Drink UP
Chicago, Illinois | Film Short
Horror, Thriller
After losing his job and marriage, recovering alcoholic Carter Baddock trades his sobriety chip for free drinks at a mysterious bar. Time warps, months pass in moments, and his life unravels. Trapped in a nightmarish loop, Carter must confront the horrifying cost of his choices.
Drink UP
Chicago, Illinois | Film Short
Horror, Thriller
1 Campaigns | Illinois, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $5,058 for post-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
30 supporters | followers
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After losing his job and marriage, recovering alcoholic Carter Baddock trades his sobriety chip for free drinks at a mysterious bar. Time warps, months pass in moments, and his life unravels. Trapped in a nightmarish loop, Carter must confront the horrifying cost of his choices.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Carter Baddock, a recovering alcoholic with three years of sobriety, faces a devastating day: he’s lost his job and his grip on his crumbling marriage. Wandering into a Chicago dive bar, he’s offered a chilling deal by the enigmatic bartender: exchange his sobriety chip for free drinks. Desperate and broken, Carter accepts, unknowingly binding himself to the bar’s malevolent grip.
As Carter indulges in his newfound freedom, time begins to warp, with months passing in moments and his life outside the bar unraveling at an accelerating pace. His wife and children become distant memories, and his once-stable existence dissolves into chaos. Each drink deepens his entrapment in a purgatorial cycle of regret, violence, and despair.
Haunted by the bar’s malevolent patrons and the unnerving bartender, Carter realizes too late that his escape comes at an unimaginable cost. With his soul on the line, Carter must confront the nightmarish consequences of his choices.
Drink Up is a contained, emotionally charged horror short about what happens when we seek an easy escape rather than choose to endure. It explores the slow erosion of self that comes from silence, shame, and surrendering to the wrong voice at the wrong time.
It’s not about addiction as a moral lesson, it’s about how easy it is to slip and how terrifying it is to wake up and realize you have become a stranger to yourself. It’s a character-driven descent told with restraint, tension, and surrealism grounded in real pain.
We're making this film because we believe horror can be quiet and still hit hard. We believe that genre filmmaking can be intimate. And because in a world of instant gratification and avoiding discomfort, we need to be reminded of why we must press forward.
Drink Up will be my directorial debut, and I’ve built it to reflect the kind of filmmaker I intend to be: focused on tone, performance, and stories where emotional stakes are just as high as the horrific ones.
CREW
Wenzler Powers - Writer and Director
- Wenzler Powers is a Writer/Director based in Chicago, originally from Memphis, with a unique flair for blending satirical comedy and narrative filmmaking. Known for crafting sharp dialogue and dark humor, Wenzler Powers has earned accolades from Screenwriting Festivals and industry praise for various projects before leaping into directing. Passionate about pushing genre boundaries, he continues to explore themes of identity, guilt, and self-destruction.
Kewan J. Harrison - Producer and Director of Photography
- A passion for finding natural beauty in the often complicated and stark moments of the human experience is the bedrock of Kewan’s work. He seeks to find truth in every image, whether it is still or in motion. After college (where he studied film, theater, and political science), Kewan founded Ten out of Ten Productions to craft films that explore what makes us 100% uniquely human. Kewan has held various roles within the industry, including Director, Producer, and Director of Photography (DP).
S.K. Wolcott - Editor
- S.K. Wolcott is an editor from Connecticut living in Chicago. He graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2018 and has been editing in the Second City ever since. He co-founded Ten out of Ten Productions as a way to tell narrative stories and has worked on several short films as an Editor and Digital Imaging Technician.
CAST
Caleb Fullon
- Caleb is originally from Williamsport, Ohio. He's an actor with roots in improv, theatre, and independent film. He is represented by Stewart Talent Management.
Michael Luwoye
- Michael Luwoye: Credits Include: Broadway: Alexander Hamilton (Hamilton) | Off Broadway: Jacob (Invisible Thread) | TV: Livingstone Fagan (Waco: The Aftermath; Showtime), Anthony Little (Bluff City Law; NBC), Hades (The Magicians; SyFy), Olu (She’s Gotta Have It; Netflix), Erg (The Gifted; Fox) | Film: John (Emancipation) | Voice Over: Wavey Jones (Baby Shark’s Big Show), Askari (The Lion Guard). Nominations Include: Emmy for Outstanding Voice Performance in a Preschool Animated Program (Wavey Jones) & Lucille Lortel for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical (Jacob).
