Dog People
New York City, New York | Film Short
Comedy, Drama
A struggling actress leverages her personal assistant job to break into the film industry - until her boss's dog threatens to ruin it all.
Dog People
New York City, New York | Film Short
Comedy, Drama
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
109 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$10,510
Goal: $14,000 for production
A struggling actress leverages her personal assistant job to break into the film industry - until her boss's dog threatens to ruin it all.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Lucy’s job may finally be paying off. A struggling actress, she took a job assisting a wealthy creative-type, hoping that her boss would recognize her star quality and introduce Lucy to her elite network. Long days of errands and dog parks hasn’t been the career breakthrough Lucy dreamed of, but everything changes when her boss hosts a famous casting director for dinner.
Lucy’s plan is simple: she’ll whip up an incredible meal, charm the casting director, and drop off her headshot as she heads out the door. There’s only one problem - her boss’s dog, Piper. If Piper’s not running circles around Lucy, she’s eating things she really shouldn’t be – like a block of moldy cheese that threatens to poison the pup and ruin Lucy's stardom scheme.
The canapes are perfect. The house is impeccable. But everything is darkened by Lucy’s desperation.
We mix jarring close-ups with off-kilter perspective shots, highlighting Lucy’s anxiety and isolation in her climb to the top. Inspired by the richness of analog film, the colors are cool and saturated.
Vera and Katie first started collaborating as roommates in Highland Park, LA. We graduated from our private liberal arts colleges into the ruins of the entertainment industry during peak COVID. Quarantined with only each other and our roommate Clara, we commiserated over nightly communal dinners about our day jobs as nannies, tutors, and baristas, and the daily rejection letters we received from production companies. Writing a movie together seemed like our ticket out of the service industry, and we found inspiration in the vexing experiences we encountered at jobs we were simultaneously over and under-qualified for.
Five years later, we both got the hell out of LA and took refuge in the New York independent film scene, where we were inspired seeing people like us making movies on their own terms. Our dreams were closer than ever, but we couldn’t shake the memory of those early years when the film industry felt so hopelessly out of reach. So we wrote a story about a girl like us: a girl who would do just about anything to achieve her dreams, living within circumstances that almost feel like they were designed to prevent it. It’s an ode to the underdogs – and dogs in general.
WHY US? WHY NOW?
It feels like the dream of moving to a big city and building a career in the arts is becoming less and less attainable for young people without industry connections, but we refuse to believe that the only way to be a successful filmmaker is to have a recognizable last name. To support Dog People is to support our vision of an equitable film industry that allows everyday people to tell their stories, because art is meant to reflect the human condition – not just the nepo-baby condition. Help us tell our story and inspire other young filmmakers to do the same by donating to our short film.
We'll be shooting for 2 days in locations throughout New York City at the end of June. Our timeline for post-production is July through January, and then we'll submit to targeted film festivals from January until August 2027. After the completion of our festival run, we'll use social media to promote an online release and make sure our film is seen. We're raising money to pay our cast / crew and cover the costs of gear, shooting locations, food, and everything else it takes to make a movie!
Team Spotlight
Read about the rest of our talented cast and crew by clicking the "The Team" tab!
Help us make Dog People by making a pledge and sharing our campaign. Thank you so much for your support!
Already made your pledge to Dog People? Want to help spread the word? Screenshot the image below and add it to your Instagram story with a link to our campaign!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cost of Labor
Costs $6,700
The majority of our budget is going towards the talented collaborators (cast, crew, dog wrangler) we've hired to bring this idea to life.
Filming Equipment
Costs $2,500
"Lights, camera, action!" requires lights and a camera. Also microphones, hard drives, lenses, tripods, and some other stuff.
Dog Food (and human food, mostly)
Costs $600
Everyone's gotta eat. 12-hour shoot days are fueled by a hot meal and lots of snacks.
Locations
Costs $700
We're so excited to be shooting at Tavola Italian Market, a beautiful home in Brooklyn, and Prospect Park. Help us cover rental fees!
Insurance and Fees
Costs $1,000
We need insurance to make our set is safe and to prepare us for any unforeseen accidents!
Post Production
Costs $2,500
After we shoot the movie, we'll need funds for the color grade, score, sound mix, festival submissions, and marketing.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Katie Spear
Writer / Director, Editor
Katie graduated from Vassar College and made her directorial debut with the short film, Jade The Icon, which premiered at the Big Apple Film Festival. in 2025 she produced and edited the short film, Sidequest (dir. eliza schiff). primarily working as an editor, her recent work includes The Making of Beast Games Season 2 for Amazon Prime and branded videos for Yogi Tea, Whisky Advocate, and Wine Spectator. She’s worked as an assistant editor for films selected by Sundance and DOC NYC.
Vera Samuels
Director, Actor (playing LUCY)
Vera is an actress and writer from New Orleans. She graduated from Scripps College and trained at the Sanford Meisner Center in LA. LA credits include a starring role in Dir. Adam Jacob’s premiere short film Pookie Lovejoy. Since moving to New York in 2025, Vera has been training and performing at Adult Film in Brooklyn. NY film credits include Jade the Icon and Three Thanksgivings. She has written and produced two micro short films. Most recently, she produced her play I Love You Terribly, at Unit J.
