MILKSHAKE TIME MACHINE
New York City, New York | Film Short
Comedy, Adventure
This film has everything - Milkshakes. Dinosaurs. Sentient pop-tarts... At a roadside dinner two waitresses bond over their mutual failures. When a mysterious stranger gives them a milkshake machine capable of time travel, they tempt fate to alter their lives and accidentally destroy the world.
MILKSHAKE TIME MACHINE
New York City, New York | Film Short
Comedy, Adventure
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
62 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$9,031
Goal: $8,500 for production
This film has everything - Milkshakes. Dinosaurs. Sentient pop-tarts... At a roadside dinner two waitresses bond over their mutual failures. When a mysterious stranger gives them a milkshake machine capable of time travel, they tempt fate to alter their lives and accidentally destroy the world.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
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Girls just wanna…time travel in a comedy too! Every other time travel story we’ve seen involves male protagonists at the forefront. Our story is fresh because we get to see women in the flawed action hero trope.
.jpg)
What happens when overwhelming events happen to underwhelming people?
Crystal May Cancade and Amber Tan are two everyday women trapped in their monotonous lives. They bond over their love of jukebox choreography, scratch offs and how they are both complete failures. This mundane routine is shattered when a Mysterious Stranger gives them a seemingly ordinary appliance.
“Holy rocky mountain canary! We’ve got ourselves a milkshake time machine!”
After being transported to the Jurassic era, the women continue to hurtle through dangerous epochs until they land outside a familiar landscape. The diner. Well, the diner in 2012. So close and yet so far. As they strategize their way home the Mysterious Stranger reappears and a chase ensues leading them to a Fall Festival. There, the gals encounter their past selves, forcing them to confront life-altering moments. While reliving the memory is bittersweet for Amber it’s devastating for Crystal and she can’t tear herself away. Too bad for her, Amber finally figures out how to use the machine and whisks them home.
Once back in the present, Amber insists they never use the machine again, warning of the dire consequences. DUN DUN DUN— it’s too late. As a pop-tart springs to life they realize their meddling with time has already caused planetary chaos, forcing the women on an adventure to prevent the end of the world.
.jpg)
If you could change the past to fix your own life but it would cause the destruction of the world would you still do it?
Most people believe their lives don’t affect the rest of the world. In Milkshake Time Machine we explore the concept that everyone is connected and even the smallest choices can have an apocalyptic impact. By forcing our characters into very real human experiences and then setting them in outlandish situations we create a fantastical hybrid of chaos. It's a moral quandary meets milkshake mayhem!
1/2 HOUR PILOT AWARDS & COVERFLY INSIGHTS
WeScreenplay TV Pilot Lab Quarterfinalist 2024
Screencraft Fellowship Quarterfinalist 2023
Outstanding Screenplays TV Pilot Competition Semifinalist 2022
Our main location is Giby's Diner in Delanson, NY. Originally opened in 1952 the diner is a historical location that has been around for 70+ years! It is currently women owned and run.
We are also shooting at a local upstate farm! As for our Jurassic jungle? We are spoiled with the splendor of Upstate New York and will be shooting some scenes at Fishkill Ridge Trail.
We are making this short film to submit to festivals. Our goal is to use this as a proof of concept (and hopefully get some hype) to pitch to production companies and networks so we can eventually make a feature.
Once the short is complete EVERYONE who donates will be invited to a private screening in NYC! Date TBD.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET
MIN: This is %80 of the public budget - $6800. This means the project is green lit and we can make it! Unfortunately, that means we have to defer payment for our actors.
MID: If we hit our actual goal - $8500 - we can make the film and pay everyone! However, we are still a few crew members short and would love to be able to take some of the workload off our team.
IDEAL: Should we meet our goal we would then stretch to a budget of $10,000. With this amount we can hire extra crew, pay someone to write an original film score, and help cover fees for festival submissions.
Thank you so much for checking out our project.
