DRY SPELL
Los Angeles, California | Film Feature
Horror
A group of recovering addicts are taken on a desert retreat to work on their sobriety, only to find much more sinister forces awaiting them! Addiction is an issue close to our hearts, and DRY SPELL is a chance for us to explore mental health as it relates to the horror genre.
DRY SPELL
Los Angeles, California | Film Feature
Horror
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $17,040 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
94 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
A group of recovering addicts are taken on a desert retreat to work on their sobriety, only to find much more sinister forces awaiting them! Addiction is an issue close to our hearts, and DRY SPELL is a chance for us to explore mental health as it relates to the horror genre.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
DRY SPELL
THE PLOT
DRY SPELL tells the story of a group of recovering addicts taken on a retreat in the desert to work on their sobriety, only to find much more sinister forces awaiting them!
Addicts Ruth, Amy, Miranda, and Taj are taken to a well-known church's sobriety retreat in the Arizona desert, where they meet their counselors, Nick and Benji, who lead them in hikes, therapy sessions, and other recovery-related projects. When things take a turn for the worse, everyone must form alliances and fight for their sanity & lives.
Think Blair Witch Project meets The Hills Have Eyes!
OUR TEAM
Our team is made up of people who have fought their own personal demons and come through to the other side stronger than ever, so we are all very passionate about these addicts and their story!
Check out the TEAM tab for more info on our cast & crew!
FOUND FOOTAGE HORROR
Addiction is hard to convey on screen, and as big fans of the found footage subgenre, we plan to use multiple camera types to further detach the characters and create a specific sense of unease that most viewers might not have experienced in their own personal lives.
WHY WE NEED YOU!
We have what we need for pre-production, but we need your help to raise what we will need for the production itself!
You would be helping us with:
Food for the cast & crew
Various Equipment
Location Fees
Props & Costumes
Rentals
Permits & Insurance
COVID COMPLIANCE
Each of our actors and crew members will be vaccinated prior to our shooting dates in February 2022. Due to the omicron variant, we will also be requiring a negative COVID test from each cast & crew member 5 days prior to shooting.
During shooting hours, everyone will be required to wear a mask on the "live set" of that particular day, unless they are acting in the scene.
IMPORTANT EXTRAS!
While still searching for a couple crew members, we are delighted to have an official song being written for our film by New Orleans folk band Fr. Ron & Friends, along with a poster design by artist Mariah Thomas!
Once there is a finished film, we will be working with indie horror film distributor Terror Films to get our film out into the world!
LOOKING FOR MORE WAYS TO HELP?
1. Follow our Instagram and Facebook pages (linked above)! This significantly helps us get the word out about this important film. You will also see some great updates about the production on our social media pages!
2. Share our campaign!! Tell your friends and help us continue to get closer to our goal!
(Artwork by Mariah Thomas)
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
On-set meals
Costs $4,000
We will be on set for 10 days which means...our cast and crew need to eat! This would cover food.
Location (house)
Costs $8,000
This is the house we will be shooting at and staying at for the duration of the shoot dates.
Camera Equipment
Costs $1,500
While this will be filmed on multiple devices, the majority will be shot on a Panasonic GH5.
Share this update!
About This Team
TAYLOR GATES (director)
Born and raised in Indiana, Taylor Gates is a queer writer and filmmaker who loves crafting unique stories filled with wit, heart, and complex characters. In 2019, Taylor made her debut as a writer/director in the OutSet Fellowship with a high school comedy short called "Academic Super Squad," which premiered at Outfest later that year. The OutSet Fellowship also sparked her partnership with co-writer Sav Rodgers. Their co-written script "I Love You, Felix McNeil" was a finalist in the ScreenCraft Comedy Competition and accepted into the Outfest Screenwriting Lab. In 2020, Taylor directed her second short called "Chicken Soup," which was shot completely remotely during the pandemic and premiered at the Micheaux Film Festival.
She's not choosing between Get Out, Hereditary, and Ma for her favorite horror movie — They all offer her different but essential things. :)
CAPRICE CONLEY (producer)
Caprice Conley is a Producer and Filmmaker (High & Outside, Song of the Vampire) with a passion for the art of storytelling. She specializes in independent features and festival winning films, and has a deep love for photography and the city of Los Angeles.
