Donor
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Comedy
In a last ditch effort to get her wife pregnant, a financially desperate sister turns to her brother for a sperm donation. This cringe-comedy examines the complexities of having kids today while also striving to normalize conversations about infertility.
Donor
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Comedy
Green Light
This campaign raised $21,090 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
206 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
In a last ditch effort to get her wife pregnant, a financially desperate sister turns to her brother for a sperm donation. This cringe-comedy examines the complexities of having kids today while also striving to normalize conversations about infertility.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
THE STORY
How far will a desperate sister go to get her wife pregnant when she has to turn to her brother for a sperm donation?
DONOR is a character-driven story about desperation and infertility. About the existential crisis humans face when deciding if having a child is the right thing to do in this day and age.
DONOR is also about a sister waiting for her brother to cum. (ew, sorry)
But it’s not shock for shock’s sake. It’s a heightened reality grounded in a shared experience. Stress and desperation make us do crazy things, and you can get away with a lot when it’s centered on truth.
DONOR is for audiences who delight in uncomfortable comedy, celebrate grounded absurdity, and seek to find laughter in dark times.
THE BACKSTORY
After playing siblings in Samuel H. Hunter’s play, A Permanent Image, writer Thea Lux wanted to tell a sibling story of her own featuring her talented scene study partner, Michael Lee Joplin.
Director Erin Doyle Cooper is literally going through her own fertility nightmare (she claims she's not a method director) and connected with Thea’s script immediately. DONOR took an element from her own horrible personal IVF experience and filtered it through the lens of one of her favorite genres: cringe comedy.
WHY THIS FILM NOW?
We are at an age where our friends are finally ready to have children. They have loving partners, they have reliable income, they went to therapy, and are ready to tackle the task of raising a human to the best of their ability. Now their bodies are throwing a wrench in their plans.
IUI and IVF treatments drain their bank accounts and take a toll on them physically and emotionally. Some friends can’t even afford IVF and live with a constant longing to be parents.
This is just one story about infertility, but we want to acknowledge this struggle. We want to amplify the conversation about infertility without being clinical about the IVF process. We want to find levity in this emotional roller coaster and we want to remind people they aren’t crazy for wanting to have kids. (Even though the world is going to end in about 15 years, but you do you.)
THE TEAM
Click here to visit the Team Page and read everyone's full bio.
THE LOOK
The majority of the film will be shot on telephoto lenses. A key part of this story are the awkward and inescapable moments that the audience should feel trapped in right alongside the characters. Using longer lenses to isolate our characters from the background help accomplish this, while heightening the emotional stakes of the performance.
CROWDFUNDING
We are crowdfunding to ensure the initial up-front production (and post-production) costs are covered. The script itself is very shootable and self-contained: two characters, one location. We'd like to afford two days of shooting for additional coverage.
Another great reason to support this film: you will be helping crew members affected by the strike. Because production has drastically slowed over the last five months, this is your way to give directly to the people who have lost income because of it.
You will also be supporting a truly independent film under a SAG-AFTRA contract not affected by the strike (which hopefully will end soon!), because the union has our back!
Pledging your financial support at any level is appreciated. You can contribute any amount that fits your budget and we will be truly grateful.
Here is the majority of what your contribution will support:
- CREW: The majority of our budget is being spent paying our crew for their time and talent. Any funds over our goal will go towards paying them more and compensating those who donated their time.
- LOCATION: While we are still looking to find a donated location, we are budgeting for the perfect space to fit the story’s needs.
- CAMERA and LIGHTING and SOUND: There is a certain level of quality a short film needs to hit in order for festivals to take notice. Having comedic elements in our script also makes it extra important for our film to look professional so people take it seriously.
- FESTIVALS: Not only do we want you to see this film once it’s done, we want larger audiences to see it! Thankfully, with our professional contacts we will be able to obtain waivers for the festivals we’ve screened at in the past, but even early-entry fees for festivals are around $50.
- AND THE REST: Past productions have taught us that insurance is more expensive than you’d think. And don’t forget those hard drives to back things up. Oh, and the cost of that other thing you didn’t think of, because that’s definitely gonna cost ya.
-
GOAL BREAKDOWN
HOW CAN YOU HELP EVEN MORE?
Spread the word! Our personal network is only so big and with your help we can reach a larger audience. We appreciate any email, social post, or grocery store conversation you have that shares the information about this campaign!