Please follow us here on Seed & Spark! Follow us on IMDB! Follow our IG handles GINGER & CHELSEY
Share with your friends, family and enemies! Who knows maybe they want to support women in independent film ;)
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast & Crew
Costs $3,300
You want talent, you gotta pay for it. Our production is union strong working with SAG-AFTRA and the DGA.
Equipment
Costs $440
While most of our equipment is being donated we still need a few extra pieces to add that final flair and to make the film possible.
Locations
Costs $400
Location, location, location. Without them we have no setting and a good setting is what makes or breaks your film!
Transportation
Costs $180
We have two cars to transport us to our locations upstate but we still need to pay for gas and train tickets for cast coming to set.
Catering
Costs $1,500
We need to feed our amazing cast and crew. Do you own a restaurant? Do you want to contribute lunches? Or snacks? Feed meeeeee.
Upstate Housing - Near Delanson, NY
Costs $500
We are shooting two days and two nights in Delanson, NY. Do you have a place upstate within 30min that will house our cast & crew of 8?
Post Production
Costs $1,500
After we shoot we still need to put it all together! This covers our stop motion animator, composer/music, and editor fees.
Costumes & Props
Costs $680
Dinosaurs, dresses, and wigs, oh my! This covers the milkshake machine and all other costumes and props to bring our film to life.
Share this update!
About This Team
GINGER KEARNS - Creator/Producer/Co-Writer/Lead (Crystal May Cancade)
Ginger was born and raised in western Canada. Television: Broad City, Boardwalk Empire, The Sopranos. Film: Hungry Hearts (2014 Official Pick of Venice International Film Festival, TIFF, Tribeca Film Festival) Theatre: Acey Deucey Club (DTLA) Sleep No More NYC (Punchdrunk), Hotel Wonderland (Amsterdam, NL), Nick Cave’s: The Let Go (Park Avenue Armory). Writing credits: The Pandora Particle (Austin Film Festival Second Rounder 2024, BlueCat Quarter Finalist 2024) Welcome To Killjoy (Top Ten Finalist Filmmatic TV Pilot Awards 2022) Starseeds (Emerging Screenwriters Sci-Fi & Fantasy Semi Finalist 2022, ISA Fast Track Fellowship Second Rounder 2022, Top 20 on The Red List 2021, ISA Emerging Screenwriters Genre Competition Winner 2021, Austin Film Festival Second Rounder 2021, Screencraft Sci-Fi & Fantasy Semi Finalist 2021, Developed with Sundance Co//ab 2020), Where We Met (ISA Emerging Screenwriters Genre Competition Quarter Finalist 2022) Anarchy USA (ISA Action & Adventure Genre Busting Semi Finalist 2021), Four (Official Selection TSIFF 2019) This is a Play About Artists (20 Best NYC Fringe Plays of 2013) The Manitoba native was an NBC and The PIT Diversity Finalist.
CHELSEY NG - Creator/Producer/Co-Writer/Lead (Amber Tan)
Chelsey is an actor/writer/fantasy enthusiast based in NYC who hails from the sunny island of Singapore. Past credits include: Cocktail Magique (Company XIV), Sleep No More (The Mckittrick Hotel), Nick Cave’s: The Let Go (Park Avenue Armory) & Noirtown (RAVE Theater Festival). She also hosts & produces a cheeky rock & roll variety show called The Blind Tiger. Writing credits: The Pandora Particle (Austin Film Festival Second Rounder 2024, BlueCat Quarter Finalist 2024) Welcome to Killjoy (2022 Filmmatic TV Pilot Awards Finalist, 2019 Sundance Episodic Lab Finalist, The Crime List Official Selection 2019). Curious? You can watch the instagram series proof of concept @InstaMiniSeries. Above all this, she is an avid believer in collaboration and making things for the hell of it, what else is there? Reach out.
