Claude
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama, LGBTQ
If you’ve ever wondered what my dating life looks like as a trans woman, Claude certainly knows. Partly autobiographical and absolutely drawn from my real lived experience, “Claude” is a short film that aims to illuminate the pervasive isolation that affects the trans community.
Claude
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama, LGBTQ
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $15,968 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
56 supporters | followers
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If you’ve ever wondered what my dating life looks like as a trans woman, Claude certainly knows. Partly autobiographical and absolutely drawn from my real lived experience, “Claude” is a short film that aims to illuminate the pervasive isolation that affects the trans community.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
"Claude" is a window into the life of Her, a trans woman struggling with connection. We meet Her as she prepares for a date, addressing an unseen figure in her room as she gets ready. When she leaves, it's revealed that she's been speaking to her stuffed rabbit Claude, the constant in her life and the one who sees her completely and in her most vulnerable moments. What ensues is a mix of the mundane and the turbulent, the pieces of her life that can only be seen by Claude in her bedroom. From emotional hangovers and crippling isolation, to tender video calls with her mother who lives far away. Enter boyish Him, presumably a lover from Her past. As he slips back easily into Her life, watching their seemingly comfortable rapport, Claude witnesses his owner try to balance life, pleasure and even violence. Never seeing anyone’s face besides Claude’s unanimated one, the audience is invited to really lean in and pay attention to a woman and a story that often goes untold.
From Cassandra James:
"Claude" really came from a place of hurt and frustration. As a trans actress, I am constantly reminded that people still have no idea who we are, and are mostly unfamiliar of our real experiences, our voices, or our struggle. When auditioning, I rarely, if ever, see my life expressed authentically on the page. Trans stories are now starting to be told but still predominantly by non-trans writers, and we cannot wait for Hollywood to catch up.
Working with Seis Steves, I set out to tell a story that is unapologetically trans. I have battled so much in my life and survived horrors I've never spoken about. However, I've also managed to create healing and joy in my life despite these obstacles. I want 'Claude' to celebrate my and so many other trans women's private resilience, to reveal my truth and hopefully illuminate the realities of the trans experience.
The violence that is currently inherent to the trans experience comes in many different forms. On one hand, there are over 500 anti-trans bills that have been introduced in 2023 alone. On a macro level, we are being systematically attacked and silenced. However, on an individual level, we face an intimate and insidious violence. We are no stranger to violence from people closest to us - that tell us they love us. We often think this is love, that we aren't worthy of something more. How can we envision more for ourselves when we are constantly told our lives aren't worth protecting?
We do deserve better. Our lives are important. And our stories have value. "Claude" is a personal story with a universal message. If you've ever found yourself empathizing with the trans community, wondering what kind of support we really need, how to make a difference and how to help, here's your chance! Your contribution will directly affect the life of a trans artist and help get their voice heard.
I believe it is a truth that the most profound stories come from the people amongst us who have navigated obstacles. Often their stories are the most vulnerable, the most passionate.
Cassandra James’ beautiful story is a bridge to a human experience at once delicate and fierce. She is living in a world that doesn’t always acknowledge or even accept the journey of a trans woman in America.
Cassandra and Seis Steves tell a grounded, authentic story of the daily life of a trans woman, ‘Her’, through the eyes of her childhood friend, ‘Claude’, her stuffed bunny. Claude is privy to all the tender moments of Her life, but also the scary abuse that can permeate the relationships she goes after.
Cassandra’s idea to not show Her’s face throughout the film removes beauty and judgement from the piece, and asks the audience to identify with the global, human experience of the story. I think this is a perfect way through a journey of joy, loneliness, struggle and abuse, all seen through the sweet childhood eyes of Claude.
Because I find Cassandra to be a very colorful person, I want to use a lot of color play in the lighting, breaking the bedroom up into areas of saturated light, hot pink, lilac, the stark blue of the bathroom. I visualize the camera being a quite abstract eye, framing the subjects with negative space, blurred foregrounds, unexpected angles and sometimes plenty of overhead room to indicate the pressure of society. As we won’t be seeing Her’s face until the final shot, there are beautiful, sensitive ways to photograph the subjects. The curve of the neck, reflections in surfaces, out of focus images, exaggerated framing.
