First Bite
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Comedy, Horror
Amanda's feeling the pressure to impress her fiancé Tyler's overbearing mother. After all, she's stuck in a dead-end job, and he's going places. As if this wasn't already an impossible task, she's just been bitten by a vampire, and she must keep her unholy transformation hidden.
First Bite
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Comedy, Horror
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $4,217 for pre-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
20 supporters | followers
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Amanda's feeling the pressure to impress her fiancé Tyler's overbearing mother. After all, she's stuck in a dead-end job, and he's going places. As if this wasn't already an impossible task, she's just been bitten by a vampire, and she must keep her unholy transformation hidden.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
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Amanda Collins loves her sweet fiancé, Tyler Powell, but she doesn't love herself. She's awkward, stuck in a dead-end job, and she can't seem to stick up for herself, no matter how hard she tries. Tonight, she's meeting Tyler's family for the first time over a home-cooked meal, after which they plan to announce their engagement. As she rushes out of a liquor store with as many bottles of wine as she could afford, a mysterious figure bumps into her... leaving behind two red BITE MARKS on her neck.
Tyler's terrified of his mother, Norma, and when Amanda finally meets her, she gets it. Norma is overbearing, judgmental, and colder than a Russian influencer in an ice bath. Impressing her is going to be an impossible task, and Amanda's not sure she's up to the challenge. Adding to the already excruciating dynamic, Tyler's foul-mouthed Granny Ethel is instantly suspicious that something is wrong with Amanda.
Amanda doesn't just stumble through her first impressions with the family: she falls totally flat on her face. She's got to redeem herself over dinner, or Norma will never accept her - but Amanda's given a healthy dose of salt in her wound...
She's turning into a goddamn VAMPIRE, and she's struggling to hold back her thirst for blood and hide her new fatal allergy to garlic.
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Change is scary. Like, really fucking scary.
It's inevitable, and it has the power to destroy the life you know... But with that loss of footing also comes an opportunity to build anew - to redefine yourself.
Our 20s are a period of intense, relentless change, and you either sink your teeth in and embrace it, or you drown in the darkness. As film students graduating into a world full of unknowns, it's something that we're all struggling to wrap our heads around.
As we grow up, we realize that we aren't the same people we used to be, and neither are those we once claimed to understand. That never-ending struggle to accept the change within us and within our relationships is at the core of this story, and what better way to communicate this idea than through vampires?
You get bitten, and now you've got to deal with the consequences. You're undead, and you're unable to walk amongst the people you know - relegated to the shadows, forever removed, forever hungry for more.
Assuming none of you have ever been turned into vampires, we're assuming that you can't relate to these exact descriptions. However, that isolation, that fear - that's something we all know. It's important to us on this team to use First Bite as a way to explore the isolation and anxiety that comes with changing and growing up.
.jpg)
We're currently deep in pre-production - finalizing our cast and crew, storyboarding, planning out locations, etc.
In order to get this project across the finish line, we need sufficient funds to buy production materials such as camera/grip/lighting equipment, costumes, props, rent out a location for all six of our shoot dates, order food to keep our lovely team fed and happy, amidst other essential production costs.
To that end, we need your help to afford our projected budget.
Please consider pledging to our Seed&Spark campaign, no matter how much. Every dollar counts towards our goal!
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Pre-Production will continue through January 2026, and during the last weekend of January and the first weekend of February, everything will come together for physical production!
After that will follow a post-production phase of a few months. Once a cut is complete, we will submit the film to a series of film festivals, and soon after, First Bite will be uploaded to YouTube for all to see!
For updates about production and our fundraising campaign, please follow our Seed&Spark. Also, please spread the word about our campaign! Even if you aren't able to donate, sharing our account with your friends and family is a huge help.
For even more behind-the-scenes content and updates, please follow and share our official Instagram account!
https://www.instagram.com/firstbite.independent?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
LOCATION
Costs $2,000
Funds to rent a two-story house as a shooting location for six days.
FOOD
Costs $1,000
Funds for catering and crafty for our full cast and crew for six days.
CAMERA/GRIP/ELECTRIC
Costs $500
Funds for the equipment needed for the camera, grip, and electric teams.
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Costs $400
Funds for the production design team to decorate the set and create elaborate props.
MAKEUP/SFX
Costs $400
Funds for the makeup team and for the SFX team to create a monster costume and gore.
MISC. PRODUCTION COSTS
Costs $700
Miscellaneous production costs, including extra essential equipment and items, travel costs for our cast, festival submissions, etc...
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
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Our crew is made up of passionate students from Chapman University's Dodge College of Film & Media Arts. While FIRST BITE is not affiliated with the university, the team behind it is putting their years of learning and experience to bring this film to life.
Writer/Director Sebastian Waverly's past directorial works include short films SOMETHING FISHY and SUPER MARIO MARRIAGE COUNSELING. He is passionate about creating fun, character-driven stories in fantastical settings. He's using FIRST BITE to explore growing up in a story where the main character eats bugs off the bathroom floor. That makes sense, right?
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Producer/Director of Photography James Franklin Crawford III's past works have been a variety of projects after working on over 50 sets, ranging from indie shorts to features. He's grown a love for making projects that are straight up fun but also say something. He thinks FIRST BITE captures that perfectly. If he were a vampire, his bat form would be named Charles.
