Mo
New York City, New York | Film Short
Family
"The end of your life is just the beginning." This corporate slogan lines the box of every Osiris, a new robot body for your recently deceased relatives. Sira is overjoyed when his mother Mo comes back, but is uncertain if life in this restricted shell is exactly what she wants.
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"The end of your life is just the beginning." This corporate slogan lines the box of every Osiris, a new robot body for your recently deceased relatives. Sira is overjoyed when his mother Mo comes back, but is uncertain if life in this restricted shell is exactly what she wants.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The Story
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Mo follows the story of Sira, a devoted son who refuses to accept the loss of his mother. Even though he can't afford it, he buys an Osiris; a robot containing a copy of a person's consciousness.
With his mother back in his life, Sira is overjoyed, until he begins to suspect that Mo feels trapped in her new form. He could tell her about these feelings, but he's scared that if he does he might lose her again.
Sira tries to make Mo happy, but must ultimately decide what matters more: knowing that his mother will always be there for him or allowing her to let go and discover freedom, unlike anything she's ever known.
Why am I doing this?
When I was growing up, my family and I moved to a new country every three years. That meant new schools, new friends, and new lives. And with my dad traveling for work and my sister for school, it was my Mom who made every new home feel like ours.
I never had to feel scared of these big life changes because I could just look up to my Mom and see a smile that told me everything was going to be okay. I've always known my Mom to be adaptive and brave, but one thing I didn't fully understand until recently is how selfless her smile always was.
Not only did she do everything for me, but she always made me feel like loving me was the most important thing in the world to her. I'm not a mother, obviously, so I don't know what it means to love someone that deeply, but I do know what it means to be the recipient of that love, and to take advantage of it.
I can't say that I'll never let my mom sacrifice her happiness for me again, but I'm making this movie to say,
"Mom, I see what you've done for me, I love you and I hope that one day I could have a love as deep as the one I know you have for me."
Mo
Our team believes the most effective way of creating Mo and sharing her reality is by focusing on a limited number of practical and visual effects as opposed to trying to fix everything in post. Some of the more advanced tools at our disposal include prop fabrication, lens distortion, and minimal 3D visual effects. By having one fabricated character, whose sole VFX element is a pair of eyes, we believe that we can make the Mo character believable and, more importantly, capable of expressing genuine humanity.
Visual Language
The story will be comprised of three visual styles.
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In the present when we watch Mo and Sira interact, we want to keep the frame wide and still to mirror Mo's frame of mind. Even though she loves the person she's with, the body she lives in has become small and static.
.png)
When we see things from Mo's perspective, we want to emulate pinhole photography, in which the image only comes into focus at the center of the frame. Showing how limited and singular her view is will allow us to further empathize with her trapped reality.
.png)
When we watch home videos of Mo and Sira, they're going to be shot like real home videos. This frenetic style will strongly contrast with the trapped feeling of Mo's current inner life and remind her of the ways Sira used to make her feel free.
Thank you!
We are extremely excited to share this story with you.
Thank you for helping us make Mo a reality!
Jack Campbell
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Festival Fees
Costs $300
Your contribution means we can see Mo up on the big screen!
Camera Equipment
Costs $2,100
To tell this visually unique story, we need a home video camera, special lenses and a Steadicam.
Location and Accommodation
Costs $2,000
We're renting a cottage on Airbnb for one week of shooting and accommodating our cast and crew.
Transportation
Costs $2,000
We need to rent cars and a truck in order to get cast, crew, and equipment to our forest cottage.
G&E
Costs $2,100
To shoot in the woods (and at night) we need generators and additional lighting equipment.
Sound
Costs $100
Our sound team needs Microphone accessories to be able to record outside and with enough battery.
Production Design
Costs $600
We need to create Mo and Sira's childhood home, as well as the packaging Mo comes in.
Food and Craft Services
Costs $800
We need to keep our hard-working cast and crew well-fed for a week.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Jack Campbell
Writer-Director
Jack Campbell is a Canadian writer and director. He has production designed several intermediate and advanced NYU films (as well as a web series) and gripped for many student and commercial productions. He’s looking forward to sharing this weird and wonderful story with you all.
