After suffering a great personal loss, a woman's grief turns to obsession as she desperately searches for clues to help her make sense of why forty-one children have mysteriously vanished in a National Forest.
After suffering a great personal loss, a woman's grief turns to obsession as she desperately searches for clues to help her make sense of why forty-one children have mysteriously vanished in a National Forest.
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Story
Mission Statement
Led by strong female voices, the "Hatched" team is passionate about telling stories about women by women. When you support "Hatched," you not only support a first time female filmmaker, but a female writer and a LGBTQ female lead character as well.About The Project
Hatched tells the story of KAY, a woman who has recently suffered a loss in her life. When her grief turns to obsession, she finds herself desperately chasing answers about why forty-one children have gone missing in a National Forest. Are these disappearances part of a conspiracy - or are they simply a symptom of nature's unpredictability?
A dramatic short film, Hatched explores grief, hope and the unpredictability of nature.
Our director Rachel Annette Helson has spent the past eight years working in multiple aspects of production on different commercials and branded content. She has done everything from operate the camera to edit of hours of footage to create sound design for hundreds of projects. All of this behind the scenes work has prepared her to produce and direct studio level narrative films on an independent budget. She not only has the desire and artistic vision for the film, but the technical knowledge and skillset to execute it.
When you support us you can be sure that every dollar is being spent wisely and intentionally.
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We are paying as much of the cast and crew as we can, and we have skinnied down the crew to make sure that we have only the people we need without sacrificing quality. The rest of our funding goes toward budgetary items like permits (for the National Forest,) locations, insurance, props, costumes and additional gear (all of which can be found in our WishList.)
We are shooting our film in beautiful Portland, Oregon at the Mt. Hood National Forest. Portland has a rich film community as well as significant infrastructure for productions because of their experience hosting Films and TV shows like Portlandia, Grimm and the Twilight series. While our three lead actors will come from Los Angeles, we are casting local Portland actors in the supporting roles and plan to utilize as many talented local cast and crew as possible.
STORYBOARD PANEL:
KAY encounters a young girl in the forest.
Our goal is to first take the film to festivals, and we are aiming to meet the November 28th deadline for the Tribeca Fesival in New York. After the festival run, we plan to make the short available for free online!
1. Follow our Seed & Spark campaign.
Following our campaign helps us become eligible for additional funds and resources from Seed & Spark.
2. Spread the word about HATCHED.
Tell you friends, family, colleagues and neighbors about our project. Share our social media posts and campaign page.
If you hit your goal, what happens to the money you make after that?
Any contributions beyond our goal will go toward our post-production budget and festival submissions. Specifically, we would use the funds for a professional audio mixer, a colorist, a composer and musicians to complete the film. Any additional funds after that would go toward film festivals, screenings, marketing, poster design etc.
What happens if you don't reach your goal?
Seed & Spark requires us to reach at least 80% of our goal for our project to be greenlit and for your contributions to be transferred to us. If we are unable to reach the 80% mark, your credit card will not be charged and the campaign incentives will not be delivered.How does the Wishlist work?
The Wishlist is Seed & Spark's way of breaking down our project's budget so you can see exactly where the money we raise will go. If you have equipment that you would like to lend us, or if you're a rental house or catering company that can offer us a discount, click the "Loan" button, describe what you have to offer, and we'll reach out to you ASAP.
When you join us, you will be investing in a team of passionate, talented professionals - as well as a first time female filmmaker.
So join us today, and let's make a film!
For questions or inquiries, please contact [email protected]
THANK YOU!
Thank you so much for checking out our campaign!
My journey to directing has been a long time coming. It began in elementary school when I dug my parents' video camera out of the hall closet and decided that it would be fun to make a talk show starring my friend Ashley and me. We filmed the "Ed and Bob Show," a talk show complete with commercials that we wrote and a lineup of "guests" that ranged from Billy Joel to Rosie O' Donnell. (There were a lot of costume changes.) Over time, our productions grew to include a yearly filming of "The Nutcracker," starring several of my school friends - as well as a highly choreographed production of "Grease" that we filmed in my backyard. If you listen back to our old tapes, you can hear me loudly directing my friends whenever I was off-camera.
