We're a crew of mostly black & brown creatives reclaiming our slice of life on the big screen. We want to share a romantic story that shows a more layered view of the past that everyone can enjoy. We're excited to create a short film that connects us all and uplifts black and brown voices.

CONCEPT

The goal of this film is to provide a more layered cinematic look at African American characters; particularly with regard to genre, style and narrative agency. In the history of cinema, Black people have been stereotypically portrayed as subservient characters primarily in proximity to trauma. While the history of Black trauma is indeed important to remember as we strive for more equality, so too is the need to see Black characters fall in love, laugh, experience joy and have narrative agency of their own that is beyond the dominant power of the white characters in a given film.

Ella’s Suite explores romance and comedy using a landscape and aesthetic reminiscent of the Golden Age of Hollywood. However, this time we are writing our own narrative to include a much more colorful picture of the past.

Ella's Suite will be a film production utilizing the unique talent of a black and brown cast and crew.  Through our collective experiences in the film industry, we still see a lack of diversity. So, we have all come together for this project to set a standard of what we imagine equitable filmmaking can look and feel like in the future. With your support, this film will help nurture the fact that Black stories matter!

WHY NOW?!

We believe Ella's Suite to be an essential project opportunity for black and brown artists to look forward to during this global pandemic. By crowdfunding now, you are helping secure future work for these artists.

*A NOTE ON COVID-19*

This production will observe all safety requirements as set forth by the CDC to ensure a safe film set for all. While our main set is a small elevator car, we will ensure proper distancing, sanitation procedures and proper use of face coverings. We aim to shoot this film as soon as it is safe to do so and will have patience until then! Safety first!

"Crowdfunding rose out of the ashes of the 2007–2008 financial crisis. It’s a testament to the indomitable spirit of creators. It also led audiences out of a very dark time — one great idea at a time. It was revitalizing for so many people’s spirits, and also revitalizing for the creative economy." - Emily Best, Seed&Spark Founder and CEO

VISUAL STYLE

The cinematography in the film, Ella’s Suite, should complement it’s poetic subject matter and charming characters. For this reason, we are choosing to use smooth camera movements and still frames. With the use of warm tungsten lights, the color selected will provide both a richness and subtle softness to the film. Using 4:3 will give us strict boundaries to compose shots economically, which will purely serve the storyline of the film.

 

BUDGET

* WE HAVE SET AN INITIAL GOAL OF $10,000 IN ORDER TO HAVE ENOUGH FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO ACHIEVE PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY. *

 

 

STATUS

We are currently in the pre-production. What does that mean? We have written the script, we have assembled our cast/production team and are now solidifying our finances before moving into the shooting phase of the film. After aquiring funding for the film, we plan on using our budget to secure a studio space, build our set, assemble our costumes and rent our camera equipment. After we are done filming, we will use the rest of our budget for post-production purposes (i.e editing, sound design, sound mix, color correction and music). 

Once the film is complete, we intend to submit to various film festivals and showcases around the world. We will keep you updated along the way via this platform and social media.

FROM THE DIRECTOR

Personally, this project is inspired by my grandfather who was a Pullman Porter and is also a love letter to Jazz, which to me is one of the most important (yet under valued) contributions to come from Black Americans. Ella’s Suite will also be an opportunity for me to finally get to work with a majority Black & Brown team.