Hollywood Boulevard: A Noir Detective Short Film - Sequel

Los Angeles, California | Film Short

Film-Noir, Comedy

Joey De La Cruz

1 Campaigns | California, United States

29 days :18 hrs :41 mins

Until Deadline

0 supporters | followers

Enter the amount you would like to pledge

$
%

$0

Goal: $7,000 for production

Social impact storytelling is a powerful tool for change. We plan to harness it by speaking out about an issue that represents a larger blight upon our society. One small act of rebellion can grow into an outright revolution. Please help us to act. Take a stand against gas-powered leaf blowers.

About The Project

  • The Story
  • Wishlist
  • Updates
  • The Team
  • Community

Mission Statement

HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD follows private detective Renard Ranta as he takes on a formidable foe and the toughest case of this life. Renard wakes up after being shot, only to be thrust right back into battle against big oil and...leaf blowers.

The Story

Noir lighting reveals a bare room. Private detective Renard Ranta lies still in bed, having survived a bullet wound to the back. He awakes to a desperate reality...he's still alive. Thrust back into the fray, he has to pick up where he left off and solve a case he never should have taken.

A femme fatal, intentions unknown, enters the room. Renard must confront her and thank her for saving his life before heading back out onto the streets to solve a most distressing reality. GAS-POWERED LEAF BLOWERS are proliferating at plague-like proportions. Facing down this all-pervading evil Renard must extract answers from difficult questions:

  • What malevolent forces are behind this full scale attack on our peace and quiet?
  • Is the gas powered leaf blower the crime -- or evidence of something far more sinister?
  • What if the loudest machine in the world is hiding a quiet truth?
  • What are we really blowing away?
  • Follow the noise...follow the gas...follow the money...where does it ultimately lead?

All this while being pursued by deafening noise, hunted by gas-powered leaf blowers in an epic chase sequence that will leave us on the edge of our seats. Will Renard live, or will the powers behind the scenes finish what they started?

THIS IS THE PREMISE OF OUR FILM — HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD

WE NEED YOUR HELP! YOU TOO can take a stand against this insidious force that wakes babies, destroy naps, ruins peaceful mornings, drowns out enjoyable music, creates toxic dust clouds of noxious fumes, scares the birds and blows away the bees. The leaf blower represents the existential insanity of modern convenience in opposition to the harmony and peace of nature. It's the eardrum-rattling DEATH GRIP BIG OIL has on our economic, social and environmental progress in the name of PROFIT, GREED, and POWER.

CITIZENS OF THE QUIET RESISTANCE! PROTECTORS OF PEACE AND SANITY!

FREEDOM FIGHTERS ONE AND ALL!

Welcome to our campaign for HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD, a short film, a manifesto written and directed by Joey De La Cruz co-founder of Shakaboom Film & TV, against one of the loudest symbols of modern chaos.

Donate, support and help us take a stand against LEAF BLOWERS….and big oil.


Social impact storytelling is a powerful tool for change. We plan to harness it by speaking out about an issue that represents a larger blight upon our society. One small act of rebellion can grow into an outright revolution. Please help us and fund this film so we can share this message and bring peace and clean air back to our streets.

How Your Donations Will Support the Production of This Film

Every contribution directly supports the production of HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD and helps us bring this independent satirical noir to life with the level of craftsmanship it deserves. Our goal is to raise $7,000, which will be invested entirely in the filmmaking process—from assembling a talented cast and crew, to creating a polished final film that can reach audiences through festivals and community screenings. As independent filmmakers, every dollar goes on screen, helping us tell this story with professionalism, creativity, and heart.

How Your Support Will Be Used

  • Cast — $400 (Professional actors and performer compensation)
  • Crew — $2500 (Director of Photography, Sound Mixer, Gaffer, Production Assistants, and other key crew members)
  • Camera, Lighting & Grip Equipment — $800 (Rental of professional cameras, lenses, lighting, and production equipment)
  • Production Design, Props & Wardrobe — $700 (Creating the distinctive noir aesthetic, set dressing, props, costumes, and practical effects)
  • Locations, Permits & Production Expenses — $900 (Location fees, permits where required, production insurance, transportation, and miscellaneous production costs)
  • Food & Craft Services — $200 (Meals and refreshments to keep our cast and crew fueled throughout production)
  • Post-Production — $1500 (Editing, sound design, color correction, and final finishing)

Total Campaign Goal: $7,000



In our previous film of this series, VENICE BOULEVARD, we spoke out about the environmental ills of single-use plastic waste. Now, with your support, we have the opportunity to once again speak out against forces that are hurting our environment and our sanity. VENICE BOULEVARD experienced great success, being selected into multiple film festivals.