I think this story lives somewhere between a modern, center punch approach and dreamy, blurry moments. I feel this represents the sharp focus of the core themes, loneliness, abuse, and the loving, dreamy, graceful ways 'Her' navigates those struggles to bring joy to her life.
This is a very intimate, tender piece that will resonate with its audience because of its truthful and raw script. It is a beautiful thing to be able to share the experience of your life, to invite people in, to build understanding.
-Finola Hughes
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cameras, Lighting, Sound Equipment
Costs $5,000
We need to rent equipment!
Pay our Crew
Costs $3,000
This is a passion project for the core four, but we aren't asking the crew to volunteer.
Food!
Costs $650
We need to feed our cast and crew for the two day shoot.
Insurance
Costs $1,200
We need insurance to ensure all our rentals will be covered.
Hard Drives
Costs $200
Gotta put that great footage somewhere.
Post Production
Costs $2,000
Sound Design, Editing, Composer, Graphics, Title Card
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
This team came together very authentically around Cassandra James. Our writer, Seis Steves, has been an immense support and witness to many of the struggles we are examining in “Claude." Our producer, Ingrid Haas, graduated from the Toronto Metropolitan University theater school with Cassandra. Our director, Finola Hughes, heard Cassandra's lamentations about the lack of meaningful opportunities in the arts for trans folks and generously added her voice and vision to the mix.
Cassandra James (Actress/Co-Writer) – Cassandra James is a multi-disciplinary artist of three cultures. Chinese-American and raised in Canada, James has been a storyteller her whole life. After leaving her hometown of Vancouver to study theatre at the prestigious Toronto Metropolitan University, James began to live authentically as a trans woman. With dreams to return to her birthplace of California, James made the move in 2017, finally as herself and ready to pursue a career in film and television. She has the honor of being the first trans actress to recur on daytime television on the legendary soap General Hospital and can be seen recurring in both seasons of the super queer HBOMAX Original hit Sort Of, which was filmed in Canada with CBC. She is passionate about trans storytelling and diverse representation and explores themes of trauma and healing and human connection in her personal work.
Finola Hughes (Director) – Finola Hughes graduated from the Arts Educational School in London in 1979. From the age of 11 she had already been performing in both Television and on stage. After being part of the original cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats and Song & Dance she moved to the US to co-star in Sylvestor Stallone’s Stayin’ Alive with John Travolta. She joined the soap General Hospital in 1985, earning an Emmy in 1991, and has garnered many nominations. She has returned to the soap over the years, and worked in numerous TV shows and movies. Her work in TV includes: Charmed, Pacific Palisades, Blossom. Her movies include Like Crazy which won Sundance 2011. In 2013 she directed her first full length film The Bet. The low budget film was successfully entered in festivals around the country, including FLIFF and Dances with Films, and won LAFEMME film festival for best feature. It received distribution. She has since directed a couple of shorts and an episode of Good Trouble for FreeForm in 2019. She is an adjunct professor at USC School of Dramatic Art.
Ingrid Haas (Producer) – Ingrid Haas is a Canadian producer, writer, director and actor. She made her directorial debut in 2020 with the award-winning SXSW short film; Still Wylde which she also wrote and produced. She is currently producing Allison Rich’s film, Pathological and is in development on her directorial feature debut, Before You Go. Her Wondery podcast which she wrote and narrated, The Moment, was voted one of the top podcasts by The Atlantic. As a writer, Ingrid has written for Vice, CBC, Netflix, E!, Huffington Post, NBC Universal, she sold a half-hour sitcom to NBC Universal with Chelsea Handler attached as producer, based off her one-woman show. As a performer, Ingrid has worked with Funny or Die, College Humor and was a regular performer at the Upright Citizens Brigade with her sketch team, The Get Go. As an actor Ingrid has worked in single-cam, multi-cam and film, wining a Canadian Comedy Award for her star turn in That Burning Feeling starring John Cho. She has acted in over 50 US national commercials most notably as a Heinz Mustard Bottle. Ingrid graduated from Ryerson University in Toronto with a BFA in classical theatre performance. She lives in LA with her family but Toronto is and always will be home.
