Counterfeit
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama, Family
A struggling single mother resorts to selling counterfeit purses to make ends meet, but when she brings her daughter to the beach, she comes to realize that her daughter only wanted to spend a carefree day in the sun with her mom.
Counterfeit
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama, Family
2 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $9,775 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
86 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
A struggling single mother resorts to selling counterfeit purses to make ends meet, but when she brings her daughter to the beach, she comes to realize that her daughter only wanted to spend a carefree day in the sun with her mom.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
In summer 2023, I was at the beach with friends and I noticed a mother and her young daughter. They had little, but for that afternoon, the beach was their world, a place where the little girl could dig her hands into the sand and pretend, just for a moment, that everything was okay. I wondered where they would go once the sun set. I wondered with the look on the mother's face, what she wasn’t saying.
Counterfeit is a mother-daughter drama about a young mother, Steph, trying to shield her daughter, Leila, from the realities of their uncertain life. With no home to return to that night, she takes her daughter to the beach, determined to make the day feel normal for her. When she calls her close friend, he comes through with a stash of counterfeit purses, and she's convinced she can sell enough to buy them another night of safety. As the day passes and her anxiety worsens, she loses sight of what truly matters. And when Leila, feeling forgotten, runs off, Steph is forced to confront what she’s been avoiding.
The California coast was more than just a place, it was a sanctuary. This story is personal to me because growing up, my family would escape the scorching summer heat in Arizona to the San Diego beach. Even in difficult times, my mother made sure our world felt secure, just as Steph tries to do for Leila. This film is about that delicate balance of motherhood and the sacrifices that are made to keep a “normal” childhood alive even when their own world is unraveling.
Right now, families everywhere, especially women and mothers, are pushed to the edge by rising costs, instability, and the pressure to hold everything together. This film feels urgent because it gives voice to those silent struggles, exploring the gray areas between right and wrong when survival is on the line. Counterfeit is a story about resilience, sacrifice, and what it really means to show up for someone you love, even if you have to bend the rules to do it. And our dedicated team of USC filmmakers are committed to telling authentic stories about the quiet, impossible choices single mothers have to make in order to survive.
Inspired by Roma’s intimate stillness and The Florida Project’s raw, colorful immediacy, I’m drawn to character-driven stories that feel both personal and cinematic. In Counterfeit, I plan on filming it using locked-off panning shots and having naturalistic camerawork to capture the internal psyche of a woman navigating impossible choices.
At the core of my work is a fixation on the internal world of women and their quiet, unspoken emotions, and resilience in the face of impossible choices. Counterfeit will continue my exploration of women’s psyches, immersing the audience in the mind of a single mother forced to make sacrifices, revealing the unseen battles that define love and survival.
The budget to bring Counterfeit to the big screen, we need to ensure our team has the resources to tell this story with love and authenticity and your contribution will majorly help us. With your love and support, we’ll complete Counterfeit by August 2025, aiming to screen at USC's Norris Theatre and submitting to major female-focused film festivals around the US. Every contribution, big or small will bring us closer to making this film a reality!
Production Design & Set Dressing ($1,000): Building and set dressing the world of Steph and Leila.
HMUA ($450): Making our actors look stunning with every attention to detail.
Wardrobe ($150): Outfitting our characters to match story and style.
Panavision & Equipment Rentals ($2,400): Capturing the film with the necessary camera and lighting equipment.
Set Operations ($2,346): Running a smooth, safe, and efficient set for our cast and crew.
Crew Base Camp ($1,000): Space for cast and crew to prepare and recharge.
Locations ($3,273): Securing spaces that make the story feel real and immersive.
Post-Production & Editorial ($2,755): Including editing, hard drives, sound design, color correction.
Distribution & Marketing ($500): We need your help getting Counterfeit in front of worldwide audiences worldwide.
Contingency & Overhead ($976): In case we face any production challenges, but we will do our very best that we don't.
Please help us reach 80% of our funding goal with any small contribution!
By contributing, you’ll get exclusive behind-the-scenes updates from our cast and crew. Every dollar and share brings us closer to bringing COUNTERFEIT to the big screen.
Here’s how you can help:
- Share our campaign with friends and family on social media, email, or LinkedIn
- Contribute through our incentives or wishlist items
- Follow us on Instagram @counterfeitshort and visit www.counterfeitshort.com for updates
If you connect with the story, help us spread the word—whether through word of mouth or social media. Thank you for your support, and I’m so excited to collaborate with my incredible team on this heartfelt film!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Hair & Make-up
Costs $500
We must make our actors look amazing.