Her favorite horror movies are The Bride of Frankenstein and Kill, Baby, Kill.
SARAH CLINGENPEEL (writer, producer, "Ruth")
Sarah Clingenpeel is an actress, writer, director and singer originally from New Orleans, LA. A graduate of AMDA College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts, Sarah began working in Hollywood as a PA and in multiple theatre productions, such as As You Like It, Two By Two, and The London Rose. Her directorial debut came in 2020 with the release of music videos “Marie Laveau” and “Don’t Let The Fire Die” for New Orleans folk band Fr. Ron & Friends. She is delighted to be flexing her muscles as a producer on DRY SPELL!
Her favorite horror movie is John Carpenter's original Halloween (1978)!
DICLE OZCER (producer)
Dicle Ozcer is a director, writer and producer, originally from Ankara, Turkey. After graduating from AMDA College and Conservatory of Performing Arts in LA with a BFA in Acting, she pursued her passion for directing at New York Film Academy’s MFA Filmmaking program. She got her ‘break’ with her latest comedy short “Big Break”, a satire about the film industry. Big Break won Best Comedy and Best Director awards as well as being selected to over 20 film festivals internationally.
Her favorite horror movie is The Blair Witch Project!
PATRICIA GALVEZ ("Amy")
Patricia Galvez is a California born, Colorado bred actress and dabbling writer. She has been a performer even from a young age, starting with putting on shows in the living room with her siblings for her family; but it wasn’t until college where she fell in love with theatre. After graduating with a BA in Theatre, she moved to Los Angeles to continue doing what she loved in film, booking roles on shows like Ballers (HBO) and Sorry For Your Loss (Facebook Watch) along with several short and independent films.
Asking her to pick a favorite movie is probably one of the toughest questions you could ask her but she will never say no to a heist movie like Oceans 11 or anything written by Aaron Sorkin.
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JIMMY CLEMENTS (producer, "Nick")
Jimmy Clements is an actor, singer, and musician originally from Fort Wayne, IN. He has performed in numerous stage plays including Musical Thrones: A Parody of Ice and Fire (National Tour), Life Could Be A Dream (International City Theatre), Oklahoma! (College Light Opera), and The Music Man feat. Adam Pascal (5-Star Theatricals). On screen he has played leading and supporting roles in the shorts “Fiction” (winner of the Tokyo Film Festival’s People’s Choice Award), “Crashing Prom,” which premiered at Warner Bros. Studios in January 2020, and “A Malibu Story” (which bowed this fall at the Houston Comedy Film Festival). In his free time Clements enjoys writing songs, organizing things, and cheering on his beloved Indianapolis Colts. Web: jimmyclements.com
His favorite horror movie is Shaun Of The Dead!
DARIAN MICHAEL GAREY ("Taj")
Darian Michael Garey is an Actor from St. Louis, Missouri. He's worked on several independent feature films, short films, and commercial projects. One of the most notable projects was The Crossover: The Story of Laurence Moses Bryant, which aired on ESPN during the second round of the NBA playoffs.
His favorite scary movie is Saw and favorite horror villian is, hall of famer, Michael Myers.
CATHY KUTZ ("Miranda")
Cathy Kutz co-wrote, directed and starred in her own one woman theater show at the age of 17. After high school she went on to study at the American Musical and Dramatic academy. Since then she has created and performed in her own short series 'Not Quite There'. Her first love will always be the theater where she has performed in a variety of shows including Macbeth, The Velveteen Rabbit and Sex, Relationships & Sometimes... Love.
Her favorite horror television show is The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina!
OFENTSE MALATSE ("Benji")
Ofentse Malatse is an actor from Indiana where he started dancing and acting. He is best known for his role as Young Cory Abbot in the critically acclaimed Christmas Movie “The Magic (2021).” Currently, he is studying at a drama school "IDSA "in Los Angeles to continue to build his craft and cultivate his career.
His favorite horror film is Get Out (2017)!
