Maternity Leave
New York City, New York | Film Feature
Drama, Thriller
After she's sequestered to a Catskill inn following a phantom pregnancy diagnosis only to start seeing a strange woman living out in the woods, Amelia is desperate to be believed. "Maternity Leave" is about belief and loss, created by a resourceful team of filmmakers spurred by your support.
Maternity Leave
New York City, New York | Film Feature
Drama, Thriller
3 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $19,480 for pre-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
80 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
After she's sequestered to a Catskill inn following a phantom pregnancy diagnosis only to start seeing a strange woman living out in the woods, Amelia is desperate to be believed. "Maternity Leave" is about belief and loss, created by a resourceful team of filmmakers spurred by your support.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Maternity Leave
March, 1984. Catskill Mountains.
The Story:
At seven months pregnant, Amelia Sedge has been informed she's actually not. It was a phantom pregnancy. Unable to accept or comprehend the diagnosis, her in-laws and only family decide to ship her up to a cousin's remote hotel in the Catskills for her to 'wade out' her symptoms and come to terms with reality. When she arrives, however, reality only gets more complicated as she begins seeing a mysterious woman living out in the woods that has an odd fixation on Amelia. That, combined with a traumatic childhood incident looming in the recesses of her mind, causes Amelia to question who she can trust...even herself.
The Main Characters:
Amelia
Deep wounds and loneliness may cloud her natural cleverness and good nature, but Amelia is nevertheless best defined by her heroism and deep loyalty. After a traumatic childhood incident, Amelia tried to play life safe to protect herself, but ends up endangering herself in the process.
Wendy
Inherited a broken hotel from her broken father but has worked hard to repair old damage done. Lacking in social skills, Wendy is nonetheless a kind, wise caretaker with major ‘big sister’ energy.
Robin
Wendy’s spry, spirited younger sister. Intuitive and selfless, Robin has a sense of humor developed by necessity after years of romantic heartbreak and working at the remote hotel with her hardened sister.
Josh
Amelia’s husband, not as dumb as people think, but that doesn’t mean he crosses over into smart. He’s not a bad man, but his weakness and naivete threatens to negate his inherent decency and true love for his wife.
The Woman in the Woods
Mostly harmless, mostly an odd, lost woman. Lives through her grief one day at a time, until she’s given newfound hope when she sees Amelia and realizes she can start over again.
The Why:
As Maternity Leave examines themes on belief, absence, and loneliness, we want to tell a story for women who have been made to feel crazy, told that their emotions are somehow incorrect, or whose pain have been outright ignored.
The Shoot:
Filming will take place in February 2024. Through the wild generosity of the Catskill Mountain Foundation, we've been granted the opportunity to house our entire cast and crew and shoot on location at the Sugar Maples Center for Creative Arts, an arts residency space near Hunter, NY. It'll be like summer camp except in the bitter cold so we can capture the serene, stark beauty of the mountains in wintertime.
On-site shooting locations
How We'll Use the Funds:
As we're about four months out from production, the funds will be put to use right away- securing insurance, cast, crew, and shooting a seasonal-dependent scene this Fall before the real work begins.
At $16,000 we'll be greenlit and can fund the basic needs of production.
At $20,000 we can pay our cast and invest in additional camera equipment.
Stretch Goal:
At $22,000 we can expand our costume/set design budget and launch into post-production faster.
Who We Are:
We're a team of indie filmmakers based in NYC, determined and able to shoot on a shoestring budget. Our latest project, a short film entitled "The Flip Side", was shot in a day for $5,000 using our company's office for free on the weekend. We're applying those same budgeting tactics onto Maternity Leave in order to make the best use of our supporters' contributions.
DP Brendan McGowan, actors Hyten Davidson and Ashley Bacon on the set of "The Flip Side"
And check out our soon-to-be littlest P.A (free labor...literally), currently in preproduction now! From screenwriters Hyten Davidson and Christian Missonak:
Supporting this campaign supports the entire Maternity Leave family, shot during our actual maternity leave! It takes a village, and we thank you for joining ours.
'Follow' the campaign to get updates on the film.