Contigency
Costs $345
Contingency covers unforeseen expenses that may arise throughout the production process. This safety ensures any unexpected challenges!
Crew Base Camp
Costs $2,310
We need a place to put all our gear and belongings and this will help us be able to stay around Santa Monica and get every shot we need!
Production Insurance
Costs $800
Insurance costs for any USC Production!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Camera, Lighting, and G&E
Costs $2,400
The Panavision Grant will elevate Counterfeit with rich, cinematic visuals, capturing its raw tension and stylized world authentically.
Locations
Costs $2,300
Filming at the beach, hiring a lifeguard and studio teacher for Leila will be key to telling Counterfeit’s story!
Production Design
Costs $1,000
All of the expenses will go towards set design and props!
Set Operations
Costs $1,000
We're ensuring a secure set by having anything that keeps our crew happy, healthy and at ease during a busy day!
Post Production
Costs $995
Post-production runs on hard drives, good vibes and hard work. We need your support to make this film go from Avid to the big screen!
Marketing & Festivals
Costs $350
You want people to see our film, right? Getting an audience to see our film means we have to submit to festivals and have marketing!
Share this update!
About This Team
A USC School of Cinematic Arts thesis film, fueled by collaboration and a strong vision
Margaret Seid is a filmmaker pursuing her MFA at USC School of Cinematic Arts with an emphasis in directing. With a background in documentary, music videos and photography, she tells bold, visually striking stories centered on complex female protagonists and themes of identity. Margaret has a minimalist yet evocative aesthetic, her work balances style and substance, blending cinematic precision with emotional depth. Passionate about collaboration, she thrives on working with ambitious creatives to bring compelling visions to life.
Annie Kane is a writer and producer based in NYC. She holds an MFA in film production from USC where she wrote, directed and produced several short films that went on to screen at major festivals. Annie is passionate about bringing heartfelt, character driven stories to life, especially ones that embrace a nuanced female perspective.
Sara Reshamwala is currently pursuing her MFA in the Peter Stark Producing Program at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. She is also interning at Jim Whitaker's production company, Whitaker Entertainment, on the Disney lot. Before beginning her graduate studies, Sara worked on Variety's ‘Actors on Actors’ YouTube series and served as an Associate Producer on several short films in New York City.
Jenny Kim is a producer and current Peter Stark Producing student at USC's School of Cinematic Arts. With a background in comparative literature and theatrical design from Princeton, she has navigated the worlds of creative translation, film festival programming, international sales, and exhibition curation across the US, South Korea, and the UK—shaping stories that transcend borders of all kinds.
 - Maria Fernanda Ramos-Francia Ylizaliturri.jpg)
Fernanda Ramos-Francia is a producer and director and a George Lucas Scholar and MFA Candidate at USC’s Peter Stark Producing Program. Born in Mexico City, she studied Political Science & Television, Radio and Film at Syracuse University before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in Film and TV production.
Timothy Fei is a Chinese-American producer, writer and director based in Los Angeles. After pursuing an acting career, he enrolled at USC's School of Cinematic Arts to learn how to become a filmmaker. As a writer/director, he's committed to making films in the drama and horror genres.
Morgan Montgomery is a 1st AD and Director at USC pursuing her MFA at School of Cinematic Arts. Morgan holds a Bachelor of Arts from Loyola Marymount University in Film and Television Writing and Production where she graduated summa cum laude. In addition to writing and directing, Morgan thrives as an assistant director, where her strong leadership and collaborative skills have successfully guided dozens of productions through the fast-paced demands of filmmaking. A Los Angeles native, you can find her at a local pickleball tournament, smashing a drive at the golf range, or meticulously taking care of her freshwater shrimp.
Harnish Ambaliya is a cinematographer from the heart of Mumbai's slums. His story is one of unwavering passion and relentless pursuit of artistic vision. Fueled by the raw authenticity of his upbringing and honed through years of producing and directing in India, he has a deep-seated desire to tell stories as a cinematographer.
Harnish has brought his unique perspective to many thesis films including, Dead Pet Shark, a visually arresting 35mm film that earned a Panavision New Filmmaker Grant, showcasing his ability to craft cinematic worlds. His groundbreaking work on the first-ever USC multi-cam sitcom thesis, now nominated for a Student Emmy, "Failure to Launch" demonstrates his mastery of diverse filmmaking styles. Furthermore, he was awarded the prestigious Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) grant, recognizing his exceptional talent. More than just a cinematographer, Harnish is a visual storyteller driven by a deep understanding of the human experience, and he's bringing that powerful vision to Counterfeit.
