Moving Up, Out, On
Baltimore, Maryland | Film Short
Drama, Family
"Moving Up, Out, On" explores the deterioration of a familial relationship. As Sam's relationship with her father is strained following her mother's death, Sam will be forced to ask herself: how much do we owe to each other when a loved one's grief clashes with our own attempts to move forward?
Moving Up, Out, On
Baltimore, Maryland | Film Short
Drama, Family
1 Campaigns | Maryland, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $5,550 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
39 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
"Moving Up, Out, On" explores the deterioration of a familial relationship. As Sam's relationship with her father is strained following her mother's death, Sam will be forced to ask herself: how much do we owe to each other when a loved one's grief clashes with our own attempts to move forward?
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
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While trying to overcome the death of her mother, her conflicting relationship with her grieving father, and a medicinal treatment that blends imagination and reality, Sam becomes torn between taking control of her life or falling victim to overwhelming sadness.
This story will explore themes of grief and family through Sam's eyes while placing a specific focus on the consequences of failing to process a traumatic experience. Sam wants to go away to college, to get away from the void that her mother's death has left in her life at home. However, Sam's father struggles to work through his emotions, and turns to a treatment that allows him to ignore the loss of his wife.
As Sam's relationship with her father grows confusing and chaotic, it will begin to test its limits, resulting in a confrontation that forces Sam to decide how much more of her father's emotional turmoil she can handle.
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SAM
Sam is a senior in high school. She is distraught over her mother's death, yet carries the understanding that she needs to move forward. Sam wants to go to college and move away from home, as she believes it will help her grow and move through this overwhelming loss.
JAMES
James is Sam's father, in his mid-forties. James has not been able to deal with the grief from his wife's death and wants his daughter to remain with him so that he may ignore his sadness. His inability to accept reality as it is and his reliance on his new medication will lead to devastating problems for not only himself, but also for Sam.
AMANDA
Amanda is Sam's mother. Although she has passed away, Amanda always wanted Sam to follow the path that would lead her to happiness. Grief can manisfest itself in strange and powerful ways, and combined with the volatile side effects of James' medication, sometimes it can take the form of the thing we long for the most.
PETER
Peter is Sam's friend at school. Supportive of Sam's desire to go to college, Peter recognizes that Sam is going through an incredibly tough time and wants to help her however he can.
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Throughout my life, my relationship with my family has been strained due to issues truly out of our control. However, rather than facing these problems and coming to terms with them, I effectively ignored the part of my life related to these issues, escaping from the emotional fallout rather than accepting it as reality.
This story is a collection of visual elements and narrative ideas that I have wanted to explore over the past few years. But much more than that, it is a story that I want to tell now. As I have come to recognize that this type of emotional response to a traumatic situation is very common within a community of my peers, I hope to explore this shared experience through film.
My projects strive to explore relationships and the factors that connect people or pull them apart. The contemporary importance of these ideas is why it is crucial we create this film now. Love and mental health are inherently connected, and with this film my team and I hope to convey that both of these topics are necessary in order for any form of a relationship to survive.
So WHY SUPPORT THIS PROJECT? Beyond the scope of the narrative itself, my dedicated team and I will shape a film that pushes us to consider our own conflicted relationships with others while conveying the reassurance that a difficult grieving process is not terrifyingly rare. The film will carry us with Sam as she navigates this difficult and painful moment in her life, giving us insight into how different ways of coping with tragic circumstances impact those closest to us. No feeling is final, and this project aims to expand upon and share the truth behind this idea through powerful characters, a strong narrative, and a compelling visual language.
- Christian (writer, director)
Stills from "Speak Words With Your Mouth", dir. Christian Reidy 2021
.jpg)
The story of Sam's deteriorating relationship with her father will be portrayed through several visual elements, notably with an increasingly fluid style. We must see the distance and rift between the two characters in every shot. With a 1.85 to 1 aspect ratio, an overwhelming negative space between the two characters will provide a visual distance that mimics the dissolution of a relationship.
A use of motivated, warm lighting will be contrasted with surreal, fantastical lighting designs as Sam's relationship with her father descends into a struggle to keep Sam from applying to college, further highlighting the breach of Sam's normal reality.
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OUR CURRENT PROGRESS:
"Moving Up, Out, On" is currently in the pre-production phase, with shooting dates set for January 2023 and plans for a first premiere in the Spring of 2023! We have received some grant funding from Studio North, the student-run production company at Johns Hopkins University, but we need your help to bring our story to life.
Our production team has been hard at work nailing down our budget, location scouting, and developing an intertwined production design and visual style that elevates our film's narrative. By contributing to our campaign, you are ensuring that we will have the ability to achieve our feasible yet ambitious goals for this project. This campaign will run for thirty days, and the second we have access to our funds we will be putting all of your incredibly generous contributions towards achieving the visual and narrative goals of our project while also investing in keeping our crew happy, well-fed, and Covid-Safe while on set.
