreams”) – Patrick’s feature debut – screened at 30 festivals around the world, won 11 Best Film awards, and was distributed by Porchlight Entertainment. It aired on Lifetime Network in the USA and in over 40 countries world-wide and was released on DVD home video. It is currently available to stream on most popular streaming services, including for free on Tubi.
His multiple award-winning short films, including the romance-sci-fi Virtually, sci-fi-horror Killing TIme, and horror-comedy Quiet! Mom’s Working! are festival favorites, with his films having appeared at well over 100 festivals around the world and racking up more than 30 awards. Virtually and Killing Time are currently available to watch on the YouTube shorts channel Omeleto.
Along with his award-winning work as a writer/director, Patrick is a highly accomplished supervising sound editor with more than 100 television shows and movies to his credit. He’s earned 10 Emmy Nominations and 3 Golden Reel Awards for his work as a sound editor on such shows as HBO’s “Six Feet Under”, Fox’s “Family Guy” and FX Network’s “Reservation Dogs”. He is currently the supervising sound editor on the CBS hit “Fire Country” and the Netflix global phenoms “Cobra Kai” and “Umbrella Academy”.
Ana Krista Johnson -- producer
Writer/Performer/Filmmaker Ana Krista Johnson is a graduate of Northwestern University with a degree in theater. She has decades of experience as a video editor, producer and production co-ordinator in theater, film and the event production arena.
Ana is a published novelist and an award winning film producer on projects such as the short films Virtually, Killing Time and Quiet! Mom's Working!. Her documentary project Choosing Compassion is currently in production. She lives and works in Los Angeles where she serves as a producer and creative partner at JohnHogDanger Productions.
Ana’s work includes 16 years of leadership and training through Landmark Education Worldwide’s personal development programs. She has been a performer and presented multiple workshops on creativity and storytelling at Landmark’s annual Conference for Global Transformation.
She is currently pursuing a PhD degree in Transformative Social Change with a specialization in Social Impact Media. She is committed to opening up dialogue and new narratives that foster compassion in our communities and in public policy.
Danielle Pretsfelder Demchick -- casting director
Danielle Pretsfelder Demchick, CSA is an advocate manifesting change in how the real world is reflected in today’s media. Her focus is on elevating underrepresented and misrepresented communities.
An active member of the New York casting community since 2004, Nickelodeon was her casting home for over 14 years.
Since her departure from Nickelodeon to open her own casting office in April 2022, some of her favorite credits include RespectAbility's Disabled Children's Content Creator's Lab (sponsored by Netflix), American Girl: Corinne Tan, the first American Girl of the Year film, which tells the story of the first Chinese American Girl, for HBOMax and Marvista Entertainment, Matt Rogers: Have You Heard of Christmas? for Showtime, You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah for Happy Madison Productions, airing on Netflix, Well-Versed for Nickelodeon, and the upcoming series, Pulse (Netflix) and upcoming Deaf led feature film, The Flash Before the Bang.
The co-VP of Advocacy for the Casting Society of America, her work elevating underrepresented communities has been barrier breaking. She has led open calls for Performers with Disabilities, MENASA (Middle Eastern, North African, South Asian), Veterans, Senior, Native American, Indigenous, Trans & Non-Binary, Black, Asian, and oversaw the most recent global initiative, Mi Gente, for Latine actors.
In addition to being on the board of the Casting Society of America and Casting Society Cares, she serves as a faculty advisor for Disability Belongs and talent and casting consultant for GAMUT management, which works exclusively with talent with disabilities. She is also on the Actor's Fund's Looking Ahead Advisory Board. Currently she is pursuing a master's degree in Disabilities Studies at the City University of New York.
Crystal Loverro -- lead actress, "Maria"
Crystal is an actor, producer, writer, and advocate for creatives with disabilities. As a visually impaired actor, she navigates life and storytelling from a unique perspective. She overcomes her obstacles through creativity, and embraces her differences as strengths. Crystal loves horror and sci-fi. She is thrilled to bring the protagonist, Maria, in Blindsided from the page to the screen!
James Suter -- director of photography
James was born and raised in Las Cruces, New Mexico and attended college at San Francisco State University, earning a B.A. in Cinema Production. After graduating, he moved to Los Angeles where he currently resides and works as a freelance Director of Photography. He has shot a wide variety of short films, music videos, tv pilots, and commercials, as well as co-directed the upcoming feature documentary, Tiwahe, a slice-of-life portrait of a native community in Northern Montana, which is currently making film festival rounds. When not on set he enjoys rock climbing, reading, and walking his stinky little dog.
Dustin Washburne -- creature design
Dustin Washburne is a LA-based practical effects artist, designer and sculptor. Through Studio ADI, Dustin was a Foam Latex runner on popular feature films such as: Jurassic World:Fallen Kingdom, IT, The Predator , Sorry to Bother You, and many more. He’s a graduate of Cal Arts with a BFA in Design and Production. Outside of his position as special effects technician at Full Scale Effects, he works on various experimental projects to further explore his artistic storytelling with state of the art technology like animatronics, 3D printing and laser cutting. “I'm exited to be working alongside a talented cast and crew on Patrick's new project Blindsided.”
David Barbee -- sound design
David is a Los Angeles native who developed an affinity for the way things sound as a child. He grew up listening to the world, playing with the sounds in his head, having no idea that he might be able to make a career at it! He received his bachelors degree from California State University, Northridge in Radio-Television-Film, and shortly after graduation found himself working as an assistant for the television sound editorial department at Todd AO/Glen Glenn Studios. His first job as a sound effects editor came working on the final season of "Melrose Place" starring Heather Locklear. While working on the television series “Angel”, a spinoff of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", he got his first taste of working in sound design and found he loved it. Since then, David has worked on countless hours of television (CSI:NY, The Boys, Maya and the Three, The Umbrella Academy) and feature films (Star Trek, Paranormal Activity), blending his skills as a sound effects editor and sound designer. Currently, he has just completed working on the television series. “What We Do in the Shadows“, and is serving as co-supervising sound editor on season 18 of "Criminal Minds". David has 12 Emmy nominations and two Emmy wins, along with 20 MPSE Golden Reel nominations with one win. David lives in the Los Angeles area with his two amazing children, and his 15-year-old wonder pup, Maggie.
Vanni Le -- Disability Authenticity Consultant
Vanni Le is a neurodivergent DEIA advocate and the Senior Manager of Entertainment Partnerships at Disability Belongs™. Vanni has advised major studios, production companies, and independent filmmakers on over 100 films and TV episodes to promote authentic portrayals of disability and inclusive hiring practices behind the camera. Vanni was part of the Cultural Story Trust on Walt Disney Animation Studios’ 2023 film Wish, which featured the animation studio’s first physically disabled Asian character.