Magpie
Cary, North Carolina | Film Feature
Comedy, Drama
What happens when someone holds up a mirror revealing you're not who you think you are? A big, awkward, hilarious existential crisis. Meet Maggie, a successful PR exec in New York who has it all, until a chance encounter with her childhood best friend has her doubting who she's become, and why.
Magpie
Cary, North Carolina | Film Feature
Comedy, Drama
2 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $16,250 for pre-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
117 supporters | followers
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What happens when someone holds up a mirror revealing you're not who you think you are? A big, awkward, hilarious existential crisis. Meet Maggie, a successful PR exec in New York who has it all, until a chance encounter with her childhood best friend has her doubting who she's become, and why.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Magpie is a comedic feature film
about getting absolutely, awkwardly, hilariously lost...
in order to discover your true north.
Why this campaign is critical. We're in pre-production which means we're in the process of securing a producer, crew, cast, a casting director, locations....you get the picture. Lots to be done between now and actually shooting the film.
Click here to learn more about the artists already on board!
Successfully raising capital here on Seed and Spark proves to investors and producers that there's a public desire for this particular film to be made.
What you will NOT find in Magpie...
- Violence - Hate - Guns -"isms" (racism, sexism, ageism, etc. )
- Zombies (sorry, zombies, no hard feelings)
What you WILL find in Magpie...
- A lead who is an introvert and an HSP... who is also brave, awkward, hopeful, smart, and funny.
- Quirky, lovable, diverse characters
- Hope
- A LOT of laughter
- A look at sensory overload and finding peace in a loud, frenetic world.
- A search for an open-hearted, open-minded life.
- The wisdom of Iroquois herbal medicine and practices.
- THE STORY -
How it all begins...
Maggie Morris is a successful, 40-year-old executive at The Bridge Group, a high-end PR firm in Brooklyn. She loves her life. She worked hard for it.
One evening, Maggie is out with her best friend, Mitchell, when she bumps into her childhood best friend, Brynne, who she hasn't seen in 27 years. They begin chatting, making up for lost time ... but Brynne finds Maggie unrecognizable in every way so she tells Maggie what she thinks of the new version of Maggie Morris. It does not go well.
It's that moment when you catch a glimpse of yourself through someone else's eyes and you don't like what you see. Instead of the "you" you think you are...you suddenly see some strange, awful "grown-up" person who you don't remember becoming.
So...
To prove her old friend wrong she launches herself headlong into a rash social experiment: a sudden and drastic change in how she communicates with people.
"This should be a piece of pie!", she thinks. (she never really liked cake).
But, you guessed it. There's NO pie for Maggie.
The dominos begin to topple....
Her experiment wreaks havoc in her professional and personal life, but, a strange thing begins to happen...the wonderful, wild imagination she had as a child returns and she starts to see and hear much more than she has in years.
Which is wonderful, and...
As you might imagine, her "experiments with non-traditional communication" unravel her once carefully constructed life in record time and she unexpectedly has no choice but to move back into her parents' house...in rural North Carolina.
But even after everything falls apart ...
And she's back in her childhood room sitting on her old twin bed, listening to old 10,000 Maniacs and Peter Gabriel CDs, she persists. She's compelled. It's so fascinating. It's too wonderfully, absurdly awful. It is somehow leading her back to herself. Back to the truths she knew as a child and somehow forgot along the way to becomeing an adult.
Sometimes we’re compelled to make choices, and we don't know why.
The journey’s end knows why, but we don't.
We're not supposed to.
It's part of the deal.
The essence of Magpie is…
- The more we see human bravery and kindness, the more we bring it out in our own lives.
- The more we weave nature, reconnecting to it, and our responsibility to it into interesting, beautifully produced films, the more we're moved to engage with the natural world.
- A belief that we need to celebrate choosing a path where the pursuit of wealth, power and popularity are not the end game.
- Curiosity, uncertainty, and wonder are life-changing in the most extraordinary ways.
- There are beautiful truths we know as children that sometimes slip through our fingers as adults.
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What kinds of characters can you expect to see in Magpie?
Fun ones, my friends, fun ones...
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a VERY special thank you to...
SARAH NADEENE
With your incredible gifts and generosity of heart, this film found its voice.
I will be forever grateful to you.
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If you're interested in learning more about Magpie, becoming involved as a partner, production team member, or producer, please email: [email protected]
and, in closing a bit of whimsy, with a whole lot of truth in it....
Perception is everything.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
The How - Casting Director
Costs $2,000
A casting director connects us to uniquely gifted actors we might not otherwise have access to.
The Where - Places
Costs $2,300
Deposits to place a hold on our primary NYC based location (Maggie's loft)
The Who - Producer
Costs $4,500
Retainer for a producer to champion and facilitate the production of Magpie.
The Who - DP
Costs $4,000
Retainer to secure Cinematographer, Michael Lang for filming in Fall 2018.
Share this update!
