Ego Death
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Thriller, Comedy
Ego Death is an eerie and nostalgic speculative dark comedy about a Doctor who removes a Patient’s ego from their brain and implants it in a Tamagotchi. Supporting Ego Death is supporting a story about empathy (and beloved '90s toys) made by real flesh and blood women, not AI.
54 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$6,279
Goal: $14,000 for production
Ego Death is an eerie and nostalgic speculative dark comedy about a Doctor who removes a Patient’s ego from their brain and implants it in a Tamagotchi. Supporting Ego Death is supporting a story about empathy (and beloved '90s toys) made by real flesh and blood women, not AI.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Ego Death is an eerie and nostalgic speculative dark comedy about a Doctor who removes a Patient’s ego from their brain and implants it in a Tamagotchi. The concept itself is pretty out there, taking inspiration from the likes of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Severance, but the characters are incredibly grounded: they’re awkward, insecure, and funny even while desperate to be taken seriously.
Plot
We follow NURSE as she is hired by DOCTOR shortly after his first Ego Death procedure on PATIENT ZERO. Nurse watches Doctor unravel as he faces the existential pressure to live up to his own expectations.
When Nurse discovers that Doctor has been keeping a dark and dangerous secret about the Ego Death procedure, she’s faced with a grim decision: achieve success at his side, or walk away with her morals intact.
Personality Ozempic
Ego Death is designed to put you in the shoes of all three of its characters: Patient Zero, The Nurse, and The Doctor.
Every time we open our phones, we see ads for weight loss drugs or videos of Patrick Bateman-esque “morning sheds.” It’s hard to definitively say we wouldn’t be Patient Zero ourselves. What if there was a way to contour my soul? A skincare routine for my personality? Botox for one of the irksome things that makes me me? We'd sign up immediately.
Women in STEM
The Nurse follows a different journey: figuring out what is worth the price of following your dreams. As a woman in the workplace at a shaky time in our economy, it can feel like we have to be ruthless to be ambitious. Ego Death asks where that line is, how far is too far?
The world of Ego Death is retro-futuristic, but instead of taking aesthetic inspiration from the 1970s, it recreates the future as imagined in the Y2K early 2000s era. The vibe of the film juxtaposes the fun and girly optimism of the Y2K era, with the bleak reality of being a working woman in a male-dominated field.
The Future is Now
The Doctor reminds us of the ever-looming tech takeover lest we get “left behind.” When it feels like tech is bringing us further away from each other, further into our own bubbles and egos, is it really so bad to be left behind?
Ego Death is a darkly comedic social commentary and absurdist take on the modern workplace, but it’s also an opportunity to oppose the things it warns against by fostering an excited and hungry film community.
That Includes You!
Ego Death is about making your own opportunities. We’ve already shot the first 2 minutes of the film using only resources we already have, but we need your help to make the rest.
Having worked on high-level projects at AppleTV, Netflix, YouTube, Showtime, Google, Amazon Studios, and Disney, we’re now creating Ego Death as a grassroots project with a sense of friendship and mutual support. We want to use the skills and knowledge we’ve gained on big budget projects to cultivate a supportive environment for all artists to feel empowered.
We hope to grow our community through this campaign. Follow along on our socials, where we will bring you behind the scenes on creating the film. We’re offering access to custom artwork, props, and Q&As to connect with us and join our network of like-minded creatives and supporters of the arts.
We’ll also be hosting screenings in LA of movies that inspired Ego Death throughout the campaign. No matter how much you donate you’ll be added to our email list and get the details about these watch parties before anyone else!
Kill Your Ego
Reaching our fundraising goal would allow us to complete the movie with a small cast (4 actors) and a skeleton crew, and to submit the final film to festivals. If we are able to exceed our fundraising goal, it would mean better equipment, better locations, and better pay for our cast and crew. Check out our Pitch Deck for more even details on the vision of the film.
Please donate to join our community and make Ego Death a reality.
And don’t forget to kill your ego.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Locations
Costs $4,000
To immerse our audience in the medical world of Ego Death, we need to rent the right location.
Production Design
Costs $1,500
To achieve the retro-futuristic style, we need the right designers, set dressing, and props.
Crew & Talent Operations
Costs $3,000
We want to take care of our small crew - this will help us cover comp., admin., supplies, food, snacks, and supplies we'll need.
Production Sound
Costs $2,000
Covers the cost of sound equipment to use during production.
Camera & Electric Rentals
Costs $2,500
Covers the cost of camera and lighting equipment rentals to capture Ego Death.
Post Production
Costs $1,000
Covers the costs for post-production (editing, VFX, sound & score, coloring, etc.).
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
JOHANNA RAMM
WRITER & DIRECTOR
Johanna is a writer known for her work on AppleTV's MAXIMUM PLEASURE GUARANTEED and Showtime’s DEXTER: ORIGINAL SIN. Her additional credits include THE SECOND BEST HOSPITAL IN THE GALAXY (Amazon), CAPTAIN FALL (Netflix), MONSTERS AT WORK (Disney), and MINIONS 2 (Illumination). She's repped by Claire Jennings at Fourth Wall.