KAT WHALEN - Director
Kat Whalen is a Wyoming-born director currently based in New York. She moved to the city to learn the ropes of independent film production in the early 2000s and later attended NYU Graduate Film program for directing as a Dean’s Fellow, graduating in 2015. Since then, she has produced miniature units for Todd Haynes’s ‘Wonderstruck’ and for Marielle Heller’s ‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.’ Most recently, she was co-producer and 2nd unit director on HBO’s ‘Succession’. She joined the DGA in 2022. Her NYU thesis film ‘Bird Dog’ had its international premiere in competition at the 2017 Clermont- Ferrand Film Festival, and she directed ‘Dale’s House’, a horror-comedy pilot that premiered at SXSW in 2021. Named for her grandfather’s ranch in eastern Montana, Bar-Oh-W Films is the production company she uses for her own projects. Her personal work examines memory and mental health against the shifting face of the American West and the development of western mythology.
GRACIE McCALLUM - Director of Photography/Camera Operator
Gracie McCallum is a Texas-born filmmaker, currently based in New York City. She graduated from The University of Texas at Austin’s Radio-Television-Film program in 2021 and subsequently moved to New York in pursuit of stories with heart. Her UT undergraduate thesis film, Summer Reign, had its premiere at the 2021 Austin Film Festival. With a love for all things production, she has worked on various indie sets in a range of positions including cinematographer, producer, casting director, and editor. She continues the search for seeing and creating the essence of humanity, what ties us all together, within cinema.
CAID SLATTERY - Sound Mixer
Caid Slattery is a filmmaker originally from Evanston, IL and based in New York City. After graduating from NYU in 2022, he has worked various odd-film-jobs spanning all aspects of production, as well as continued to write and direct his own films. Fun fact: he worked at an ice cream shop for five years and has a soft spot for milkshake entrenched stories.
STORY HOUSE PARTNERS
JAMES BROWN III - Executive Producer
James Brown III wears many hats—literally and figuratively. As the Chief Creative Officer, Vice Chairman of the Board, and Co-Founder of Story House Pictures, Inc., he’s the mastermind behind big ideas and even bigger projects. Fun fact: his former production company, Tríonóide Entertainment, was absorbed into SHP, Inc., where he promptly whipped up two award-winning films, White Flags and Early Light. Shot in Sheridan, Wyoming, Early Light not only looked great but also did some good, donating 12.5% of its proceeds to CHAPS Equine Assisted Therapy—a local nonprofit that helps veterans and kids with mental health challenges. Oh, and this little film sparked the creation of Story House Village, a 240-acre sustainable community and film studio because, why not? In his “spare time,” he’s getting an MBA at Wharton because apparently being a Broadway star and film producer wasn’t enough. With over a decade of experience in fashion, design, directing, writing, and, well, just about everything, James is the creative dynamo every company wishes they had. His Broadway credits include: Harry Potter & the Cursed Child, Frozen, Rocky, Memphis, The Color Purple, and more. TV: Mr. Robot, The Mysteries of Laura, The Get Down. Film: Enchanted, The Producers. Education & Professional Flexes: MBA Candidate at The Wharton School (Class of 2026) Brown University, B.S. in Psychology (because reading minds is a handy skill) SAG/AFTRA & AEA Member, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
SEAN PATRICK HIGGINS - Executive Producer/Actor (Wyatt Smith)
Thrilled and humbled to be helping to bring Milkshake Time Machine to life. A man of many proclivities. Sean acts in stuff. Sean writes things. Sean produces in his copious amounts of free time. When Sean isn't scratching his huge passion for the arts, he serves as the Founder / CEO of Story House Pictures, Inc. and the Managing Member of Story House Property Company, LLC. Long story short, Sean and his team envision things and people trust us with various amounts of money to bring those visions into reality. It's all rather impressive (but of course, this is a bio celebrating Sean, so it's biased). Off Broadway: Sleep No More (PunchDrunk NYC), A Clockwork Orange (New World Stages), This Land Was Made (Vineyard), Awful Event! (Baryshnikov Arts Center). Regional: D'Artagnan in The Three Musketeers (Pennsylvania Shakespeare), Robin Hood in Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood (New Theatre), Macbeth in Macbeth (STL Rebel & Misfits), Idaho Repertory Theatre, Yale Repertory Theatre, Livermore Shakespeare Festival, proudly notching 14 plays from Shakespeare’s cannon. TV: “The Blacklist." FILM: Hyacinth, And Tomorrow The Entire World, Qingren, Early Light, Dirty, White Flags, Small Dancing Particles, The Mess He Made. Films that Sean has acted in, written, or produced have played at over 60 film festivals internationally and have won 6 awards. Certificate from Oxford (BADA). BFA, University of Wyoming. MFA, Yale School of Drama.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Girls just wanna…time travel in a comedy too! Every other time travel story we’ve seen involves male protagonists at the forefront. Our story is fresh because we get to see women in the flawed action hero trope.