My journey with "Hatched" began more recently. Earlier this year, in fact. Kimberlea Kressal, the writer of "Hatched," and I are both NYU graduates, and we met this winter when I was cast in "Other," an alumni showcase that Kim co-produced. We became fast friends, and when I told her of my lifelong dream to direct film, she graciously offered to write a short for me. A few weeks later, “Hatched” arrived in my inbox.
It is generosity like hers that helped me get to this point - from friends and family too numerous to name in such a short space.
Thank you all for supporting me and this campaign! I can't wait to share "Hatched" with you.
Incentives
$5
Social Media Shoutout!
We will @ you on social media with a whole lot of love and gratitude!
$10
A Personalized GIF (+ Eternal Gratitude!)
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$25
See It First + A Personalized Video Thank You!
See the film before everyone else - from the comfort of your own home! Plus, the director will send you a personalized thank you video!
(Film will be sent through a private online link.)
$50
A Special Thank You Credit on the Film + IMDB!
Hey film lovers! Ever watched a film and wanted to see your name in the credits? Now, you can! At this level, we will give you a "Special Thanks" credit on the film as well as on IMDB! You will also receive a social media shoutout, a customized GIF, a first look at the film and our gratitude.
$100
Signed Storyboard Panel
A downloadable storyboard panel from Hatched signed by the director + everything below!
$200
Custom Editing + Graphic
Rachel will edit one :30 video or create one custom graphic png/jpg graphic for you! (Some restrictions apply.) You will also receive a special thanks credit, a social media shoutout, a customized GIF, a first look of the film and our gratitude.
$250
20 Minute Consult with Director
A 20 minute video chat with Rachel. We can talk about the industry, prep for an upcoming audition that you have or just shoot the breeze. You also receive a special thanks credit, a social media shoutout, a customized GIF, a first look of the film, a personalized thank you video and our gratitude.
Claimed: 3 of 10
$500
Spend a Day on Set
Come spend a day on our set in Portland! Who knows? You might end up on camera!
*Travel and housing not included.* You also receive a special thanks credit, a social media shoutout, a customized GIF, a first look of the film, a personalized thank you video and our gratitude.
$750
A Longer Custom Edited Video
Rachel will edit together :60 -:90 of a video of your choice (some restrictions apply) and add basic graphics! You will also receive a special thanks credit as well as a social media shoutout, a customized GIF, a first look of the film, a personalized thank you video, a signed download of the illustrated storyboard panel and our gratitude.
$1,000
Associate Producer Credit
You also receive an associate producer credit on the film and on IMDB as well as a social media shoutout, a customized GIF, a first look of the film, a personalized thank you video, a signed download of the illustrated storyboard panel, a :60-:90 custom edit (some restrictions apply) and our gratitude.
$5,000
Executive Producer Credit
You will receive an EXECUTIVE PRODUCER credit on Hatched and IMDB. You will also receive a social media shoutout, a customized GIF, a first look of the film, a personalized thank you video, a signed download of the illustrated storyboard panel and our gratitude.
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Wishlist
Use the WishList to pledge cash and loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an incentive directly.
$5
Social Media Shoutout!
We will @ you on social media with a whole lot of love and gratitude!
$10
A Personalized GIF (+ Eternal Gratitude!)
$25
See It First + A Personalized Video Thank You!
See the film before everyone else - from the comfort of your own home! Plus, the director will send you a personalized thank you video!
(Film will be sent through a private online link.)
$50
A Special Thank You Credit on the Film + IMDB!
Hey film lovers! Ever watched a film and wanted to see your name in the credits? Now, you can! At this level, we will give you a "Special Thanks" credit on the film as well as on IMDB! You will also receive a social media shoutout, a customized GIF, a first look at the film and our gratitude.