Georgie
PIPER
Georgie was adopted in Spring 2022 after Rochelle Scudder, a volunteer at an animal shelter in Central PA, saved him from being euthanized. 24 hours later he was at the home of Bill Berloni and began his new life as an actor. Georgie did the national tour of ANNIE as well as productions all over the United States. His latest project was playing Daryl Hannah’s dog in Ryan Murphy’s series entitled LOVE STORY on FX.
Kate Lindsay
Producer, First Assistant Director
Kate is a fine artist turned filmmaker with 15+ years of experience across film, television, and commercial work. An editor by trade, she has worked across the full spectrum of pre through post-production on projects scripted and unscripted. Recent work includes editing the feature film Come Into My Arms (dir. Zara Kahan) and Season 2 of Beast Games BTS on Amazon Prime as well as DPing the feature Little Falls (dir. Patrick David) and ads for brands including Oishii and Stanley Black & Decker.
Maya O'Day
Producer
Maya O’Day has a BFA in Comedic Arts from Emerson College and is a performer and producer with a passion for drag, improv, and telling unseen stories. Consistently remarked as both “bossy” and “friendly” as a child, they enjoy using those traits to bring trans and lesbian stories to the screen and stage. They host Brooklyn Comedy Collective’s Queer Improv Jam: The Gay Gam and can be seen at venues across Manhattan and Brooklyn including Union Hall and The Upright Citizens Brigade.
Leo Zhang
Director of Photography
Leo is a cinematographer, director and music composer based in NYC. Born in Beijing, Leo has over 20 years of experience with photography and visual arts, working in both the indie film and commercial worlds. His works have been featured in numerous international festivals including Sundance, Cannes, Palm Springs, Rotterdam and Slamdance. Leo received his MFA at NYU Tisch.
Sam Duer
Production Designer
A graduate of Suny New Paltz with a degree in digital media production and theater arts, Dog People marks Sam’s fifth film as a production designer. She freelances as a production coordinator, and has worked overseeing logistics and operations for photo and commercial shoots with clients like TLC and Food Network, but her true passion lies in film design.
Bill Berloni
Animal Wrangler
Bill is an award-winning animal trainer, renowned for revolutionizing the ethical and humane use of rescue animals in entertainment. With four decades of experience working on hundreds of projects, Bill’s credits include The Friend (2024) starring Naomi Watts and Bill Murray, The Greatest Showman (2017) starring Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron, and the original production of Annie on Broadway.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Lucy’s job may finally be paying off. A struggling actress, she took a job assisting a wealthy creative-type, hoping that her boss would recognize her star quality and introduce Lucy to her elite network. Long days of errands and dog parks hasn’t been the career breakthrough Lucy dreamed of, but everything changes when her boss hosts a famous casting director for dinner.
Lucy’s plan is simple: she’ll whip up an incredible meal, charm the casting director, and drop off her headshot as she heads out the door. There’s only one problem - her boss’s dog, Piper. If Piper’s not running circles around Lucy, she’s eating things she really shouldn’t be – like a block of moldy cheese that threatens to poison the pup and ruin Lucy's stardom scheme.
The canapes are perfect. The house is impeccable. But everything is darkened by Lucy’s desperation.
We mix jarring close-ups with off-kilter perspective shots, highlighting Lucy’s anxiety and isolation in her climb to the top. Inspired by the richness of analog film, the colors are cool and saturated.
Vera and Katie first started collaborating as roommates in Highland Park, LA. We graduated from our private liberal arts colleges into the ruins of the entertainment industry during peak COVID. Quarantined with only each other and our roommate Clara, we commiserated over nightly communal dinners about our day jobs as nannies, tutors, and baristas, and the daily rejection letters we received from production companies. Writing a movie together seemed like our ticket out of the service industry, and we found inspiration in the vexing experiences we encountered at jobs we were simultaneously over and under-qualified for.
Five years later, we both got the hell out of LA and took refuge in the New York independent film scene, where we were inspired seeing people like us making movies on their own terms. Our dreams were closer than ever, but we couldn’t shake the memory of those early years when the film industry felt so hopelessly out of reach. So we wrote a story about a girl like us: a girl who would do just about anything to achieve her dreams, living within circumstances that almost feel like they were designed to prevent it. It’s an ode to the underdogs – and dogs in general.
WHY US? WHY NOW?
It feels like the dream of moving to a big city and building a career in the arts is becoming less and less attainable for young people without industry connections, but we refuse to believe that the only way to be a successful filmmaker is to have a recognizable last name. To support Dog People is to support our vision of an equitable film industry that allows everyday people to tell their stories, because art is meant to reflect the human condition – not just the nepo-baby condition. Help us tell our story and inspire other young filmmakers to do the same by donating to our short film.
