My First Shot
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Film Short
Drama
Our goal is to further the breakdown of barriers that people with disabilities face when it comes to the film industry. Creating a unique story about a young man with Down Syndrome is something that most audiences do not get to see. With your help, we will be able to share this film with all of you!
My First Shot
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Film Short
Drama
3 Campaigns | Pennsylvania, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $4,110 for post-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
45 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
Our goal is to further the breakdown of barriers that people with disabilities face when it comes to the film industry. Creating a unique story about a young man with Down Syndrome is something that most audiences do not get to see. With your help, we will be able to share this film with all of you!
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Synopsis:
My First Shot is a story that follows Will, a young man with Down Syndrome, who has just finished high school. He has been applying for jobs with no success, until he comes to Maurice Marks. Maurice owns a clothing store and although at first glance he might not seem like the person to hire Will, he brings him on as a new employee. The rest of the story follows Will’s struggles as he adjusts to post graduation life with a set of new obstacles and new friends.
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Message from the Writer/Director:
The story is inspired by my friend Kevin who has Down Syndrome, and his journey after finishing high school. I met Kevin in the organization Best Buddies International back in high school. Best Buddies International is a nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Lead Actor - Nate Seagraves / Writer, Director Alex and Kevin
I haven’t always been on the path to be a filmmaker. I spent time as a Special Education major in college before switching to film. During my time in that major I worked at Variety Club, a summer camp for kids with disabilities, for two summers. Even after switching my major to film, I still work there because of how amazing of an experience it was. I spent my later years in college learning and building my writing and directing skills while being involved in the comedy organization Temple SMASH, as well as writing and directing several short films that have been official festival selections. I want to tell this specific story because of the lack of films involving individuals with disabilities. My time spent in Best Buddies the last six years, as well as three summers at a camp, has shown me that there are plenty of stories to be told.
- Alex Nicoletti
Future of My First Shot
My First Shot will be submitted to several national film festivals, as well as be available on Amazon Prime Video in the hopes to have more representation of actors with Down Syndrome on screen. Generous contributors will also receive a private link to view the film, behind the scenes photos and video, and even a poster signed by the cast!
Since this page has been up and running, we have reached our goal for the film budget. I’m so grateful and humbled by your generosity. I would love for you to keep pledging because anything over and above this current project’s budget will be saved and used for our next film’s production!
Shooting with COVID
Safety is at the forefront of our production. To comply with social distancing and basic sanitation rules, we are keeping our total cast and crew number to 10 and under, per shoot day. We are requiring all participants behind the camera to wear gloves and masks as well as those in front of the screen when the camera is not rolling. We will be providing sanitizing wipes for all cast and crew, ensuring that every space and object interacted with will be wiped down. We will also be implementing temperature checks at the beginning, during, and the end of each of the four shoot days.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Transportation
Costs $150
Reimburse all cast and crew members for their travel costs to and from set.
Equipment
Costs $300
Camera, Lighting, and Grip equipment for the production of the film.
Props and Wardrobe
Costs $250
Props and wardrobe needed for production.
Food
Costs $300
Feeding the cast and crew for two meals a day, plus snacks and drinks, for four total shoot days.
Cast and Crew
Costs $500
Day rates to pay for cast and crew for four shoot days.
Film Festivals
Costs $200
Entry fees for several film festivals, as well as the fee to distribute the film on Amazon Prime.
Share this update!
About This Team
Cast
Nate Seagraves
Will
Nate has been singing and acting since high school. He was in plays such as Peter Pan where he played a Lost Boy, and West Side Story where he played a Shark. His goal is to move to New York City and act on Broadway.
AU Hogan
Maurice Marks
AU Hogan has been acting over 25 years, and he loves both the stage and camera. He is the author of the book "Love is Simply Confusing". A former NYC Golden Gloves Boxing Champion, who turned to acting because he says "you can't fight forever." He currently stars in the international short film Happy Ending that has won many awards this year in film festivals. The film is now headed to three more festivals including the Canadian festival in hope of even better things.
Breyon Young
Jalen Marks
Breyon is an up and coming actor from Philadelphia who left the corporate world to pursue his passion in entertainment. Breyon started his career doing numerous voice over work for local commercials around the Philadelphia area. Now, he steps in front of the camera to make his acting presence known to the world!