Henry Cohen
Producer
Henry Cohen is a senior at Tisch majoring in Film and TV and minoring in Producing. He’s produced several intermediate films, as well as an advanced thesis film this past semester. He met Jack in their freshman year orientation group and has been working with him in a friendship capacity for the last 3 and a half years.
Cece Chan
Director Of Photography
Cece Chan is a New York based director of photography from Hong Kong. Over the past couple of years, she has shot six intermediates, an advanced narrative, three independent shorts, and gaffed, gripped, and AC’ed on many more shoots, both within and outside of NYU.
She is excited to be shooting multiple advanced narratives next semester with frequent collaborator Zack Chalmers. While balancing projects and school work can be stressful, she’s incredibly grateful to be doing what she loves, and cannot wait to bring Jack’s story to life. She currently TA's at the teaching soundstage at Tisch School of the Arts.
Zach Chalmers
Co-DP / Gaffer
Zack Chalmers is a director of photography and director from Atlanta, GA. Though passionate about his own work as a writer and director, Zack has worked as director of photography, AC, gaffer, key grip, and colorist on many student films, often working alongside co-DP Cece.
He's thrilled to join forces with Jack and Cece to breathe life into a unique sci-fi tale. In his free time, he doesn't have any. (But if he did he'd be rewatching Tarkovsky films.)
Chance Grey
Art Director
Chance is an NYU undergrad TISCH Senior, Production Designer with an eye for composition, art color, and style. Produced 1 advanced, produced 3 full-length Albums and 1 EP. Loves music, reading and long walks on the beach.
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Adam Picard Park
Sound Mixer
Hey, I’m Adam. I’m a senior in film and tv. In the past, I’ve done a bunch of sound mixing on many NYU intermediates and advanced films in the past year. Outside of school, I intern as a music supervisor at the sound company Flavorlab.
Addison Worthington
Prop Fabricator / VFX Supervisor
Addison Worthington is a Senior at NYU's Film program and has a wide variety of skills and interests. Interested in 3D modeling and printing, as well as prop building and art design, Addison believes he can bring Jack's ideas to life with a combination of 3D printing and finishing detail work. He is the head of VOXEL, NYU's new 3D VFX and VR/AR club.
Tobias Musante
Concept Artist / Designer
I'm Tobias. I’m a Writer, Director, and Illustrator who attends the EICAR Film School in France. I am also drawing this cover work for Jack. I like to tell stories and draw. If I get in a proper writers rooms by the time I'm 25, I'll be happy.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The Story
Mo follows the story of Sira, a devoted son who refuses to accept the loss of his mother. Even though he can't afford it, he buys an Osiris; a robot containing a copy of a person's consciousness.
With his mother back in his life, Sira is overjoyed, until he begins to suspect that Mo feels trapped in her new form. He could tell her about these feelings, but he's scared that if he does he might lose her again.
Sira tries to make Mo happy, but must ultimately decide what matters more: knowing that his mother will always be there for him or allowing her to let go and discover freedom, unlike anything she's ever known.
Why am I doing this?
When I was growing up, my family and I moved to a new country every three years. That meant new schools, new friends, and new lives. And with my dad traveling for work and my sister for school, it was my Mom who made every new home feel like ours.
I never had to feel scared of these big life changes because I could just look up to my Mom and see a smile that told me everything was going to be okay. I've always known my Mom to be adaptive and brave, but one thing I didn't fully understand until recently is how selfless her smile always was.
Not only did she do everything for me, but she always made me feel like loving me was the most important thing in the world to her. I'm not a mother, obviously, so I don't know what it means to love someone that deeply, but I do know what it means to be the recipient of that love, and to take advantage of it.
I can't say that I'll never let my mom sacrifice her happiness for me again, but I'm making this movie to say,
"Mom, I see what you've done for me, I love you and I hope that one day I could have a love as deep as the one I know you have for me."
Mo
Our team believes the most effective way of creating Mo and sharing her reality is by focusing on a limited number of practical and visual effects as opposed to trying to fix everything in post. Some of the more advanced tools at our disposal include prop fabrication, lens distortion, and minimal 3D visual effects. By having one fabricated character, whose sole VFX element is a pair of eyes, we believe that we can make the Mo character believable and, more importantly, capable of expressing genuine humanity.
Visual Language
The story will be comprised of three visual styles.