Our funding will be unlocked if we reach 80% of our goal. If we do not achieve this level, we lose all of our funds, so any amount means the world to us. If you are currently unable to contribute, we understand. Following our campaign on social media and sharing this page with friends and family is just as valuable.
Here are some examples that you can copy and paste, but feel free to use your own words:
- Interested in helping student filmmakers create a film about mental health? Check out this link and consider contributing! https://seedandspark.com/fund/moving-up-out-on#story
- Help this great team of students create a film that centers on the complexities of grief and mental health. They have a great pitch video, you can watch it here! https://seedandspark.com/fund/moving-up-out-on#story
WHAT COMES NEXT?
This project will be completed in Spring of 2023. Soon after our first premiere in Baltimore, Maryland, we will be entering the film into the festival circuit. We hope to show "Moving Up, Out, On" throughout the United States and possibly internationally, since mental health is a universally understood and pertinent topic of discussion. While you can obtain early access to the film through a contribution, the film will also be made available online after our festival run is complete.
This story about family trauma, grief, and its impact on mental health is built for all audiences. We believe that the core thematic idea we are putting forth through our compelling characters and carefully developed story is universal and we want nothing more than to share it with you. By contributing to "Moving Up, Out, On," you are bringing us one step closer to crafting an emotional story that opens itself up to any and all perspectives.
Thank you so much for your support.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
On-Set Sound
Costs $500
So that our on-set sound mixer doesn’t sabotage our sound files.
Post-Production
Costs $1,500
For stunning color grading and a beautifully crafted score!
Production Design
Costs $1,200
Production design and props will help us fill the world of our early-2000s story!
Food
Costs $1,000
A well-fed crew is a happy crew!
Locations
Costs $300
So that we can obtain a filming permit.
Camera & Lighting Rentals
Costs $500
A stabilizer vest and quality lighting equipment will help us solidify our visual language.
Festivals
Costs $500
To screen and share our film at various festivals!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Our talented crew is made up of many creative filmmakers dedicated to realizing the vision of "Moving Up, Out, On" and bringing it the big screen. This crew has worked together on several previous projects, solidifying a filmmaking chemistry that always results in a beautiful final project.
Christian Reidy is a student filmmaker currently based in Baltimore, Maryland. Most recently, Christian wrote and directed the short film “Speak Words With Your Mouth” while studying abroad at the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts (FAMU) in Prague. Outside of writing and directing, Christian has worked extensively as a gaffer for projects shot on digital, 16mm, and 35mm film. He loves incorporating light as a creative method of storytelling, and most importantly, Christian is excited to bring a powerful cinematic language to the emotional world of Moving Up, Out, On.
Indi Aufranc is the Director of Photography for Moving Up, Out, On. She is a junior studying Film & Media Studies and International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. She is currently studying abroad at the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU), where she is the DP for the short film “Meet Me At Our Spot,” a queer coming of age story shot on 16mm. She worked as co-editor for “return 0;” (dir. Brian Song), one of the 2021-2022 Studio North grant winners. She has worked on sets for Studio North films as AC and gaffer (2022). Most recently, she directed, shot, and edited “fruit from the tree” (2022), an experimental short, as a portfolio submission to FAMU.
Isabel Salas is a junior majoring in Film and Media Studies at JHU. Currently they are an Assistant Producer for the upcoming photography book "Acts of Witnessing and Dreaming." They are Screenwriting Committee Co-Chair for Studio North, a student-run film studio. Recently, they were AC for "Sundown" directed by Cierra Gladden. They were DP for "The Waiting Room" and script supervisor for "Magnum Opus", both Studio North Production Committee films.
Cierra Gladden is a junior majoring in Film and Media Studies and minoring in Entrepreneurship and Management at Johns Hopkins University. She is originally from Odenton, Maryland where she began studying film and new media her sophomore year of high school. Most recently, Cierra wrote and directed her Studio North grant-supported film, Sundown this past August and is currently moving into post-production. Recently, Cierra worked as first Assistant Director on Studio North’s “The Waiting Room” (2022) and Script Supervisor on Brian Song’s “Return 0;” (2022). In her free time, Cierra enjoys learning more about film and photography, completing her endless to-watch list, journaling, and tending to her indoor plant collection.
Mia DeAngelo is a junior studying Film and Media Studies and Chemistry at Johns Hopkins University. She recently worked as the 1st Assistant Director on the short film Sundown. In March 2022 she wrote and directed The Waiting Room, a Twilight-Zone-inspired short thriller. Mia loves classic Hollywood films, especially suspense films and movie musicals. Her favorite TV shows are The West Wing and AppleTV’s Schmigadoon!. She is very excited to have the opportunity to explore her interests in fashion history and thrifting as a production designer on Moving Up, Out, On.