Kumarshivam Singh is a Texas-based project manager in maritime industry who sometimes takes photos.
Alyssa Harrell is a production designer and a Los Angeles native who graduated from Chapman University in 2021 with a major in English and a minor in Production Design. She is a lover of film, storytelling, and aesthetics, and she is beyond excited to collaborate with Margaret again after she production designed on Keel!
Meredith Heika is a costume designer originally from Colleyville, TX. Her degree in Screenwriting from Chapman University influences her approach to storytelling through wardrobe, and she is grateful to be a part of such a compelling story.
LV is a hair and make-up artist originally from Los Angeles.
Steven Chen is the professional sound mixer and has been involved in lots of thesis film productions between the east to west coast, even in dust. Steven has sound mixed several advanced projects at USC, AFI and LMU. Steven is also a Sound SA for 508 RED, a very rigorous course at USC.
April Liu is an editor from China. She loves durians, colorful fluffy hats, and big dogs that aren’t too smart. For editing, she takes an emphasis on performance and is a firm believer that story should take precedence above all else.
Xinhui Wang is an editor and director, born and raised in a small city in China, where winter stretched on for what felt like an eternity, covering everything in snow for half the year. But inside her home, there was warmth—especially when movies were playing. At six years old, she fell in love with film, believing it to be pure magic. After all, it was one of the few things that could make her dad laugh, and anything with that kind of power had to be special.
Growing up, movies became her greatest escape, her favorite pastime, and occasionally, her excuse for disappearing from class. High school lessons? Often too predictable. But a great film? Always an adventure. When teachers couldn’t find her, chances were she was tucked away in some quiet corner of the school, phone in hand, fully immersed in another cinematic world.
At 17, she finally made her great escape—not just from the cold, but toward her dream. She moved to South Korea to study filmmaking, trading snow-covered streets for the glow of editing monitors. Later, she took an even bigger leap, coming to the U.S. to pursue her MFA in Film Production at USC, with a strong focus on editing. Now, freshly graduated and fully committed to the craft, Xinhui spends most of her time in editing suites, movie theaters, or, let’s be honest, her own room, which doubles as both. She believes that editing isn’t just about cutting scenes together; it’s about shaping emotions, telling stories, and, in a way, still creating a little bit of magic. If she’s not in the editing room, she’s probably at the movies—or on her way to one.
Catherine Kileen is an assistant editor and editor who has always been in love with post-production, especially editing. She found her passion for it back in high school and has been pursuing it ever since. She has worked on feature films like C’mon, C’mon, and Debunkers Inc. and short films/pilot episodes like Blood in the Shadows, USC's Advanced TV Series, Welcome to Aloha, as well as lt from the Same Cloth.
LuLu is a passionate sound designer and sound mixer who brings stories to life through immersive and emotionally driven soundscapes. With a background in law and filmmaking, she approaches sound as a powerful storytelling tool, enhancing narrative depth across film, animation, and documentary projects. Originally from China and now based in Los Angeles, she draws inspiration from both cultural and personal experiences to craft rich, dynamic audio worlds. Whether designing intricate sonic textures or shaping the final mix, Lulu is dedicated to creating sound that resonates with audiences and elevates the cinematic experience.
Juan Cortés Arango is a Colombian composer based in Los Angeles. His most recent scores for film and television are Mala Fortuna (Amazon Studios), Funny Birds (Dir. Marco La Via & Hannah Ladoul and Executive Produced by Martin Scorsese), and The Head - Season 3 (HBO), who he co-scored with his mentor, Federico Jusid. Juan worked on Pablo Larrain’s Golden Globe-nominated Neruda, as well as Judd Apatow’s HBO docuseries George Carlin’s American Dream, and Amazon Studios’ Life Itself, starring Oscar Isaac and Olivia Wilde.
He orchestrates for a wide variety of video games, virtual reality, and interactive media projects, including Honor of Kings and Arknights, for Hexany Audio. He also co-founded Salon de Paprika, a boutique film production house. Both ventures have developed a global clientele since their founding. He is currently building an orchestration collective. Juan graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2014 with a double major in Film Scoring and Electronic Production & Design.
