Dirt Pilot
Los Angeles, California | Series
Crime, Drama
Set on a Paiute Native American reservation, a girl named Nina struggles to find her missing sister, forced to navigate jurisdictional issues, corruption, and even resistance within her own family. This is the story of a girl confronting the harsh realities of her community and place in the world.
Dirt Pilot
Los Angeles, California | Series
Crime, Drama
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $4,500 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
48 supporters | followers
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Set on a Paiute Native American reservation, a girl named Nina struggles to find her missing sister, forced to navigate jurisdictional issues, corruption, and even resistance within her own family. This is the story of a girl confronting the harsh realities of her community and place in the world.
In Partnership With
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
_________________________________________________________
THE STORY
Nina Tiller is an 18-year-old Native American girl living on the Bishop Paiute reservation in Southern California. One night, the world she knew is turned upside down when her younger sister, Winnie, suddenly goes missing. Winnie is not the first from their reservation to disappear. Quickly frustrated by the inaction of local and tribal police, Nina is forced to navigate a road of jurisdictional uncertainty -- ultimately taking the case into her own hands.
_________________________________________________________
PILOTS PROGRAM
The television pilots program at Dodge College of Film and Media Arts is one of the biggest productions put on every year. Two scripts are chosen each spring semester, edited and developed over the course of the summer and then go into pre-production the following fall. Between the two chosen pilots Chapman University provides $30,000 to this program.
Not only do these pilots act as the senior thesis or capstone for the students within the Television Writing and Production major, but each crew member goes through an application and interview process to be chosen to work on these productions.
In the past, Chapman University students not only been nominated for, but also won at the Student Academy Awards for both Film and Television. Students have also won awards at hundreds of festivals from all over the United States. Just like many other productions, our pilot will also be screened at film festivals once it has been completed in May.
_________________________________________________________
COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY
It is important to us that our story is told as authentically as possible. That's why we've made it a priority to not only consult those within the Native American and Indigenous communities, but we are also working to cast Native American actors in our leading roles.
While we have not yet committed to some final casting decisions, so far we have worked closely with those in the Native American theater community in Southern California, the Screen Actors Guild branch for American Indian Actors, as well as various professors who teach in both fields of acting and Indigineous studies.
_________________________________________________________
FROM THE WRITER
"I've always had a passion for humanistic storytelling -- and that's what I aim to achieve through Dirt. It's important that we shine a light on the threat of sexual assult that Indigenous women face in our society today. Issues of sexual assult have more recently become even more relevant within the media, and gives our story a platform to speak not just to issues within Hollywood, but on a larger scale."
- Hannah
_________________________________________________________
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Camera
Costs $1,300
A high quality camera and lenses can help us to tell our story in a more cinematic, meaningful way.
Wardrobe
Costs $350
Unique wardrobe can give insight into a character, and help the production feel more realistic.
Props
Costs $360
Props play a key role in visual story telling. They help us to fill the world around our characters.
Sound Equipment
Costs $300
Sound is the key to a successful episode or film. Full, clear sound helps keep our story immersive.
Car Rental
Costs $550
We have several scenes in our pilot which contain cars, which we will need to rent for the shoot.
Makeup and Hair
Costs $750
For our project, we need to hire a makeup artist and have scenes which require special effects.
Lighting
Costs $1,000
Well-designed lighting set-ups will allow us to shoot at night and keep images clear on screen.
Locations
Costs $390
We need locations, local to Orange County, which look similar to the Bishop Paiute reservation.
Share this update!
About This Team
The Director
Nick Walker is a senior Film Production major at Chapman University and Orange, California local. Nick started acting at a young age, but by high school realized his true passion was working with actors and made the switch over to directing. Nick is an alumnus of FilmEd* Academy of the Arts, and has trained under some of the top directors, actors, and filmmakers in Hollywood, both privately and at Chapman.
The Writer
Hannah Warling is a senior Television Writing and Production major and English minor at Chapman University. Born and raised in Minnesota, she moved to Orange, California to attend college in 2015 where she discovered her passion for screenwriting. She is honored to have had her work selected as part of the pilots program and excited for the opportunity to represent Dodge College.
The Producer
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Daniel Dabach is from Calabasas, California and currently a Senior at Chapman University. He is pursuing a degree in Creative Producing with minors in both Television and Entrepreneurship. He has been involved with the pilot's program at Dodge College before, and is excited to work on this project alongside an amazing crew.