John D'cruz is a junior studying film and media studies at Johns Hopkins University. He has worked as a producer and social media manager for a variety of projects. Currently, he is interning for Janet Yang and co-writing/producing a TikTok series.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
While trying to overcome the death of her mother, her conflicting relationship with her grieving father, and a medicinal treatment that blends imagination and reality, Sam becomes torn between taking control of her life or falling victim to overwhelming sadness.
This story will explore themes of grief and family through Sam's eyes while placing a specific focus on the consequences of failing to process a traumatic experience. Sam wants to go away to college, to get away from the void that her mother's death has left in her life at home. However, Sam's father struggles to work through his emotions, and turns to a treatment that allows him to ignore the loss of his wife.
As Sam's relationship with her father grows confusing and chaotic, it will begin to test its limits, resulting in a confrontation that forces Sam to decide how much more of her father's emotional turmoil she can handle.
SAM
Sam is a senior in high school. She is distraught over her mother's death, yet carries the understanding that she needs to move forward. Sam wants to go to college and move away from home, as she believes it will help her grow and move through this overwhelming loss.
JAMES
James is Sam's father, in his mid-forties. James has not been able to deal with the grief from his wife's death and wants his daughter to remain with him so that he may ignore his sadness. His inability to accept reality as it is and his reliance on his new medication will lead to devastating problems for not only himself, but also for Sam.
AMANDA
Amanda is Sam's mother. Although she has passed away, Amanda always wanted Sam to follow the path that would lead her to happiness. Grief can manisfest itself in strange and powerful ways, and combined with the volatile side effects of James' medication, sometimes it can take the form of the thing we long for the most.
PETER
Peter is Sam's friend at school. Supportive of Sam's desire to go to college, Peter recognizes that Sam is going through an incredibly tough time and wants to help her however he can.
Throughout my life, my relationship with my family has been strained due to issues truly out of our control. However, rather than facing these problems and coming to terms with them, I effectively ignored the part of my life related to these issues, escaping from the emotional fallout rather than accepting it as reality.
This story is a collection of visual elements and narrative ideas that I have wanted to explore over the past few years. But much more than that, it is a story that I want to tell now. As I have come to recognize that this type of emotional response to a traumatic situation is very common within a community of my peers, I hope to explore this shared experience through film.
My projects strive to explore relationships and the factors that connect people or pull them apart. The contemporary importance of these ideas is why it is crucial we create this film now. Love and mental health are inherently connected, and with this film my team and I hope to convey that both of these topics are necessary in order for any form of a relationship to survive.
So WHY SUPPORT THIS PROJECT? Beyond the scope of the narrative itself, my dedicated team and I will shape a film that pushes us to consider our own conflicted relationships with others while conveying the reassurance that a difficult grieving process is not terrifyingly rare. The film will carry us with Sam as she navigates this difficult and painful moment in her life, giving us insight into how different ways of coping with tragic circumstances impact those closest to us. No feeling is final, and this project aims to expand upon and share the truth behind this idea through powerful characters, a strong narrative, and a compelling visual language.
- Christian (writer, director)
Stills from "Speak Words With Your Mouth", dir. Christian Reidy 2021
The story of Sam's deteriorating relationship with her father will be portrayed through several visual elements, notably with an increasingly fluid style. We must see the distance and rift between the two characters in every shot. With a 1.85 to 1 aspect ratio, an overwhelming negative space between the two characters will provide a visual distance that mimics the dissolution of a relationship.
A use of motivated, warm lighting will be contrasted with surreal, fantastical lighting designs as Sam's relationship with her father descends into a struggle to keep Sam from applying to college, further highlighting the breach of Sam's normal reality.
OUR CURRENT PROGRESS:
"Moving Up, Out, On" is currently in the pre-production phase, with shooting dates set for January 2023 and plans for a first premiere in the Spring of 2023! We have received some grant funding from Studio North, the student-run production company at Johns Hopkins University, but we need your help to bring our story to life.
Our production team has been hard at work nailing down our budget, location scouting, and developing an intertwined production design and visual style that elevates our film's narrative. By contributing to our campaign, you are ensuring that we will have the ability to achieve our feasible yet ambitious goals for this project. This campaign will run for thirty days, and the second we have access to our funds we will be putting all of your incredibly generous contributions towards achieving the visual and narrative goals of our project while also investing in keeping our crew happy, well-fed, and Covid-Safe while on set.
Our funding will be unlocked if we reach 80% of our goal. If we do not achieve this level, we lose all of our funds, so any amount means the world to us. If you are currently unable to contribute, we understand. Following our campaign on social media and sharing this page with friends and family is just as valuable.
