Chester Wetherspoon - A Retrospective
Boston, Massachusetts | Film Short
Comedy, Drama
A pompous conman wildly embellishes his life story to a weary public defender while serving time in a minimum security prison. When his gullible cellmate mistakes him for an undercover actor researching for a role, the conman seizes an opportunity to manipulate his way to freedom.
Chester Wetherspoon - A Retrospective
Boston, Massachusetts | Film Short
Comedy, Drama
1 Campaigns | Massachusetts, United States
2 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$500
Goal: $5,000 for production
A pompous conman wildly embellishes his life story to a weary public defender while serving time in a minimum security prison. When his gullible cellmate mistakes him for an undercover actor researching for a role, the conman seizes an opportunity to manipulate his way to freedom.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Synopsis
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Chester, a pompous small-time con artist recounts his “tragic” rise and fall to his public defender. As Chester dramatically narrates his life story, his tale unfolds through increasingly absurd flashbacks: a lonely childhood, a string of outrageous fake identities and scams, and even a triumph as a world chess champion.
While waiting to be sentenced for his crimes, he meets an eccentric fellow inmate who mistakenly believes that Chester is also in prison as part of an elaborate undercover study for an acting role. Sensing opportunity, Chester embraces the misunderstanding and spins an increasingly elaborate lie about a prestigious Hollywood film role. As the two bond over cigarettes and mutual delusions, Chester manipulates his gullible cellmate into competing for the “role of a lifetime” in a high-stakes chess match which results in Chester regaining his freedom.
Main Character
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Chester Wetherspoon is an insecure fantasist who treats his own life like a grand theatrical production. Every interaction is filtered through melodrama, self-mythologizing, and performance. Even in prison, he insists on turning a basic legal interview into an epic autobiographical saga full of poetic exaggeration and fabricated accomplishments.
Having served as one of the characters in the short film "Dead Set on Stardom", Chester returns as the STAR of the retelling of his own life. Chester Wetherspoon will once again be played by the amazing John Francis Klingle!
Visual References:
Prison Scenes:
Starting left and going clockwise: Sing Sing (2023), Primal Fear (1996), Starred Up (2013), Outer Range (2022)
 (1).png)
Flashback Scenes of Chester's life:
Starting left and going clockwise: Boy (2013), Breaking Bad (2008), Boy (2013), Matilda (1996)
 (1).png)
What your support will do:
Your support will help to fund the following aspects of our production:
Set Decoration and Construction ($1000): Set decoration is crucial to our productions. With the film taking place in the 1970s and 1980s, it is important that we are able to obtain set dec that is a period appropriate to the setting of our film.
Construction is also pivotal to our film. With most of the film taking place from within a prison cell. We are looking to construct our own prison cell set from scratch. Doing so is costly and requires a lot of care, planning, and time.
Lighting & G&E Equipment ($1000): Lighting equipment is highly important. With the majority of the film taking place indoors, having great lighting gear will allow us to create amazing visuals that are appealing to our viewers. Having proper G&E equipment as well will allow for our grip & electric team to do the best work that they can on set and support the gaffer and the production as a whole.
Wardrobe ($500): As our film takes place in the 1970s and 1980s, having period appropriate wardrobe will greatly benefit our production. With many different costumes needed throughout the runtime of the film, being able to acquire the proper attires will be a massive upside to the overall quality of our short film.
Crew ($2000): Our amazing crew is the lifeforce of this production. And we want to make sure that we can pay them as fairly as we can. To us, our crew means the world and they deserve all that we can afford to give to them for their services on our set!
Crafty Services ($500): There’s nothing like having a good meal during the day to keep you going. Being able to have a great crafty service will allow for us to keep our cast and crew well-fed and energized throughout each day of filming.
Our $5000 goal will only cover about 80% of the entire cost of the production. We expect there to be more out of pocket costs so that we can fairly pay our cast and crew and for post-production as well. Every donation counts and means the world to us!
Unable to donate? We understand that it is not possible for everyone to donate. We all have different financial needs and putting yourself first is what is most important. If you can't donate, please share our Seed&Spark page! By sharing our page, it allows for more people to discover our project and consider donating or further sharing it amongst their groups as well.
Project Timeline
Currently we are in the early to mid stages of pre-production and we are gearing up to be in the latter stages. We have most of our crew lined up and in June we will begin to put out casting calls. Once June rolls around, we are going to be in full gear in pre-production. Throughout June we will be compiling our lists of everything we need from lights to set dec & props to wardrobe. Once July arrives, we are aiming to start obtaining everything we need for production. That is where is campaign comes in. This campaign will help move us forward financially so that we may obtain everything we need to make this film come to life.
