Grandpa (Post-Production)
Atlanta, Georgia | Film Short
Horror, Thriller
Starring an actress with cerebral palsy (CP), GRANDPA is based on a true historic ghost story from the creator's family, and heavily inspired by her little sister (who also has CP). This coming-of-age horror story is about all the struggles you cannot see, and how every life is worth fighting for.
Grandpa (Post-Production)
Atlanta, Georgia | Film Short
Horror, Thriller
2 Campaigns | Georgia, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $4,888 for post-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
49 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
Starring an actress with cerebral palsy (CP), GRANDPA is based on a true historic ghost story from the creator's family, and heavily inspired by her little sister (who also has CP). This coming-of-age horror story is about all the struggles you cannot see, and how every life is worth fighting for.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
What happens when you combine a true (and horrifying) family legend and a little sister with cerebral palsy who sees a ghost above her bed?
You get GRANDPA.
But we need finishing funds to put the final touches on this film and make it truly shine.
I'm Jennifer Dunn, the writer of GRANDPA.
GRANDPA is very important to me because it's centered on a type of person who doesn't get to be a protagonist in many movies. Rhiannon is 13-year-old, non-verbal and quadriplegic. She uses a speech therapy board to speak and a wheelchair to move around.
And she's in very, very grave danger.
The part of Rhiannon is based on my little sister Amy who, like Rhiannon, has cerebral palsy. And, like Rhiannon, she swears up and down that she once saw the ghost of our ancestor in her bedroom. (However, as far as we know, he wasn't trying to kill her.)
Hey wait, didn't I donate to this before?
You may well have, and if you did, we sincerely thank you! So why are we back asking for more money?! GRANDPA was originally a student film through the Clayton State University Film and Digital Media Department. That meant we didn't have to pay for crew, post-production or equipment. When we originally raised funds, our biggest expenses were locations, insurance, food, sound design, marketing/publicity, and flying our perfect actress in from out of town.
Except... when we originally raised funds it was March 2020.
I bet you see where this is going. Due to safety concerns, we were unable to complete GRANDPA as a student film during early COVID, and instead graduated from our film program on the merits of another film, BABY SHOES. (Which, incidentally, won Best Student Film at the Southern Shorts Awards in 2021!)
But that meant that I now had to pay for crew, equipment and post production on top of all the things our generous donors helped us pay for before. Thankfully, I was able to economize. I was able to talk people into letting us use their locations for free, and trade on goodwill I'd built up to get discounts on cast, crew and food.
We were even able to attract an accomplished actress to play the character of MOM. I can't wait to tell you about her as soon as the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA come to a fair agreement!
With these changes, I spent every bit of the funds we'd raised and then some.
This round of fundraising will pay for post production and marketing. That means:
- Editing
- Color grading
- Sound design
- Music (via a Georgia-based composer)
- Film festival entry & other marketing
And we thank you so much for continuing to support us on this journey!
(By the way, if you have any questions about the budget and how I've stewarded your funds, just ask. I'm willing to share real talk about how much it costs not just in dollars but in blood, sweat and tears to make a quality short film.)
What's next? The Big Screen!
GRANDPA is a proof of concept for a feature film. There's a lot more to Rhiannon's story than her battle with her murderous ancestor, and our goal is to turn this film into a feature length project that you can see in movie theaters and stream online. But we can't get there without making an awesome short film.
To make this film right, and do Rhiannon's story justice, we need your donations, your social shares, and your moral support. Thank you so much!
Sincerely,
Jennifer, Brent, and Kendrick
(Oh, and Jenn's littler sister Amy, who wants to see that movie about her already!)
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Editing & Color Grading
Costs $2,000
Without editing, all we have is a collection of (sometimes VERY weird) clips!
Composing
Costs $500
We got a musically gifted friend to offer a discount, but artists deserve to be paid and we need your help to make that happen!
Marketing & Publicity
Costs $1,500
What's the point of a poignant movie if nobody sees it? Anything behind editing and music will go to PR and festival costs.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Grandpa is the product of a multi-talented team!
Jennifer Dunn (Writer/Director) is an award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker. Her short films "Why Doesn't She Leave?," "Baby Shoes," and "The Service" have all won best picture awards at various film festivals and her television pilots have won The Atlanta Film Festival and earned her spots in the Sundance Episodic Intensive, the Meryl Streep-funded Writers Lab and most recently Story Incubator, which aims to cure societal polarization through filmmaking.
Kendrick Varela (Director of Photography/Editor) is a bilingual (English and Spanish) content creator [Cinematographer. Camera Operator. Filmmaker. Director. Photographer. Editor] based in Southwest Atlanta, passionate about capturing stories with authenticity. Outside of film, he works as a freelance videographer and photographer, capturing meaningful events and celebrations with the lens. If you catch him without a camera, you might find him getting in a lift at the gym, re-watching some of his favorite films, or exploring a new trail (but let’s be honest, he most likely has a new lens with him to try out). Kendrick's camera work was nominated for an Emmy award in 2023!
