GUTS!
New York City, New York | Film Short
Comedy, Horror
GUTS is a dark comedy about a young stage-hand at a New Jersey community theatre whose dreams stretch beyond the lighting booth and into the spotlight. But she will have to dig deep down and find the guts (literally and figuratively!) it takes to become a star...
GUTS!
New York City, New York | Film Short
Comedy, Horror
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $8,300 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
76 supporters | followers
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GUTS is a dark comedy about a young stage-hand at a New Jersey community theatre whose dreams stretch beyond the lighting booth and into the spotlight. But she will have to dig deep down and find the guts (literally and figuratively!) it takes to become a star...
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
"GUTS" is a dark comedy about a young stage tech whose dreams stretch beyond the lighting booth and onto the stage. She will get there by any means necessary...
Hi! It’s Buckels & Lacey. We’ve been writing and performing together for the better part of a decade and (you guessed it) this is NOT the first crowdfunding campaign we’ve done. (BRAG!)
Our industry is famously subjective. Do you have the *it* factor?! And who gets to decide that? If you find out, let us know so we can buy them a stiff cocktail *wink*. At its core, this is a story about pursuing your wildest dreams, even when the world slams the door in your face. In this case, that wild dream is performing community theater in New Jersey. Hey, everyone’s got their thing!
Lacey wrote a special short, “GUTS!” that follows our hero, Prudence (played by Lacey), on her path to becoming an artist.
Prudence is a stage-hand and lighting booth operator at a community theater in Ho-Ho-Kus, desperate to be one of the actors. Before dress rehearsal, she sees one of them (gasp!) sneeze. Prudence seizes the opportunity, using it as a chance to audition for the stage director, Rita (played by Shannon O'Neill). Maybe she can take the sick actor’s place during the show. Prudence takes her shot, only for Rita to break the harsh news to Prudence that she doesn’t have that special thing, in this case, a deep emotional well to draw from in her acting that would make her a star, something you can only get from a trauma-filled life lived. Maybe she should just keep the lights on for the special ones, Rita says. But Prudence refuses to accept that. She finds herself seeking out drastic measures to make her dreams happen. Will she succeed? Or will she forever be uninteresting?
Guess you’ll have to pay up to find out!
If you’ve ever been a storyteller, you’ve been told to pull from what you know, your life experience. And fortunately for both of us, we’ve had it pretty good. But like…do we find ourselves wishing maybe we hadn’t? Um, just kidding!
…But would that maybe make us more interesting? Actually, forget I said anything. I guess what we’re trying to say is, we get Prudence. And we actually think that you might too? Who hasn’t embellished a story at a bar for attention?? Just us? Seriously?
We find stories about the less appealing sides of people to be stories worth telling. Is that because we want to prove that everyone is just as annoying as us? Maybe. But you’ll never know for sure.
I guess, why not us? But since you’re reading for actual answers, I’ll tell you that we have been honing and building our voice together as writers, performers and filmmakers for almost ten years. As a team, Buckels and Lacey have been seen on Comedy Central together not once, but twice!
Famously, Lacey and I are BEST friends and typically my favorite thing to do with her is to go to the same restaurant we always go to and get what we always get while we talk about our hopes and dreams (personal AND professional). My second favorite thing to do with her is bring something we’re excited about to life.
Lacey is one of the most talented people I know and while she does currently have a gun to my head, I mean that when I say it. When she asked if I would direct “Guts!” I was thrilled. It’s all of my favorite things. It’s heartfelt, absurd, funny and a little fucked up.
I plan on elevating the world of this story by evoking timeless classics like that of “Oklahoma!” and “The Wizard of Oz.” I’ll lean into the heart and warmth of more modern films like that of “Theater Camp” and “Frances Ha” while playing with some of the stilted tension of “The Dark Knight.” I think this short is going to be insanely cool but yeah, I’m biased.
$8,000 is the goal for our project! Well, 15k is the actual goal but we thought we would start here and ideally far surpass it. Your contributions will help us pay for critical components of the film, including crew, gear, production design, editing, insurance and meals for the team.
Where are we financially in terms of reaching our goals? Incredible question, thank you for asking! We are very close. I promise. We just need a little push over the edge. A little bump, if you will! Post production famously costs money, and this film is going to look good. Color correction, sound mixing (did I mention we have an original song being composed and recorded?) it’s a whole THING and we would love (and SO APPRECIATE) you coming on this journey with us!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Meals & Crafty
Costs $1,500
Well fed people are happy people and we want to take good care of our hard working crew. Help us make sure we get fuel for our days!