In August, we will be filming from August 14th-17th. Once filming has wrapped we will begin to send out all incentives. We will then begin our post-production work and aim to have the film ready for February 2027. Once it is all set, we will send out private online viewing links for all who redeemed the incentive. Throughout 2027 and 2028, we will be submitting the film to film festivals. Everything will continue to be given updates so they can be aware on where the film is being shown and when!
Why support us?
During the 2025 summer, Kaitlyn (Director) and I, Brendan (Producer) got the chance to work on a short film called, “Dead Set on Stardom”. During the week-long production, Kaitlyn and I bonded with a great cast and crew. We were amazed by the acting of John Francis Klingle and the writing of the Writer and Director, Mae Horak. When the production ended, we reached out to Mae to write a script for us with John in mind as the lead actor. Mae had the great concept of continuing the story of John’s character Chester Wetherspoon. And so, she wrote “Chester Wetherspoon - A Retrospective”. An amazing story detailing the backstory of Chester and how he got to where he is today!
We’re independent filmmakers looking to push the boundaries of what we can do. Supporting us will help us to push our goals past our financial limits to allow us to create the best possible short film that we can. We’re looking to create a unique and wild story for all to enjoy and laugh about with their friends and family. While also being able to fairly pay our amazing cast and crew for the incredible work that they will be doing throughout the entire filmmaking process.
Follow us on social media by to show your support and for more updates by clicking the names below:
We are excited to bring this project to life and share it with everyone! Thank you for any and all support that you provide us!
Warm Regards,
Brendan Smith - Producer
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Set Dec & Construction
Costs $1,000
Set Dec is crucial as this film will be taking place in the 1970-80s. And construction will be needed to create a prison cell set.
Lighting & G&E Equipment
Costs $1,000
With the film taking place primarily indoors, having great lighting gear will allow us to create visually appealing lighting for our film.
Crafty Services
Costs $500
Having a great crafty service will allow for our cast and crew to stay well-fed and energized throughout the whole film shoot!
Crew
Costs $2,000
This portion will help towards paying out amazing crew a fare wage for their time and effort put into this amazing project!!!
Wardrobe
Costs $500
Wardrobe and costumes will help to bring our film to life. From suits to prison jumpsuits, wardrobe is a pivotal part of our film.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Meet a few members of the team!
Kaitlyn Mobilia: Director
Kaitlyn Mobilia is a highly talented filmmaker. With a passion cinematography, Kaitlyn has been lending her skills to Access Framingham. Having created and directed the documentary short film "Ward of the State", she looks forward to taking on the role of director on the comedy and drama short film, "Chester Wetherspoon - A Retrospective".
Mae Horak: Co-Writer
Mae Horak is one half of the mind behind Chester Wetherspoon and the “Dead Set on Stardom” universe. She co-wrote the original screenplay with author Dante DiCarlo at various Wetherspoons across London and was thrilled when asked to write this spin-off short story featuring her favourite character from the universe. She has co-owned film company Off Hand Co with producer Lena Vani since 2020 and has been a part of 6+ film projects since that time as a writer, director and/or costume designer. She is also a songwriter and musician and performs under the stage name Mae Velour with her band “The Static” in the Mojave desert in Southern California.
Brendan Smith: Producer
Brendan Smith is a filmmaker with a range of experience in various on-set roles. Since graduating from Fitchburg State University in 2024, he has spent the past two years working freelance and welcoming all sorts of challenges to better his filmmaking skills. With this project, he looks to take on his first gig as Producer and welcomes all challenges and difficulties that may arise.
Darcy Lally: Director of Photography
Darcy Lally graduated as an honors student from Fitchburg State University with a degree in film and photography as well as a minor in computer science. She was a 2023 Film Student of the year and she has been awarded the President's Scholar Award as well as the Robert W. Wilson Memorial Scholarship throughout her college career. She is also a member of the Massachusetts chapter of the Women's Caucus for Art. Darcy has a deep love and passion for working on films. She loves to learn and has gathered an array of skills including directing, cinematography, producing, gaffing, editing, and color grading. Darcy enjoys working with others and collaborating to create the best project possible.
Kyle Lindfors: Set Dec & Props
Kyle Lindfors has a wide array of set experience under his belt. A very talented filmmaker who has written and directed short films such as "Bumpy the Clown", "Mourning Night", and the upcoming "T.H.U.L.U.". Kyle also has a passion for set dec as well as special effects makeup. Kyle is looking forward to taking on the challenge of creating an immersive set that brings to life the 1970s-1980s era as well as the bleak hopelessness of a prison cell.
Seth Rigby: DIT & Set Construction
Seth Rigby is a filmmaker who has a wide array of knowledge of the technical side of filmmaking. Having spent 4 years learning Engineering at a trade school, he will be diving into set construction with the knowledge needed to make it all come together. He has additionally worked on a number of sets as a Digital Technician, and is exploring aspects of Virtual/Hybrid Film Production.