Cindy McCord
Joanne
Cindy McCord, a Delco native, has been singing for over 30 years, fronting her own band, The McChords. Cindy and her husband Chris own and operate CMC Productions, Pa. , which is a multi faceted music and theatre company. Cindy also teaches musical theatre camps and a winter glee club throughout year, and voice lessons too! Her focus is on helping the kids shine!! www.cmcproductionspa.biz
Paige Michell
Ava
Paige Michelle is a film actress from Philadelphia, PA. In 2016 she began taking classes at John Casablancas center where she studied film, television, and theater. She is known for her astounding performance in the film Now I See as Daya Andrews, Tiffany from The Way You Get Him, as well as the leading role in four short films. Off camera, she is an entrepreneur who does health and fitness personal training, and owns her own affirmation business called Daily Grace 365, which provides motivation to individuals striving towards their life goals.
Madeline Garcia
Lauren
Orginally from Texas, she made her way to New Mexico and finally to Philadelphia! She is currently receiving her MFA in Acting at Temple University and is so excited to be a part of this story!
Patrick Heraghty
Officer McCauly
Patrick Heraghty is excited to be part of this production and has been acting over a decade now. He has had lead and supporting roles in numerous features, shorts, commercials and plays. Patrick is currently filming at location in California in Edward Greene’s “Pick A Side”.
Crew
Alex Nicoletti
Writer/Director/Producer
Alex is a writer/director from Philadelphia, PA. He was a director, director of photography, and photographer for the comedy organization Temple SMASH for two years before graduating as well as creating his own short films, some of which have been official festival selections. More at alexnicoletti.com
Ian Coyle
Producer
Ian is producer from Philadelphia, PA. He is currently an executive producer for the comedy organization Temple SMASH. He has produced a handful of his own short films as well as being a producer for Alex's short It's My Birthday, a Lift-Off Global Network 2020 Festival selection.
Dean Tatulli
Director of Photgraphy
Dean is a video production professional based in Philadelphia with 7 of years of on-set experience. In addition to that he has worked on award winning short films, a web series, and a feature film as a producer and director of photography.
Lana Duda
Editor
Lana is a film and video editor currently attending Temple University in her senior year and has edited a variety of content including sketch comedy, short films, a web series, and marketing videos for local businesses. She is currently working on the crew of the feature film FREAK, out in theaters 2021.
Xhenet Capani
Producer/Casting Director
Xhenet is professional actress based out of New York City and has recently developed her own casting company, Capani Casting. She is a recent graduate of Temple University with a BFA in Musical Theatre, with professional credits including City of Angels (Mallory/Avril), Chicago (Lipshitz), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Puck), etc. She also starred in one of Alex's short It's My Birthday, a Lift-Off Global Network 2020 Festival selection. More at xhenet.com
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Synopsis:
My First Shot is a story that follows Will, a young man with Down Syndrome, who has just finished high school. He has been applying for jobs with no success, until he comes to Maurice Marks. Maurice owns a clothing store and although at first glance he might not seem like the person to hire Will, he brings him on as a new employee. The rest of the story follows Will’s struggles as he adjusts to post graduation life with a set of new obstacles and new friends.
Message from the Writer/Director:
The story is inspired by my friend Kevin who has Down Syndrome, and his journey after finishing high school. I met Kevin in the organization Best Buddies International back in high school. Best Buddies International is a nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Lead Actor - Nate Seagraves / Writer, Director Alex and Kevin
I haven’t always been on the path to be a filmmaker. I spent time as a Special Education major in college before switching to film. During my time in that major I worked at Variety Club, a summer camp for kids with disabilities, for two summers. Even after switching my major to film, I still work there because of how amazing of an experience it was. I spent my later years in college learning and building my writing and directing skills while being involved in the comedy organization Temple SMASH, as well as writing and directing several short films that have been official festival selections. I want to tell this specific story because of the lack of films involving individuals with disabilities. My time spent in Best Buddies the last six years, as well as three summers at a camp, has shown me that there are plenty of stories to be told.
- Alex Nicoletti
Future of My First Shot
My First Shot will be submitted to several national film festivals, as well as be available on Amazon Prime Video in the hopes to have more representation of actors with Down Syndrome on screen. Generous contributors will also receive a private link to view the film, behind the scenes photos and video, and even a poster signed by the cast!
Since this page has been up and running, we have reached our goal for the film budget. I’m so grateful and humbled by your generosity. I would love for you to keep pledging because anything over and above this current project’s budget will be saved and used for our next film’s production!