Crew Labor
Costs $3,000
We'd LOVE to pay our crew their real day rate and not their "hey bestie, can you do us a favor" rate.
Camera & Gear
Costs $2,500
We're going all in on this short, which means we need the best gear for the job—50 iPhones!!! No but seriously the gear is important.
Post Production
Costs $1,000
Color, sound and music - oh my! Lots to do in post and this will help us bring this baby to life!
Share this update!
About This Team
Lacey Jeka, Writer & Actor
Lacey Jeka is a writer and performer in Brooklyn, NY. Her pilot, “GIMME DANGER” is set up at ABC Signature and she recently signed a First Look deal with Sony Pictures Television for comedy. As a performer, Lacey can be seen starring in the feature film, Rehab Cabin, appearing in the last season of “Search Party”, and in her many short films and stand up collaborations with her comedy partner, Buckels. Most recently, they were featured on “Ilana Glazer Presents: Tight Five” and “Comedy on Earth”, both on Comedy Central.
Kristen Buckels Cantrell, Director & Producer
Kristen is a director, writer, and producer based in Brooklyn, NY. Her debut short film “No Man’s Land” debuted at the Oscar Qualifying Palm Springs International ShortsFest in 2022 and was “Staff Favorite Short” at the Another Hole in the Head Film Festival in San Francisco. The short film highlights her interest in female characters who are dynamic: driven, power-hungry, ugly and redeemable all at once. Prior to directing, Buckels worked as a producer to comedians such as Nick Kroll & John Mulaney, Hasan Minhaj, and Mike Birbiglia. She then pivoted into scripted content working as the on-set creative producer on HBOMax’s SEARCH PARTY for seven years. Currently, Buckels is a fellow of the Sony Pictures Television Diverse Directors Program for the class of 2022, a semi finalist in the Warner Bros. Discovery Diverse Directors class of 2023, a finalist in the AFI DWW+ Program and just shadowed David Gordon Green on RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES for HBO. Having spent countless hours on set, Buckels intimately understands the language of set and how to most effectively get the creative that she needs all while fostering a collaborative and productive environment with cast and crew.
Stewart Cantrell, Director of Photography
Stewart Cantrell is a DP/operator based out of NY. For the better part of a decade Stew has been the A Cam/Steadicam Operator on countless prestigious and award winning films and television series. More recently; HBO’s Task, Lorene Scafaria’s Hustlers, Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, Amazon’s Swarm and David Gordon Green’s Halloween and Halloween Ends. Stew’s natural eye and innate ability for leadership has made the transition to Cinematography seamless and rewarding. Stew has shot four short films and was the 2nd Unit Director of Photography on David Gordon Green’s The Exorcist.
Justin Yates, Editor
Justin Yates is an LA based editor who came up under some of Hollywood’s biggest name, Award winning editors such as Joe Walker, Steven Rivkin, David Brenner, James Cameron, and Billy Goldenberg. He has spent the last decade-plus working as an Assistant Editor and VFX Editor on some of Hollywood’s largest scale motion pictures such as SAN ANDREAS, Shane Black’s THE NICE GUYS, Peter Berg’s DEEPWATER HORIZON, Kathryn Bigelow’s DETROIT and for many years, AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER. He most recently edited the indie feature-film GRQ by Steven Bernstein. His keen eye for timing, rhythm and performance as well as his extensive technical knowledge of film editing and VFX expertise make him an exceptionally versatile editor.
Claire Gilberston, Production Designer
Claire is a Production Designer based in New York. With a background in comedy and development, she fell in love with all things Art Department while working on commercial productions. Over the years she’s worked with a variety of brands, including LEGO, BMW, Huggies, and HomeGoods. She’s also worked on branded content for Vogue, Architectural Digest, GQ and Martha Stewart Living. Last year, she designed the set for an Ice Spice music video for MTV’s PUSH series. This year, she’s excited to be exploring narrative world building and working on some short films! She loves to collaborate on bringing a vision to life, and deeply enjoys being able to be very hands on while on-set - you can find her covered in paint splatters, bits of tape, and/or with pockets full of tools at any given time, and she lives for it!
Charlotte Gilbert, Producer
Charlotte Gilbert is a Brooklyn based producer (the cowboy hat is simply because she loves a good hat.) Her latest credits include Survival of the Thickest, The Life List, Partner Track, The Other Two, and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Her dog, King, will sit on command approximately 1/3 of the time, and we are very proud of that percentage!