OUR GOAL IS $5,000
Drink Up was shot over three ambitious days in late February and early March, following two months of intense pre-production. We self-financed the entire principal photography on a modest budget of $8,000, made possible through the dedication of a talented team of local filmmakers and the incredible generosity of Trace Bar. Their support was instrumental—without it, this film wouldn’t exist.
Now, we’re aiming to raise $5,000 to bring Drink Up across the finish line. Your support will help us complete post-production and submit to the festivals we’ve long dreamed of. We’re excited to take Drink Up on the road and spotlight the creativity and grit of Chicago’s filmmaking community, proving that compelling stories can be told, even on a tight budget.
Visually, the film draws inspiration from the haunting atmosphere found in the work of Mike Flanagan. With your support, we’ll be able to hire and fairly compensate a skilled colorist who can bring that eerie, cinematic palette to life.
Sound is equally vital in immersing the audience in Carter’s unsettling world. Your generosity will enable us to collaborate with talented sound designers and Foley artists to craft an auditory landscape full of tension, drawing on references such as droning ambience and the rich, layered sound design of our favorite horror films and series.
Music also plays a crucial role. Composed by Memphis artist Peter Armstrong, the score is designed to slowly pull the audience into a sense of dread, mirroring the Bartender’s insidious charm. Lastly, your contribution will help cover the cost of visual effects, allowing us to composite images, refine transitions, and heighten the surreal purgatory that Carter inhabits. Together, these elements will help us create the most compelling version of Drink Up possible.
STRETCH GOAL
Feeling extra generous? Help us reach our stretch goal of $7,500! Every dollar brings us closer to covering travel and lodging costs so we can take our film on the road. We're submitting to top festivals across the country—including Austin, Telluride, Sundance, and more!
WHAT OTHER WAYS CAN YOU HELP?
Even if you're unable to contribute financially, we truly appreciate your support! It means the world to us. You can still make a big impact by sharing our campaign with your network and following us on Instagram at @drinkup.movie. Every share, follow, and word of encouragement helps bring us one step closer to our goal. We're incredibly grateful to be part of a community that believes in independent storytelling! Thank you for being a part of it!
- Contribute what you can! There is no donation too small!
- Share our Campaign
- Join Our Mailing List
- Follow this Campaign Above to help us unlock Seed & Spark Rewards
- Follow us on Instagram @drinkup.movie
Thank you!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Color Correction
Costs $1,200
Our film is inspired by the haunting looks and feels found in the work of Mike Flanagan.
VFX
Costs $1,100
Your contribution will help us to cover the cost of VFX to help further immerse the audience in the purgatory that Carter finds himself.
Score/Musical Composition
Costs $600
Music is a driving force in “Drink Up”. Our approach is to make the audience feel a sense of dread.
Post Sound
Costs $600
Help us find and compensate talented post sound mixers and Foley artists who will help to elevate the sense of unease.
Festival Submissions
Costs $500
We are hoping to submit to several festivals, including the Austin Film Fest, Chicago Horror Fest, Telluride Film Fest, and more!
Editing
Costs $1,000
Help us to pay our talented Editor for an assembly of the final film.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Wenzler Powers - Writer and Director
Wenzler Powers is a Writer/Director based in Chicago, originally from Memphis, with a unique flair for blending satirical comedy and narrative filmmaking. Known for crafting sharp dialogue and dark humor, Wenzler Powers has earned accolades from Screenwriting Festivals and industry praise for various projects before leaping into directing. Passionate about pushing genre boundaries, he continues to explore themes of identity, guilt, and self-destruction.
Kewan J. Harrison - Producer and Director of Photography
A passion for finding natural beauty in the often complicated and stark moments of the human experience is the bedrock of Kewan’s work. He seeks to find truth in every image, whether it is still or in motion. After college (where he studied film, theater, and political science), Kewan founded Ten out of Ten Productions to craft films that explore what makes us 100% uniquely human. Kewan has held various roles within the industry, including Director, Producer, and Director of Photography (DP).