Shooting with COVID
Safety is at the forefront of our production. To comply with social distancing and basic sanitation rules, we are keeping our total cast and crew number to 10 and under, per shoot day. We are requiring all participants behind the camera to wear gloves and masks as well as those in front of the screen when the camera is not rolling. We will be providing sanitizing wipes for all cast and crew, ensuring that every space and object interacted with will be wiped down. We will also be implementing temperature checks at the beginning, during, and the end of each of the four shoot days.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Transportation
Costs $150
Reimburse all cast and crew members for their travel costs to and from set.
Equipment
Costs $300
Camera, Lighting, and Grip equipment for the production of the film.
Props and Wardrobe
Costs $250
Props and wardrobe needed for production.
Food
Costs $300
Feeding the cast and crew for two meals a day, plus snacks and drinks, for four total shoot days.
Cast and Crew
Costs $500
Day rates to pay for cast and crew for four shoot days.
Film Festivals
Costs $200
Entry fees for several film festivals, as well as the fee to distribute the film on Amazon Prime.
Share this update!
About This Team
Cast
Nate Seagraves
Will
Nate has been singing and acting since high school. He was in plays such as Peter Pan where he played a Lost Boy, and West Side Story where he played a Shark. His goal is to move to New York City and act on Broadway.
AU Hogan
Maurice Marks
AU Hogan has been acting over 25 years, and he loves both the stage and camera. He is the author of the book "Love is Simply Confusing". A former NYC Golden Gloves Boxing Champion, who turned to acting because he says "you can't fight forever." He currently stars in the international short film Happy Ending that has won many awards this year in film festivals. The film is now headed to three more festivals including the Canadian festival in hope of even better things.
Breyon Young
Jalen Marks
Breyon is an up and coming actor from Philadelphia who left the corporate world to pursue his passion in entertainment. Breyon started his career doing numerous voice over work for local commercials around the Philadelphia area. Now, he steps in front of the camera to make his acting presence known to the world!
Cindy McCord
Joanne
Cindy McCord, a Delco native, has been singing for over 30 years, fronting her own band, The McChords. Cindy and her husband Chris own and operate CMC Productions, Pa. , which is a multi faceted music and theatre company. Cindy also teaches musical theatre camps and a winter glee club throughout year, and voice lessons too! Her focus is on helping the kids shine!! www.cmcproductionspa.biz
Paige Michell
Ava
Paige Michelle is a film actress from Philadelphia, PA. In 2016 she began taking classes at John Casablancas center where she studied film, television, and theater. She is known for her astounding performance in the film Now I See as Daya Andrews, Tiffany from The Way You Get Him, as well as the leading role in four short films. Off camera, she is an entrepreneur who does health and fitness personal training, and owns her own affirmation business called Daily Grace 365, which provides motivation to individuals striving towards their life goals.
Madeline Garcia
Lauren
Orginally from Texas, she made her way to New Mexico and finally to Philadelphia! She is currently receiving her MFA in Acting at Temple University and is so excited to be a part of this story!
Patrick Heraghty
Officer McCauly
Patrick Heraghty is excited to be part of this production and has been acting over a decade now. He has had lead and supporting roles in numerous features, shorts, commercials and plays. Patrick is currently filming at location in California in Edward Greene’s “Pick A Side”.
Crew
Alex Nicoletti
Writer/Director/Producer
Alex is a writer/director from Philadelphia, PA. He was a director, director of photography, and photographer for the comedy organization Temple SMASH for two years before graduating as well as creating his own short films, some of which have been official festival selections. More at alexnicoletti.com
Ian Coyle
Producer
Ian is producer from Philadelphia, PA. He is currently an executive producer for the comedy organization Temple SMASH. He has produced a handful of his own short films as well as being a producer for Alex's short It's My Birthday, a Lift-Off Global Network 2020 Festival selection.
Dean Tatulli
Director of Photgraphy
Dean is a video production professional based in Philadelphia with 7 of years of on-set experience. In addition to that he has worked on award winning short films, a web series, and a feature film as a producer and director of photography.
Lana Duda
Editor
Lana is a film and video editor currently attending Temple University in her senior year and has edited a variety of content including sketch comedy, short films, a web series, and marketing videos for local businesses. She is currently working on the crew of the feature film FREAK, out in theaters 2021.
Xhenet Capani
Producer/Casting Director
Xhenet is professional actress based out of New York City and has recently developed her own casting company, Capani Casting. She is a recent graduate of Temple University with a BFA in Musical Theatre, with professional credits including City of Angels (Mallory/Avril), Chicago (Lipshitz), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Puck), etc. She also starred in one of Alex's short It's My Birthday, a Lift-Off Global Network 2020 Festival selection. More at xhenet.com