Carly Louison, Producer
Based in Brooklyn and Providence, RI, Carly has spent the past decade of her career in the fashion world, producing and executive producing commercial and editorial projects with top-tier talent, both behind and in front of the camera. From Vogue covers to national campaigns, she loves bringing ideas to life, no matter the scale. Guts is Carly's sophomore film production and she is honored to be part of such a special project.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
"GUTS" is a dark comedy about a young stage tech whose dreams stretch beyond the lighting booth and onto the stage. She will get there by any means necessary...
Hi! It’s Buckels & Lacey. We’ve been writing and performing together for the better part of a decade and (you guessed it) this is NOT the first crowdfunding campaign we’ve done. (BRAG!)
Our industry is famously subjective. Do you have the *it* factor?! And who gets to decide that? If you find out, let us know so we can buy them a stiff cocktail *wink*. At its core, this is a story about pursuing your wildest dreams, even when the world slams the door in your face. In this case, that wild dream is performing community theater in New Jersey. Hey, everyone’s got their thing!
Lacey wrote a special short, “GUTS!” that follows our hero, Prudence (played by Lacey), on her path to becoming an artist.
Prudence is a stage-hand and lighting booth operator at a community theater in Ho-Ho-Kus, desperate to be one of the actors. Before dress rehearsal, she sees one of them (gasp!) sneeze. Prudence seizes the opportunity, using it as a chance to audition for the stage director, Rita (played by Shannon O'Neill). Maybe she can take the sick actor’s place during the show. Prudence takes her shot, only for Rita to break the harsh news to Prudence that she doesn’t have that special thing, in this case, a deep emotional well to draw from in her acting that would make her a star, something you can only get from a trauma-filled life lived. Maybe she should just keep the lights on for the special ones, Rita says. But Prudence refuses to accept that. She finds herself seeking out drastic measures to make her dreams happen. Will she succeed? Or will she forever be uninteresting?
Guess you’ll have to pay up to find out!
If you’ve ever been a storyteller, you’ve been told to pull from what you know, your life experience. And fortunately for both of us, we’ve had it pretty good. But like…do we find ourselves wishing maybe we hadn’t? Um, just kidding!
…But would that maybe make us more interesting? Actually, forget I said anything. I guess what we’re trying to say is, we get Prudence. And we actually think that you might too? Who hasn’t embellished a story at a bar for attention?? Just us? Seriously?
We find stories about the less appealing sides of people to be stories worth telling. Is that because we want to prove that everyone is just as annoying as us? Maybe. But you’ll never know for sure.
I guess, why not us? But since you’re reading for actual answers, I’ll tell you that we have been honing and building our voice together as writers, performers and filmmakers for almost ten years. As a team, Buckels and Lacey have been seen on Comedy Central together not once, but twice!
Famously, Lacey and I are BEST friends and typically my favorite thing to do with her is to go to the same restaurant we always go to and get what we always get while we talk about our hopes and dreams (personal AND professional). My second favorite thing to do with her is bring something we’re excited about to life.
Lacey is one of the most talented people I know and while she does currently have a gun to my head, I mean that when I say it. When she asked if I would direct “Guts!” I was thrilled. It’s all of my favorite things. It’s heartfelt, absurd, funny and a little fucked up.
I plan on elevating the world of this story by evoking timeless classics like that of “Oklahoma!” and “The Wizard of Oz.” I’ll lean into the heart and warmth of more modern films like that of “Theater Camp” and “Frances Ha” while playing with some of the stilted tension of “The Dark Knight.” I think this short is going to be insanely cool but yeah, I’m biased.
$8,000 is the goal for our project! Well, 15k is the actual goal but we thought we would start here and ideally far surpass it. Your contributions will help us pay for critical components of the film, including crew, gear, production design, editing, insurance and meals for the team.
Where are we financially in terms of reaching our goals? Incredible question, thank you for asking! We are very close. I promise. We just need a little push over the edge. A little bump, if you will! Post production famously costs money, and this film is going to look good. Color correction, sound mixing (did I mention we have an original song being composed and recorded?) it’s a whole THING and we would love (and SO APPRECIATE) you coming on this journey with us!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Meals & Crafty
Costs $1,500
Well fed people are happy people and we want to take good care of our hard working crew. Help us make sure we get fuel for our days!
Crew Labor
Costs $3,000
We'd LOVE to pay our crew their real day rate and not their "hey bestie, can you do us a favor" rate.
Camera & Gear
Costs $2,500
We're going all in on this short, which means we need the best gear for the job—50 iPhones!!! No but seriously the gear is important.