About This Team
DIRECTOR-WRITER-PRODUCER, BRONWEN CARSON is an international award-winning director whose passions resides in the challenge of weaving stunning images, humor, and the extremes that exist within us all. Her most recent film projects include
Recent film projects include:
- "Bite Me" (Assoc. Producer)
- "Tunnels above ground" (Director-Screenwriter-Producer).
Projects currently in development: Interiors (feature film), El Parador (working title) an episodic comedy, and a feature film version of her play, "A Savage, Simple".
CINEMATOGRAPHER, MICHAEL LANG...
Michael prides himself on strong collaboration. His experience across genres helps define powerful visual choices and structure, supporting the directors he works with by elevating the process through his creative intensity.
Michael’s ability to reveal the subtleties of character through light, shadow, colour, and the juxtaposition of characters with the frame has garnered him awards and official selections at a long list of Festivals including Sundance Film Festival, Omaha Film Festival, and Cinequest.
Narrative Cinematography Demo Reel 2016 from Michael Lang on Vimeo.
SOUND DESIGNER / COMPOSER - SAMMY ELMI
Listen to Sammy's incredibly creative compositions here: https://sammyelmi.bandcamp.com
ASSOCIATE MOVEMENT DESIGNER - Callie Hale
Callie studied at the world-renowned Joffrey Ballet and is a highly accomplished classical, contemporary and commercial dancer and actor based in New York.
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ASSOCIATE MOVEMENT DESIGNER - Justina Grayman
In addition to being a brilliant creator of movement onstage and in her own films, Justina also has a Ph.D. in Psychology & Social Intervention. She studied at Stanford, post grad at NYU.
Justina has been a company member of STREB and was a recipient fo eth STREB-Go! Emerging Artist grant to creat eher first dance film, Woman VS. (https://www.facebook.com/womanversus/)
Learn more about Justina here: https://www.instagram.com/justinagrayman.danceandfilm/
ASSOCIATE MOVEMENT DESIGNER - Grounded View (Laura Ravn, Siri Lindskrog)
Laura Jervidalo Ravn and Siri Lindskrog were both born and raised in Copenhagen, Denmark. They met in Copenhagen in 2013 where they connected through a common passion for floorwork, experimentation, and fusion of dance disciplines. They founded GROUNDED VIEW in 2014.
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See some of their work here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5d-H8EwhY4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXZBAYMuZ98
Grounded View's recent commisions and engagements:
- Insitu Site-Specific Dance Festival in Long Island City, August 2017
- Ladies of Hiphop Festival at Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, July 2015, 2016, 2017
-"Journey Into House" Dedicated to Marjory Smarth, CUNY Dance Initiative, November 2016
- Summerstage NYC, Bronx and Manhattan 2016
- The Boiler Room episode for GoPro at Analog Brooklyn, fall 2016
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Magpie is a comedic feature film
about getting absolutely, awkwardly, hilariously lost...
in order to discover your true north.
Why this campaign is critical. We're in pre-production which means we're in the process of securing a producer, crew, cast, a casting director, locations....you get the picture. Lots to be done between now and actually shooting the film.
Click here to learn more about the artists already on board!
Successfully raising capital here on Seed and Spark proves to investors and producers that there's a public desire for this particular film to be made.
What you will NOT find in Magpie...
- Violence - Hate - Guns -"isms" (racism, sexism, ageism, etc. )
- Zombies (sorry, zombies, no hard feelings)
What you WILL find in Magpie...
- A lead who is an introvert and an HSP... who is also brave, awkward, hopeful, smart, and funny.
- Quirky, lovable, diverse characters
- Hope
- A LOT of laughter
- A look at sensory overload and finding peace in a loud, frenetic world.
- A search for an open-hearted, open-minded life.
- The wisdom of Iroquois herbal medicine and practices.
- THE STORY -
How it all begins...
Maggie Morris is a successful, 40-year-old executive at The Bridge Group, a high-end PR firm in Brooklyn. She loves her life. She worked hard for it.
One evening, Maggie is out with her best friend, Mitchell, when she bumps into her childhood best friend, Brynne, who she hasn't seen in 27 years. They begin chatting, making up for lost time ... but Brynne finds Maggie unrecognizable in every way so she tells Maggie what she thinks of the new version of Maggie Morris. It does not go well.
It's that moment when you catch a glimpse of yourself through someone else's eyes and you don't like what you see. Instead of the "you" you think you are...you suddenly see some strange, awful "grown-up" person who you don't remember becoming.
So...
To prove her old friend wrong she launches herself headlong into a rash social experiment: a sudden and drastic change in how she communicates with people.
"This should be a piece of pie!", she thinks. (she never really liked cake).
But, you guessed it. There's NO pie for Maggie.
The dominos begin to topple....
Her experiment wreaks havoc in her professional and personal life, but, a strange thing begins to happen...the wonderful, wild imagination she had as a child returns and she starts to see and hear much more than she has in years.