Rachel Smith: Wardrobe Supervisor
With over a decade of experience in fashion, Rachel brings her passion and knowledge to every project she has the pleasure of being a part of. Her experiences on set notably with The Paper Store, New Balance, and beyond have allowed her to combine a love of production with creativity. Being able to work on short films in the New England area has given her the opportunity to hone her skills in set decoration & costume design. We are excited to have her on this team as our Wardrobe Supervisor!
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Synopsis
Chester, a pompous small-time con artist recounts his “tragic” rise and fall to his public defender. As Chester dramatically narrates his life story, his tale unfolds through increasingly absurd flashbacks: a lonely childhood, a string of outrageous fake identities and scams, and even a triumph as a world chess champion.
While waiting to be sentenced for his crimes, he meets an eccentric fellow inmate who mistakenly believes that Chester is also in prison as part of an elaborate undercover study for an acting role. Sensing opportunity, Chester embraces the misunderstanding and spins an increasingly elaborate lie about a prestigious Hollywood film role. As the two bond over cigarettes and mutual delusions, Chester manipulates his gullible cellmate into competing for the “role of a lifetime” in a high-stakes chess match which results in Chester regaining his freedom.
Main Character
Chester Wetherspoon is an insecure fantasist who treats his own life like a grand theatrical production. Every interaction is filtered through melodrama, self-mythologizing, and performance. Even in prison, he insists on turning a basic legal interview into an epic autobiographical saga full of poetic exaggeration and fabricated accomplishments.
Having served as one of the characters in the short film "Dead Set on Stardom", Chester returns as the STAR of the retelling of his own life. Chester Wetherspoon will once again be played by the amazing John Francis Klingle!
Visual References:
Prison Scenes:
Starting left and going clockwise: Sing Sing (2023), Primal Fear (1996), Starred Up (2013), Outer Range (2022)
Flashback Scenes of Chester's life:
Starting left and going clockwise: Boy (2013), Breaking Bad (2008), Boy (2013), Matilda (1996)
What your support will do:
Your support will help to fund the following aspects of our production:
Set Decoration and Construction ($1000): Set decoration is crucial to our productions. With the film taking place in the 1970s and 1980s, it is important that we are able to obtain set dec that is a period appropriate to the setting of our film.
Construction is also pivotal to our film. With most of the film taking place from within a prison cell. We are looking to construct our own prison cell set from scratch. Doing so is costly and requires a lot of care, planning, and time.
Lighting & G&E Equipment ($1000): Lighting equipment is highly important. With the majority of the film taking place indoors, having great lighting gear will allow us to create amazing visuals that are appealing to our viewers. Having proper G&E equipment as well will allow for our grip & electric team to do the best work that they can on set and support the gaffer and the production as a whole.
Wardrobe ($500): As our film takes place in the 1970s and 1980s, having period appropriate wardrobe will greatly benefit our production. With many different costumes needed throughout the runtime of the film, being able to acquire the proper attires will be a massive upside to the overall quality of our short film.
Crew ($2000): Our amazing crew is the lifeforce of this production. And we want to make sure that we can pay them as fairly as we can. To us, our crew means the world and they deserve all that we can afford to give to them for their services on our set!
Crafty Services ($500): There’s nothing like having a good meal during the day to keep you going. Being able to have a great crafty service will allow for us to keep our cast and crew well-fed and energized throughout each day of filming.
Our $5000 goal will only cover about 80% of the entire cost of the production. We expect there to be more out of pocket costs so that we can fairly pay our cast and crew and for post-production as well. Every donation counts and means the world to us!
Unable to donate? We understand that it is not possible for everyone to donate. We all have different financial needs and putting yourself first is what is most important. If you can't donate, please share our Seed&Spark page! By sharing our page, it allows for more people to discover our project and consider donating or further sharing it amongst their groups as well.
Project Timeline
Currently we are in the early to mid stages of pre-production and we are gearing up to be in the latter stages. We have most of our crew lined up and in June we will begin to put out casting calls. Once June rolls around, we are going to be in full gear in pre-production. Throughout June we will be compiling our lists of everything we need from lights to set dec & props to wardrobe. Once July arrives, we are aiming to start obtaining everything we need for production. That is where is campaign comes in. This campaign will help move us forward financially so that we may obtain everything we need to make this film come to life.
In August, we will be filming from August 14th-17th. Once filming has wrapped we will begin to send out all incentives. We will then begin our post-production work and aim to have the film ready for February 2027. Once it is all set, we will send out private online viewing links for all who redeemed the incentive. Throughout 2027 and 2028, we will be submitting the film to film festivals. Everything will continue to be given updates so they can be aware on where the film is being shown and when!
Why support us?