Here is an example of what you can share on social media:
- Do you like supporting indie film? Help @thealux and @erinldoyle and team by supporting DONOR, an awkward, character-driven comedy about desperation and infertility. Learn more: https://www.seedandspark.com/fund/donor
Tagging us allows us to re-share what you’ve posted and double our messaging.
Follow us on social media! We will keep you updated on the film's progress on our Instagram handle: @donorfilm
We hope you follow our campaign to stay up-to-date with our project as we go into production. We’ll keep followers posted with behind the scenes photos, news on post-production, and any screening opportunities or festival information when it becomes available.
Your support means so much to us and we can’t wait to bring DONOR to the screen!
THANK YOU!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Location
Costs $2,400
Help bring our set to life with a perfectly furnished, full-sized home.
Cast and Crew
Costs $7,275
We will have a lean cast and crew crew, but we want to pay them a quality indie-rate.
Food
Costs $600
We'll have several meals on set for our crew!
Camera and lights
Costs $2,925
Covers camera rental, lights, lenses, and G&E truck.
Post-Production
Costs $2,400
Covers editing and post-production color/sound.
Festivals
Costs $2,000
We'd love to bring our short to larger audiences!
Insurance
Costs $2,400
Covers both production and equipment insurance.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Erin Doyle Cooper is a filmmaker, commercial, and creative director. Major brand work includes MasterCard, Budweiser, and Pepsi, where she led advertising creative for Lady Gaga’s Halftime Show and the 2018 Super Bowl spot starring Cindy Crawford. In 2022, she directed the multiple award-winning #NoApologiesPeriod campaign for Midol, and launched her own parity-minded production company, Rockabay Productions, named after one of her favorite ever projects - an indie-rock musical for kids called Princess Ellanora and the Muddy Sneakers.
Her short film Believe Her, starring Allison Tolman, won Best Global Short: Narrative at SCAD Savannah. Between 2021-2022 she shot four shorts - two as a producer for first time female directors titled Big Sur (Dir: Lila Dupree) and Pick Me Up (Dir: Allison Tolman) - and two as a writer/director titled True Love Waits and The Invaders - all have been selected to premiere at Oscar Qualifying Festivals in 2023. In addition to a BFA in Acting from SUNY Buffalo, she studied classical acting at LAMDA and sketch/improv at UCB. She lives in LA, where she recently completed the Women in Film Mentoring Program as a multi-hyphenate, with mentors Rose Catherine Pickney, Melissa Darmon, and Ramaa Mosley.
Thea Lux (pronounced Tay-uh Lucks) is an LA-based actor, writer, and producer, creatively raised by Chicago's comedy and theater scene. She graduated with a film degree in documentary from Columbia College Chicago and has written and/or directed comedic branded videos for Groupon and SHE Media. She produced, co-wrote, and acted in the short comedy Wheel, which played in festivals across the country including Oscar-qualifying festivals (Cinequest, deadCenter), and the acclaimed comedy festival, Just for Laughs in Montreal. She is currently co-producing the upcoming film by Lea Pascal, The Greatest Joy, a dark comedy about loss, motherhood and marriage, born from the writer/director's own miscarriage. As an actor, she's a founding member of the collaborative theater company, The New Coordinates, and helped create the cult-hit, 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche, which ran Off Broadway and is published by Samuel French. You can also see her in the Coen Brothers’ Netflix film, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.
Demi Waldron is a director of photography based in Los Angeles, with roots in rural South Carolina. A background in fine art and documentary informs her naturalistic approach to narrative cinematography.
Most recently, they lensed a black and white period horror titled The Thaw, which premiered at this year’s Fantastic Fest, as well as an episode of Hulu’s Taste the Nation. Films lensed by Demi have played at Outfest, FilmQuest, Cannes Lions, Indy Shorts, Atlanta Film Fest, Cinequest, and HollyShorts. Demi is an associate member of the Society of Camera Operators. They hold a BFA in film and television from Savannah College of Art and Design. In 2022, they were selected as a member of AFI’s Cinematography Intensive for Women.
