From Russia With Motive Web Series
Los Angeles, California | Series
Comedy, LGBTQ
Pack a bag and join sisters Natasha and Svetlana as they leave their poor village in Russia in order to find rich American husbands and live a life of luxury. Instead, they discover that much of what they thought they knew about the life in the US was wrong.
From Russia With Motive Web Series
Los Angeles, California | Series
Comedy, LGBTQ
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $8,775 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
22 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
Pack a bag and join sisters Natasha and Svetlana as they leave their poor village in Russia in order to find rich American husbands and live a life of luxury. Instead, they discover that much of what they thought they knew about the life in the US was wrong.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
I was born in Latvia, which is a former part of the Soviet Union, and I moved to Los Angeles three years ago after an extensive modeling career in London.
When I came here, I noticed how many silly misconceptions Americans and Western people in general have about Russians and especially Russian women. Granted, a lot of us came here after getting married to US citizens and we are known to be beautiful and having an appreciation for the finer things in life but by no means we’re uneducated, poor and desperate gold diggers like many people think.
Also, we have many misconceptions about Americans. That’s why I decided to create this show- to look at some of the situations I and most of you have experienced. We Russians are tough and outspoken but we also have the ability to laugh about ourselves. I address this to the Russian speaking community not only in LA, but Nationwide . - all those people who came here with a Dream and had to learn about the cultural differences.
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"From Russia with Love" should really be called, "From Russia with Motive" as it is a parody of reality shows such as "90 Day Fiance" and "Mail Order Bride," "Breaking Amish," and "Married at First Sight."
The series is like a handbook for an immigrant's first year in America. Our community is huge and growing stronger and I believe we should support each other. By supporting FRWL,you not only support Russian community, but also all immigrant communities as well as independent female filmmakers.
Meet the rich (Well want to be rich) and unforgettable characters "From Russia With Love."
Natasha is a former model from her village who has dreams of meeting a rich husband in order to obtain a green card and pursue her modeling career in the U.S. She is driven to pursue this dream, even dragging her sister Svetlana along for the adventure. She is blunt and to the point. She does not want BS., she wants dollar bills. And a Ferrari.
Svetlana is Natasha's younger sister and not as eager to travel to the US to find husbands, but she is fiercely loyal to Natasha she will follow her anywhere even to Los Angeles, which she has heard nothing good. Svetlana is friendly (sometimes a little too friendly) and does enjoy her weed. She is not so concerned with finding a rich husband, but actually love. She does hope to return to Russia one day and take her sister back home from all of this madness.
Not too much is known about Tatyana, except that she has been in the United States a little longer than the sisters (or has she?) and claims to know the ropes of how to land a rich husband. Or does she? When the sisters team up with her it's sure to be awkward, gruesome, but very, very funny.
The look and feel of "From Russia With Love" is inspired by reality series such as "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" and "Vanderpump Rules." The fashion will be sexy. The cinematography while having a "documentary" look to it will also be colorful and bold.
Our story is told from Natasha, Svetlana and Tatyana's point of view. So, we will have a hand-held feel when they are in their situations and then have a little bit more of a rich, plush feel when they are in the diary room giving their reactions.
We have already filmed two episodes and are hoping to raise $8750 to finish shooting six more episodes to bring our total to eight. This project began as a labor of love for myself and Jessie Nolé, but now as we move into serious production mode, we want to be able to pay all of the wonderful and talented people involved what we can.
Once we are done, we plan to submit to film festivals in the web series category as well as seek distribution as "From Russia With Love" is a proof-of-concept for an entire series.
While our goal is $8,750, more would help tremendously in making the best possible series.
If we raise $10,000, we'll be able to have contingency funds in place should anything go wrong, as well as cover our post-production costs such as color grading and graphics.
If we raise $12,500, we'll be able to cover our festival and marketing costs for completing and getting the web series into the world and in front of a wider audience.
Please join us and help us bring Natasha, Svetlana and Tatyana into homes! Very rich homes.
blagodaryu vas
(That's Thank you!)