Seis Steves (Writer) – Based in Los Angeles, Seis Steves is a queer screenwriter originally from Texas. Seis received his MFA in Screenwriting from the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television. During his time at UCLA, Seis won multiple awards for his comedy/dramedy television pilots. Seis completed his undergrad at the University of Texas at Austin, where he holds multiple national championship titles for his writing and performance in Speech and Debate. It's Seis' mission to tell queer and neurodivergent stories that often go unheard or overlooked. Seis is represented by Entertainment Labs, and yes, his name is a number.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
"Claude" is a window into the life of Her, a trans woman struggling with connection. We meet Her as she prepares for a date, addressing an unseen figure in her room as she gets ready. When she leaves, it's revealed that she's been speaking to her stuffed rabbit Claude, the constant in her life and the one who sees her completely and in her most vulnerable moments. What ensues is a mix of the mundane and the turbulent, the pieces of her life that can only be seen by Claude in her bedroom. From emotional hangovers and crippling isolation, to tender video calls with her mother who lives far away. Enter boyish Him, presumably a lover from Her past. As he slips back easily into Her life, watching their seemingly comfortable rapport, Claude witnesses his owner try to balance life, pleasure and even violence. Never seeing anyone’s face besides Claude’s unanimated one, the audience is invited to really lean in and pay attention to a woman and a story that often goes untold.
From Cassandra James:
"Claude" really came from a place of hurt and frustration. As a trans actress, I am constantly reminded that people still have no idea who we are, and are mostly unfamiliar of our real experiences, our voices, or our struggle. When auditioning, I rarely, if ever, see my life expressed authentically on the page. Trans stories are now starting to be told but still predominantly by non-trans writers, and we cannot wait for Hollywood to catch up.
Working with Seis Steves, I set out to tell a story that is unapologetically trans. I have battled so much in my life and survived horrors I've never spoken about. However, I've also managed to create healing and joy in my life despite these obstacles. I want 'Claude' to celebrate my and so many other trans women's private resilience, to reveal my truth and hopefully illuminate the realities of the trans experience.
The violence that is currently inherent to the trans experience comes in many different forms. On one hand, there are over 500 anti-trans bills that have been introduced in 2023 alone. On a macro level, we are being systematically attacked and silenced. However, on an individual level, we face an intimate and insidious violence. We are no stranger to violence from people closest to us - that tell us they love us. We often think this is love, that we aren't worthy of something more. How can we envision more for ourselves when we are constantly told our lives aren't worth protecting?
We do deserve better. Our lives are important. And our stories have value. "Claude" is a personal story with a universal message. If you've ever found yourself empathizing with the trans community, wondering what kind of support we really need, how to make a difference and how to help, here's your chance! Your contribution will directly affect the life of a trans artist and help get their voice heard.
I believe it is a truth that the most profound stories come from the people amongst us who have navigated obstacles. Often their stories are the most vulnerable, the most passionate.
Cassandra James’ beautiful story is a bridge to a human experience at once delicate and fierce. She is living in a world that doesn’t always acknowledge or even accept the journey of a trans woman in America.
Cassandra and Seis Steves tell a grounded, authentic story of the daily life of a trans woman, ‘Her’, through the eyes of her childhood friend, ‘Claude’, her stuffed bunny. Claude is privy to all the tender moments of Her life, but also the scary abuse that can permeate the relationships she goes after.
Cassandra’s idea to not show Her’s face throughout the film removes beauty and judgement from the piece, and asks the audience to identify with the global, human experience of the story. I think this is a perfect way through a journey of joy, loneliness, struggle and abuse, all seen through the sweet childhood eyes of Claude.
Because I find Cassandra to be a very colorful person, I want to use a lot of color play in the lighting, breaking the bedroom up into areas of saturated light, hot pink, lilac, the stark blue of the bathroom. I visualize the camera being a quite abstract eye, framing the subjects with negative space, blurred foregrounds, unexpected angles and sometimes plenty of overhead room to indicate the pressure of society. As we won’t be seeing Her’s face until the final shot, there are beautiful, sensitive ways to photograph the subjects. The curve of the neck, reflections in surfaces, out of focus images, exaggerated framing.
I think this story lives somewhere between a modern, center punch approach and dreamy, blurry moments. I feel this represents the sharp focus of the core themes, loneliness, abuse, and the loving, dreamy, graceful ways 'Her' navigates those struggles to bring joy to her life.
This is a very intimate, tender piece that will resonate with its audience because of its truthful and raw script. It is a beautiful thing to be able to share the experience of your life, to invite people in, to build understanding.