During the 2025 summer, Kaitlyn (Director) and I, Brendan (Producer) got the chance to work on a short film called, “Dead Set on Stardom”. During the week-long production, Kaitlyn and I bonded with a great cast and crew. We were amazed by the acting of John Francis Klingle and the writing of the Writer and Director, Mae Horak. When the production ended, we reached out to Mae to write a script for us with John in mind as the lead actor. Mae had the great concept of continuing the story of John’s character Chester Wetherspoon. And so, she wrote “Chester Wetherspoon - A Retrospective”. An amazing story detailing the backstory of Chester and how he got to where he is today!
We’re independent filmmakers looking to push the boundaries of what we can do. Supporting us will help us to push our goals past our financial limits to allow us to create the best possible short film that we can. We’re looking to create a unique and wild story for all to enjoy and laugh about with their friends and family. While also being able to fairly pay our amazing cast and crew for the incredible work that they will be doing throughout the entire filmmaking process.
Follow us on social media by to show your support and for more updates by clicking the names below:
We are excited to bring this project to life and share it with everyone! Thank you for any and all support that you provide us!
Warm Regards,
Brendan Smith - Producer
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Set Dec & Construction
Costs $1,000
Set Dec is crucial as this film will be taking place in the 1970-80s. And construction will be needed to create a prison cell set.
Lighting & G&E Equipment
Costs $1,000
With the film taking place primarily indoors, having great lighting gear will allow us to create visually appealing lighting for our film.
Crafty Services
Costs $500
Having a great crafty service will allow for our cast and crew to stay well-fed and energized throughout the whole film shoot!
Crew
Costs $2,000
This portion will help towards paying out amazing crew a fare wage for their time and effort put into this amazing project!!!
Wardrobe
Costs $500
Wardrobe and costumes will help to bring our film to life. From suits to prison jumpsuits, wardrobe is a pivotal part of our film.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Meet a few members of the team!
Kaitlyn Mobilia: Director
Kaitlyn Mobilia is a highly talented filmmaker. With a passion cinematography, Kaitlyn has been lending her skills to Access Framingham. Having created and directed the documentary short film "Ward of the State", she looks forward to taking on the role of director on the comedy and drama short film, "Chester Wetherspoon - A Retrospective".
Mae Horak: Co-Writer
Mae Horak is one half of the mind behind Chester Wetherspoon and the “Dead Set on Stardom” universe. She co-wrote the original screenplay with author Dante DiCarlo at various Wetherspoons across London and was thrilled when asked to write this spin-off short story featuring her favourite character from the universe. She has co-owned film company Off Hand Co with producer Lena Vani since 2020 and has been a part of 6+ film projects since that time as a writer, director and/or costume designer. She is also a songwriter and musician and performs under the stage name Mae Velour with her band “The Static” in the Mojave desert in Southern California.
Brendan Smith: Producer
Brendan Smith is a filmmaker with a range of experience in various on-set roles. Since graduating from Fitchburg State University in 2024, he has spent the past two years working freelance and welcoming all sorts of challenges to better his filmmaking skills. With this project, he looks to take on his first gig as Producer and welcomes all challenges and difficulties that may arise.
Darcy Lally: Director of Photography
Darcy Lally graduated as an honors student from Fitchburg State University with a degree in film and photography as well as a minor in computer science. She was a 2023 Film Student of the year and she has been awarded the President's Scholar Award as well as the Robert W. Wilson Memorial Scholarship throughout her college career. She is also a member of the Massachusetts chapter of the Women's Caucus for Art. Darcy has a deep love and passion for working on films. She loves to learn and has gathered an array of skills including directing, cinematography, producing, gaffing, editing, and color grading. Darcy enjoys working with others and collaborating to create the best project possible.
Kyle Lindfors: Set Dec & Props
Kyle Lindfors has a wide array of set experience under his belt. A very talented filmmaker who has written and directed short films such as "Bumpy the Clown", "Mourning Night", and the upcoming "T.H.U.L.U.". Kyle also has a passion for set dec as well as special effects makeup. Kyle is looking forward to taking on the challenge of creating an immersive set that brings to life the 1970s-1980s era as well as the bleak hopelessness of a prison cell.
Seth Rigby: DIT & Set Construction
Seth Rigby is a filmmaker who has a wide array of knowledge of the technical side of filmmaking. Having spent 4 years learning Engineering at a trade school, he will be diving into set construction with the knowledge needed to make it all come together. He has additionally worked on a number of sets as a Digital Technician, and is exploring aspects of Virtual/Hybrid Film Production.
Rachel Smith: Wardrobe Supervisor
With over a decade of experience in fashion, Rachel brings her passion and knowledge to every project she has the pleasure of being a part of. Her experiences on set notably with The Paper Store, New Balance, and beyond have allowed her to combine a love of production with creativity. Being able to work on short films in the New England area has given her the opportunity to hone her skills in set decoration & costume design. We are excited to have her on this team as our Wardrobe Supervisor!