What happens when overwhelming events happen to underwhelming people?
Crystal May Cancade and Amber Tan are two everyday women trapped in their monotonous lives. They bond over their love of jukebox choreography, scratch offs and how they are both complete failures. This mundane routine is shattered when a Mysterious Stranger gives them a seemingly ordinary appliance.
“Holy rocky mountain canary! We’ve got ourselves a milkshake time machine!”
After being transported to the Jurassic era, the women continue to hurtle through dangerous epochs until they land outside a familiar landscape. The diner. Well, the diner in 2012. So close and yet so far. As they strategize their way home the Mysterious Stranger reappears and a chase ensues leading them to a Fall Festival. There, the gals encounter their past selves, forcing them to confront life-altering moments. While reliving the memory is bittersweet for Amber it’s devastating for Crystal and she can’t tear herself away. Too bad for her, Amber finally figures out how to use the machine and whisks them home.
Once back in the present, Amber insists they never use the machine again, warning of the dire consequences. DUN DUN DUN— it’s too late. As a pop-tart springs to life they realize their meddling with time has already caused planetary chaos, forcing the women on an adventure to prevent the end of the world.
If you could change the past to fix your own life but it would cause the destruction of the world would you still do it?
Most people believe their lives don’t affect the rest of the world. In Milkshake Time Machine we explore the concept that everyone is connected and even the smallest choices can have an apocalyptic impact. By forcing our characters into very real human experiences and then setting them in outlandish situations we create a fantastical hybrid of chaos. It's a moral quandary meets milkshake mayhem!
1/2 HOUR PILOT AWARDS & COVERFLY INSIGHTS
WeScreenplay TV Pilot Lab Quarterfinalist 2024
Screencraft Fellowship Quarterfinalist 2023
Outstanding Screenplays TV Pilot Competition Semifinalist 2022
Our main location is Giby's Diner in Delanson, NY. Originally opened in 1952 the diner is a historical location that has been around for 70+ years! It is currently women owned and run.
We are also shooting at a local upstate farm! As for our Jurassic jungle? We are spoiled with the splendor of Upstate New York and will be shooting some scenes at Fishkill Ridge Trail.
We are making this short film to submit to festivals. Our goal is to use this as a proof of concept (and hopefully get some hype) to pitch to production companies and networks so we can eventually make a feature.
Once the short is complete EVERYONE who donates will be invited to a private screening in NYC! Date TBD.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET
MIN: This is %80 of the public budget - $6800. This means the project is green lit and we can make it! Unfortunately, that means we have to defer payment for our actors.
MID: If we hit our actual goal - $8500 - we can make the film and pay everyone! However, we are still a few crew members short and would love to be able to take some of the workload off our team.
IDEAL: Should we meet our goal we would then stretch to a budget of $10,000. With this amount we can hire extra crew, pay someone to write an original film score, and help cover fees for festival submissions.
Thank you so much for checking out our project.
Please follow us here on Seed & Spark! Follow us on IMDB! Follow our IG handles GINGER & CHELSEY
Share with your friends, family and enemies! Who knows maybe they want to support women in independent film ;)
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast & Crew
Costs $3,300
You want talent, you gotta pay for it. Our production is union strong working with SAG-AFTRA and the DGA.
Equipment
Costs $440
While most of our equipment is being donated we still need a few extra pieces to add that final flair and to make the film possible.
Locations
Costs $400
Location, location, location. Without them we have no setting and a good setting is what makes or breaks your film!