Sophie Huang is a self-taught Sydney-based Singaporean Colourist. During her time as an Editor of five years, she was given the opportunity to colour grade for the first time, for a Burberry fashion campaign. Ever since then, her curiosity for the craft was piqued and she began nurturing her skills independently. Two years into becoming a Colourist, Sophie has taken on a wider array of projects ranging from short films and experimental works, to commercials and branding videos. The unique polish in Sophie’s works has helped her begin making a mark in the industry both locally and internationally.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
In summer 2023, I was at the beach with friends and I noticed a mother and her young daughter. They had little, but for that afternoon, the beach was their world, a place where the little girl could dig her hands into the sand and pretend, just for a moment, that everything was okay. I wondered where they would go once the sun set. I wondered with the look on the mother's face, what she wasn’t saying.
Counterfeit is a mother-daughter drama about a young mother, Steph, trying to shield her daughter, Leila, from the realities of their uncertain life. With no home to return to that night, she takes her daughter to the beach, determined to make the day feel normal for her. When she calls her close friend, he comes through with a stash of counterfeit purses, and she's convinced she can sell enough to buy them another night of safety. As the day passes and her anxiety worsens, she loses sight of what truly matters. And when Leila, feeling forgotten, runs off, Steph is forced to confront what she’s been avoiding.
The California coast was more than just a place, it was a sanctuary. This story is personal to me because growing up, my family would escape the scorching summer heat in Arizona to the San Diego beach. Even in difficult times, my mother made sure our world felt secure, just as Steph tries to do for Leila. This film is about that delicate balance of motherhood and the sacrifices that are made to keep a “normal” childhood alive even when their own world is unraveling.
Right now, families everywhere, especially women and mothers, are pushed to the edge by rising costs, instability, and the pressure to hold everything together. This film feels urgent because it gives voice to those silent struggles, exploring the gray areas between right and wrong when survival is on the line. Counterfeit is a story about resilience, sacrifice, and what it really means to show up for someone you love, even if you have to bend the rules to do it. And our dedicated team of USC filmmakers are committed to telling authentic stories about the quiet, impossible choices single mothers have to make in order to survive.
Inspired by Roma’s intimate stillness and The Florida Project’s raw, colorful immediacy, I’m drawn to character-driven stories that feel both personal and cinematic. In Counterfeit, I plan on filming it using locked-off panning shots and having naturalistic camerawork to capture the internal psyche of a woman navigating impossible choices.
At the core of my work is a fixation on the internal world of women and their quiet, unspoken emotions, and resilience in the face of impossible choices. Counterfeit will continue my exploration of women’s psyches, immersing the audience in the mind of a single mother forced to make sacrifices, revealing the unseen battles that define love and survival.
The budget to bring Counterfeit to the big screen, we need to ensure our team has the resources to tell this story with love and authenticity and your contribution will majorly help us. With your love and support, we’ll complete Counterfeit by August 2025, aiming to screen at USC's Norris Theatre and submitting to major female-focused film festivals around the US. Every contribution, big or small will bring us closer to making this film a reality!
Production Design & Set Dressing ($1,000): Building and set dressing the world of Steph and Leila.
HMUA ($450): Making our actors look stunning with every attention to detail.
Wardrobe ($150): Outfitting our characters to match story and style.
Panavision & Equipment Rentals ($2,400): Capturing the film with the necessary camera and lighting equipment.
Set Operations ($2,346): Running a smooth, safe, and efficient set for our cast and crew.
Crew Base Camp ($1,000): Space for cast and crew to prepare and recharge.
Locations ($3,273): Securing spaces that make the story feel real and immersive.
Post-Production & Editorial ($2,755): Including editing, hard drives, sound design, color correction.
Distribution & Marketing ($500): We need your help getting Counterfeit in front of worldwide audiences worldwide.
Contingency & Overhead ($976): In case we face any production challenges, but we will do our very best that we don't.
Please help us reach 80% of our funding goal with any small contribution!
By contributing, you’ll get exclusive behind-the-scenes updates from our cast and crew. Every dollar and share brings us closer to bringing COUNTERFEIT to the big screen.
Here’s how you can help:
- Share our campaign with friends and family on social media, email, or LinkedIn
- Contribute through our incentives or wishlist items
- Follow us on Instagram @counterfeitshort and visit www.counterfeitshort.com for updates
If you connect with the story, help us spread the word—whether through word of mouth or social media. Thank you for your support, and I’m so excited to collaborate with my incredible team on this heartfelt film!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Hair & Make-up
Costs $500
We must make our actors look amazing.
Contigency
Costs $345
Contingency covers unforeseen expenses that may arise throughout the production process. This safety ensures any unexpected challenges!