Brent Lambert-Zaffino (Producer) is a Writer/Director from Atlanta, Georgia and Co-Founder of the Etowah Film Festival and Peaberry Film Festival. He recently completed his first feature, "Lost Cause." He works as a freelance videographer and editor and regularly produces comedy shorts.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
What happens when you combine a true (and horrifying) family legend and a little sister with cerebral palsy who sees a ghost above her bed?
You get GRANDPA.
But we need finishing funds to put the final touches on this film and make it truly shine.
I'm Jennifer Dunn, the writer of GRANDPA.
GRANDPA is very important to me because it's centered on a type of person who doesn't get to be a protagonist in many movies. Rhiannon is 13-year-old, non-verbal and quadriplegic. She uses a speech therapy board to speak and a wheelchair to move around.
And she's in very, very grave danger.
The part of Rhiannon is based on my little sister Amy who, like Rhiannon, has cerebral palsy. And, like Rhiannon, she swears up and down that she once saw the ghost of our ancestor in her bedroom. (However, as far as we know, he wasn't trying to kill her.)
Hey wait, didn't I donate to this before?
You may well have, and if you did, we sincerely thank you! So why are we back asking for more money?! GRANDPA was originally a student film through the Clayton State University Film and Digital Media Department. That meant we didn't have to pay for crew, post-production or equipment. When we originally raised funds, our biggest expenses were locations, insurance, food, sound design, marketing/publicity, and flying our perfect actress in from out of town.
Except... when we originally raised funds it was March 2020.
I bet you see where this is going. Due to safety concerns, we were unable to complete GRANDPA as a student film during early COVID, and instead graduated from our film program on the merits of another film, BABY SHOES. (Which, incidentally, won Best Student Film at the Southern Shorts Awards in 2021!)
But that meant that I now had to pay for crew, equipment and post production on top of all the things our generous donors helped us pay for before. Thankfully, I was able to economize. I was able to talk people into letting us use their locations for free, and trade on goodwill I'd built up to get discounts on cast, crew and food.
We were even able to attract an accomplished actress to play the character of MOM. I can't wait to tell you about her as soon as the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA come to a fair agreement!
With these changes, I spent every bit of the funds we'd raised and then some.
This round of fundraising will pay for post production and marketing. That means:
- Editing
- Color grading
- Sound design
- Music (via a Georgia-based composer)
- Film festival entry & other marketing
And we thank you so much for continuing to support us on this journey!
(By the way, if you have any questions about the budget and how I've stewarded your funds, just ask. I'm willing to share real talk about how much it costs not just in dollars but in blood, sweat and tears to make a quality short film.)
What's next? The Big Screen!
GRANDPA is a proof of concept for a feature film. There's a lot more to Rhiannon's story than her battle with her murderous ancestor, and our goal is to turn this film into a feature length project that you can see in movie theaters and stream online. But we can't get there without making an awesome short film.
To make this film right, and do Rhiannon's story justice, we need your donations, your social shares, and your moral support. Thank you so much!
Sincerely,
Jennifer, Brent, and Kendrick
(Oh, and Jenn's littler sister Amy, who wants to see that movie about her already!)
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Editing & Color Grading
Costs $2,000
Without editing, all we have is a collection of (sometimes VERY weird) clips!
Composing
Costs $500
We got a musically gifted friend to offer a discount, but artists deserve to be paid and we need your help to make that happen!
Marketing & Publicity
Costs $1,500
What's the point of a poignant movie if nobody sees it? Anything behind editing and music will go to PR and festival costs.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Grandpa is the product of a multi-talented team!
Jennifer Dunn (Writer/Director) is an award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker. Her short films "Why Doesn't She Leave?," "Baby Shoes," and "The Service" have all won best picture awards at various film festivals and her television pilots have won The Atlanta Film Festival and earned her spots in the Sundance Episodic Intensive, the Meryl Streep-funded Writers Lab and most recently Story Incubator, which aims to cure societal polarization through filmmaking.
Kendrick Varela (Director of Photography/Editor) is a bilingual (English and Spanish) content creator [Cinematographer. Camera Operator. Filmmaker. Director. Photographer. Editor] based in Southwest Atlanta, passionate about capturing stories with authenticity. Outside of film, he works as a freelance videographer and photographer, capturing meaningful events and celebrations with the lens. If you catch him without a camera, you might find him getting in a lift at the gym, re-watching some of his favorite films, or exploring a new trail (but let’s be honest, he most likely has a new lens with him to try out). Kendrick's camera work was nominated for an Emmy award in 2023!
Brent Lambert-Zaffino (Producer) is a Writer/Director from Atlanta, Georgia and Co-Founder of the Etowah Film Festival and Peaberry Film Festival. He recently completed his first feature, "Lost Cause." He works as a freelance videographer and editor and regularly produces comedy shorts.