Support LGBTQ character driven stories and women of color in film.
Support LGBTQ character driven stories and women of color in film.
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Story
Mission Statement
New Recruits will showcase a diverse young cast and strong LGBTQ women of color characters.About The Project
New Recruits follows a rag tag group of new recruits on their first day of basic training. There they meet Senior Staff Sgt. Winger, a loud no nonsense out and proud Drill Sergeant, with eccentricities matched only by her desire to prepare struggling recruits for their unforeseen futures. Staff Sgt. Sugar Pie, a stuffed toy unicorn assists her in her duties. The two interrogate the batch of new recruits with one single question. Why did you join the Army? Not knowing is not an option.
The Film
New Recruits focuses on the young men and women and their choices surrounding joining the Army. Some of the soldiers depicted in the film are motivated by religious ideology, economic hardships and personal loss.
The Story Behind the Film
The idea for the film first came about after my little brother dropped out of college, enlisted in the Army and went off to basic training. His decision to serve in the military was a shock to me at first. I always thought he would do something with music or teaching. I had my own personal fears and hang-ups to get over in order to support his decision. Our ninety three year old grandfather enlisted when he was only seventeen. We had heard plenty of stories over the years of the different hardships and obstacles that he had faced. That only exacerbated my concerns. I'm thirteen years older then my brother. It's hard not to think of him as that little round baby that I swaddled and accidentally turned orange once by feeding him too many carrots. Seeing him as a young man making a very grownup decision took some time. He felt very strongly that he wanted to change his life and enroll in the service. During basic training we were able to send letters to keep in touch. Through those letters I was able to hear what he was going through and what his commanding officers were like. There really was a sergeant that talked to a stuffed unicorn as a motivational tool and he found himself taking orders and learning combat training from several female officers.
What We Need
The film is in the production stage; here are some of the things we need to pay for:
- Actors
- AD
- DP
-Sound Mixer
-Costumes
-Props
-Craft Service
Why Support This FIlm?
I'm a member of the LGBTQ community and it was important to me to showcase LGBTQ characters and women of color in leadership roles serving in the military in this film.
By supporting this project, you are supporting the LGBTQ community and spreading a message of acceptance and equality.
There aren't enough films with women of color and LGBTQ characters. Hopefully this film will encourage inclusion in cinema, behind and in front of the camera.
Lastly, New Recruits celebrates the brave men and women that serve and fight for our freedom. Help us make this film and share it with the world!
Incentives
$1
Ten-hut
My dog Silvi will thank you on social media.
$5
Private (PVT)
Senior Staff Sgt. Winger will send you a mean tweet questioning if you have what it takes to be a New Recruit.
$15
Fabulous Recruits
Fabulous Recruits are toy soldiers that have been covered head to toe in pink glitter.
One per pledge.
Claimed: 3 of 100
$25
Private Second Class (PV2)
Shoutout on social media
Digital poster
Digital access to film
$50
Private First Class (PFC)
All of the above
Digital copy of script
Digital storyboards
Cast audition videos
Behind the scene photos
$100
Specialist (SPC)
All of the above
Invited to watch a rehearsal
Meet the cast
(Travel expenses not included)
Claimed: 6 of 10
$1,000
General (GA)
All of the above
A thank you named in the end credits
Associate Producer Credit
Visit to the set
Walk on role as a featured extra
Claimed: 2 of 5
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Wishlist
Use the WishList to pledge cash and loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an incentive directly.
$1
Ten-hut
My dog Silvi will thank you on social media.
$5
Private (PVT)
Senior Staff Sgt. Winger will send you a mean tweet questioning if you have what it takes to be a New Recruit.
$15
Fabulous Recruits
Fabulous Recruits are toy soldiers that have been covered head to toe in pink glitter.
One per pledge.
Claimed: 3 of 100
$25
Private Second Class (PV2)
Shoutout on social media
Digital poster
Digital access to film
$50
Private First Class (PFC)
All of the above
Digital copy of script
Digital storyboards
Cast audition videos
Behind the scene photos
$100
Specialist (SPC)
All of the above
Invited to watch a rehearsal
Meet the cast
(Travel expenses not included)
Claimed: 6 of 10
$1,000
General (GA)
All of the above
A thank you named in the end credits
Associate Producer Credit
Visit to the set
Walk on role as a featured extra
Claimed: 2 of 5
- Updates
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Current Team
About This Team
Nicole De Meneses (Writer / Director)
I'm the writer and director of 'New Recruits'. The short film is very personal to me. I first wrote the script after my little brother enlisted in the Army and went off to basic training. He shared several letters and stories about the different people he met and experiences he went through. I wrote the script as a way of dealing with my own personal fears and hangups surrounding that process.
Some of the directors and films that have influenced me the most for this project are Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket and Jason Reitman's Thank You for Smoking.
I'm also a animator, illustrator and founder of Story Artist Productions. I've created diverse comercial and promotional videos for various startups and film companies in the Bay Area.
https://www.storyartistproductions.com/
Kindrid Parker (Assistant Director)
Kindrid is a film producer/director/writer, film educator, and actor living and working in San Francisco. He is also the founding member of Last Wave Film, Last Wave Film is an artisan collective of longtime collaborators and apprentices, producing content for others at the highest professional and creative standard while making personal workk
Basil Glew-Galloway (Director of Photography)
Basil has been working in Film and Photography from Morocco, to Berlin, to the Bay Area. Classic lighting techniques inform Basil's varied and flexible approach to photography and videography.
Roberta Macintye (Production Designer)
Roberta has produced numerous small independent films, several of which have found their way into film festivals. She has combined a successful career as a fire chief and fire marshal with a passion for filmmaking to bring several successful independent films to life. She brings a degree in filmmaking and a lifetime of disaster planning to ensure that all the details are covered in advance of production and the tools, processes and personnel are in place to deal with the inevitable challenges that crop up on set during shooting.
Roberta is currently producing two feature films. One is a documentary about the recent Northern California firestorms titled FIRESTORM – The First 12 Hours. And the other is Catch of the Day.
Scott T. Parkhurst (Consultant / Script Supervisor)
Scott joined the US Army in 1990 for Desert Storm. He took a leave of absent from his police Dept. in Northern CA with the blessing from his police Chief. He was first trained as a field surgical technician and then went on to train as a combat medic and master fitness trainer as well as a weapons expert. He was seriously injured and had to retire out after serving 20 years.
Scott is a working actor in the Bay Area and when he's not racing off to an audition he's racing fast cars and riding motorcycles on the race track.
Shawna Khorasani (Casting Director)
Shawna loves bringing stories to life, especially on screen. She studied literature in college and now creates independent films. She’s a working member of the Bay Area film scene and loves queer films and stories. She recently wrapped production on her first short LGBTQ film ‘Darren’. Shawna and the rest of the ‘New Recruits’ team appreciate and support female filmmakers and women of color working behind and in front of the camera.
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