We'll be shooting for 2 days in locations throughout New York City at the end of June. Our timeline for post-production is July through January, and then we'll submit to targeted film festivals from January until August 2027. After the completion of our festival run, we'll use social media to promote an online release and make sure our film is seen. We're raising money to pay our cast / crew and cover the costs of gear, shooting locations, food, and everything else it takes to make a movie!
Team Spotlight
Read about the rest of our talented cast and crew by clicking the "The Team" tab!
Help us make Dog People by making a pledge and sharing our campaign. Thank you so much for your support!
Already made your pledge to Dog People? Want to help spread the word? Screenshot the image below and add it to your Instagram story with a link to our campaign!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cost of Labor
Costs $6,700
The majority of our budget is going towards the talented collaborators (cast, crew, dog wrangler) we've hired to bring this idea to life.
Filming Equipment
Costs $2,500
"Lights, camera, action!" requires lights and a camera. Also microphones, hard drives, lenses, tripods, and some other stuff.
Dog Food (and human food, mostly)
Costs $600
Everyone's gotta eat. 12-hour shoot days are fueled by a hot meal and lots of snacks.
Locations
Costs $700
We're so excited to be shooting at Tavola Italian Market, a beautiful home in Brooklyn, and Prospect Park. Help us cover rental fees!
Insurance and Fees
Costs $1,000
We need insurance to make our set is safe and to prepare us for any unforeseen accidents!
Post Production
Costs $2,500
After we shoot the movie, we'll need funds for the color grade, score, sound mix, festival submissions, and marketing.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Katie Spear
Writer / Director, Editor
Katie graduated from Vassar College and made her directorial debut with the short film, Jade The Icon, which premiered at the Big Apple Film Festival. in 2025 she produced and edited the short film, Sidequest (dir. eliza schiff). primarily working as an editor, her recent work includes The Making of Beast Games Season 2 for Amazon Prime and branded videos for Yogi Tea, Whisky Advocate, and Wine Spectator. She’s worked as an assistant editor for films selected by Sundance and DOC NYC.
Vera Samuels
Director, Actor (playing LUCY)
Vera is an actress and writer from New Orleans. She graduated from Scripps College and trained at the Sanford Meisner Center in LA. LA credits include a starring role in Dir. Adam Jacob’s premiere short film Pookie Lovejoy. Since moving to New York in 2025, Vera has been training and performing at Adult Film in Brooklyn. NY film credits include Jade the Icon and Three Thanksgivings. She has written and produced two micro short films. Most recently, she produced her play I Love You Terribly, at Unit J.
Georgie
PIPER
Georgie was adopted in Spring 2022 after Rochelle Scudder, a volunteer at an animal shelter in Central PA, saved him from being euthanized. 24 hours later he was at the home of Bill Berloni and began his new life as an actor. Georgie did the national tour of ANNIE as well as productions all over the United States. His latest project was playing Daryl Hannah’s dog in Ryan Murphy’s series entitled LOVE STORY on FX.
Kate Lindsay
Producer, First Assistant Director
Kate is a fine artist turned filmmaker with 15+ years of experience across film, television, and commercial work. An editor by trade, she has worked across the full spectrum of pre through post-production on projects scripted and unscripted. Recent work includes editing the feature film Come Into My Arms (dir. Zara Kahan) and Season 2 of Beast Games BTS on Amazon Prime as well as DPing the feature Little Falls (dir. Patrick David) and ads for brands including Oishii and Stanley Black & Decker.
Maya O'Day
Producer
Maya O’Day has a BFA in Comedic Arts from Emerson College and is a performer and producer with a passion for drag, improv, and telling unseen stories. Consistently remarked as both “bossy” and “friendly” as a child, they enjoy using those traits to bring trans and lesbian stories to the screen and stage. They host Brooklyn Comedy Collective’s Queer Improv Jam: The Gay Gam and can be seen at venues across Manhattan and Brooklyn including Union Hall and The Upright Citizens Brigade.
Leo Zhang
Director of Photography
Leo is a cinematographer, director and music composer based in NYC. Born in Beijing, Leo has over 20 years of experience with photography and visual arts, working in both the indie film and commercial worlds. His works have been featured in numerous international festivals including Sundance, Cannes, Palm Springs, Rotterdam and Slamdance. Leo received his MFA at NYU Tisch.
Sam Duer
Production Designer
A graduate of Suny New Paltz with a degree in digital media production and theater arts, Dog People marks Sam’s fifth film as a production designer. She freelances as a production coordinator, and has worked overseeing logistics and operations for photo and commercial shoots with clients like TLC and Food Network, but her true passion lies in film design.
Bill Berloni
Animal Wrangler
Bill is an award-winning animal trainer, renowned for revolutionizing the ethical and humane use of rescue animals in entertainment. With four decades of experience working on hundreds of projects, Bill’s credits include The Friend (2024) starring Naomi Watts and Bill Murray, The Greatest Showman (2017) starring Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron, and the original production of Annie on Broadway.