Closing Shift
Winston-Salem, North Carolina | Film Short
Horror, Thriller
We are a horror/thriller short commenting on the secret life of movie theater employees and bad theater etiquette taken to the extreme. We want to utilize gnarly practical effects to make this come to life, while also creating an equitable environment for our cast and crew, and we need your help!
Closing Shift
Winston-Salem, North Carolina | Film Short
Horror, Thriller
Green Light
This campaign raised $8,805 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
28 supporters | followers
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We are a horror/thriller short commenting on the secret life of movie theater employees and bad theater etiquette taken to the extreme. We want to utilize gnarly practical effects to make this come to life, while also creating an equitable environment for our cast and crew, and we need your help!
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
You've been working for the past eight hours. The end is in sight, when another batch of customers come in. Little do you know, these customers will be what stands between you and clocking out...alive.
Closing Shift is a 15-minute dark comedy thriller about the perils of working at a movie theater, where the greatest threat is the customers themselves. Inspired by the genres of 70's exploitation, home invasion, and workplace drama, our film explores the work-family, public behavior, and what space the movie theater now holds, especially with the rise of streaming.
KC, a movie theater employee on the brink of quitting, works the closing shift with her manager, Reggie.
Right as they lock up the theater, a family comes to the door, begging to see the movie. Reggie lets them in, but quickly regrets the decision, as the family begins to disturb the other customers. However, disturbing others turns to disturbing behavior when the family kills another audience member.
Stuck waiting for help and not wanting to abandon the theater, KC and Reggie come up with a plan to get the family out of the theater and lock them outside. But this ends up being more difficult then expected, and KC and Reggie end up face to face with the family.
Do KC and Reggie survive? Who (or what) are the family? You'll have to find out by helping make Closing Shift a reality!
According to Variety Magazine, this past Thanksgiving was one of the highest grossing weekends ever, with Moana 2 and Wicked breaking box office records. While that gave big theater chains something to celebrate, the article doesn't mention the possible impact on the people who actually run movie theaters. At my local multiplex alone, showtimes for these movies were scheduled as late as 11pm. That means for many employees, they weren't getting off the clock until 2am or later, and they had to be ready to come back and do it all again the next day. After a packed showing there might be gallons and gallons of popcorn to sweep up and spilled soda to mop, and employees are given a tight turnaround to accomplish this all. And if your multiplex is also a dine-in theater? Forget it.
Audience members and corporations don't care about the struggle of the theater employee, which is why I want to make a film that brings attention to them in an exciting and entertaining way. We hope that we get audiences to think about their behavior in movie theaters, while also creating a story that will resonate with theater employees, or anyone who has worked a service job. Both myself and the Director of Photography have worked in movie theaters, and we are using our authentic experiences to guide this project.
To bring Closing Shift to life, we are raising $26,000 to cover production essentials like:
- Paying cast and crew for the duration of the shoot
- Excellent production design, costumes, and practical effects
- Equipment Rentals
- Transportation and Housing
Every contribution matters! As a collective of young filmmakers in North Carolina, your support means the world to us. Whether its $25 to $2500, your pledge will help us pop the popcorn, dim the lights, and fire up the projector! Even if you're not able to financially contribute, we would love for you to share this project with your family and friends who love going to the movies, watching a scary film, or enjoy handfuls of popcorn!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast
Costs $1,500
We want to make sure that all our actors and extras receive compensation for their performances!
Camera Rental
Costs $1,000
We're hoping to shoot this project on high-quality equipment to make this project cinema-ready!
Grips and Electric
Costs $2,500
We want this to be lit properly! I'm tired of movies looking dark and muddy, so we will have a gaffer, grips, and electric team.
Effects, Makeup, and Costumes
Costs $1,500
Not only do we have on planning some gnarly practical effects, we also want everyone on set looking their best (or worst!)
Crew
Costs $1,500
By having a fund to pay crew, we hope to provide young creatives a paid opportunity that helps them get a foothold in filmmaking.
Transportation and Housing
Costs $2,000
We want to maximize the local talent of NC, so being able to pay for gas and housing is a must!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
The Creative Team
M-Alain Bertoni (he/they) is a multi-racial queer storyteller specializing in surreal horror and comedy. Their work focuses on the blurring of boundaries between self-identity and media, through a lens reminiscent of Rod Serling and Ray Bradbury. M graduated from Yale University in 2023 with a B.A. in Film and Media Studies, concentrating in Screenwriting. They are currently pursuing their M.F.A. in Creative Producing at UNC School of the Arts,
Stewart Jeffers is an ambitious queer cinematographer and photographer from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He shines not only through his technical skills but also in his deep-rooted passion for storytelling through a naturalistic lens. His love for naturalism started with taking pictures of wildlife and nature as a young child. Since then, he has developed a keen eye for detail and an ability to capture the essence of a character's psyche utilizing lighting and composition. In the realm of cinematography, Stewart emerges as an artist who captures the raw beauty of existence. He strives to go beyond aesthetics and focus on the audience connecting with the complexity of human experience.
Madeline Vachon (she/her) is a producer based in the mountains of North Carolina. She holds a degree in Film & Television Production from Western Carolina University, where she honed her skills and passion for production, management, and creative collaboration. Throughout her career, Madeline has gained hands-on experience in all stages of production, working on a variety of both short and feature films, as well as documentaries. With a passion for supporting others in their storytelling process and a keen eye for detail, Madeline is committed to bringing innovative ideas to life on screen.
Mayra Noemi is a NC based production designer. She is a Mexican-American artist who enjoys bringing stories and settings to life for the camera. Her eye for character driven design pushes her to new and inventive work.