Crew Base Camp
Costs $2,310
We need a place to put all our gear and belongings and this will help us be able to stay around Santa Monica and get every shot we need!
Production Insurance
Costs $800
Insurance costs for any USC Production!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Camera, Lighting, and G&E
Costs $2,400
The Panavision Grant will elevate Counterfeit with rich, cinematic visuals, capturing its raw tension and stylized world authentically.
Locations
Costs $2,300
Filming at the beach, hiring a lifeguard and studio teacher for Leila will be key to telling Counterfeit’s story!
Production Design
Costs $1,000
All of the expenses will go towards set design and props!
Set Operations
Costs $1,000
We're ensuring a secure set by having anything that keeps our crew happy, healthy and at ease during a busy day!
Post Production
Costs $995
Post-production runs on hard drives, good vibes and hard work. We need your support to make this film go from Avid to the big screen!
Marketing & Festivals
Costs $350
You want people to see our film, right? Getting an audience to see our film means we have to submit to festivals and have marketing!
Share this update!
About This Team
A USC School of Cinematic Arts thesis film, fueled by collaboration and a strong vision
Margaret Seid is a filmmaker pursuing her MFA at USC School of Cinematic Arts with an emphasis in directing. With a background in documentary, music videos and photography, she tells bold, visually striking stories centered on complex female protagonists and themes of identity. Margaret has a minimalist yet evocative aesthetic, her work balances style and substance, blending cinematic precision with emotional depth. Passionate about collaboration, she thrives on working with ambitious creatives to bring compelling visions to life.
Annie Kane is a writer and producer based in NYC. She holds an MFA in film production from USC where she wrote, directed and produced several short films that went on to screen at major festivals. Annie is passionate about bringing heartfelt, character driven stories to life, especially ones that embrace a nuanced female perspective.
Sara Reshamwala is currently pursuing her MFA in the Peter Stark Producing Program at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. She is also interning at Jim Whitaker's production company, Whitaker Entertainment, on the Disney lot. Before beginning her graduate studies, Sara worked on Variety's ‘Actors on Actors’ YouTube series and served as an Associate Producer on several short films in New York City.
Jenny Kim is a producer and current Peter Stark Producing student at USC's School of Cinematic Arts. With a background in comparative literature and theatrical design from Princeton, she has navigated the worlds of creative translation, film festival programming, international sales, and exhibition curation across the US, South Korea, and the UK—shaping stories that transcend borders of all kinds.
Fernanda Ramos-Francia is a producer and director and a George Lucas Scholar and MFA Candidate at USC’s Peter Stark Producing Program. Born in Mexico City, she studied Political Science & Television, Radio and Film at Syracuse University before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in Film and TV production.
Timothy Fei is a Chinese-American producer, writer and director based in Los Angeles. After pursuing an acting career, he enrolled at USC's School of Cinematic Arts to learn how to become a filmmaker. As a writer/director, he's committed to making films in the drama and horror genres.
Morgan Montgomery is a 1st AD and Director at USC pursuing her MFA at School of Cinematic Arts. Morgan holds a Bachelor of Arts from Loyola Marymount University in Film and Television Writing and Production where she graduated summa cum laude. In addition to writing and directing, Morgan thrives as an assistant director, where her strong leadership and collaborative skills have successfully guided dozens of productions through the fast-paced demands of filmmaking. A Los Angeles native, you can find her at a local pickleball tournament, smashing a drive at the golf range, or meticulously taking care of her freshwater shrimp.
Harnish Ambaliya is a cinematographer from the heart of Mumbai's slums. His story is one of unwavering passion and relentless pursuit of artistic vision. Fueled by the raw authenticity of his upbringing and honed through years of producing and directing in India, he has a deep-seated desire to tell stories as a cinematographer.
Harnish has brought his unique perspective to many thesis films including, Dead Pet Shark, a visually arresting 35mm film that earned a Panavision New Filmmaker Grant, showcasing his ability to craft cinematic worlds. His groundbreaking work on the first-ever USC multi-cam sitcom thesis, now nominated for a Student Emmy, "Failure to Launch" demonstrates his mastery of diverse filmmaking styles. Furthermore, he was awarded the prestigious Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) grant, recognizing his exceptional talent. More than just a cinematographer, Harnish is a visual storyteller driven by a deep understanding of the human experience, and he's bringing that powerful vision to Counterfeit.
Kumarshivam Singh is a Texas-based project manager in maritime industry who sometimes takes photos.