-Finola Hughes
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cameras, Lighting, Sound Equipment
Costs $5,000
We need to rent equipment!
Pay our Crew
Costs $3,000
This is a passion project for the core four, but we aren't asking the crew to volunteer.
Food!
Costs $650
We need to feed our cast and crew for the two day shoot.
Insurance
Costs $1,200
We need insurance to ensure all our rentals will be covered.
Hard Drives
Costs $200
Gotta put that great footage somewhere.
Post Production
Costs $2,000
Sound Design, Editing, Composer, Graphics, Title Card
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
This team came together very authentically around Cassandra James. Our writer, Seis Steves, has been an immense support and witness to many of the struggles we are examining in “Claude." Our producer, Ingrid Haas, graduated from the Toronto Metropolitan University theater school with Cassandra. Our director, Finola Hughes, heard Cassandra's lamentations about the lack of meaningful opportunities in the arts for trans folks and generously added her voice and vision to the mix.
Cassandra James (Actress/Co-Writer) – Cassandra James is a multi-disciplinary artist of three cultures. Chinese-American and raised in Canada, James has been a storyteller her whole life. After leaving her hometown of Vancouver to study theatre at the prestigious Toronto Metropolitan University, James began to live authentically as a trans woman. With dreams to return to her birthplace of California, James made the move in 2017, finally as herself and ready to pursue a career in film and television. She has the honor of being the first trans actress to recur on daytime television on the legendary soap General Hospital and can be seen recurring in both seasons of the super queer HBOMAX Original hit Sort Of, which was filmed in Canada with CBC. She is passionate about trans storytelling and diverse representation and explores themes of trauma and healing and human connection in her personal work.
Finola Hughes (Director) – Finola Hughes graduated from the Arts Educational School in London in 1979. From the age of 11 she had already been performing in both Television and on stage. After being part of the original cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats and Song & Dance she moved to the US to co-star in Sylvestor Stallone’s Stayin’ Alive with John Travolta. She joined the soap General Hospital in 1985, earning an Emmy in 1991, and has garnered many nominations. She has returned to the soap over the years, and worked in numerous TV shows and movies. Her work in TV includes: Charmed, Pacific Palisades, Blossom. Her movies include Like Crazy which won Sundance 2011. In 2013 she directed her first full length film The Bet. The low budget film was successfully entered in festivals around the country, including FLIFF and Dances with Films, and won LAFEMME film festival for best feature. It received distribution. She has since directed a couple of shorts and an episode of Good Trouble for FreeForm in 2019. She is an adjunct professor at USC School of Dramatic Art.
Ingrid Haas (Producer) – Ingrid Haas is a Canadian producer, writer, director and actor. She made her directorial debut in 2020 with the award-winning SXSW short film; Still Wylde which she also wrote and produced. She is currently producing Allison Rich’s film, Pathological and is in development on her directorial feature debut, Before You Go. Her Wondery podcast which she wrote and narrated, The Moment, was voted one of the top podcasts by The Atlantic. As a writer, Ingrid has written for Vice, CBC, Netflix, E!, Huffington Post, NBC Universal, she sold a half-hour sitcom to NBC Universal with Chelsea Handler attached as producer, based off her one-woman show. As a performer, Ingrid has worked with Funny or Die, College Humor and was a regular performer at the Upright Citizens Brigade with her sketch team, The Get Go. As an actor Ingrid has worked in single-cam, multi-cam and film, wining a Canadian Comedy Award for her star turn in That Burning Feeling starring John Cho. She has acted in over 50 US national commercials most notably as a Heinz Mustard Bottle. Ingrid graduated from Ryerson University in Toronto with a BFA in classical theatre performance. She lives in LA with her family but Toronto is and always will be home.
Seis Steves (Writer) – Based in Los Angeles, Seis Steves is a queer screenwriter originally from Texas. Seis received his MFA in Screenwriting from the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television. During his time at UCLA, Seis won multiple awards for his comedy/dramedy television pilots. Seis completed his undergrad at the University of Texas at Austin, where he holds multiple national championship titles for his writing and performance in Speech and Debate. It's Seis' mission to tell queer and neurodivergent stories that often go unheard or overlooked. Seis is represented by Entertainment Labs, and yes, his name is a number.