The Director of Photography
Michael Rosner-Hyman grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and has always had an interest in photography. While at Chapman, he discovered the film production major and realized he could make his passion into a career. Michael has always loved movies, finding great meaning and endless possibilities that cinematography offers. He has crewed countless other Chapman student and professional films and has shot films such as When Wigs Fly and Out Of Character.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
_________________________________________________________
THE STORY
Nina Tiller is an 18-year-old Native American girl living on the Bishop Paiute reservation in Southern California. One night, the world she knew is turned upside down when her younger sister, Winnie, suddenly goes missing. Winnie is not the first from their reservation to disappear. Quickly frustrated by the inaction of local and tribal police, Nina is forced to navigate a road of jurisdictional uncertainty -- ultimately taking the case into her own hands.
_________________________________________________________
PILOTS PROGRAM
The television pilots program at Dodge College of Film and Media Arts is one of the biggest productions put on every year. Two scripts are chosen each spring semester, edited and developed over the course of the summer and then go into pre-production the following fall. Between the two chosen pilots Chapman University provides $30,000 to this program.
Not only do these pilots act as the senior thesis or capstone for the students within the Television Writing and Production major, but each crew member goes through an application and interview process to be chosen to work on these productions.
In the past, Chapman University students not only been nominated for, but also won at the Student Academy Awards for both Film and Television. Students have also won awards at hundreds of festivals from all over the United States. Just like many other productions, our pilot will also be screened at film festivals once it has been completed in May.
_________________________________________________________
COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY
It is important to us that our story is told as authentically as possible. That's why we've made it a priority to not only consult those within the Native American and Indigenous communities, but we are also working to cast Native American actors in our leading roles.
While we have not yet committed to some final casting decisions, so far we have worked closely with those in the Native American theater community in Southern California, the Screen Actors Guild branch for American Indian Actors, as well as various professors who teach in both fields of acting and Indigineous studies.
_________________________________________________________
FROM THE WRITER
"I've always had a passion for humanistic storytelling -- and that's what I aim to achieve through Dirt. It's important that we shine a light on the threat of sexual assult that Indigenous women face in our society today. Issues of sexual assult have more recently become even more relevant within the media, and gives our story a platform to speak not just to issues within Hollywood, but on a larger scale."
- Hannah
_________________________________________________________
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Camera
Costs $1,300
A high quality camera and lenses can help us to tell our story in a more cinematic, meaningful way.
Wardrobe
Costs $350
Unique wardrobe can give insight into a character, and help the production feel more realistic.
Props
Costs $360
Props play a key role in visual story telling. They help us to fill the world around our characters.
Sound Equipment
Costs $300
Sound is the key to a successful episode or film. Full, clear sound helps keep our story immersive.
Car Rental
Costs $550
We have several scenes in our pilot which contain cars, which we will need to rent for the shoot.
Makeup and Hair
Costs $750
For our project, we need to hire a makeup artist and have scenes which require special effects.
Lighting
Costs $1,000
Well-designed lighting set-ups will allow us to shoot at night and keep images clear on screen.
Locations
Costs $390
We need locations, local to Orange County, which look similar to the Bishop Paiute reservation.
Share this update!
About This Team
The Director
Nick Walker is a senior Film Production major at Chapman University and Orange, California local. Nick started acting at a young age, but by high school realized his true passion was working with actors and made the switch over to directing. Nick is an alumnus of FilmEd* Academy of the Arts, and has trained under some of the top directors, actors, and filmmakers in Hollywood, both privately and at Chapman.
The Writer
Hannah Warling is a senior Television Writing and Production major and English minor at Chapman University. Born and raised in Minnesota, she moved to Orange, California to attend college in 2015 where she discovered her passion for screenwriting. She is honored to have had her work selected as part of the pilots program and excited for the opportunity to represent Dodge College.
The Producer
Daniel Dabach is from Calabasas, California and currently a Senior at Chapman University. He is pursuing a degree in Creative Producing with minors in both Television and Entrepreneurship. He has been involved with the pilot's program at Dodge College before, and is excited to work on this project alongside an amazing crew.
The Director of Photography
Michael Rosner-Hyman grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and has always had an interest in photography. While at Chapman, he discovered the film production major and realized he could make his passion into a career. Michael has always loved movies, finding great meaning and endless possibilities that cinematography offers. He has crewed countless other Chapman student and professional films and has shot films such as When Wigs Fly and Out Of Character.