Starting college in 2020 was not the best idea.

I spent the first two years looking at my computer, hoping to hold any useful information as my glasses fogged due to masks. However, between zoom meetings and mountains of essays, I was running to set. For months I got on set with high hopes and vaccine-ready. I got to meet and learn from people that arrived in Los Angeles years before me.They were more than just colleagues, they became my friends.

Every single person I met helped love something new about filmmaking. Now that my degree is coming to an end, I have finally found the time to write a love letter to all the people that helped me grow while also having fun. The pandemic has started to die down and I have found enough diverse, talented and passionate people to put together a set. They all believed in my story and I hope you believe too.

Synopsis:

The film follows Ellie and Mia, a queer couple returning from a dinner that went horrible. As we follow Mia and Ellie into their home, we see a problem that Mia has been trying to avoid for months; Ellie sees everything like a video game. Assigning hearts and points to normal activities, Ellie sees the world through childish eyes that have now pushed Mia to a breaking point. Ellie now sees the final challenge, fighting to keep her relationship afloat.

With this film, I hope to provide a safe, accepting, and inclusive space to create the stories I wish I saw on-screen growing up. I started writing LOVE IS A GAME during the pandemic. I was trapped in a studio apartment, trying to start fresh in a new city while coming to terms with gender and sexuality.

This film was a way to transmit all my fears regarding love, both being in it and not being worthy enough to receive it. As the pandemic started to decline, I met a fantastic group of filmmakers who are now helping me create this film. My biggest goal with this production is to empower other queer filmmakers to stand against the status quo and tell more queer stories outside of the traditional coming to age. 

Ellie

late 20s, female

She is the leading character of the short film. Growing up, Ellie always used video games to escape the issues she found at home after coming out. She grew up with a lot of fear of not finding "the one." Her mother was one of the most judgemental people in her life, and sometimes she sees her in Mia. Regardless, the love she has for her is unconditional. She held onto the past of her childhood when she was happy, showing it in her imagination when she places 8-bit challenges and points to humanely actions. 

Mia

early 30s, female

Mia is Ellie's partner and has always supported Ellie's ideas and imagination. Ellie is a woman that grew up faster than she had to, but she truly loves Ellie's vision most of the time. However, Mia has reached a breaking point where Ellie gets on her nerves. Regardless, no matter how harsh and blunt she can be, Mia always has a soft spot for Ellie.

LOVE IS A GAME draws inspiration from Edgar Wright's "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," the "Heartstopper" Series by Alice Oseman, and Spike Jonze's "Her."

Love is a Game is a romantic drama that takes most of its inspiration from Magic Realism and Romantic Comedies. The characters fall in and out of love, and everything is seen through the colors surrounding them. Red, blue, black, and white are the main colors of the film.

Red is the color that surrounds Ellie and Mia the most. Coming from a space of love and hate, respectively, the color red becomes a middle ground for the couple to discuss their issues. Blue is for Ellie and her child-like mentality. Even when her relationship could be in danger, she is calm, especially because of her ignorance of the issue. Meanwhile, Mia sees the situation in black and white. For her, there are two clear endings to their relationship but no middle space where they would end up happy.

The film will follow the way in which Ellie sees the world, a neon-soaked dream world. The low contrast will contribute to the reality and intimacy the two characters have developed in their relationship. Thigh close-ups will bring the viewer closer to the emotional explosion coming from Ellie and Mia, while at the same time, showing the limited view the characters have in their relationship. 

Overall, we will portray raw and honest characters in their most vulnerable state, heartbreak. With LOVE IS A GAME we want to show the familiar feeling regardless of sexual orientation or experiences in life. We want to emphasize the tightness of Ellie's and Mia's relationship while at the same time showing the amount of despair they are feeling in these final moments.

Please check out "The Team" tab to learn more about our team!

LOVE IS A GAME is written directed and DP by me, Lu Mendoza. However, I could not do this without my co-director Pietro Barba!

We are still casting in Los Angeles for all roles! We welcome you to audition or recommend people.  

Our first goal is to collect 80% of our crowdfunding goal in order to keep our funds. However, the dream does not stop there. Getting 100% of our goal will help us get the project in the base that we want but reaching over our goal will help us create this project more effectively. 

With a stretched goal we will not only be able to create a safer and more professional production, we will also be able to reach more objectives in post production and distribution. From better help and more resources towards our VFX team, to helping us get that videogame look we want, to more opportunities for film festivals submissions etc. Reaching beyond our goal through your help opens a world of opportunity for us.

FOLLOW

You can follow our campaign and stay up-to-date on the latest news! It's 100% free. 

What do we get out of it? First, seed&Spark rewards us for building our audience.  The more followers we get, the more we unlock products, services, and festival fee waivers courtesy of Seed&Spark!

CONTRIBUTE AND PLEDGE

You can contribute to our film by making a pledge. You can choose an incentive or make a pledge to a specific wishlist item. You can select any pledge and incentive amount that fits you. No pledge is too small. Every dollar makes a difference in making our film possible!

SPREAD THE WORD

We will only reach our crowdfunding goal if we reach beyond our networks. So please share our campaign via your social media, email, word-of-mouth, or how ever you want! We can't do this without you!

Here are some examples.  Feel free to copy and paste!

Help filmmaker @lumendozae by supporting their thesis film LOVE IS A GAME about a queer couple struggling through their relationship. Join them on www.seedandspark.com/fund/love-is-game

I'm so excited to see the short film LOVE IS A GAME, by @lumendozae, be made this summer! Support them on www.seedandspark.com/fund/love-is-game