Post Production
Costs $1,000
Color, sound and music - oh my! Lots to do in post and this will help us bring this baby to life!
Share this update!
About This Team
Lacey Jeka, Writer & Actor
Lacey Jeka is a writer and performer in Brooklyn, NY. Her pilot, “GIMME DANGER” is set up at ABC Signature and she recently signed a First Look deal with Sony Pictures Television for comedy. As a performer, Lacey can be seen starring in the feature film, Rehab Cabin, appearing in the last season of “Search Party”, and in her many short films and stand up collaborations with her comedy partner, Buckels. Most recently, they were featured on “Ilana Glazer Presents: Tight Five” and “Comedy on Earth”, both on Comedy Central.
Kristen Buckels Cantrell, Director & Producer
Kristen is a director, writer, and producer based in Brooklyn, NY. Her debut short film “No Man’s Land” debuted at the Oscar Qualifying Palm Springs International ShortsFest in 2022 and was “Staff Favorite Short” at the Another Hole in the Head Film Festival in San Francisco. The short film highlights her interest in female characters who are dynamic: driven, power-hungry, ugly and redeemable all at once. Prior to directing, Buckels worked as a producer to comedians such as Nick Kroll & John Mulaney, Hasan Minhaj, and Mike Birbiglia. She then pivoted into scripted content working as the on-set creative producer on HBOMax’s SEARCH PARTY for seven years. Currently, Buckels is a fellow of the Sony Pictures Television Diverse Directors Program for the class of 2022, a semi finalist in the Warner Bros. Discovery Diverse Directors class of 2023, a finalist in the AFI DWW+ Program and just shadowed David Gordon Green on RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES for HBO. Having spent countless hours on set, Buckels intimately understands the language of set and how to most effectively get the creative that she needs all while fostering a collaborative and productive environment with cast and crew.
Stewart Cantrell, Director of Photography
Stewart Cantrell is a DP/operator based out of NY. For the better part of a decade Stew has been the A Cam/Steadicam Operator on countless prestigious and award winning films and television series. More recently; HBO’s Task, Lorene Scafaria’s Hustlers, Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, Amazon’s Swarm and David Gordon Green’s Halloween and Halloween Ends. Stew’s natural eye and innate ability for leadership has made the transition to Cinematography seamless and rewarding. Stew has shot four short films and was the 2nd Unit Director of Photography on David Gordon Green’s The Exorcist.
Justin Yates, Editor
Justin Yates is an LA based editor who came up under some of Hollywood’s biggest name, Award winning editors such as Joe Walker, Steven Rivkin, David Brenner, James Cameron, and Billy Goldenberg. He has spent the last decade-plus working as an Assistant Editor and VFX Editor on some of Hollywood’s largest scale motion pictures such as SAN ANDREAS, Shane Black’s THE NICE GUYS, Peter Berg’s DEEPWATER HORIZON, Kathryn Bigelow’s DETROIT and for many years, AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER. He most recently edited the indie feature-film GRQ by Steven Bernstein. His keen eye for timing, rhythm and performance as well as his extensive technical knowledge of film editing and VFX expertise make him an exceptionally versatile editor.
Claire Gilberston, Production Designer
Claire is a Production Designer based in New York. With a background in comedy and development, she fell in love with all things Art Department while working on commercial productions. Over the years she’s worked with a variety of brands, including LEGO, BMW, Huggies, and HomeGoods. She’s also worked on branded content for Vogue, Architectural Digest, GQ and Martha Stewart Living. Last year, she designed the set for an Ice Spice music video for MTV’s PUSH series. This year, she’s excited to be exploring narrative world building and working on some short films! She loves to collaborate on bringing a vision to life, and deeply enjoys being able to be very hands on while on-set - you can find her covered in paint splatters, bits of tape, and/or with pockets full of tools at any given time, and she lives for it!
Charlotte Gilbert, Producer
Charlotte Gilbert is a Brooklyn based producer (the cowboy hat is simply because she loves a good hat.) Her latest credits include Survival of the Thickest, The Life List, Partner Track, The Other Two, and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Her dog, King, will sit on command approximately 1/3 of the time, and we are very proud of that percentage!
Carly Louison, Producer
Based in Brooklyn and Providence, RI, Carly has spent the past decade of her career in the fashion world, producing and executive producing commercial and editorial projects with top-tier talent, both behind and in front of the camera. From Vogue covers to national campaigns, she loves bringing ideas to life, no matter the scale. Guts is Carly's sophomore film production and she is honored to be part of such a special project.