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Director of Photography Fee
Costs $2,500
We need to pay our great DP David Navarro for his camera work and equipment.
Hair, Makeup and wardrobe
Costs $750
In order to portray Natasha, Svetlana and Tatyana correctly, they must always look glamorous.
Sound
Costs $1,500
What sets great web content apart from each other comes down to the sound. We need great sound!
Talent Fees
Costs $1,000
We have an amazing cast and we want to pay them according to SAG low budget rates for their talent.
Catering
Costs $600
We know how hard our cast and crew works and we want to feed them well.
Crew
Costs $500
We have a small crew but we would still like to offer them something for their hard work.
Location & Permits
Costs $1,500
We have a very special first episode to kick off FRWL and need to rent a airline set.
Graphic Artist
Costs $400
We have a kick ass poster coming your way and can't wait to post it everywhere.
Share this update!
About This Team
This is not so much a team, but a family who has bonded over a mission to bring a powerful message to audiences. Meet some of the incredible people in front and behind the camera who have chosen to embark on this journey.
Charlotte Roi, Creator, Producer, Writer, Actress
Charlotte Roi was born in Latvia, a part of the former Soviet Union and moved to Los Angeles 3 years ago after an extensive modeling career in London. Charlotte is now an actress, writer, producer and model known for "Daddy" and "And Then There Were None" (2017). She most recently received accolades for her role of Rita Malone in the play, "Psychic" (2018).
Colin Costello, Director
A current WGA(e) guild member, Colin has two family features under his belt – “The Stream” (2013) and “Alternate Universe: A Rescue Mission” (2017). He has also written two episodes two episodes for 2015 PBSKids Emmy-nominated series, “Moochie Kalala Detectives Club.” Last year, Colin had his first book published, "Supermodels!" He is also the writer/director of the award-winning short film , "The After Party" in which he raised funds on Seed&Spark for and is also the writer/director of the award-winning short film, "Dreamwisher."
When he is not working out, going to movies or cursing his beloved Philadelphia teams, Colin spends much of his time between Los Angeles and Chicago.
Jessie Nolé, Creator, Actor
Jessie Nolé is an actor/ model, known for his roles in "Crossing Fingers" (2017), "And Then There Were None" (2017), and "Terry" (2018). Born and raised in California, Jessie grew up performing musical theater and started to explore film in 2012. His modeling background helped him land parts in music videos and small features, but it wasn’t until performing as the role of Micha, that he truly solidified himself as as an actor. Jessie is currently working on short stories with various directors and the on going web series "From Russia With Love: Natasha & Svetlana," the story of two sisters taking a chance and coming to California to find their American Dream.
Julia Kostenevich, Actor
Julia was born in Moscow, Russia to a family of Russian, Jewish, Armenian and Polish descent.
After receiving her BFA, she moved to Los Angeles to study Method acting in The Lee Strasberg Institute and Meisner Technique with Janet Alhanti.
Her journey in the theatre continued with the role of Marlene Dietrich in MACHA Theatre. She also appeared on the screen in various productions. Among them was Shazam And The Lost Path, featuring amazing talents form the Cirque due Soleil and Face, which was the Horror selection at the San Francisco International Film Festival. Her latest role was in Jack's Jacuze, a web series produced by the Monkey Sheriff Company. She is currently an executive producer for an upcoming psychological horror film Christmas Eve by Sean Patrick Cannon.
David Navarro, DP, Editor
David Navarro is a professional Gaffer, Lighting Director and Filmmaker.
For the past twenty years, he has owned and operated “Dream Lighting,” a provider of grip, lighting, rigging and electric equipment to productions large and small. Building a lengthy and solid resume of music videos, commercials, pilots and feature films, he has worked with such notables as Anthony Hopkins, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Ileana Douglas, Jason Biggs, Justine Bateman, Jaime Foxx, Mel Gibson, Jan Lynch and Lauren Holly. He also has lit musical artists such as Miley Cyrus, Adele, Leona Lewis, Will.i.am and, of course, Dave Navarro.