Michael Lee Joplin moved to Los Angeles from Austin Texas in 2018 where he was named Best Actor in Austin by the Chronicle Reader’s Poll. He spends his mornings as an elementary school substitute teacher for LAUSD and he loves it. He has studied improv comedy at UCB, Impro, Groundlings, Impro, and The Pack. You can see him in season four of For All Mankind on Apple Plus and as Roger in Stalker on Hulu. He literally lives for projects like this and is so grateful for your support of independent film.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
THE STORY
How far will a desperate sister go to get her wife pregnant when she has to turn to her brother for a sperm donation?
DONOR is a character-driven story about desperation and infertility. About the existential crisis humans face when deciding if having a child is the right thing to do in this day and age.
DONOR is also about a sister waiting for her brother to cum. (ew, sorry)
But it’s not shock for shock’s sake. It’s a heightened reality grounded in a shared experience. Stress and desperation make us do crazy things, and you can get away with a lot when it’s centered on truth.
DONOR is for audiences who delight in uncomfortable comedy, celebrate grounded absurdity, and seek to find laughter in dark times.
THE BACKSTORY
After playing siblings in Samuel H. Hunter’s play, A Permanent Image, writer Thea Lux wanted to tell a sibling story of her own featuring her talented scene study partner, Michael Lee Joplin.
Director Erin Doyle Cooper is literally going through her own fertility nightmare (she claims she's not a method director) and connected with Thea’s script immediately. DONOR took an element from her own horrible personal IVF experience and filtered it through the lens of one of her favorite genres: cringe comedy.
WHY THIS FILM NOW?
We are at an age where our friends are finally ready to have children. They have loving partners, they have reliable income, they went to therapy, and are ready to tackle the task of raising a human to the best of their ability. Now their bodies are throwing a wrench in their plans.
IUI and IVF treatments drain their bank accounts and take a toll on them physically and emotionally. Some friends can’t even afford IVF and live with a constant longing to be parents.
This is just one story about infertility, but we want to acknowledge this struggle. We want to amplify the conversation about infertility without being clinical about the IVF process. We want to find levity in this emotional roller coaster and we want to remind people they aren’t crazy for wanting to have kids. (Even though the world is going to end in about 15 years, but you do you.)
THE TEAM
Click here to visit the Team Page and read everyone's full bio.
THE LOOK
The majority of the film will be shot on telephoto lenses. A key part of this story are the awkward and inescapable moments that the audience should feel trapped in right alongside the characters. Using longer lenses to isolate our characters from the background help accomplish this, while heightening the emotional stakes of the performance.
CROWDFUNDING
We are crowdfunding to ensure the initial up-front production (and post-production) costs are covered. The script itself is very shootable and self-contained: two characters, one location. We'd like to afford two days of shooting for additional coverage.
Another great reason to support this film: you will be helping crew members affected by the strike. Because production has drastically slowed over the last five months, this is your way to give directly to the people who have lost income because of it.
You will also be supporting a truly independent film under a SAG-AFTRA contract not affected by the strike (which hopefully will end soon!), because the union has our back!
Pledging your financial support at any level is appreciated. You can contribute any amount that fits your budget and we will be truly grateful.
Here is the majority of what your contribution will support:
- CREW: The majority of our budget is being spent paying our crew for their time and talent. Any funds over our goal will go towards paying them more and compensating those who donated their time.
- LOCATION: While we are still looking to find a donated location, we are budgeting for the perfect space to fit the story’s needs.
- CAMERA and LIGHTING and SOUND: There is a certain level of quality a short film needs to hit in order for festivals to take notice. Having comedic elements in our script also makes it extra important for our film to look professional so people take it seriously.
- FESTIVALS: Not only do we want you to see this film once it’s done, we want larger audiences to see it! Thankfully, with our professional contacts we will be able to obtain waivers for the festivals we’ve screened at in the past, but even early-entry fees for festivals are around $50.
- AND THE REST: Past productions have taught us that insurance is more expensive than you’d think. And don’t forget those hard drives to back things up. Oh, and the cost of that other thing you didn’t think of, because that’s definitely gonna cost ya.
-
GOAL BREAKDOWN
HOW CAN YOU HELP EVEN MORE?
Spread the word! Our personal network is only so big and with your help we can reach a larger audience. We appreciate any email, social post, or grocery store conversation you have that shares the information about this campaign!
Here is an example of what you can share on social media:
- Do you like supporting indie film? Help @thealux and @erinldoyle and team by supporting DONOR, an awkward, character-driven comedy about desperation and infertility. Learn more: https://www.seedandspark.com/fund/donor
Tagging us allows us to re-share what you’ve posted and double our messaging.