The Cast
Ilia Jones is an actor who has developed her craft while on set . She wrote, directed, and starred in a five episode web series, Arranged. She now continues to lend a helping hand throughout the industry while continuing her journey as an actor. Since starting her professional career in 2021, Ilia has worked on over 15 productions including web series, short films, commercials, and most recently a Pilot for Amazon Studios.
Thomas Nash Tetterton is an artist, actor, and coffee roaster based in Raleigh, NC. Typically found on stage spouting some Shakespearean nonsense with myriad regional playhouses, you can catch him on screen in Have A Nice Life (2021), Die Hart season 3 (2024), and more! In his wildly limited spare time, he enjoys the works of Tolkien, specialty coffee, hiking, petting any and every dog that he can, and dad jokes. He's incredibly excited to be a part of Closing Shift! Always support local artists and keep up to date with him at www.tntetterton.com
Michelle Alba Yazvac, a graduate of The New York Conservatory for the Dramatic Arts, made her TV debut on “Law & Order: SVU”, directed by Lucy Liu. She has since appeared in projects like the Lifetime movie “Secrets Exposed”, the feature film “Discontinued” (streaming on Apple TV), and provided voiceover work for HBO Max's docu-series “The Vow”. In 2022, she won Best Actress for her role in the short film “SOLD” at the Transparent Film Festival. Michelle is also a trained ballet dancer and has appeared in commercials for Salesforce, Grammarly, Samsung, and Canon.
A native to Texas and a transplant to the Southeast, Justin has been acting in film for 3+ years. He mostly enjoys creating quirky roles that border on the edge of the demented. Having a love for 80s and 90s horror, this seems like a perfect match for this project. Justin is signed to Aligned Stars Agency in Atlanta.
Emi Curia is a budding actress from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. At an early age, she found a love for storytelling and started in film after doing years of community theater as a child. You can find some of her work in Echoes (Netflix), I Win (Amazon), and Lexicon (Amazon). Beyond her on-screen accomplishments, Emi is a senior in college, pursuing a B.S. in Psychology and B.A. in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies with a minor in American Sign Language. When she isn't acting or studying, she can be found thrifting, weightlifting, or spending time with her friends and pets. She is so grateful to be part of this project!
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
You've been working for the past eight hours. The end is in sight, when another batch of customers come in. Little do you know, these customers will be what stands between you and clocking out...alive.
Closing Shift is a 15-minute dark comedy thriller about the perils of working at a movie theater, where the greatest threat is the customers themselves. Inspired by the genres of 70's exploitation, home invasion, and workplace drama, our film explores the work-family, public behavior, and what space the movie theater now holds, especially with the rise of streaming.
KC, a movie theater employee on the brink of quitting, works the closing shift with her manager, Reggie.
Right as they lock up the theater, a family comes to the door, begging to see the movie. Reggie lets them in, but quickly regrets the decision, as the family begins to disturb the other customers. However, disturbing others turns to disturbing behavior when the family kills another audience member.
Stuck waiting for help and not wanting to abandon the theater, KC and Reggie come up with a plan to get the family out of the theater and lock them outside. But this ends up being more difficult then expected, and KC and Reggie end up face to face with the family.
Do KC and Reggie survive? Who (or what) are the family? You'll have to find out by helping make Closing Shift a reality!
According to Variety Magazine, this past Thanksgiving was one of the highest grossing weekends ever, with Moana 2 and Wicked breaking box office records. While that gave big theater chains something to celebrate, the article doesn't mention the possible impact on the people who actually run movie theaters. At my local multiplex alone, showtimes for these movies were scheduled as late as 11pm. That means for many employees, they weren't getting off the clock until 2am or later, and they had to be ready to come back and do it all again the next day. After a packed showing there might be gallons and gallons of popcorn to sweep up and spilled soda to mop, and employees are given a tight turnaround to accomplish this all. And if your multiplex is also a dine-in theater? Forget it.
Audience members and corporations don't care about the struggle of the theater employee, which is why I want to make a film that brings attention to them in an exciting and entertaining way. We hope that we get audiences to think about their behavior in movie theaters, while also creating a story that will resonate with theater employees, or anyone who has worked a service job. Both myself and the Director of Photography have worked in movie theaters, and we are using our authentic experiences to guide this project.
To bring Closing Shift to life, we are raising $26,000 to cover production essentials like:
- Paying cast and crew for the duration of the shoot
- Excellent production design, costumes, and practical effects
- Equipment Rentals
- Transportation and Housing
Every contribution matters! As a collective of young filmmakers in North Carolina, your support means the world to us. Whether its $25 to $2500, your pledge will help us pop the popcorn, dim the lights, and fire up the projector! Even if you're not able to financially contribute, we would love for you to share this project with your family and friends who love going to the movies, watching a scary film, or enjoy handfuls of popcorn!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast
Costs $1,500
We want to make sure that all our actors and extras receive compensation for their performances!
Camera Rental
Costs $1,000
We're hoping to shoot this project on high-quality equipment to make this project cinema-ready!
Grips and Electric
Costs $2,500
We want this to be lit properly! I'm tired of movies looking dark and muddy, so we will have a gaffer, grips, and electric team.
Effects, Makeup, and Costumes
Costs $1,500
Not only do we have on planning some gnarly practical effects, we also want everyone on set looking their best (or worst!)
Crew
Costs $1,500
By having a fund to pay crew, we hope to provide young creatives a paid opportunity that helps them get a foothold in filmmaking.
Transportation and Housing
Costs $2,000
We want to maximize the local talent of NC, so being able to pay for gas and housing is a must!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!