With the many years of on-set experience, he continues to strive to maintain the independent and strong filmmaking spirit which is what this industry is about. Over the years, he has had the opportunity to study under the guidance of several award-winning Cinematographers which helped him in becoming the highly skilled and efficient filmmaking expert.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
I was born in Latvia, which is a former part of the Soviet Union, and I moved to Los Angeles three years ago after an extensive modeling career in London.
When I came here, I noticed how many silly misconceptions Americans and Western people in general have about Russians and especially Russian women. Granted, a lot of us came here after getting married to US citizens and we are known to be beautiful and having an appreciation for the finer things in life but by no means we’re uneducated, poor and desperate gold diggers like many people think.
Also, we have many misconceptions about Americans. That’s why I decided to create this show- to look at some of the situations I and most of you have experienced. We Russians are tough and outspoken but we also have the ability to laugh about ourselves. I address this to the Russian speaking community not only in LA, but Nationwide . - all those people who came here with a Dream and had to learn about the cultural differences.
"From Russia with Love" should really be called, "From Russia with Motive" as it is a parody of reality shows such as "90 Day Fiance" and "Mail Order Bride," "Breaking Amish," and "Married at First Sight."
The series is like a handbook for an immigrant's first year in America. Our community is huge and growing stronger and I believe we should support each other. By supporting FRWL,you not only support Russian community, but also all immigrant communities as well as independent female filmmakers.
Meet the rich (Well want to be rich) and unforgettable characters "From Russia With Love."
Natasha is a former model from her village who has dreams of meeting a rich husband in order to obtain a green card and pursue her modeling career in the U.S. She is driven to pursue this dream, even dragging her sister Svetlana along for the adventure. She is blunt and to the point. She does not want BS., she wants dollar bills. And a Ferrari.
Svetlana is Natasha's younger sister and not as eager to travel to the US to find husbands, but she is fiercely loyal to Natasha she will follow her anywhere even to Los Angeles, which she has heard nothing good. Svetlana is friendly (sometimes a little too friendly) and does enjoy her weed. She is not so concerned with finding a rich husband, but actually love. She does hope to return to Russia one day and take her sister back home from all of this madness.
Not too much is known about Tatyana, except that she has been in the United States a little longer than the sisters (or has she?) and claims to know the ropes of how to land a rich husband. Or does she? When the sisters team up with her it's sure to be awkward, gruesome, but very, very funny.
The look and feel of "From Russia With Love" is inspired by reality series such as "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" and "Vanderpump Rules." The fashion will be sexy. The cinematography while having a "documentary" look to it will also be colorful and bold.
Our story is told from Natasha, Svetlana and Tatyana's point of view. So, we will have a hand-held feel when they are in their situations and then have a little bit more of a rich, plush feel when they are in the diary room giving their reactions.
We have already filmed two episodes and are hoping to raise $8750 to finish shooting six more episodes to bring our total to eight. This project began as a labor of love for myself and Jessie Nolé, but now as we move into serious production mode, we want to be able to pay all of the wonderful and talented people involved what we can.
Once we are done, we plan to submit to film festivals in the web series category as well as seek distribution as "From Russia With Love" is a proof-of-concept for an entire series.
While our goal is $8,750, more would help tremendously in making the best possible series.
If we raise $10,000, we'll be able to have contingency funds in place should anything go wrong, as well as cover our post-production costs such as color grading and graphics.
If we raise $12,500, we'll be able to cover our festival and marketing costs for completing and getting the web series into the world and in front of a wider audience.
Please join us and help us bring Natasha, Svetlana and Tatyana into homes! Very rich homes.
blagodaryu vas
(That's Thank you!)
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Director of Photography Fee
Costs $2,500
We need to pay our great DP David Navarro for his camera work and equipment.
Hair, Makeup and wardrobe
Costs $750
In order to portray Natasha, Svetlana and Tatyana correctly, they must always look glamorous.