Transportation
Costs $180
We have two cars to transport us to our locations upstate but we still need to pay for gas and train tickets for cast coming to set.
Catering
Costs $1,500
We need to feed our amazing cast and crew. Do you own a restaurant? Do you want to contribute lunches? Or snacks? Feed meeeeee.
Upstate Housing - Near Delanson, NY
Costs $500
We are shooting two days and two nights in Delanson, NY. Do you have a place upstate within 30min that will house our cast & crew of 8?
Post Production
Costs $1,500
After we shoot we still need to put it all together! This covers our stop motion animator, composer/music, and editor fees.
Costumes & Props
Costs $680
Dinosaurs, dresses, and wigs, oh my! This covers the milkshake machine and all other costumes and props to bring our film to life.
Share this update!
About This Team
GINGER KEARNS - Creator/Producer/Co-Writer/Lead (Crystal May Cancade)
Ginger was born and raised in western Canada. Television: Broad City, Boardwalk Empire, The Sopranos. Film: Hungry Hearts (2014 Official Pick of Venice International Film Festival, TIFF, Tribeca Film Festival) Theatre: Acey Deucey Club (DTLA) Sleep No More NYC (Punchdrunk), Hotel Wonderland (Amsterdam, NL), Nick Cave’s: The Let Go (Park Avenue Armory). Writing credits: The Pandora Particle (Austin Film Festival Second Rounder 2024, BlueCat Quarter Finalist 2024) Welcome To Killjoy (Top Ten Finalist Filmmatic TV Pilot Awards 2022) Starseeds (Emerging Screenwriters Sci-Fi & Fantasy Semi Finalist 2022, ISA Fast Track Fellowship Second Rounder 2022, Top 20 on The Red List 2021, ISA Emerging Screenwriters Genre Competition Winner 2021, Austin Film Festival Second Rounder 2021, Screencraft Sci-Fi & Fantasy Semi Finalist 2021, Developed with Sundance Co//ab 2020), Where We Met (ISA Emerging Screenwriters Genre Competition Quarter Finalist 2022) Anarchy USA (ISA Action & Adventure Genre Busting Semi Finalist 2021), Four (Official Selection TSIFF 2019) This is a Play About Artists (20 Best NYC Fringe Plays of 2013) The Manitoba native was an NBC and The PIT Diversity Finalist.
CHELSEY NG - Creator/Producer/Co-Writer/Lead (Amber Tan)
Chelsey is an actor/writer/fantasy enthusiast based in NYC who hails from the sunny island of Singapore. Past credits include: Cocktail Magique (Company XIV), Sleep No More (The Mckittrick Hotel), Nick Cave’s: The Let Go (Park Avenue Armory) & Noirtown (RAVE Theater Festival). She also hosts & produces a cheeky rock & roll variety show called The Blind Tiger. Writing credits: The Pandora Particle (Austin Film Festival Second Rounder 2024, BlueCat Quarter Finalist 2024) Welcome to Killjoy (2022 Filmmatic TV Pilot Awards Finalist, 2019 Sundance Episodic Lab Finalist, The Crime List Official Selection 2019). Curious? You can watch the instagram series proof of concept @InstaMiniSeries. Above all this, she is an avid believer in collaboration and making things for the hell of it, what else is there? Reach out.
KAT WHALEN - Director
Kat Whalen is a Wyoming-born director currently based in New York. She moved to the city to learn the ropes of independent film production in the early 2000s and later attended NYU Graduate Film program for directing as a Dean’s Fellow, graduating in 2015. Since then, she has produced miniature units for Todd Haynes’s ‘Wonderstruck’ and for Marielle Heller’s ‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.’ Most recently, she was co-producer and 2nd unit director on HBO’s ‘Succession’. She joined the DGA in 2022. Her NYU thesis film ‘Bird Dog’ had its international premiere in competition at the 2017 Clermont- Ferrand Film Festival, and she directed ‘Dale’s House’, a horror-comedy pilot that premiered at SXSW in 2021. Named for her grandfather’s ranch in eastern Montana, Bar-Oh-W Films is the production company she uses for her own projects. Her personal work examines memory and mental health against the shifting face of the American West and the development of western mythology.