Here are some examples that you can copy and paste, but feel free to use your own words:
- Interested in helping student filmmakers create a film about mental health? Check out this link and consider contributing! https://seedandspark.com/fund/moving-up-out-on#story
- Help this great team of students create a film that centers on the complexities of grief and mental health. They have a great pitch video, you can watch it here! https://seedandspark.com/fund/moving-up-out-on#story
WHAT COMES NEXT?
This project will be completed in Spring of 2023. Soon after our first premiere in Baltimore, Maryland, we will be entering the film into the festival circuit. We hope to show "Moving Up, Out, On" throughout the United States and possibly internationally, since mental health is a universally understood and pertinent topic of discussion. While you can obtain early access to the film through a contribution, the film will also be made available online after our festival run is complete.
This story about family trauma, grief, and its impact on mental health is built for all audiences. We believe that the core thematic idea we are putting forth through our compelling characters and carefully developed story is universal and we want nothing more than to share it with you. By contributing to "Moving Up, Out, On," you are bringing us one step closer to crafting an emotional story that opens itself up to any and all perspectives.
Thank you so much for your support.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
On-Set Sound
Costs $500
So that our on-set sound mixer doesn’t sabotage our sound files.
Post-Production
Costs $1,500
For stunning color grading and a beautifully crafted score!
Production Design
Costs $1,200
Production design and props will help us fill the world of our early-2000s story!
Food
Costs $1,000
A well-fed crew is a happy crew!
Locations
Costs $300
So that we can obtain a filming permit.
Camera & Lighting Rentals
Costs $500
A stabilizer vest and quality lighting equipment will help us solidify our visual language.
Festivals
Costs $500
To screen and share our film at various festivals!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Our talented crew is made up of many creative filmmakers dedicated to realizing the vision of "Moving Up, Out, On" and bringing it the big screen. This crew has worked together on several previous projects, solidifying a filmmaking chemistry that always results in a beautiful final project.
Christian Reidy is a student filmmaker currently based in Baltimore, Maryland. Most recently, Christian wrote and directed the short film “Speak Words With Your Mouth” while studying abroad at the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts (FAMU) in Prague. Outside of writing and directing, Christian has worked extensively as a gaffer for projects shot on digital, 16mm, and 35mm film. He loves incorporating light as a creative method of storytelling, and most importantly, Christian is excited to bring a powerful cinematic language to the emotional world of Moving Up, Out, On.
Indi Aufranc is the Director of Photography for Moving Up, Out, On. She is a junior studying Film & Media Studies and International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. She is currently studying abroad at the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU), where she is the DP for the short film “Meet Me At Our Spot,” a queer coming of age story shot on 16mm. She worked as co-editor for “return 0;” (dir. Brian Song), one of the 2021-2022 Studio North grant winners. She has worked on sets for Studio North films as AC and gaffer (2022). Most recently, she directed, shot, and edited “fruit from the tree” (2022), an experimental short, as a portfolio submission to FAMU.
Isabel Salas is a junior majoring in Film and Media Studies at JHU. Currently they are an Assistant Producer for the upcoming photography book "Acts of Witnessing and Dreaming." They are Screenwriting Committee Co-Chair for Studio North, a student-run film studio. Recently, they were AC for "Sundown" directed by Cierra Gladden. They were DP for "The Waiting Room" and script supervisor for "Magnum Opus", both Studio North Production Committee films.
Cierra Gladden is a junior majoring in Film and Media Studies and minoring in Entrepreneurship and Management at Johns Hopkins University. She is originally from Odenton, Maryland where she began studying film and new media her sophomore year of high school. Most recently, Cierra wrote and directed her Studio North grant-supported film, Sundown this past August and is currently moving into post-production. Recently, Cierra worked as first Assistant Director on Studio North’s “The Waiting Room” (2022) and Script Supervisor on Brian Song’s “Return 0;” (2022). In her free time, Cierra enjoys learning more about film and photography, completing her endless to-watch list, journaling, and tending to her indoor plant collection.
Mia DeAngelo is a junior studying Film and Media Studies and Chemistry at Johns Hopkins University. She recently worked as the 1st Assistant Director on the short film Sundown. In March 2022 she wrote and directed The Waiting Room, a Twilight-Zone-inspired short thriller. Mia loves classic Hollywood films, especially suspense films and movie musicals. Her favorite TV shows are The West Wing and AppleTV’s Schmigadoon!. She is very excited to have the opportunity to explore her interests in fashion history and thrifting as a production designer on Moving Up, Out, On.
John D'cruz is a junior studying film and media studies at Johns Hopkins University. He has worked as a producer and social media manager for a variety of projects. Currently, he is interning for Janet Yang and co-writing/producing a TikTok series.