In the present when we watch Mo and Sira interact, we want to keep the frame wide and still to mirror Mo's frame of mind. Even though she loves the person she's with, the body she lives in has become small and static.
When we see things from Mo's perspective, we want to emulate pinhole photography, in which the image only comes into focus at the center of the frame. Showing how limited and singular her view is will allow us to further empathize with her trapped reality.
When we watch home videos of Mo and Sira, they're going to be shot like real home videos. This frenetic style will strongly contrast with the trapped feeling of Mo's current inner life and remind her of the ways Sira used to make her feel free.
Thank you!
We are extremely excited to share this story with you.
Thank you for helping us make Mo a reality!
Jack Campbell
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Festival Fees
Costs $300
Your contribution means we can see Mo up on the big screen!
Camera Equipment
Costs $2,100
To tell this visually unique story, we need a home video camera, special lenses and a Steadicam.
Location and Accommodation
Costs $2,000
We're renting a cottage on Airbnb for one week of shooting and accommodating our cast and crew.
Transportation
Costs $2,000
We need to rent cars and a truck in order to get cast, crew, and equipment to our forest cottage.
G&E
Costs $2,100
To shoot in the woods (and at night) we need generators and additional lighting equipment.
Sound
Costs $100
Our sound team needs Microphone accessories to be able to record outside and with enough battery.
Production Design
Costs $600
We need to create Mo and Sira's childhood home, as well as the packaging Mo comes in.
Food and Craft Services
Costs $800
We need to keep our hard-working cast and crew well-fed for a week.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Jack Campbell
Writer-Director
Jack Campbell is a Canadian writer and director. He has production designed several intermediate and advanced NYU films (as well as a web series) and gripped for many student and commercial productions. He’s looking forward to sharing this weird and wonderful story with you all.
Henry Cohen
Producer
Henry Cohen is a senior at Tisch majoring in Film and TV and minoring in Producing. He’s produced several intermediate films, as well as an advanced thesis film this past semester. He met Jack in their freshman year orientation group and has been working with him in a friendship capacity for the last 3 and a half years.
Cece Chan
Director Of Photography
Cece Chan is a New York based director of photography from Hong Kong. Over the past couple of years, she has shot six intermediates, an advanced narrative, three independent shorts, and gaffed, gripped, and AC’ed on many more shoots, both within and outside of NYU.
She is excited to be shooting multiple advanced narratives next semester with frequent collaborator Zack Chalmers. While balancing projects and school work can be stressful, she’s incredibly grateful to be doing what she loves, and cannot wait to bring Jack’s story to life. She currently TA's at the teaching soundstage at Tisch School of the Arts.
Zach Chalmers
Co-DP / Gaffer
Zack Chalmers is a director of photography and director from Atlanta, GA. Though passionate about his own work as a writer and director, Zack has worked as director of photography, AC, gaffer, key grip, and colorist on many student films, often working alongside co-DP Cece.
He's thrilled to join forces with Jack and Cece to breathe life into a unique sci-fi tale. In his free time, he doesn't have any. (But if he did he'd be rewatching Tarkovsky films.)
Chance Grey
Art Director
Chance is an NYU undergrad TISCH Senior, Production Designer with an eye for composition, art color, and style. Produced 1 advanced, produced 3 full-length Albums and 1 EP. Loves music, reading and long walks on the beach.
Adam Picard Park
Sound Mixer
Hey, I’m Adam. I’m a senior in film and tv. In the past, I’ve done a bunch of sound mixing on many NYU intermediates and advanced films in the past year. Outside of school, I intern as a music supervisor at the sound company Flavorlab.
Addison Worthington
Prop Fabricator / VFX Supervisor
Addison Worthington is a Senior at NYU's Film program and has a wide variety of skills and interests. Interested in 3D modeling and printing, as well as prop building and art design, Addison believes he can bring Jack's ideas to life with a combination of 3D printing and finishing detail work. He is the head of VOXEL, NYU's new 3D VFX and VR/AR club.
Tobias Musante
Concept Artist / Designer
I'm Tobias. I’m a Writer, Director, and Illustrator who attends the EICAR Film School in France. I am also drawing this cover work for Jack. I like to tell stories and draw. If I get in a proper writers rooms by the time I'm 25, I'll be happy.