Follow us on social media! We will keep you updated on the film's progress on our Instagram handle: @donorfilm
We hope you follow our campaign to stay up-to-date with our project as we go into production. We’ll keep followers posted with behind the scenes photos, news on post-production, and any screening opportunities or festival information when it becomes available.
Your support means so much to us and we can’t wait to bring DONOR to the screen!
THANK YOU!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Location
Costs $2,400
Help bring our set to life with a perfectly furnished, full-sized home.
Cast and Crew
Costs $7,275
We will have a lean cast and crew crew, but we want to pay them a quality indie-rate.
Food
Costs $600
We'll have several meals on set for our crew!
Camera and lights
Costs $2,925
Covers camera rental, lights, lenses, and G&E truck.
Post-Production
Costs $2,400
Covers editing and post-production color/sound.
Festivals
Costs $2,000
We'd love to bring our short to larger audiences!
Insurance
Costs $2,400
Covers both production and equipment insurance.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Erin Doyle Cooper is a filmmaker, commercial, and creative director. Major brand work includes MasterCard, Budweiser, and Pepsi, where she led advertising creative for Lady Gaga’s Halftime Show and the 2018 Super Bowl spot starring Cindy Crawford. In 2022, she directed the multiple award-winning #NoApologiesPeriod campaign for Midol, and launched her own parity-minded production company, Rockabay Productions, named after one of her favorite ever projects - an indie-rock musical for kids called Princess Ellanora and the Muddy Sneakers.
Her short film Believe Her, starring Allison Tolman, won Best Global Short: Narrative at SCAD Savannah. Between 2021-2022 she shot four shorts - two as a producer for first time female directors titled Big Sur (Dir: Lila Dupree) and Pick Me Up (Dir: Allison Tolman) - and two as a writer/director titled True Love Waits and The Invaders - all have been selected to premiere at Oscar Qualifying Festivals in 2023. In addition to a BFA in Acting from SUNY Buffalo, she studied classical acting at LAMDA and sketch/improv at UCB. She lives in LA, where she recently completed the Women in Film Mentoring Program as a multi-hyphenate, with mentors Rose Catherine Pickney, Melissa Darmon, and Ramaa Mosley.
Thea Lux (pronounced Tay-uh Lucks) is an LA-based actor, writer, and producer, creatively raised by Chicago's comedy and theater scene. She graduated with a film degree in documentary from Columbia College Chicago and has written and/or directed comedic branded videos for Groupon and SHE Media. She produced, co-wrote, and acted in the short comedy Wheel, which played in festivals across the country including Oscar-qualifying festivals (Cinequest, deadCenter), and the acclaimed comedy festival, Just for Laughs in Montreal. She is currently co-producing the upcoming film by Lea Pascal, The Greatest Joy, a dark comedy about loss, motherhood and marriage, born from the writer/director's own miscarriage. As an actor, she's a founding member of the collaborative theater company, The New Coordinates, and helped create the cult-hit, 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche, which ran Off Broadway and is published by Samuel French. You can also see her in the Coen Brothers’ Netflix film, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.
Demi Waldron is a director of photography based in Los Angeles, with roots in rural South Carolina. A background in fine art and documentary informs her naturalistic approach to narrative cinematography.
Most recently, they lensed a black and white period horror titled The Thaw, which premiered at this year’s Fantastic Fest, as well as an episode of Hulu’s Taste the Nation. Films lensed by Demi have played at Outfest, FilmQuest, Cannes Lions, Indy Shorts, Atlanta Film Fest, Cinequest, and HollyShorts. Demi is an associate member of the Society of Camera Operators. They hold a BFA in film and television from Savannah College of Art and Design. In 2022, they were selected as a member of AFI’s Cinematography Intensive for Women.
Michael Lee Joplin moved to Los Angeles from Austin Texas in 2018 where he was named Best Actor in Austin by the Chronicle Reader’s Poll. He spends his mornings as an elementary school substitute teacher for LAUSD and he loves it. He has studied improv comedy at UCB, Impro, Groundlings, Impro, and The Pack. You can see him in season four of For All Mankind on Apple Plus and as Roger in Stalker on Hulu. He literally lives for projects like this and is so grateful for your support of independent film.