#maternityleavefilm
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Film Crew
Costs $10,000
This covers our entire production team, getting us the best cinematographer, AD, sound department, gaffer, and makeup/SFX artist.
Feed the Cast/Crew
Costs $2,100
Through cost-saving measures and many Costco trips, fulfilling this item will allow us to feed our entire team for the duration of the shoot
Camera Equipment
Costs $500
While we are able to get select equipment at a discount, this is the remaining cost for our camera equipment needs to make the film pop.
Travel
Costs $500
This item covers all travel associated with our cast, crew, and equipment to get everyone and everything safely to the shooting location.
Cast
Costs $3,000
This item pays for our talent, keeping actors employed and fairly paid!
Insurance + Admin Fees
Costs $600
This will cover additional production insurance fees.
Lodging
Costs $1,900
This cost is associated with housing our cast and crew for the duration of the shoot.
Pre-shoot!
Costs $1,000
This covers a full day of filming we'll need to shoot before principle photog begins to get special, specific shots needed for the story.
Picture Car
Costs $400
Donating to this wishlist item allows us to rent this gorgeous 1966 Cadillac Coupe DeVille convertible for a critical shot in the film.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Meet the Team:
Brandon Duncan is a film/theater storyteller living in Brooklyn, NY. He's drawn to stories about regular people navigating unusual given circumstances and discovering their place in the world. This manifests itself in both historical fiction as well as surreal futurism. FILM: Stay, In Time THEATER: What We’re Made Of, My Big Heart: On. IG: @B.Dunc88 www.BrandonKDuncan.com
Ashley Bacon (SAG, AEA) has appeared in Orange is the New Black, FBI, made films with award winning filmmakers including Alejandro Mejía, and premiered many a downtown play. She holds a degree in classical singing.
Hyten Davidson (SAG) is an actor, writer, and award-winning producer based in NYC. Her short film The West Virginian Starfish which she wrote, co-directed, and executive produced won the Best Short Film award at the Long Island Film Expo 2022, along with a host of other wins. Last year, The Wrap and Lifetime featured her as part of their Pitchfest Emerging Female Filmmakers Top Finalists. www.hytendavidson.com
Brendan McGowan is a Brooklyn-based Director and DP with extensive experience in award-winning music videos, narrative, corporate work, and documentaries. http://www.brendanmcgowan.com/
Christian Missonak is a NYC-based writer and playwright originally from Chicago, where he was a graduate of Columbia College and The Second City Conservatory. PAGE International Screenwriting Award Silver Prize Winner- T.V Pilot. wwww.christianmissonak.com
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Maternity Leave
March, 1984. Catskill Mountains.
The Story:
At seven months pregnant, Amelia Sedge has been informed she's actually not. It was a phantom pregnancy. Unable to accept or comprehend the diagnosis, her in-laws and only family decide to ship her up to a cousin's remote hotel in the Catskills for her to 'wade out' her symptoms and come to terms with reality. When she arrives, however, reality only gets more complicated as she begins seeing a mysterious woman living out in the woods that has an odd fixation on Amelia. That, combined with a traumatic childhood incident looming in the recesses of her mind, causes Amelia to question who she can trust...even herself.
The Main Characters:
Amelia
Deep wounds and loneliness may cloud her natural cleverness and good nature, but Amelia is nevertheless best defined by her heroism and deep loyalty. After a traumatic childhood incident, Amelia tried to play life safe to protect herself, but ends up endangering herself in the process.
Wendy
Inherited a broken hotel from her broken father but has worked hard to repair old damage done. Lacking in social skills, Wendy is nonetheless a kind, wise caretaker with major ‘big sister’ energy.
Robin
Wendy’s spry, spirited younger sister. Intuitive and selfless, Robin has a sense of humor developed by necessity after years of romantic heartbreak and working at the remote hotel with her hardened sister.
Josh
Amelia’s husband, not as dumb as people think, but that doesn’t mean he crosses over into smart. He’s not a bad man, but his weakness and naivete threatens to negate his inherent decency and true love for his wife.
The Woman in the Woods
Mostly harmless, mostly an odd, lost woman. Lives through her grief one day at a time, until she’s given newfound hope when she sees Amelia and realizes she can start over again.