$100
Signed Storyboard Panel
A downloadable storyboard panel from Hatched signed by the director + everything below!
$200
Custom Editing + Graphic
Rachel will edit one :30 video or create one custom graphic png/jpg graphic for you! (Some restrictions apply.) You will also receive a special thanks credit, a social media shoutout, a customized GIF, a first look of the film and our gratitude.
$250
20 Minute Consult with Director
A 20 minute video chat with Rachel. We can talk about the industry, prep for an upcoming audition that you have or just shoot the breeze. You also receive a special thanks credit, a social media shoutout, a customized GIF, a first look of the film, a personalized thank you video and our gratitude.
Claimed: 3 of 10
$500
Spend a Day on Set
Come spend a day on our set in Portland! Who knows? You might end up on camera!
*Travel and housing not included.* You also receive a special thanks credit, a social media shoutout, a customized GIF, a first look of the film, a personalized thank you video and our gratitude.
$750
A Longer Custom Edited Video
Rachel will edit together :60 -:90 of a video of your choice (some restrictions apply) and add basic graphics! You will also receive a special thanks credit as well as a social media shoutout, a customized GIF, a first look of the film, a personalized thank you video, a signed download of the illustrated storyboard panel and our gratitude.
$1,000
Associate Producer Credit
You also receive an associate producer credit on the film and on IMDB as well as a social media shoutout, a customized GIF, a first look of the film, a personalized thank you video, a signed download of the illustrated storyboard panel, a :60-:90 custom edit (some restrictions apply) and our gratitude.
$5,000
Executive Producer Credit
You will receive an EXECUTIVE PRODUCER credit on Hatched and IMDB. You will also receive a social media shoutout, a customized GIF, a first look of the film, a personalized thank you video, a signed download of the illustrated storyboard panel and our gratitude.
- Updates
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Current Team
About This Team
Melissa Ponzio can currently be seen recurring as ‘Donna Robbins’ on the hit NBC series, Chicago Fire. Her character caught the eye of ‘Chief Boden’ (Eamonn Walker), and audiences saw their relationship unfold culminating in their Firehouse 51 wedding, and the growth of their family with the birth of their son ‘Terrance’ in the back of the Squad 3 truck. Melissa is perhaps best known for her role as the hard-working and devoted single mother on the hit MTV series, Teen Wolf. After her character, ‘Melissa McCall,’ discovers that her son Scott (played by Tyler Posey) is in fact a werewolf, a new and exciting dynamic for their relationship developed as she helps Scott’s pack investigate various supernatural villains threatening their town and loved ones. As a nurse, Melissa uses her medical knowledge to take care of injured supernatural allies at Beacon Hills Memorial, which over the years became the location of many memorable and pivotal scenes. Teen Wolf’s sixth and final season aired in 2017.
Fans of the breakout AMC drama, The Walking Dead, will recognize Ponzio as original Woodbury resident ‘Karen,’ – the lone survivor of the Governor’s attack on his own army in the third season finale. During the fourth season of the show, ‘Karen’ who developed a loving bond with ‘Tyrese,’ (Chad Coleman) met her untimely, shocking and pivotal demise; a turn of events that reverberated through the remainder of the season. Other notable television appearances include recurring roles on Cinemax’s Banshee, and Lifetime’s Army Wives, as well as guest appearances on The Following, Touch, NCIS, Necessary Roughness, Franklin & Bash, Drop Dead Diva, CSI and the Vampire Diaries.
Melissa starred opposite Hilary Swank in the HBO original film, Mary and Martha, directed by Phillip Noyce. Based on a true story, the movie portrays a mother’s fight to eradicate malaria in the developing world. Other film credits include HBO’s historical drama Warm Springs, opposite Kenneth Branagh and Cynthia Nixon, and the Warner Brothers’ comedy, Life As We Know It, with Josh Duhamel and Katherine Heigl.