Which is wonderful, and...
As you might imagine, her "experiments with non-traditional communication" unravel her once carefully constructed life in record time and she unexpectedly has no choice but to move back into her parents' house...in rural North Carolina.
But even after everything falls apart ...
And she's back in her childhood room sitting on her old twin bed, listening to old 10,000 Maniacs and Peter Gabriel CDs, she persists. She's compelled. It's so fascinating. It's too wonderfully, absurdly awful. It is somehow leading her back to herself. Back to the truths she knew as a child and somehow forgot along the way to becomeing an adult.
Sometimes we’re compelled to make choices, and we don't know why.
The journey’s end knows why, but we don't.
We're not supposed to.
It's part of the deal.
The essence of Magpie is…
- The more we see human bravery and kindness, the more we bring it out in our own lives.
- The more we weave nature, reconnecting to it, and our responsibility to it into interesting, beautifully produced films, the more we're moved to engage with the natural world.
- A belief that we need to celebrate choosing a path where the pursuit of wealth, power and popularity are not the end game.
- Curiosity, uncertainty, and wonder are life-changing in the most extraordinary ways.
- There are beautiful truths we know as children that sometimes slip through our fingers as adults.
What kinds of characters can you expect to see in Magpie?
Fun ones, my friends, fun ones...
a VERY special thank you to...
SARAH NADEENE
With your incredible gifts and generosity of heart, this film found its voice.
I will be forever grateful to you.
If you're interested in learning more about Magpie, becoming involved as a partner, production team member, or producer, please email: [email protected]
and, in closing a bit of whimsy, with a whole lot of truth in it....
Perception is everything.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
The How - Casting Director
Costs $2,000
A casting director connects us to uniquely gifted actors we might not otherwise have access to.
The Where - Places
Costs $2,300
Deposits to place a hold on our primary NYC based location (Maggie's loft)
The Who - Producer
Costs $4,500
Retainer for a producer to champion and facilitate the production of Magpie.
The Who - DP
Costs $4,000
Retainer to secure Cinematographer, Michael Lang for filming in Fall 2018.
Share this update!
About This Team
DIRECTOR-WRITER-PRODUCER, BRONWEN CARSON is an international award-winning director whose passions resides in the challenge of weaving stunning images, humor, and the extremes that exist within us all. Her most recent film projects include
Recent film projects include:
- "Bite Me" (Assoc. Producer)
- "Tunnels above ground" (Director-Screenwriter-Producer).
Projects currently in development: Interiors (feature film), El Parador (working title) an episodic comedy, and a feature film version of her play, "A Savage, Simple".
CINEMATOGRAPHER, MICHAEL LANG...
Michael prides himself on strong collaboration. His experience across genres helps define powerful visual choices and structure, supporting the directors he works with by elevating the process through his creative intensity.
Michael’s ability to reveal the subtleties of character through light, shadow, colour, and the juxtaposition of characters with the frame has garnered him awards and official selections at a long list of Festivals including Sundance Film Festival, Omaha Film Festival, and Cinequest.
Narrative Cinematography Demo Reel 2016 from Michael Lang on Vimeo.
SOUND DESIGNER / COMPOSER - SAMMY ELMI
Listen to Sammy's incredibly creative compositions here: https://sammyelmi.bandcamp.com
ASSOCIATE MOVEMENT DESIGNER - Callie Hale
Callie studied at the world-renowned Joffrey Ballet and is a highly accomplished classical, contemporary and commercial dancer and actor based in New York.
ASSOCIATE MOVEMENT DESIGNER - Justina Grayman
In addition to being a brilliant creator of movement onstage and in her own films, Justina also has a Ph.D. in Psychology & Social Intervention. She studied at Stanford, post grad at NYU.
Justina has been a company member of STREB and was a recipient fo eth STREB-Go! Emerging Artist grant to creat eher first dance film, Woman VS. (https://www.facebook.com/womanversus/)
Learn more about Justina here: https://www.instagram.com/justinagrayman.danceandfilm/
ASSOCIATE MOVEMENT DESIGNER - Grounded View (Laura Ravn, Siri Lindskrog)
Laura Jervidalo Ravn and Siri Lindskrog were both born and raised in Copenhagen, Denmark. They met in Copenhagen in 2013 where they connected through a common passion for floorwork, experimentation, and fusion of dance disciplines. They founded GROUNDED VIEW in 2014.
See some of their work here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5d-H8EwhY4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXZBAYMuZ98
Grounded View's recent commisions and engagements:
- Insitu Site-Specific Dance Festival in Long Island City, August 2017
- Ladies of Hiphop Festival at Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, July 2015, 2016, 2017
-"Journey Into House" Dedicated to Marjory Smarth, CUNY Dance Initiative, November 2016
- Summerstage NYC, Bronx and Manhattan 2016
- The Boiler Room episode for GoPro at Analog Brooklyn, fall 2016