Alyssa Harrell is a production designer and a Los Angeles native who graduated from Chapman University in 2021 with a major in English and a minor in Production Design. She is a lover of film, storytelling, and aesthetics, and she is beyond excited to collaborate with Margaret again after she production designed on Keel!
Meredith Heika is a costume designer originally from Colleyville, TX. Her degree in Screenwriting from Chapman University influences her approach to storytelling through wardrobe, and she is grateful to be a part of such a compelling story.
LV is a hair and make-up artist originally from Los Angeles.
Steven Chen is the professional sound mixer and has been involved in lots of thesis film productions between the east to west coast, even in dust. Steven has sound mixed several advanced projects at USC, AFI and LMU. Steven is also a Sound SA for 508 RED, a very rigorous course at USC.
April Liu is an editor from China. She loves durians, colorful fluffy hats, and big dogs that aren’t too smart. For editing, she takes an emphasis on performance and is a firm believer that story should take precedence above all else.
Xinhui Wang is an editor and director, born and raised in a small city in China, where winter stretched on for what felt like an eternity, covering everything in snow for half the year. But inside her home, there was warmth—especially when movies were playing. At six years old, she fell in love with film, believing it to be pure magic. After all, it was one of the few things that could make her dad laugh, and anything with that kind of power had to be special.
Growing up, movies became her greatest escape, her favorite pastime, and occasionally, her excuse for disappearing from class. High school lessons? Often too predictable. But a great film? Always an adventure. When teachers couldn’t find her, chances were she was tucked away in some quiet corner of the school, phone in hand, fully immersed in another cinematic world.
At 17, she finally made her great escape—not just from the cold, but toward her dream. She moved to South Korea to study filmmaking, trading snow-covered streets for the glow of editing monitors. Later, she took an even bigger leap, coming to the U.S. to pursue her MFA in Film Production at USC, with a strong focus on editing. Now, freshly graduated and fully committed to the craft, Xinhui spends most of her time in editing suites, movie theaters, or, let’s be honest, her own room, which doubles as both. She believes that editing isn’t just about cutting scenes together; it’s about shaping emotions, telling stories, and, in a way, still creating a little bit of magic. If she’s not in the editing room, she’s probably at the movies—or on her way to one.
Catherine Kileen is an assistant editor and editor who has always been in love with post-production, especially editing. She found her passion for it back in high school and has been pursuing it ever since. She has worked on feature films like C’mon, C’mon, and Debunkers Inc. and short films/pilot episodes like Blood in the Shadows, USC's Advanced TV Series, Welcome to Aloha, as well as lt from the Same Cloth.
LuLu is a passionate sound designer and sound mixer who brings stories to life through immersive and emotionally driven soundscapes. With a background in law and filmmaking, she approaches sound as a powerful storytelling tool, enhancing narrative depth across film, animation, and documentary projects. Originally from China and now based in Los Angeles, she draws inspiration from both cultural and personal experiences to craft rich, dynamic audio worlds. Whether designing intricate sonic textures or shaping the final mix, Lulu is dedicated to creating sound that resonates with audiences and elevates the cinematic experience.
Juan Cortés Arango is a Colombian composer based in Los Angeles. His most recent scores for film and television are Mala Fortuna (Amazon Studios), Funny Birds (Dir. Marco La Via & Hannah Ladoul and Executive Produced by Martin Scorsese), and The Head - Season 3 (HBO), who he co-scored with his mentor, Federico Jusid. Juan worked on Pablo Larrain’s Golden Globe-nominated Neruda, as well as Judd Apatow’s HBO docuseries George Carlin’s American Dream, and Amazon Studios’ Life Itself, starring Oscar Isaac and Olivia Wilde.
He orchestrates for a wide variety of video games, virtual reality, and interactive media projects, including Honor of Kings and Arknights, for Hexany Audio. He also co-founded Salon de Paprika, a boutique film production house. Both ventures have developed a global clientele since their founding. He is currently building an orchestration collective. Juan graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2014 with a double major in Film Scoring and Electronic Production & Design.
Sophie Huang is a self-taught Sydney-based Singaporean Colourist. During her time as an Editor of five years, she was given the opportunity to colour grade for the first time, for a Burberry fashion campaign. Ever since then, her curiosity for the craft was piqued and she began nurturing her skills independently. Two years into becoming a Colourist, Sophie has taken on a wider array of projects ranging from short films and experimental works, to commercials and branding videos. The unique polish in Sophie’s works has helped her begin making a mark in the industry both locally and internationally.