Sound
Costs $1,500
What sets great web content apart from each other comes down to the sound. We need great sound!
Talent Fees
Costs $1,000
We have an amazing cast and we want to pay them according to SAG low budget rates for their talent.
Catering
Costs $600
We know how hard our cast and crew works and we want to feed them well.
Crew
Costs $500
We have a small crew but we would still like to offer them something for their hard work.
Location & Permits
Costs $1,500
We have a very special first episode to kick off FRWL and need to rent a airline set.
Graphic Artist
Costs $400
We have a kick ass poster coming your way and can't wait to post it everywhere.
Share this update!
About This Team
This is not so much a team, but a family who has bonded over a mission to bring a powerful message to audiences. Meet some of the incredible people in front and behind the camera who have chosen to embark on this journey.
Charlotte Roi, Creator, Producer, Writer, Actress
Charlotte Roi was born in Latvia, a part of the former Soviet Union and moved to Los Angeles 3 years ago after an extensive modeling career in London. Charlotte is now an actress, writer, producer and model known for "Daddy" and "And Then There Were None" (2017). She most recently received accolades for her role of Rita Malone in the play, "Psychic" (2018).
Colin Costello, Director
A current WGA(e) guild member, Colin has two family features under his belt – “The Stream” (2013) and “Alternate Universe: A Rescue Mission” (2017). He has also written two episodes two episodes for 2015 PBSKids Emmy-nominated series, “Moochie Kalala Detectives Club.” Last year, Colin had his first book published, "Supermodels!" He is also the writer/director of the award-winning short film , "The After Party" in which he raised funds on Seed&Spark for and is also the writer/director of the award-winning short film, "Dreamwisher."
When he is not working out, going to movies or cursing his beloved Philadelphia teams, Colin spends much of his time between Los Angeles and Chicago.
Jessie Nolé, Creator, Actor
Jessie Nolé is an actor/ model, known for his roles in "Crossing Fingers" (2017), "And Then There Were None" (2017), and "Terry" (2018). Born and raised in California, Jessie grew up performing musical theater and started to explore film in 2012. His modeling background helped him land parts in music videos and small features, but it wasn’t until performing as the role of Micha, that he truly solidified himself as as an actor. Jessie is currently working on short stories with various directors and the on going web series "From Russia With Love: Natasha & Svetlana," the story of two sisters taking a chance and coming to California to find their American Dream.
Julia Kostenevich, Actor
Julia was born in Moscow, Russia to a family of Russian, Jewish, Armenian and Polish descent.
After receiving her BFA, she moved to Los Angeles to study Method acting in The Lee Strasberg Institute and Meisner Technique with Janet Alhanti.
Her journey in the theatre continued with the role of Marlene Dietrich in MACHA Theatre. She also appeared on the screen in various productions. Among them was Shazam And The Lost Path, featuring amazing talents form the Cirque due Soleil and Face, which was the Horror selection at the San Francisco International Film Festival. Her latest role was in Jack's Jacuze, a web series produced by the Monkey Sheriff Company. She is currently an executive producer for an upcoming psychological horror film Christmas Eve by Sean Patrick Cannon.
David Navarro, DP, Editor
David Navarro is a professional Gaffer, Lighting Director and Filmmaker.
For the past twenty years, he has owned and operated “Dream Lighting,” a provider of grip, lighting, rigging and electric equipment to productions large and small. Building a lengthy and solid resume of music videos, commercials, pilots and feature films, he has worked with such notables as Anthony Hopkins, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Ileana Douglas, Jason Biggs, Justine Bateman, Jaime Foxx, Mel Gibson, Jan Lynch and Lauren Holly. He also has lit musical artists such as Miley Cyrus, Adele, Leona Lewis, Will.i.am and, of course, Dave Navarro.
With the many years of on-set experience, he continues to strive to maintain the independent and strong filmmaking spirit which is what this industry is about. Over the years, he has had the opportunity to study under the guidance of several award-winning Cinematographers which helped him in becoming the highly skilled and efficient filmmaking expert.