MALERIE MCDONALD ("Anna")
Malerie McDonald is a latinx actress, trained at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Musical Theatre and Film. During the pandemic, she created Storytelling 101 (@storytelling.101) a YouTube channel taking new perspectives on fan favorite tv/film; debuting with the “As Told by Kids” series “Once Upon A Time” and newest episode “Stranger Things”.
Her Favorite Horror Movie is Carrie!
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
DRY SPELL
THE PLOT
DRY SPELL tells the story of a group of recovering addicts taken on a retreat in the desert to work on their sobriety, only to find much more sinister forces awaiting them!
Addicts Ruth, Amy, Miranda, and Taj are taken to a well-known church's sobriety retreat in the Arizona desert, where they meet their counselors, Nick and Benji, who lead them in hikes, therapy sessions, and other recovery-related projects. When things take a turn for the worse, everyone must form alliances and fight for their sanity & lives.
Think Blair Witch Project meets The Hills Have Eyes!
OUR TEAM
Our team is made up of people who have fought their own personal demons and come through to the other side stronger than ever, so we are all very passionate about these addicts and their story!
Check out the TEAM tab for more info on our cast & crew!
FOUND FOOTAGE HORROR
Addiction is hard to convey on screen, and as big fans of the found footage subgenre, we plan to use multiple camera types to further detach the characters and create a specific sense of unease that most viewers might not have experienced in their own personal lives.
WHY WE NEED YOU!
We have what we need for pre-production, but we need your help to raise what we will need for the production itself!
You would be helping us with:
Food for the cast & crew
Various Equipment
Location Fees
Props & Costumes
Rentals
Permits & Insurance
COVID COMPLIANCE
Each of our actors and crew members will be vaccinated prior to our shooting dates in February 2022. Due to the omicron variant, we will also be requiring a negative COVID test from each cast & crew member 5 days prior to shooting.
During shooting hours, everyone will be required to wear a mask on the "live set" of that particular day, unless they are acting in the scene.
IMPORTANT EXTRAS!
While still searching for a couple crew members, we are delighted to have an official song being written for our film by New Orleans folk band Fr. Ron & Friends, along with a poster design by artist Mariah Thomas!
Once there is a finished film, we will be working with indie horror film distributor Terror Films to get our film out into the world!
LOOKING FOR MORE WAYS TO HELP?
1. Follow our Instagram and Facebook pages (linked above)! This significantly helps us get the word out about this important film. You will also see some great updates about the production on our social media pages!
2. Share our campaign!! Tell your friends and help us continue to get closer to our goal!
(Artwork by Mariah Thomas)
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
On-set meals
Costs $4,000
We will be on set for 10 days which means...our cast and crew need to eat! This would cover food.
Location (house)
Costs $8,000
This is the house we will be shooting at and staying at for the duration of the shoot dates.
Camera Equipment
Costs $1,500
While this will be filmed on multiple devices, the majority will be shot on a Panasonic GH5.
Share this update!
About This Team
TAYLOR GATES (director)
Born and raised in Indiana, Taylor Gates is a queer writer and filmmaker who loves crafting unique stories filled with wit, heart, and complex characters. In 2019, Taylor made her debut as a writer/director in the OutSet Fellowship with a high school comedy short called "Academic Super Squad," which premiered at Outfest later that year. The OutSet Fellowship also sparked her partnership with co-writer Sav Rodgers. Their co-written script "I Love You, Felix McNeil" was a finalist in the ScreenCraft Comedy Competition and accepted into the Outfest Screenwriting Lab. In 2020, Taylor directed her second short called "Chicken Soup," which was shot completely remotely during the pandemic and premiered at the Micheaux Film Festival.
She's not choosing between Get Out, Hereditary, and Ma for her favorite horror movie — They all offer her different but essential things. :)
CAPRICE CONLEY (producer)
Caprice Conley is a Producer and Filmmaker (High & Outside, Song of the Vampire) with a passion for the art of storytelling. She specializes in independent features and festival winning films, and has a deep love for photography and the city of Los Angeles.
Her favorite horror movies are The Bride of Frankenstein and Kill, Baby, Kill.