S.K. Wolcott - Editor
S.K. Wolcott is an editor from Connecticut living in Chicago. He graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2018 and has been editing in the Second City ever since. He co-founded Ten out of Ten Productions as a way to tell narrative stories and has worked on several short films as an Editor and Digital Imaging Technician.
Other members of our Post team include:
Peter Armstrong - Composer
Brett Rossiter - Post Audio Mixer
Ryan Esbolt - Finishing Artist
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Carter Baddock, a recovering alcoholic with three years of sobriety, faces a devastating day: he’s lost his job and his grip on his crumbling marriage. Wandering into a Chicago dive bar, he’s offered a chilling deal by the enigmatic bartender: exchange his sobriety chip for free drinks. Desperate and broken, Carter accepts, unknowingly binding himself to the bar’s malevolent grip.
As Carter indulges in his newfound freedom, time begins to warp, with months passing in moments and his life outside the bar unraveling at an accelerating pace. His wife and children become distant memories, and his once-stable existence dissolves into chaos. Each drink deepens his entrapment in a purgatorial cycle of regret, violence, and despair.
Haunted by the bar’s malevolent patrons and the unnerving bartender, Carter realizes too late that his escape comes at an unimaginable cost. With his soul on the line, Carter must confront the nightmarish consequences of his choices.
Drink Up is a contained, emotionally charged horror short about what happens when we seek an easy escape rather than choose to endure. It explores the slow erosion of self that comes from silence, shame, and surrendering to the wrong voice at the wrong time.
It’s not about addiction as a moral lesson, it’s about how easy it is to slip and how terrifying it is to wake up and realize you have become a stranger to yourself. It’s a character-driven descent told with restraint, tension, and surrealism grounded in real pain.
We're making this film because we believe horror can be quiet and still hit hard. We believe that genre filmmaking can be intimate. And because in a world of instant gratification and avoiding discomfort, we need to be reminded of why we must press forward.
Drink Up will be my directorial debut, and I’ve built it to reflect the kind of filmmaker I intend to be: focused on tone, performance, and stories where emotional stakes are just as high as the horrific ones.
CREW
Wenzler Powers - Writer and Director
- Wenzler Powers is a Writer/Director based in Chicago, originally from Memphis, with a unique flair for blending satirical comedy and narrative filmmaking. Known for crafting sharp dialogue and dark humor, Wenzler Powers has earned accolades from Screenwriting Festivals and industry praise for various projects before leaping into directing. Passionate about pushing genre boundaries, he continues to explore themes of identity, guilt, and self-destruction.
Kewan J. Harrison - Producer and Director of Photography
- A passion for finding natural beauty in the often complicated and stark moments of the human experience is the bedrock of Kewan’s work. He seeks to find truth in every image, whether it is still or in motion. After college (where he studied film, theater, and political science), Kewan founded Ten out of Ten Productions to craft films that explore what makes us 100% uniquely human. Kewan has held various roles within the industry, including Director, Producer, and Director of Photography (DP).
S.K. Wolcott - Editor
- S.K. Wolcott is an editor from Connecticut living in Chicago. He graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2018 and has been editing in the Second City ever since. He co-founded Ten out of Ten Productions as a way to tell narrative stories and has worked on several short films as an Editor and Digital Imaging Technician.
CAST
Caleb Fullon
- Caleb is originally from Williamsport, Ohio. He's an actor with roots in improv, theatre, and independent film. He is represented by Stewart Talent Management.
Michael Luwoye
- Michael Luwoye: Credits Include: Broadway: Alexander Hamilton (Hamilton) | Off Broadway: Jacob (Invisible Thread) | TV: Livingstone Fagan (Waco: The Aftermath; Showtime), Anthony Little (Bluff City Law; NBC), Hades (The Magicians; SyFy), Olu (She’s Gotta Have It; Netflix), Erg (The Gifted; Fox) | Film: John (Emancipation) | Voice Over: Wavey Jones (Baby Shark’s Big Show), Askari (The Lion Guard). Nominations Include: Emmy for Outstanding Voice Performance in a Preschool Animated Program (Wavey Jones) & Lucille Lortel for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical (Jacob).
OUR GOAL IS $5,000
Drink Up was shot over three ambitious days in late February and early March, following two months of intense pre-production. We self-financed the entire principal photography on a modest budget of $8,000, made possible through the dedication of a talented team of local filmmakers and the incredible generosity of Trace Bar. Their support was instrumental—without it, this film wouldn’t exist.
