Carbon

Metuchen, New Jersey | Film Feature

Drama, Science

Claire McClanahan

1 Campaigns | New Jersey, United States

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This campaign raised $16,009 for development. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.

127 supporters | followers

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Unable to accept her daughter's sudden death, Dr. Lauren Atwood, attempts to clone her daughter and carry the clone to term. This genre-bending drama explores motherhood, love, and healing through the lens of provocative science and asks the question: what if someone who can...does?

About The Project

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

Mission Statement

As a Big Vision Empty Wallet Film/Media Incubator Diversity Project, our screenwriter, two producers, producer's assistant, and director are all women. The two main characters are women over 40 (!!!), and we are going to have a multicultural cast and crew. Can we get an amen?!

The Story

Dr. Lauren Atwood has dedicated her life to biology. So, when her daughter suddenly dies, it's in her lab that Lauren seeks salvation and, maybe, a second chance. Together with long-time friend and collaborator, Dr. Jane Wainwright, and fame-hungry post-doc, Zack, Lauren attempts to clone her daughter and carry the clone to term. But when grief and innovation collide, does anyone get the results they're looking for? 

 

It's Still Alice and Rachel Getting Married meets Tree of Life and Requiem for a Dream.

 

Why this movie? It all started with a question: what would make someone do something both extraordinary and questionable? Who would that person be?

 

Then I became a mother. Feeling first hand the overwhelming love a mother has for her child and the deeply complex journey that puts her on was the propulsion that has gotten us here today.

 

Why now? There are dozens of thrillers and action movies about cloning. But as the line of what is and is not possible in science blurs, isn't it time to explore the human side of human cloning? 

 

Why crowdfund? Making a film is like building a house: you need a strong foundation. Raising this initial development funding will allow us to bring on a casting director who can start attaching name talent and an entertainment lawyer who can ensure our talent and investor contracts are ready to go. We can then leverage this progress to secure remaining financing.

 

When are you filming? If we secure financing by early August we will film in Fall 2017. If not, we will push to Spring 2018.

 

What's your budget? This is indie film, baby! SAG Ultra Low Budget.

 

You're raising development funds. How do we know this movie will get made? Collectively the production team has screened their work at Cannes, Tribeca, and Sundance and have been honored at the Independent Spirit, Oscar, and Emmy Awards. We get things done.

 

Where can I learn more and stay up to date? Join the lab at www.carbonthefilm.com

 

 

 

"It’s a great project we know you’ve been researching, please know it’s a project we’re fans of."

"This is an original concept that is well researched and grounded in the emotional life of the protagonist. Interesting references and comparisons."

 

"Carbon is a convergence of biotechnology with an intimate story of personal loss. The choice to tell a story about cloning through a mother’s perspective is the most compelling choice [and] to ground the science in current bio-technology is also wise. I greatly appreciate the less fantastical aspect."

 

 

 

Wishlist

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Cash Pledge

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Casting Director

Costs $5,000

Casting directors are the secret sauce of filmmaking. From name actors to breakout stars, having the right cast is critical.

Lawyer

Costs $10,000

Talent contracts, unions, locations...ooof. A lot of T's to cross and I's to dot. We need a professional!

About This Team

 

CLAIRE MCCLANAHAN (Writer/Producer)

Claire has been a writer and producer for the past ten years. Her work has been honored at the Telly, Gracie Allen and New England Emmy Awards, and screened at the LA Shorts and Arizona Film Festivals. She wrote, produced and starred in Simpatico the Web series, an interactive show in which the audience determined plot outcomes through online voting and, most recently, has been producing branded content for Refinery 29, The Atlantic, Huffington Post, Travel+Leisure, Southern Living, Real Simple, and Facebook Live videos for Guinness World Records. As an actor, she has appeared Off-Broadway and in numerous other NYC, regional, and touring productions. Claire studied in the conservatory at Webster University, received her Bachelor of Arts from Western Illinois University (’97) and was working towards a Masters of Science in Strategic Communications at Columbia University before hanging up her Ivy League aspirations to run away and join the circus of production. She lives in Metuchen, NJ with her husband, her 3-year old daughter, and a Shepherd mix rescue named Kenny Rogers. 

 

MARISA VITALI (Producer)

Marisa is a Brooklyn based actress and producer. After graduating from NYU Tisch she pursued a professional acting career. Marisa has been seen in films on the festival circuit, television shows aired on HBO, ABC and ID Discovery, and in NYC theater. She has been in numerous commercials and is the voice of many audiobooks for audible.com. She was a lead in the Official Cannes Film Selection "YOU & I," directed by Christopher Scott, opposite Blake Gibbons. Marisa produced, wrote and acted in the short film, Grace, which screened at Cannes and several other festivals. Marisa is a member of SAG/AFTRA and AEA; and is on the programming committee at NYWIFT (NY Women in Film and TV).

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