Make Whole tells the story of the fragmented parts that live in all of us, attempting to meet and merge as one, and the societal issues that make it so difficult.

Our story starts when Max gets knocked off her feet (literally) during her very routine way home from work, prompting her to take a little detour to the Playpen. And once you're in the Playpen's grasp, it holds on for dear life...

Max feels awakened in the Playpen when she meets the mysterious and mercurial dancer Deirdre. The two are enamored by the ways in which they can feel so opposite from one another and yet, so familiar. Their romance begins to crack open both of their facades, but their love poses a destabilizing threat to the Playpen's omnipotent Keeper and the power he wields. As the Playpen’s secrets are uncovered, Deirdre isn’t sure she can find a way out…

the look

comps

how will we use the funds we raise?

While $22,500 seems like a lot, each penny goes toward making the film a reality.

• 50% - Cast & Crew: Our cast and crew make up the largest part of our campaign. We could not bring this project to life without them. Our team plans to compensate their hard work, creativity, and time fairly. They are as much the authors of this project as we are! 
• 18% - Equipment: To achieve our 70s-style grain and candy-colored lighting, we need to be able to rent the equipment that is capable of capturing the look. That also includes using gear that legitimizes the film by making it look professional (and have a higher chance of getting into prestigious festivals). We want to be the real deal.
• 15% - Production: Production costs encompass a little bit of everything – food, supplies, locations, insurance, and transportation. These funds tie up the loose ends and ensure our set runs smoothly. And the more money here, the better food we can get (the most important part).
• 11% - Art Design: Designing a purgatory-style strip club doesn’t come cheap. From disappearing glass booths to endless hallways straight from the Twilight Zone, making the spaces look like they come from the backdoors is a priority for us.
• 6% - Post & Other: While post-production is a more remote job, it is just as important and can oftentimes help correct mistakes made on set. Adequate materials for post and other additional costs, like contingency, are set aside toward the end of the project.

how is Make Whole making an impact?

Horror is at its most powerful when it is meaningful, and the most meaningful horror is that which reflects to us the most insidious and hidden societal ills through the power of allegory. Media is often used to reinforce and regulate patriarchal ideals & Make Whole seeks to change that. We are breaking these norms by subverting commonly used Horror tropes. “The Whore” trope is one of consistent punishment in Horror, for being the promiscuous and hyperfeminine social opposite of the virginal Final Girl. By exploring the psyche of this character, she reclaims her voice by breaking through the societal constraints placed on her. Audiences then are forced to confront what they have been conditioned to look down upon and reconsider why these characters are viewed in such a derogatory way.

Now who better to tell this story of gender exploration and queer love than a crew of women and non-binary filmmakers? Diversifying the industry and genre has been a shared goal of our team, where Aspen and Brooklyn have implemented this practice in their own sets. We are partnering with production company Onyx Films in our commitment to making sure 75% of our crew is women and queer folks. We want to use this film to create leadership opportunities for these groups in heads of department roles, which is both career-bolstering and better underscores our story's message. Additionally, Make Whole will be a eco-conscious set by hiring a sustainability coordinator to monitor how to reduce waste from sourcing second-hand props and costumes, sorting trash, donating leftover food, and much more. 

Make Whole is trying to implement a new style of filmmaking that seeks diversify and make changes on-and-behind-the-scenes. 

why us?

Make Whole was born out of the struggles women and people assigned female at birth deal with concerning mental illness, sexuality, and gender. Each having their own unique journeys with those topics, our team believes that our lived experiences not only make us passionate about needing to tell this story but also makes it more authentic. As queer people, we want to make a film that is imbued with the realities we face and horror has historically been a space for these subjects. Jamie & Aspen draw on their academic background in cinema studies, using technical and sociological concepts to rebel against, what theorist Robin Wood called, the "monogamous, heterosexual, bourgeois, patriarchal capitalist" stories that dominate mainstream cinema.

In Horror, the repressed returns to haunt the normality in forms of a monster, whether it be homophobic fears embodied in Norman Bates' cross-dressing or Michael Meyers punishing horny teens (the girls more brutally) in an act of misogyny. So, Horror naturally became a vehicle in which we could explore these lifelong complicated feelings we’re told to repress. Women and queer people have only recently in the last few years in the genre have been given platforms to explore their stories outwardly (not just through subtext) and from their perspective. We’ve seen this with the “good-for-her” genre taking a less exploitative approach from what the rape-revenge genre used to be for instance. So, who better to explore this than a group of horror historians and movie lovers ready to face their own monsters on-screen?

how else can I contribute?

Financial support isn’t the only way to aid us in making Make Whole a reality, like:

• Social Media: Sharing, posting, & sending people our campaign is key in spreading the word! It helps our story reach people we normally would not have and from your community’s trusted source (aka you). The more engagement and interaction we get, the more likely the algorithm will promote us which helps us reach even more people outside our network. It’s as easy as simply just pressing share and follow on our Instagram @makewholefilm.
• Attend Our Events: We don’t throw our parties and events just for a good time. We also do it to raise ~money~ to make our film a reality while also bringing together other artists we love with an audience! It also gives us a chance to connect with other horror lovers and filmmakers. We’d love to see you there ;)
• Donating Props: Believe it or not, even the dingiest of props can get extremely expensive and wasteful! We will be posting prop drive calls on our Instagram to receive unwanted items you might have. You get some spring cleaning done, we save money, and an item is kept from polluting another landfill. 
• You Tell Us: Have any special skills or connections you can utilize to help us reach our goal? We’ll take it! Contact us directly if you feel you can help whether near or far.

Using your resources to the best of your ability makes a huge difference. Thank you for reading about our campaign and we can’t wait to take you into the world of Make Whole…