Conversations in Apartment 3A

New York City, New York | Series

Comedy

Keisha Bissram

1 Campaigns | New York, United States

Green Light

This campaign raised $12,565 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.

113 supporters | followers

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Conversations in Apartment 3A is a comedic web series about Kate and Sami, two roommates who face difficulties life throws at them while living in New York City. The production of our project embraces the support of female and diverse roles in the film industry.

About The Project

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

Mission Statement

We are committed to diversity and the expansion of women in film and television. Our web series embraces actors and crew members of various backgrounds and nationalities. The story is produced by a female-centric team to support the female voice and gaze.

The Story

THE WEB SERIES

In their late 20s, Kate and Sami believe their lives are on a steady path. They are living life in New York City with great careers in a great apartment with a great friendship. However, things begin to shake up when they realize life didn’t go as planned. That student loan you planned to pay off is suddenly on hold. Career progression is at a halt. And your past can no longer hide in a box. 

 

As a public relations specialist, Sami's career is moving up until she gets unexpectedly laid off. Bills start piling up. That metro card gets harder to pay for every month. Life is slapping her in the face. She’s forced to take a job with an absurd company. Her boss is strange and her co-workers are even weirder.

 

Kate, a freelance graphic designer, is wrapped up in her comfort zone; free from dating and romantic relationships. She’s enjoying the freedom of her career, despite her zany clients, while having the option to be married to the couch with video games. When love comes knocking on her door, suddenly she can no longer hide.

 

Kate and Sami are polar opposites. Their is friendship based on tough love and solid support. Even with those ingredients, their goal to push each other upward is a challenge to keep one another from crashing to the ground. They find solace within each other's presence in their apartment by being pulled off a couch to socialize and having therapeutic conversations over martinis and card games. That's what friends are for. 

 

INSPIRATION

Keisha Bissram is the writer of Conversations in Apartment 3A. She recognized a lack of growth in roles for female leads and minority characters. The creation of the web series was developed to represent diversity, not only in film and television, but in New York City.

 

She didn’t see a character or an actress that represented her struggle. There were few any stories depicting the reality of living in New York City. From conversations and experiences in her life, and from the lives of her friends and family, she developed Conversations in Apartment 3A.


AWARENESS

We are in full support of diversity and women in film and television. With a cast and crew made-up of mostly women, we are taking action to push barriers.


WOMEN IN FILM & TV 

The proof is in the pudding - there are more minorities and females on-screen nowadays. But we still have a long way to go!!! Here are some articles for your knowledge: 

 

“Across all platforms Black characters in speaking roles comprised 19% of all females in 2016–17, up from 16% in 2015–16. Asian characters accounted for 6% of all females in 2016–17, up from 4% in 2015–16. The percentage of Latinas increased from 4% in 2015–16 to 5% in 2016–17.”
*Source: https://womenandhollywood.com/resources/statistics/tv-statistics/

 

 

Of the top 100 films of 2016: "...Women were also much more likely to be shown in "sexy attire," and, disturbingly, "teenage females (13‐20 yr olds) were just as likely to be depicted in sexually revealing clothing and with some nudity as young adult females (21‐39 yr olds)."

*Source: https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/news/a47090/women-underrepresented-in-film-study-usc/

 

"Considering that minorities made up nearly 40 percent of the U.S. population in 2016, only 13.9 percent of the year's film leads were people of color. On television, minorities accounted for 18.7 percent of scripted broadcast leads, 20.2 percent of scripted cable leads and 12.9 percent of scripted digital leads."

*Source: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/black-panther-success-diversity-hollywood-falls-short-film/story?id=53391166

 

“Our findings reveal that, regardless of race, audiences want to see diversity on the screen,” UCLA social psychologist Ana-Christina Ramón, one of the report’s co-authors, wrote. “Our reports have continually shown that diversity sells, but the TV and film product continues to fall short. So audiences are left starved for more representation on screen that reflects the world they see in their daily lives.”

*Source: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hollywood-diversity-study-black-panther_us_5a954898e4b0699553cc3cc8

 

WHY WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT

We are currently filming and need your support to help complete the project! Our belief of a strong vision that will add impact to the industry by producing roles for females and minorites makes our goal a reality. 

 

Your support will help us purchase equipment (camera, audio, and lighting), rent locations, cover transportation for cast and crew members, editing our footage, cover catering costs for shoot dates, purchase props for location sets, and cover our wardrobe department. 

 

Any part of your contribution will help create this web series! Whether it's $5 or sharing the campaign to your friends and family on Facebook and Instagram. You will be part of the movement we are supporting and you will be part of our journey to get Conversations in Apartment 3A where it needs to be. 

 

We want to show our story to the world. We want to support female roles in film and television as well as diversity. We want to continue the conversation by taking action in producing Conversations in Apartment 3A.