Our creative team won Best Cinematography and Best Suspense Short at the Show Low Film Festival in White Mountains Arizona in 2023.

VENICE BOULEVARD was produced on a shoestring budget and is proof that we will not ONLY deliver on our promise to produce our upcoming short. With your help, we will be able to elevate and expand the production value, scope and impact of HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD.

HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD will once again pit our hero, private detective Renard Ranta, against the forces of society that seek to oppress human evolution and progress by suppressing clean technology and stunting our transformation into a clean, green economy. The fight for our future must be fought NOW.

We invite you to watch VENICE BOULEVARD (7min) NOW!



OUR CORE TEAM

Joey De La Cruz and Sophia Khan, husband and wife filmmaking team, are SHAKABOOM. Together they bring years of experience in storytelling. Joey will take up the mantle of playing stalwart detective RENARD RANTA once more, and Sophia will reprise her role as femme fatale ROSE in the upcoming film.

Our Director of Photography, Harris Khan, is a veteran of 90 Day Fiancé franchise. Shooting all over the world, he brings amazing visuals and compelling images to the screen. He was our director of photography on VENICE BOULEVARD and won BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY for his work at the Show Low Film Festival


Together we are excited to bring another chapter of Renard's journey to the screen. 

We are aiming to shoot this film WINTER 2026 with a final delivery and release by SPRING 2027. We have big plans in store for this film and will be submitting to many film festivals as well as launching a public awareness campaign, joining with other organizations across the United States that have been fighting against leaf blowers for a long time. 

We are humbled and honored by your support. If you have any questions, reach out! Also, please share this campaign with all your friends, family and community organizations who want to take the fight to the leaf blowers. We will no longer be on the receiving end of their noise, fumes, dust, extreme annoyance and outright hatred! The tide turns TODAY!

Resources to Review - Why this Fight Matters

Below you will find facts and links to other resources highlighting the negative impact of leaf blowers.

Read. Get motivated. Act. Donate to this film.

  • For a commercial leaf blower, one hour of operation emits smog-forming pollution comparable to driving a new light-duty passenger car about 1100 miles – about the distance from Los Angeles to Denver, over 15 hours of driving. (California Air Resources Board)
  • Gas-powered lawn equipment released approximately 21,800 tons of PM2.5 pollution in a single year—fine particles linked to lung disease, heart disease, dementia, and premature death. These particles are especially dangerous because they can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream. (Grist.org)
  • Leaf blowers don't just emit exhaust—they blast contaminants already on the ground back into the air. CARB's report specifically discusses particulate matter stirred up by leaf blowers, including dust, pollen, mold spores, animal waste, pesticides, and roadway contaminants. (California Air Resources Board)
  • Gas-powered leaf blowers routinely operate at noise levels associated with hearing damage. Experts cited by the University of Pennsylvania's Kleinman Center note that permanent hearing loss can occur after relatively short exposures at the highest operating levels. (Kleinman Center for Energy Policy)
  • Researchers at Harvard Medical School note that chronic noise exposure is associated with: cardiovascular disease, sleep disruption, stress, learning difficulties in children, cognitive impairment, anxiety and mental health impacts. These effects are increasingly recognized as public-health concerns. (Harvard Medical School)
  • One of the strongest environmental justice arguments is that the greatest exposure falls on low-wage landscaping workers who operate the machines daily. Worker advocacy organizations and public-health groups point out that these workers receive the highest exposure to exhaust, airborne dust, and damaging noise. (Pound Ridge Calm)
  • The movement is no longer fringe. According to reporting by the Associated Press, more than 100 American municipalities have adopted restrictions or bans on gas-powered leaf blowers due to concerns over noise, air pollution, and public health. (Associated Press)

Thank you for reading. Thank you for your support!

If you would like to connect with us further, we would love to hear from you!

Please send us a message, and let’s talk!

AI Use Disclosure: AI has been used only as a design tool to generate a limited number of promotional images for this campaign. The film itself will be written, performed, photographed, edited, and creatively produced by human artists and filmmakers without the use of AI-generated creative content.

Wishlist

Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.

Backpack Leaf Blower Rental

Costs $300

We will have three villains chasing our hero Renard through the streets. Each villain will be wearing a leaf blower.

