Fragments: A Short Film
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama, Family
Childhood experiences often lay the foundation and patterns for how we live the rest of our lives. But what if those experiences gave us a fragmented view of reality? Fragments is a glimpse into the arduous but rewarding mental health journey that is addressing and healing our core wounds.
Fragments: A Short Film
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama, Family
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $16,880 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
62 supporters | followers
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Childhood experiences often lay the foundation and patterns for how we live the rest of our lives. But what if those experiences gave us a fragmented view of reality? Fragments is a glimpse into the arduous but rewarding mental health journey that is addressing and healing our core wounds.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
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We can find ourselves often in the same situations, playing out the same patterns, having the same thoughts, experiencing the same difficult emotions. "People always leave." "Others can't be trusted." "Prioritizing my needs is selfish." "I am not good enough." Why? Potentially, its a core wound or belief we developed early in life that's laid the path for how we continue to view ourselves and the world around us, leading us to relive our past traumas over and over again. This is Complex PTSD.
"C-PTSD is a more severe form of post-traumatic stress disorder, delineated by five of its most common and troublesome features: emotional flashbacks, toxic shame, self-abandonment, a vicious inner critic and social anxiety. When you are trapped in a flashback, you are reliving the worst emotional times of your past." Pete Walker's C-PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving
Fragments is a glimpse of Janie's journey dealing with C-PTSD and emotional flashbacks, as she attempts to rewire and correct some of her core, painful beliefs about herself and the world around her.
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After an evening out, Janie's less than nurturing relationship triggers her into an emotional flashback. In fight or flight, she pushes her partner away and is flooded by painful emotions from her past. Janie collapses in fear and distress, feeling helpless, she fights against what feels like the imminent darkness surrounding her.
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Janie's dealt with C-PTSD long enough to know she is in a flashback, and the way to heal through these moments is to first, attempt to re-ground herself in the present by moving her body, holding ice, letting the body know it's safe. Then, attempting to re-connect with her younger, scared self to let her know she is safe, and Janie can take care of her now.
We flashback to 2006 --
Young Janie is in her backyard, desperate to show her parents this shiny bug she's never seen before!
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She runs inside only to find her parents screaming at one another. In attempt to protect herself, Young Janie covers her eyes and ears and crouches down. She is overwhelmed by a flurry of memories of this same type of instance.
.png)
She opens her eyes to see her father with packed suitcases leaving the home. She runs out the door and begs him not to leave, to no avail. A core wound is established -- "I deserve to be left." Distraught she retreats to her bedroom and cries. Adult Janie enters her childhood bedroom knowing that to heal, she needs to re-parent and sooth this young, fragile self. "I'm here, what do you need?"
.png)
Janie reassures her younger self of her worth & value, saying that no matter who enters or exits her life, she will always be with her. They embrace, and we flashback to: Adult Janie sitting on her apartment floor, with a tear stained face, holding herself in an embrace.
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The mood and feel of Janie's present day life are quite dark, eerie and blue feeling. Because she's already in an emotional flashback at the top of the film, we wanted to embody how dark and scary these emotions can feel. I describe Flashbacks often as if there's imminent darkness approaching from all angles, and the body is trying to escape itself in overwhelming fear. Common feelings in an emotional flashback: anxious, panicky, profound numbness, paralysis, desperation. A sense of feeling small, young, fragile, powerless and helpless.
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The mood and feel of Young Janie's life is brighter than the present day, however still very muted in color. I wanted to portray the innocence and ideal of what an ideal childhood is - fun, bright, carefree - but overlaid with a muted, pixelated tone to portray that this childhood is nothing close to what it should be.
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Make A Pledge! Any donation amount helps, truly! The link to make a pledge is at the top of this page.
- Share This Page! If you know someone that this story may resonate with or who would want to get involved, please send the campaign their way!
- Follow Our Instagram! You can keep up with our production! We'll be updating as we go along, introducing our cast and crew, posting behind the scenes, and festival submissions/acceptances as they come in: instagram.com/fragmentshortfilm
- Other Contributions! If you have donations or other ideas on how to contribute or get involved, email our lovely producer Sarah: [email protected]
Where does your support go?
Cast + Crew: We've got wonderfully talented, hard working cast and crew on this project, and we want to pay them what they are worth!
Crafty + Catering: We have to keep our team well fed! Happy cast + crew = great production!
Props: It's 2006! Well for part of the film at least.. Lots will go into art department to create the mood and feel we envision.
Post Production: This will go towards hiring an editor, colorist, sound designer and composer. All key elements to an excellent film!
Equipment: We'll be using professional equipment to bring to life our vision, including cameras, lenses, lighting & more!