SARAH CLINGENPEEL (writer, producer, "Ruth")
Sarah Clingenpeel is an actress, writer, director and singer originally from New Orleans, LA. A graduate of AMDA College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts, Sarah began working in Hollywood as a PA and in multiple theatre productions, such as As You Like It, Two By Two, and The London Rose. Her directorial debut came in 2020 with the release of music videos “Marie Laveau” and “Don’t Let The Fire Die” for New Orleans folk band Fr. Ron & Friends. She is delighted to be flexing her muscles as a producer on DRY SPELL!
Her favorite horror movie is John Carpenter's original Halloween (1978)!
DICLE OZCER (producer)
Dicle Ozcer is a director, writer and producer, originally from Ankara, Turkey. After graduating from AMDA College and Conservatory of Performing Arts in LA with a BFA in Acting, she pursued her passion for directing at New York Film Academy’s MFA Filmmaking program. She got her ‘break’ with her latest comedy short “Big Break”, a satire about the film industry. Big Break won Best Comedy and Best Director awards as well as being selected to over 20 film festivals internationally.
Her favorite horror movie is The Blair Witch Project!
PATRICIA GALVEZ ("Amy")
Patricia Galvez is a California born, Colorado bred actress and dabbling writer. She has been a performer even from a young age, starting with putting on shows in the living room with her siblings for her family; but it wasn’t until college where she fell in love with theatre. After graduating with a BA in Theatre, she moved to Los Angeles to continue doing what she loved in film, booking roles on shows like Ballers (HBO) and Sorry For Your Loss (Facebook Watch) along with several short and independent films.
Asking her to pick a favorite movie is probably one of the toughest questions you could ask her but she will never say no to a heist movie like Oceans 11 or anything written by Aaron Sorkin.
JIMMY CLEMENTS (producer, "Nick")
Jimmy Clements is an actor, singer, and musician originally from Fort Wayne, IN. He has performed in numerous stage plays including Musical Thrones: A Parody of Ice and Fire (National Tour), Life Could Be A Dream (International City Theatre), Oklahoma! (College Light Opera), and The Music Man feat. Adam Pascal (5-Star Theatricals). On screen he has played leading and supporting roles in the shorts “Fiction” (winner of the Tokyo Film Festival’s People’s Choice Award), “Crashing Prom,” which premiered at Warner Bros. Studios in January 2020, and “A Malibu Story” (which bowed this fall at the Houston Comedy Film Festival). In his free time Clements enjoys writing songs, organizing things, and cheering on his beloved Indianapolis Colts. Web: jimmyclements.com
His favorite horror movie is Shaun Of The Dead!
DARIAN MICHAEL GAREY ("Taj")
Darian Michael Garey is an Actor from St. Louis, Missouri. He's worked on several independent feature films, short films, and commercial projects. One of the most notable projects was The Crossover: The Story of Laurence Moses Bryant, which aired on ESPN during the second round of the NBA playoffs.
His favorite scary movie is Saw and favorite horror villian is, hall of famer, Michael Myers.
CATHY KUTZ ("Miranda")
Cathy Kutz co-wrote, directed and starred in her own one woman theater show at the age of 17. After high school she went on to study at the American Musical and Dramatic academy. Since then she has created and performed in her own short series 'Not Quite There'. Her first love will always be the theater where she has performed in a variety of shows including Macbeth, The Velveteen Rabbit and Sex, Relationships & Sometimes... Love.
Her favorite horror television show is The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina!
OFENTSE MALATSE ("Benji")
Ofentse Malatse is an actor from Indiana where he started dancing and acting. He is best known for his role as Young Cory Abbot in the critically acclaimed Christmas Movie “The Magic (2021).” Currently, he is studying at a drama school "IDSA "in Los Angeles to continue to build his craft and cultivate his career.
His favorite horror film is Get Out (2017)!
MALERIE MCDONALD ("Anna")
Malerie McDonald is a latinx actress, trained at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Musical Theatre and Film. During the pandemic, she created Storytelling 101 (@storytelling.101) a YouTube channel taking new perspectives on fan favorite tv/film; debuting with the “As Told by Kids” series “Once Upon A Time” and newest episode “Stranger Things”.
Her Favorite Horror Movie is Carrie!