Original Score

Costs $800

The saxophone is a core character conveying the feel and emotion of the film. Silvio scored our previous film, and it was worth every penny.

1930s Hollywood Studio Location

Costs $900

This is where we will film the interior shots of our film. The studio is on the second floor above none other than Hollywood Boulevard!

Editing & Color Correction

Costs $700

We will need professional editing and color correction for this piece for full impact and to capture the right look.

Director of Photography

Costs $1,200

Our rate for our DP for two days. It's essential to pay people well for their expertise.

Wardrobe, Hair & Makeup, Props & Crafty

Costs $800

We will need these elements to have a functioning set and to make the actors camera ready.

Insurance, PAs, Incidentals and Safety

Costs $1,000

We need a team to make this a reality. We also need to protect our team and create a safe environment to work in.

Camera and Lighting Package

Costs $800

We will need to rent a camera and lights for our shoot for two days.

Assistant Camera

Costs $500

Crew member to support our Director or Photography.

About This Team

Joey De La Cruz


Joey is the mind behind VENICE BOULEVARD & HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD and will portray the protagonist of this film Renard. Joey’s passion for acting began on the stage at Casey Middle School, in Boulder, Colorado, his hometown. He’ll never forget the joy, rush and wonder he experienced in front of a live audience, so blissfully present in the moment, lost in wondrous play. 

Joey plays Colonel Bradford in the video game Project Vesperi. His commercial credits include the California Central Blood Bank and PBS Kids. His theatrical credits include short films, Anyone Need Coffee? and Spot the Potted Plant. Joey produced and acted in the TV pilot What You Will, and his directorial debut short film Venice Boulevard won best suspense short at the Show Low Film Festival.

A seeker of divine presence and wisdom, Joey has discovered his purpose and passion in storytelling. In this art form, the impulse of intuitive creation bursts forth into the world, a gift from the unseen realms of the human spirit. This is a gift Joey wishes to share with the world.

Joey is a graduate of a K-12 bilingual Spanish education program and the University of Colorado Boulder with a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Italian. He is also the co-author of a very special book Paths to Pachamama, A Traveler’s Guide to Spirituality, written in honor of his mother, who passed away after a courageous battle with breast cancer in 2011. Chronicling a year-long soul searching adventure in South America, this book was published with the hope that his story could help inspire others to rediscover their inner light and as a message of hope in difficult times.


Sophia Khan


Sophia also stars in the video game PROJECT VESPERI, for which she performed motion capture and voiceover work. She recently received a "Best Acting Duo" award at the Dark Comedy Film Festival alongside Mike Jaworski for her role in DOLLYVILLE. Her acting training includes voice, movement, stage combat, rigorous scene study, and audition workshops. To round off her classical instruction, she auditioned for and completed a two-month intensive Acting Shakespeare program at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. 

 

Sophia’s scripts have ranked in the top 10% of the Academy Nicholl Fellowship and Slamdance Screenplay Competition; been Finalists at the Sundance Feature Film Lab; been shortlisted at First Flights Short Film Fund; been Semifinalists at Filmmatic Inroads Fellowship, WeScreenplay Diverse Voices, Screencraft Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Filmmatic Short Screenplay Awards, and Screencraft Short Screenplay Competition; earned top 10% and Red List on Coverfly;  been Quarterfinalists in the Shore Scripts TV Pilot Contest and Screencraft Film Fund; and Official Selections at the Nostos Screenwriting Retreat and Silicon Beach Film Festival.

Sophia holds degrees from Dartmouth in Classics and Theater and from Yale and Harvard in Comparative Religious Ethics and Human Rights. During her tour through academia, she published a cookbook and presented recipes on live TV and eHow.com.


Harris Khan


Harris has climbed a diverse, camera-focused ladder over his 11 years in production. In 2015 he graduated from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, having completed a feature-length documentary, then moved to Los Angeles to work as a focus puller across a wide range of productions. Operating jobs were peppered in throughout and that's where his heart actually lived, which eventually led him to operate and direct photography exclusively.


For the past five years he has DP'd a variety of projects, primarily he has worked on multiple seasons of nearly every show in the 90 Day Fiancé franchise, taking him across six continents. He thrives in fast-paced, unpredictable environments and adapts just as quickly to controlled, carefully planned ones. Nothing fulfills him more than delivering a meaningful vision to the viewer.



Current Team

Supporters

Followers

Incentives