GRACIE McCALLUM - Director of Photography/Camera Operator
Gracie McCallum is a Texas-born filmmaker, currently based in New York City. She graduated from The University of Texas at Austin’s Radio-Television-Film program in 2021 and subsequently moved to New York in pursuit of stories with heart. Her UT undergraduate thesis film, Summer Reign, had its premiere at the 2021 Austin Film Festival. With a love for all things production, she has worked on various indie sets in a range of positions including cinematographer, producer, casting director, and editor. She continues the search for seeing and creating the essence of humanity, what ties us all together, within cinema.
CAID SLATTERY - Sound Mixer
Caid Slattery is a filmmaker originally from Evanston, IL and based in New York City. After graduating from NYU in 2022, he has worked various odd-film-jobs spanning all aspects of production, as well as continued to write and direct his own films. Fun fact: he worked at an ice cream shop for five years and has a soft spot for milkshake entrenched stories.
STORY HOUSE PARTNERS
JAMES BROWN III - Executive Producer
James Brown III wears many hats—literally and figuratively. As the Chief Creative Officer, Vice Chairman of the Board, and Co-Founder of Story House Pictures, Inc., he’s the mastermind behind big ideas and even bigger projects. Fun fact: his former production company, Tríonóide Entertainment, was absorbed into SHP, Inc., where he promptly whipped up two award-winning films, White Flags and Early Light. Shot in Sheridan, Wyoming, Early Light not only looked great but also did some good, donating 12.5% of its proceeds to CHAPS Equine Assisted Therapy—a local nonprofit that helps veterans and kids with mental health challenges. Oh, and this little film sparked the creation of Story House Village, a 240-acre sustainable community and film studio because, why not? In his “spare time,” he’s getting an MBA at Wharton because apparently being a Broadway star and film producer wasn’t enough. With over a decade of experience in fashion, design, directing, writing, and, well, just about everything, James is the creative dynamo every company wishes they had. His Broadway credits include: Harry Potter & the Cursed Child, Frozen, Rocky, Memphis, The Color Purple, and more. TV: Mr. Robot, The Mysteries of Laura, The Get Down. Film: Enchanted, The Producers. Education & Professional Flexes: MBA Candidate at The Wharton School (Class of 2026) Brown University, B.S. in Psychology (because reading minds is a handy skill) SAG/AFTRA & AEA Member, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
SEAN PATRICK HIGGINS - Executive Producer/Actor (Wyatt Smith)
Thrilled and humbled to be helping to bring Milkshake Time Machine to life. A man of many proclivities. Sean acts in stuff. Sean writes things. Sean produces in his copious amounts of free time. When Sean isn't scratching his huge passion for the arts, he serves as the Founder / CEO of Story House Pictures, Inc. and the Managing Member of Story House Property Company, LLC. Long story short, Sean and his team envision things and people trust us with various amounts of money to bring those visions into reality. It's all rather impressive (but of course, this is a bio celebrating Sean, so it's biased). Off Broadway: Sleep No More (PunchDrunk NYC), A Clockwork Orange (New World Stages), This Land Was Made (Vineyard), Awful Event! (Baryshnikov Arts Center). Regional: D'Artagnan in The Three Musketeers (Pennsylvania Shakespeare), Robin Hood in Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood (New Theatre), Macbeth in Macbeth (STL Rebel & Misfits), Idaho Repertory Theatre, Yale Repertory Theatre, Livermore Shakespeare Festival, proudly notching 14 plays from Shakespeare’s cannon. TV: “The Blacklist." FILM: Hyacinth, And Tomorrow The Entire World, Qingren, Early Light, Dirty, White Flags, Small Dancing Particles, The Mess He Made. Films that Sean has acted in, written, or produced have played at over 60 film festivals internationally and have won 6 awards. Certificate from Oxford (BADA). BFA, University of Wyoming. MFA, Yale School of Drama.