Now, we’re aiming to raise $5,000 to bring Drink Up across the finish line. Your support will help us complete post-production and submit to the festivals we’ve long dreamed of. We’re excited to take Drink Up on the road and spotlight the creativity and grit of Chicago’s filmmaking community, proving that compelling stories can be told, even on a tight budget.
Visually, the film draws inspiration from the haunting atmosphere found in the work of Mike Flanagan. With your support, we’ll be able to hire and fairly compensate a skilled colorist who can bring that eerie, cinematic palette to life.
Sound is equally vital in immersing the audience in Carter’s unsettling world. Your generosity will enable us to collaborate with talented sound designers and Foley artists to craft an auditory landscape full of tension, drawing on references such as droning ambience and the rich, layered sound design of our favorite horror films and series.
Music also plays a crucial role. Composed by Memphis artist Peter Armstrong, the score is designed to slowly pull the audience into a sense of dread, mirroring the Bartender’s insidious charm. Lastly, your contribution will help cover the cost of visual effects, allowing us to composite images, refine transitions, and heighten the surreal purgatory that Carter inhabits. Together, these elements will help us create the most compelling version of Drink Up possible.
STRETCH GOAL
Feeling extra generous? Help us reach our stretch goal of $7,500! Every dollar brings us closer to covering travel and lodging costs so we can take our film on the road. We're submitting to top festivals across the country—including Austin, Telluride, Sundance, and more!
WHAT OTHER WAYS CAN YOU HELP?
Even if you're unable to contribute financially, we truly appreciate your support! It means the world to us. You can still make a big impact by sharing our campaign with your network and following us on Instagram at @drinkup.movie. Every share, follow, and word of encouragement helps bring us one step closer to our goal. We're incredibly grateful to be part of a community that believes in independent storytelling! Thank you for being a part of it!
- Contribute what you can! There is no donation too small!
- Share our Campaign
- Join Our Mailing List
- Follow this Campaign Above to help us unlock Seed & Spark Rewards
- Follow us on Instagram @drinkup.movie
Thank you!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Color Correction
Costs $1,200
Our film is inspired by the haunting looks and feels found in the work of Mike Flanagan.
VFX
Costs $1,100
Your contribution will help us to cover the cost of VFX to help further immerse the audience in the purgatory that Carter finds himself.
Score/Musical Composition
Costs $600
Music is a driving force in “Drink Up”. Our approach is to make the audience feel a sense of dread.
Post Sound
Costs $600
Help us find and compensate talented post sound mixers and Foley artists who will help to elevate the sense of unease.
Festival Submissions
Costs $500
We are hoping to submit to several festivals, including the Austin Film Fest, Chicago Horror Fest, Telluride Film Fest, and more!
Editing
Costs $1,000
Help us to pay our talented Editor for an assembly of the final film.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Wenzler Powers - Writer and Director
Wenzler Powers is a Writer/Director based in Chicago, originally from Memphis, with a unique flair for blending satirical comedy and narrative filmmaking. Known for crafting sharp dialogue and dark humor, Wenzler Powers has earned accolades from Screenwriting Festivals and industry praise for various projects before leaping into directing. Passionate about pushing genre boundaries, he continues to explore themes of identity, guilt, and self-destruction.
Kewan J. Harrison - Producer and Director of Photography
A passion for finding natural beauty in the often complicated and stark moments of the human experience is the bedrock of Kewan’s work. He seeks to find truth in every image, whether it is still or in motion. After college (where he studied film, theater, and political science), Kewan founded Ten out of Ten Productions to craft films that explore what makes us 100% uniquely human. Kewan has held various roles within the industry, including Director, Producer, and Director of Photography (DP).
S.K. Wolcott - Editor
S.K. Wolcott is an editor from Connecticut living in Chicago. He graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2018 and has been editing in the Second City ever since. He co-founded Ten out of Ten Productions as a way to tell narrative stories and has worked on several short films as an Editor and Digital Imaging Technician.
Other members of our Post team include:
Peter Armstrong - Composer
Brett Rossiter - Post Audio Mixer
Ryan Esbolt - Finishing Artist