Festival Submissions: We want to get this movie out into the world! This will help cover the cost of submitting to film festival & perhaps even the opportunity to attend one! Festival de Canne, here we come?!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast & Crew
Costs $9,000
We wouldn't be able to bring this vision to life without all our talented cast and crew bringing their unique expertise to the table!
Props
Costs $1,000
It's 2006! Well - for half of the film at least. Curating specific props and wardrobe to fit this era is essential to telling our story!
Eats
Costs $1,500
Keeping our cast and crew well nourished! Happy crew + cast = successful film!
Post Production
Costs $3,000
Editing, color and sound will be key to creating the disorienting, sci fi feel of the movie we are going for.
Festivals
Costs $2,500
This will allow us to both submit our film to festivals and (fingers crossed!) travel to attend them! Festival de Canne - here we come!?
Equipment
Costs $3,000
It takes a village! Literally - video village...
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Jessica Burns | Director, Writer, & Lead Actress
Long time actor, Jessica is having her writing and directing debut with her first film Fragments. Jessica has her own journey of healing through CPTSD and emotional flashback and always struggled to explain to friends and family how disorienting and intense the experiences could be. She's so excited to turn a large chapter of her mental health journey into a piece of art with this film. She hopes Fragments allows more people to address their own wounds, habits and patterns and most of all start to cultivate a relationship with their own inner child. She cannot wait to have all the cast and crew in one space working to bring this vision to life! (She'll prob cry with joy about it tbh)
Sarah Sawyer | Producer
Sarah Sawyer is an actor and filmmaker from Connecticut. She has written, produced, and acted in her own mini web-series, three short films, and one music video. She is currently in development on her own first feature film alongside her producer, Heliya Alam, and she recently completed a run of Itamar Moses’ play, “Completeness,” which will be returning to the stage in Los Angeles in September 2024. Sarah is excited to work alongside Jessica to help bring this very personal and meaningful story that is “Fragments,” to life and continue to prove just how important independent filmmaking is! Sarah views this story as a love note, in a sense, to the inner child within each of us, and is particularly interested in portraying PTSD through this unique lens Jessica has chosen.
Jessica Arzate | Director of Photography
Jessica Arzate is a Director of Photography based in Los Angeles and a Cinematography Fellow in the class of 2024 at the American Film Institute. Her diverse upbringing, spanning urban and rural Mexico, has deeply influenced her work. Before moving to LA, she worked as a camera assistant and camera operator for ten years. Jessica's work has been screened at various international film festivals and art galleries. She is deeply inspired by the transformative power of empathy and authenticity in storytelling. Jessica is thrilled to participate in Fragments, the short film, as Jess [Burns'] script is incredibly impactful. Jessica has experienced the power of connecting with her younger self to transcend the present, and she wants to share this with the audience.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
We can find ourselves often in the same situations, playing out the same patterns, having the same thoughts, experiencing the same difficult emotions. "People always leave." "Others can't be trusted." "Prioritizing my needs is selfish." "I am not good enough." Why? Potentially, its a core wound or belief we developed early in life that's laid the path for how we continue to view ourselves and the world around us, leading us to relive our past traumas over and over again. This is Complex PTSD.
"C-PTSD is a more severe form of post-traumatic stress disorder, delineated by five of its most common and troublesome features: emotional flashbacks, toxic shame, self-abandonment, a vicious inner critic and social anxiety. When you are trapped in a flashback, you are reliving the worst emotional times of your past." Pete Walker's C-PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving
Fragments is a glimpse of Janie's journey dealing with C-PTSD and emotional flashbacks, as she attempts to rewire and correct some of her core, painful beliefs about herself and the world around her.
After an evening out, Janie's less than nurturing relationship triggers her into an emotional flashback. In fight or flight, she pushes her partner away and is flooded by painful emotions from her past. Janie collapses in fear and distress, feeling helpless, she fights against what feels like the imminent darkness surrounding her.
Janie's dealt with C-PTSD long enough to know she is in a flashback, and the way to heal through these moments is to first, attempt to re-ground herself in the present by moving her body, holding ice, letting the body know it's safe. Then, attempting to re-connect with her younger, scared self to let her know she is safe, and Janie can take care of her now.
We flashback to 2006 --
Young Janie is in her backyard, desperate to show her parents this shiny bug she's never seen before!
She runs inside only to find her parents screaming at one another. In attempt to protect herself, Young Janie covers her eyes and ears and crouches down. She is overwhelmed by a flurry of memories of this same type of instance.
She opens her eyes to see her father with packed suitcases leaving the home. She runs out the door and begs him not to leave, to no avail. A core wound is established -- "I deserve to be left." Distraught she retreats to her bedroom and cries. Adult Janie enters her childhood bedroom knowing that to heal, she needs to re-parent and sooth this young, fragile self. "I'm here, what do you need?"