SAM KAPLAN
PRODUCER
Sam is a Producer currently launching Live content on Netflix. Previously she was the Ops Program Manager Lead for NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube and YouTube TV. Her background is in Mechanical Engineering, and she's held roles as Technical Producer for Google and a Walt Disney Imagineer. Recent film credits include THE CALLING and CENTRAL UNIT.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Ego Death is an eerie and nostalgic speculative dark comedy about a Doctor who removes a Patient’s ego from their brain and implants it in a Tamagotchi. The concept itself is pretty out there, taking inspiration from the likes of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Severance, but the characters are incredibly grounded: they’re awkward, insecure, and funny even while desperate to be taken seriously.
Plot
We follow NURSE as she is hired by DOCTOR shortly after his first Ego Death procedure on PATIENT ZERO. Nurse watches Doctor unravel as he faces the existential pressure to live up to his own expectations.
When Nurse discovers that Doctor has been keeping a dark and dangerous secret about the Ego Death procedure, she’s faced with a grim decision: achieve success at his side, or walk away with her morals intact.
Personality Ozempic
Ego Death is designed to put you in the shoes of all three of its characters: Patient Zero, The Nurse, and The Doctor.
Every time we open our phones, we see ads for weight loss drugs or videos of Patrick Bateman-esque “morning sheds.” It’s hard to definitively say we wouldn’t be Patient Zero ourselves. What if there was a way to contour my soul? A skincare routine for my personality? Botox for one of the irksome things that makes me me? We'd sign up immediately.
Women in STEM
The Nurse follows a different journey: figuring out what is worth the price of following your dreams. As a woman in the workplace at a shaky time in our economy, it can feel like we have to be ruthless to be ambitious. Ego Death asks where that line is, how far is too far?
The world of Ego Death is retro-futuristic, but instead of taking aesthetic inspiration from the 1970s, it recreates the future as imagined in the Y2K early 2000s era. The vibe of the film juxtaposes the fun and girly optimism of the Y2K era, with the bleak reality of being a working woman in a male-dominated field.
The Future is Now
The Doctor reminds us of the ever-looming tech takeover lest we get “left behind.” When it feels like tech is bringing us further away from each other, further into our own bubbles and egos, is it really so bad to be left behind?
Ego Death is a darkly comedic social commentary and absurdist take on the modern workplace, but it’s also an opportunity to oppose the things it warns against by fostering an excited and hungry film community.
That Includes You!
Ego Death is about making your own opportunities. We’ve already shot the first 2 minutes of the film using only resources we already have, but we need your help to make the rest.
Having worked on high-level projects at AppleTV, Netflix, YouTube, Showtime, Google, Amazon Studios, and Disney, we’re now creating Ego Death as a grassroots project with a sense of friendship and mutual support. We want to use the skills and knowledge we’ve gained on big budget projects to cultivate a supportive environment for all artists to feel empowered.
We hope to grow our community through this campaign. Follow along on our socials, where we will bring you behind the scenes on creating the film. We’re offering access to custom artwork, props, and Q&As to connect with us and join our network of like-minded creatives and supporters of the arts.
We’ll also be hosting screenings in LA of movies that inspired Ego Death throughout the campaign. No matter how much you donate you’ll be added to our email list and get the details about these watch parties before anyone else!
Kill Your Ego
Reaching our fundraising goal would allow us to complete the movie with a small cast (4 actors) and a skeleton crew, and to submit the final film to festivals. If we are able to exceed our fundraising goal, it would mean better equipment, better locations, and better pay for our cast and crew. Check out our Pitch Deck for more even details on the vision of the film.
Please donate to join our community and make Ego Death a reality.
And don’t forget to kill your ego.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Locations
Costs $4,000
To immerse our audience in the medical world of Ego Death, we need to rent the right location.
Production Design
Costs $1,500
To achieve the retro-futuristic style, we need the right designers, set dressing, and props.
Crew & Talent Operations
Costs $3,000
We want to take care of our small crew - this will help us cover comp., admin., supplies, food, snacks, and supplies we'll need.
Production Sound
Costs $2,000
Covers the cost of sound equipment to use during production.
Camera & Electric Rentals
Costs $2,500
Covers the cost of camera and lighting equipment rentals to capture Ego Death.
Post Production
Costs $1,000
Covers the costs for post-production (editing, VFX, sound & score, coloring, etc.).
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
JOHANNA RAMM
WRITER & DIRECTOR
Johanna is a writer known for her work on AppleTV's MAXIMUM PLEASURE GUARANTEED and Showtime’s DEXTER: ORIGINAL SIN. Her additional credits include THE SECOND BEST HOSPITAL IN THE GALAXY (Amazon), CAPTAIN FALL (Netflix), MONSTERS AT WORK (Disney), and MINIONS 2 (Illumination). She's repped by Claire Jennings at Fourth Wall.
SAM KAPLAN
PRODUCER
Sam is a Producer currently launching Live content on Netflix. Previously she was the Ops Program Manager Lead for NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube and YouTube TV. Her background is in Mechanical Engineering, and she's held roles as Technical Producer for Google and a Walt Disney Imagineer. Recent film credits include THE CALLING and CENTRAL UNIT.