The Why:
As Maternity Leave examines themes on belief, absence, and loneliness, we want to tell a story for women who have been made to feel crazy, told that their emotions are somehow incorrect, or whose pain have been outright ignored.
The Shoot:
Filming will take place in February 2024. Through the wild generosity of the Catskill Mountain Foundation, we've been granted the opportunity to house our entire cast and crew and shoot on location at the Sugar Maples Center for Creative Arts, an arts residency space near Hunter, NY. It'll be like summer camp except in the bitter cold so we can capture the serene, stark beauty of the mountains in wintertime.
On-site shooting locations
How We'll Use the Funds:
As we're about four months out from production, the funds will be put to use right away- securing insurance, cast, crew, and shooting a seasonal-dependent scene this Fall before the real work begins.
At $16,000 we'll be greenlit and can fund the basic needs of production.
At $20,000 we can pay our cast and invest in additional camera equipment.
Stretch Goal:
At $22,000 we can expand our costume/set design budget and launch into post-production faster.
Who We Are:
We're a team of indie filmmakers based in NYC, determined and able to shoot on a shoestring budget. Our latest project, a short film entitled "The Flip Side", was shot in a day for $5,000 using our company's office for free on the weekend. We're applying those same budgeting tactics onto Maternity Leave in order to make the best use of our supporters' contributions.
DP Brendan McGowan, actors Hyten Davidson and Ashley Bacon on the set of "The Flip Side"
And check out our soon-to-be littlest P.A (free labor...literally), currently in preproduction now! From screenwriters Hyten Davidson and Christian Missonak:
Supporting this campaign supports the entire Maternity Leave family, shot during our actual maternity leave! It takes a village, and we thank you for joining ours.
'Follow' the campaign to get updates on the film.
#maternityleavefilm
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Film Crew
Costs $10,000
This covers our entire production team, getting us the best cinematographer, AD, sound department, gaffer, and makeup/SFX artist.
Feed the Cast/Crew
Costs $2,100
Through cost-saving measures and many Costco trips, fulfilling this item will allow us to feed our entire team for the duration of the shoot
Camera Equipment
Costs $500
While we are able to get select equipment at a discount, this is the remaining cost for our camera equipment needs to make the film pop.
Travel
Costs $500
This item covers all travel associated with our cast, crew, and equipment to get everyone and everything safely to the shooting location.
Cast
Costs $3,000
This item pays for our talent, keeping actors employed and fairly paid!
Insurance + Admin Fees
Costs $600
This will cover additional production insurance fees.
Lodging
Costs $1,900
This cost is associated with housing our cast and crew for the duration of the shoot.
Pre-shoot!
Costs $1,000
This covers a full day of filming we'll need to shoot before principle photog begins to get special, specific shots needed for the story.
Picture Car
Costs $400
Donating to this wishlist item allows us to rent this gorgeous 1966 Cadillac Coupe DeVille convertible for a critical shot in the film.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Meet the Team:
Brandon Duncan is a film/theater storyteller living in Brooklyn, NY. He's drawn to stories about regular people navigating unusual given circumstances and discovering their place in the world. This manifests itself in both historical fiction as well as surreal futurism. FILM: Stay, In Time THEATER: What We’re Made Of, My Big Heart: On. IG: @B.Dunc88 www.BrandonKDuncan.com
Ashley Bacon (SAG, AEA) has appeared in Orange is the New Black, FBI, made films with award winning filmmakers including Alejandro Mejía, and premiered many a downtown play. She holds a degree in classical singing.
Hyten Davidson (SAG) is an actor, writer, and award-winning producer based in NYC. Her short film The West Virginian Starfish which she wrote, co-directed, and executive produced won the Best Short Film award at the Long Island Film Expo 2022, along with a host of other wins. Last year, The Wrap and Lifetime featured her as part of their Pitchfest Emerging Female Filmmakers Top Finalists. www.hytendavidson.com
Brendan McGowan is a Brooklyn-based Director and DP with extensive experience in award-winning music videos, narrative, corporate work, and documentaries. http://www.brendanmcgowan.com/