Janie reassures her younger self of her worth & value, saying that no matter who enters or exits her life, she will always be with her. They embrace, and we flashback to: Adult Janie sitting on her apartment floor, with a tear stained face, holding herself in an embrace.
The mood and feel of Janie's present day life are quite dark, eerie and blue feeling. Because she's already in an emotional flashback at the top of the film, we wanted to embody how dark and scary these emotions can feel. I describe Flashbacks often as if there's imminent darkness approaching from all angles, and the body is trying to escape itself in overwhelming fear. Common feelings in an emotional flashback: anxious, panicky, profound numbness, paralysis, desperation. A sense of feeling small, young, fragile, powerless and helpless.
The mood and feel of Young Janie's life is brighter than the present day, however still very muted in color. I wanted to portray the innocence and ideal of what an ideal childhood is - fun, bright, carefree - but overlaid with a muted, pixelated tone to portray that this childhood is nothing close to what it should be.
Make A Pledge! Any donation amount helps, truly! The link to make a pledge is at the top of this page.
- Share This Page! If you know someone that this story may resonate with or who would want to get involved, please send the campaign their way!
- Follow Our Instagram! You can keep up with our production! We'll be updating as we go along, introducing our cast and crew, posting behind the scenes, and festival submissions/acceptances as they come in: instagram.com/fragmentshortfilm
- Other Contributions! If you have donations or other ideas on how to contribute or get involved, email our lovely producer Sarah: [email protected]
Where does your support go?
Cast + Crew: We've got wonderfully talented, hard working cast and crew on this project, and we want to pay them what they are worth!
Crafty + Catering: We have to keep our team well fed! Happy cast + crew = great production!
Props: It's 2006! Well for part of the film at least.. Lots will go into art department to create the mood and feel we envision.
Post Production: This will go towards hiring an editor, colorist, sound designer and composer. All key elements to an excellent film!
Equipment: We'll be using professional equipment to bring to life our vision, including cameras, lenses, lighting & more!
Festival Submissions: We want to get this movie out into the world! This will help cover the cost of submitting to film festival & perhaps even the opportunity to attend one! Festival de Canne, here we come?!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast & Crew
Costs $9,000
We wouldn't be able to bring this vision to life without all our talented cast and crew bringing their unique expertise to the table!
Props
Costs $1,000
It's 2006! Well - for half of the film at least. Curating specific props and wardrobe to fit this era is essential to telling our story!
Eats
Costs $1,500
Keeping our cast and crew well nourished! Happy crew + cast = successful film!
Post Production
Costs $3,000
Editing, color and sound will be key to creating the disorienting, sci fi feel of the movie we are going for.
Festivals
Costs $2,500
This will allow us to both submit our film to festivals and (fingers crossed!) travel to attend them! Festival de Canne - here we come!?
Equipment
Costs $3,000
It takes a village! Literally - video village...
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Jessica Burns | Director, Writer, & Lead Actress
Long time actor, Jessica is having her writing and directing debut with her first film Fragments. Jessica has her own journey of healing through CPTSD and emotional flashback and always struggled to explain to friends and family how disorienting and intense the experiences could be. She's so excited to turn a large chapter of her mental health journey into a piece of art with this film. She hopes Fragments allows more people to address their own wounds, habits and patterns and most of all start to cultivate a relationship with their own inner child. She cannot wait to have all the cast and crew in one space working to bring this vision to life! (She'll prob cry with joy about it tbh)
Sarah Sawyer | Producer
Sarah Sawyer is an actor and filmmaker from Connecticut. She has written, produced, and acted in her own mini web-series, three short films, and one music video. She is currently in development on her own first feature film alongside her producer, Heliya Alam, and she recently completed a run of Itamar Moses’ play, “Completeness,” which will be returning to the stage in Los Angeles in September 2024. Sarah is excited to work alongside Jessica to help bring this very personal and meaningful story that is “Fragments,” to life and continue to prove just how important independent filmmaking is! Sarah views this story as a love note, in a sense, to the inner child within each of us, and is particularly interested in portraying PTSD through this unique lens Jessica has chosen.
Jessica Arzate | Director of Photography
Jessica Arzate is a Director of Photography based in Los Angeles and a Cinematography Fellow in the class of 2024 at the American Film Institute. Her diverse upbringing, spanning urban and rural Mexico, has deeply influenced her work. Before moving to LA, she worked as a camera assistant and camera operator for ten years. Jessica's work has been screened at various international film festivals and art galleries. She is deeply inspired by the transformative power of empathy and authenticity in storytelling. Jessica is thrilled to participate in Fragments, the short film, as Jess [Burns'] script is incredibly impactful. Jessica has experienced the power of connecting with her younger self to transcend the present, and she wants to share this with the audience.