 

Wishlist

Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.

Cash Pledge

Costs $0

Camera Equipment

Costs $2,500

Camera equipment helps us execute beautiful cinematography for the series.

Audio Equipment

Costs $1,800

Equipment for audio to create stellar sound for the series!

Lighting

Costs $2,600

Lighting equipment & accessories to light the set.

Transportation

Costs $900

Includes train tickets & gas expenses.

Catering

Costs $1,400

Covers food & refreshment expenses for cast & crew.

Locations

Costs $800

Rent location spaces to shoot our series! We are currently seeking 1 restaurant, 2 bars, & 1 office.

About This Team

MEET THE TEAM

 

KEISHA BISSRAM (WRITER & ACTRESS "KATE")

 

Keisha Bissram is a Trinidadian-American actress from Staten Island, New York. She had a love for the arts since childhood and has been a writer since. However, she graduated with a bachelor's degree in Advertising and Marketing with a minor in East Asian Art & History at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She began her acting career in 2013 and trained at The Barrow Group theatre and William Esper Studio. Conversations in Apartment 3Ais her first production.

 

MEGAN CHANNELL (DIRECTOR: EPISODE ONE & EPISODE TWO)

This is Megan's first time directing for camera. As an actor, Megan's work includes Mr. Robot, Power, the NBC pilot Songbyrd, All My Children, the Cartoon Network feature Contest, and the upcoming indie Ask for Jane. She has appeared in over 70 commercials and can currently be seen jumping out of an orange cloud to promote vitamin supplements.

 

TAYLOR ZANERI (PRODUCER & ACTRESS "JACQUI")

 

FRANK JUAREZ (DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY & ACTOR "MATTHEW")

Frank is the Founder of SAG/14 | Production Company. He was the Director of Photography for the Short Film "Fuera De Serie," which went on to be officially selected in seven international film festivals. You can see more of his work at www.sag14productioncompany.com

 

SAHAR MILANI (ACTRESS "SAMI")

Sahar Milani is a Lebanese/Iranian actress and singer, who has trained and performed in North Carolina, Boston, D.C., Los Angeles, and New York.  She studied Music Theatre at Elon University before furthering her education in Los Angeles, whilst working under the guidance of legendary music producer and CEO, LA Reid at Epic Records. Currently based in New York, she was most recently seen at the Brooklyn Academy of Music as the lead in the musical '7 Doors.' 

 

ALI BRENEMAN (ACTRESS "OLIVIA")

Ali Breneman is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, but she is currently based out of New York City. She graduated from Northwestern University with degrees in theatre and pre-med with a certificate in musical theatre. Favorite projects include the touring chamber theatre piece Shostakovich and the Black Monk (with David Strathairn and Len Cariou), Young Frankenstein (Inga), the upcoming web series Every Exit, and the short film He’s the Worst. She loves all dogs, playing board games, and eating Chipotle. Ali hopes to end up working in the worlds of both film and medicine. 

 

TYLER JOSEPH (ACTOR "ROB")

Tyler Joseph, a Nashville-native, is an award-winning, 4-year NYC actor seeking a career in Theatre, Film and TV. Credits include: Blue Bloods, Montrose Avenue and a promo video for Peloton. 

 

KATIE CONTINI (ACTRESS "LARA")

Katie Contini loves being an actor because her passion is to tell great stories. She’s been in several short films in New York and Australia, web series and commercials. She began her acting career in 2012 and studied at HB Studio, The Barrow Group, The Deena Levy Theatre Studio and the School of Acting for the Screen.

 

BRIANA SWANN (ACTRESS "ANNIE")

Briana Swann-Christie is an actor/writer from San Jose, California. She now resides in New York along with her husband Donovan. She can be seen in BET's newest web series, Brooklyn Blue Sky, as well as Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It.  She's been involved in various stage productions including Dui Jarrod's Unholy War and Cyrus Aaron's Someday. As a writer, she recently released her first children's book, The Circle and the Line. Briana is very excited to continue her journey as a working artist. 24/7/365.

 

TOMO LOVRIC (ACTOR "KEITH")

Tomo Lovric is an ex-product development scientist who decided to give his love of story telling a go.  He performs on stage, as well as on screen, and absolutely loves his new chosen profession.  You can catch him doing improv comedy around NYC as a part of the indie improv troop The Bloobz.  He loves food, adult beverages, and fun people.  He also discovered a passion for movie making, and is hoping to release his first short, The Big Time, in 2018.  

 

WILLIAM-DOUGLAS REYES (ASSISTANT CAMERA)

William-Douglas is a cinematographer and photographer and he recently graduated from Full Sail University.

"Born from the ashes from cameras and slates, William-Douglas Reyes is destined to conquer any cameras or he will die trying."

Current Team

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