Producer Ayana Milkias was born in Ethiopia and grew up traveling around the world. She's a creative producing student with a minor in production design. She has always had a love for the supernatural and is very excited to step into the magical world of this production.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Amanda Collins loves her sweet fiancé, Tyler Powell, but she doesn't love herself. She's awkward, stuck in a dead-end job, and she can't seem to stick up for herself, no matter how hard she tries. Tonight, she's meeting Tyler's family for the first time over a home-cooked meal, after which they plan to announce their engagement. As she rushes out of a liquor store with as many bottles of wine as she could afford, a mysterious figure bumps into her... leaving behind two red BITE MARKS on her neck.
Tyler's terrified of his mother, Norma, and when Amanda finally meets her, she gets it. Norma is overbearing, judgmental, and colder than a Russian influencer in an ice bath. Impressing her is going to be an impossible task, and Amanda's not sure she's up to the challenge. Adding to the already excruciating dynamic, Tyler's foul-mouthed Granny Ethel is instantly suspicious that something is wrong with Amanda.
Amanda doesn't just stumble through her first impressions with the family: she falls totally flat on her face. She's got to redeem herself over dinner, or Norma will never accept her - but Amanda's given a healthy dose of salt in her wound...
She's turning into a goddamn VAMPIRE, and she's struggling to hold back her thirst for blood and hide her new fatal allergy to garlic.
Change is scary. Like, really fucking scary.
It's inevitable, and it has the power to destroy the life you know... But with that loss of footing also comes an opportunity to build anew - to redefine yourself.
Our 20s are a period of intense, relentless change, and you either sink your teeth in and embrace it, or you drown in the darkness. As film students graduating into a world full of unknowns, it's something that we're all struggling to wrap our heads around.
As we grow up, we realize that we aren't the same people we used to be, and neither are those we once claimed to understand. That never-ending struggle to accept the change within us and within our relationships is at the core of this story, and what better way to communicate this idea than through vampires?
You get bitten, and now you've got to deal with the consequences. You're undead, and you're unable to walk amongst the people you know - relegated to the shadows, forever removed, forever hungry for more.
Assuming none of you have ever been turned into vampires, we're assuming that you can't relate to these exact descriptions. However, that isolation, that fear - that's something we all know. It's important to us on this team to use First Bite as a way to explore the isolation and anxiety that comes with changing and growing up.
We're currently deep in pre-production - finalizing our cast and crew, storyboarding, planning out locations, etc.
In order to get this project across the finish line, we need sufficient funds to buy production materials such as camera/grip/lighting equipment, costumes, props, rent out a location for all six of our shoot dates, order food to keep our lovely team fed and happy, amidst other essential production costs.
To that end, we need your help to afford our projected budget.
Please consider pledging to our Seed&Spark campaign, no matter how much. Every dollar counts towards our goal!
Pre-Production will continue through January 2026, and during the last weekend of January and the first weekend of February, everything will come together for physical production!
After that will follow a post-production phase of a few months. Once a cut is complete, we will submit the film to a series of film festivals, and soon after, First Bite will be uploaded to YouTube for all to see!
For updates about production and our fundraising campaign, please follow our Seed&Spark. Also, please spread the word about our campaign! Even if you aren't able to donate, sharing our account with your friends and family is a huge help.
For even more behind-the-scenes content and updates, please follow and share our official Instagram account!
https://www.instagram.com/firstbite.independent?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
LOCATION
Costs $2,000
Funds to rent a two-story house as a shooting location for six days.
FOOD
Costs $1,000
Funds for catering and crafty for our full cast and crew for six days.
CAMERA/GRIP/ELECTRIC
Costs $500
Funds for the equipment needed for the camera, grip, and electric teams.
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Costs $400
Funds for the production design team to decorate the set and create elaborate props.
MAKEUP/SFX
Costs $400
Funds for the makeup team and for the SFX team to create a monster costume and gore.
MISC. PRODUCTION COSTS
Costs $700
Miscellaneous production costs, including extra essential equipment and items, travel costs for our cast, festival submissions, etc...
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Our crew is made up of passionate students from Chapman University's Dodge College of Film & Media Arts. While FIRST BITE is not affiliated with the university, the team behind it is putting their years of learning and experience to bring this film to life.
Writer/Director Sebastian Waverly's past directorial works include short films SOMETHING FISHY and SUPER MARIO MARRIAGE COUNSELING. He is passionate about creating fun, character-driven stories in fantastical settings. He's using FIRST BITE to explore growing up in a story where the main character eats bugs off the bathroom floor. That makes sense, right?
Producer/Director of Photography James Franklin Crawford III's past works have been a variety of projects after working on over 50 sets, ranging from indie shorts to features. He's grown a love for making projects that are straight up fun but also say something. He thinks FIRST BITE captures that perfectly. If he were a vampire, his bat form would be named Charles.
Producer Ayana Milkias was born in Ethiopia and grew up traveling around the world. She's a creative producing student with a minor in production design. She has always had a love for the supernatural and is very excited to step into the magical world of this production.