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Rachel began her professional career at age 19 when she served as a producer for [title of show] on Broadway. At age 20, she became the youngest producer in Broadway history to be nominated for a Tony Award for her work on Neil LaBute's reasons to be pretty. For the past eight years, she has owned and operated One Cute Dog Productions, a pre-to post-production company where she has produced,edited and directed over 150 advertisments for clients like Macys, Pepsi, Dun + Bradstreet, The Broadway League, Siemens, Sanford Fit4Schools, The National Fire Prevention Association and more. She is currently a lead editor for the Macy's Style Crew program.
She is the co-creator, executive producer, writer and original character designer for "Cape Kids," a new educational children's television show starring David Faustino, Keith Powell, Suzy Nakamura + Carolina Ravassa.
She and her work have been featured in the New York Times, Variety, Backstage, Rolling Stone amongst others. Rachel is repped by Robbie Kass and Roxanna Raanan at Kass Management. Hatched is her narrative film directorial debut.
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Kimberlea Kressal recently relocated to Los Angeles to pursue television writing, following a twenty year career in New York City as a playwright and theatre director. Kimberlea is best known as the book writer and librettist of the stage musical Lesbian Love Octagon which played to sold out houses and rave reviews off-off Broadway and is currently in development as a digital series. For ten years she was the Resident Director for the New York City based theatre company Wreckio Ensemble. As a theatre artist, she has been honored with residencies and grants from Chashama, Horse Trade Theatre Group, This Is Not A Shop, The Indie Theatre Fund, and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. In 2009 and 2013 she was named one of Go Magazine’s “100 Women We Love.”
After relocating to Los Angeles, Kimberlea received her first opportunity to write for television on the second season of Z :The Beginning of Everything. She is the Co-producer of OTHER: a showcase of under-heard voices, which focuses on diverse artists whose voices are underrepresented in the television industry. She recently wrote and directed her first short Until They Arrive (starring Yara Martinez). She is developing her political drama, Scorched Earth, with producer Gavin Polone. She is an arts education and LGBTQ activist who has built her career around elevating the stories of women and LGBTQ people.
Kimberlea is represented by Manage-Ment and CAA.
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An accomplished film and television actor, Josh Banks has appeared on television in Bloodline, Mr. Robot, Hostages, Blue Bloods, The Mysteries of Laura, Law & Order: SVU, The Following, Murder in Manhattan, The Family and As the World Turns. He has been seen on film in The Bourne Legacy, All Wifed Out and The Price. He will recur on the new CBS All Access series One Dollar this Fall playing Joel Smythe.
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Sean Conley is a freelance Director of Photography and colorist in Portland, Oregon. His work has been screened in the UK, South Korea and US. His focus is on narrative films, documentaries, and music videos. He has worked with Netflix, A24, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime, Keurig, AARP, Salvation Army, and Mercy Corps.
He teaches Advanced Camera Workshops on the Sony FS7, Canon C100 MKII, Music Video Production, Narrative Filmmaking and Color Grading on DaVinci Resolve at Open Signal Portland Community Media. He is also an OMPA member.
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Best known for her role as 'Aster' on the award-winning series, Anyone But Me (hulu), Nicole Pacent is an actress, writer, host, and LGBTQ activist. Screen credits include TNT's Murder in the First, the hit indie series Sorry, Ari, and the short films Pugg and A Lesson in Grace and Modern Cordiality, the latter of which garnered Nicole the Best Actress award at the Rattlestick West Film Festival. LA theater credits include Donald Margulies' Time Stands Still (directed by Joel Zwick), Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and All's Well That Ends Well (Theatricum Botanicum), Best Friend (Hollywood Fringe), and the staged reading of Susan Miller's play, Average American, alongside acclaimed actresses Liza Weil and Jenny O'Hara (The Blank Theatre). NYC theater credits include Revenge of the Space Pandas (Atlantic Theater Company), and Dark Rapture (Attic Theater Company). Nicole co-hosts the podcast Coming Out with Lauren and Nicole, which can be found on all streaming platforms.
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