Open Up
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Comedy, LGBTQ
In this crushingly relatable comedy short film driven by a female-led production team, a recent high school grad tries to steal a love letter back before it falls into the wrong hands.
Open Up
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Comedy, LGBTQ
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $2,175 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
23 supporters | followers
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In this crushingly relatable comedy short film driven by a female-led production team, a recent high school grad tries to steal a love letter back before it falls into the wrong hands.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
OPEN UP is a coming-of-age comedy short film about vulnerability and saying how you really feel. It’s got everything: late-night taco bell, arm injuries, salt rock lamps, cryptic letters, middle-aged moms in puffer vests on their way to spin class... and lots of teenage self-conscious anxiety.
When recent high school grad Morgan remembers that she drunkenly mailed her best friend Kelsey a love letter the previous night, she panics and rushes to get the letter back before her true feelings are revealed. Set at Kelsey’s house during her college-going-away party, the film follows Morgan’s frantic mission to find the letter before it gets read and gauge Kelsey’s feelings for her, all while celebrating one final farewell with her hometown friend group.
I (hi - it's Amanda for this part) wrote this script last year about the fear of vulnerability. Queer representation in media has grown so much in the past few years, but it still feels relatively small. I can count on my hands the amount of films and TV shows I love that portray the feeling of -gay panic- in a real and relatable way. This is a story I would have wanted to watch in high school, and I'm so excited that it's coming to life.
Over the weekend of September 16-18th, we finished filming with our incredible team of 25 cast and crew members. We're so incredibly proud of the result and can't wait to share the completed film with you! So why are we asking for support? Your contributions will help us cover costs of production (equipment rentals, craft services, production design) and post-production (editing, coloring, sound-designing, and musical scoring of the film). Your support will also cover film festival entry fees to increase our film's exposure and help OPEN UP reach the widest audience possible. Every single contribution matters!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Post Production
Costs $300
Hire a professional colorist and composer. Includes hard drive costs.
Catering
Costs $850
Nutritious snacks and meals to feed our wonderful cast and crew
Camera and Lighting Equipment
Costs $450
Professional camera and lighting rentals to create a high quality film.
Production Design
Costs $315
Help create realistic teenage bedrooms and a beachy suburban home aesthetic.
Festival Entry Fees
Costs $200
After this beautiful film is done, we want to share it with as many festivals as possible!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Meet our talented team!
Amanda Maddocks: Producer/Writer/Director
Amanda Maddocks is an LA-based writer, director, and producer currently working as Associate Producer of Unscripted Production at Brat TV. She is a recent alumni of San Diego State University's film program, and her senior thesis film "Squeaky Clean" was a semi-finalist at Fine Cut Film Festival.
Meg Darbourne: Producer/Assistant Director
Meg Darbourne is a writer, director, and producer known for her WALLY! award winning short film "SRY, LOL." She co-founded a female led production company called No Storage Productions that creates music videos, commericals and short films, and strives to uplift female stories and artists. She has a passion for filmmaking and is grateful for the opportunity to bring "Open Up" to life and help it reach its full potential.
Jacob Flores: Associate Producer
Jacob Flores is a producer and third-year film student at SDSU. Having worked with most of the incredible crew behind this project, he is absolutely ecstatic to be joining this team and is looking forward to the great experience he'll gain. He cannot wait to bring this story to life and is so excited for everyone to see it!
Sonali Chugani: Director of Photography
Sonali Chugani is a cinematographer, editor, and producer based in Los Angeles. She was DP on the WALLY! award-winning short film "SRY, LOL", and is the co-founder of the female-led production company No Storage Productions.
Jayne Chen: Production Designer
Jayne is a production designer and rising junior at USC School of Cinematic Arts interested in telling visual stories.
Jenna Doolittle: Editor
Jenna is an LA-based editor and concert photographer. She has worked as an editor on television shows including "The Hamptons", "The Cube", and "Press Your Luck". Through her brand, It's Fine Photography, she has edited music videos for Soheill (Start All Over), Radio Romance (Holding On) and Desk Job (Temporary).
Madi Hart: "Morgan"
Madi Hart is an LA-based comedian and writer, recently graduated from Northwestern University. Catch her monthly comedy show (Chicago10s) at the Lyric Hyperion, or watch her new web series “Using Protection” when it releases this Fall!
Jessica Taylor: "Kelsey"
Jessica Taylor is an American stage and film actress. She last appeared in HookedTV’s ‘Nightmare Smile’, and is most recently starring in the Western, ‘Blood in Them Hills’. She’s looking forward to making her comedy debut in Amanda Maddock’s ‘OPEN UP’. In addition to her film career, Jessica Taylor is a writer, currently completing her first collection; FOREVER, FOR A LITTLE BIT.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
OPEN UP is a coming-of-age comedy short film about vulnerability and saying how you really feel. It’s got everything: late-night taco bell, arm injuries, salt rock lamps, cryptic letters, middle-aged moms in puffer vests on their way to spin class... and lots of teenage self-conscious anxiety.
When recent high school grad Morgan remembers that she drunkenly mailed her best friend Kelsey a love letter the previous night, she panics and rushes to get the letter back before her true feelings are revealed. Set at Kelsey’s house during her college-going-away party, the film follows Morgan’s frantic mission to find the letter before it gets read and gauge Kelsey’s feelings for her, all while celebrating one final farewell with her hometown friend group.
I (hi - it's Amanda for this part) wrote this script last year about the fear of vulnerability. Queer representation in media has grown so much in the past few years, but it still feels relatively small. I can count on my hands the amount of films and TV shows I love that portray the feeling of -gay panic- in a real and relatable way. This is a story I would have wanted to watch in high school, and I'm so excited that it's coming to life.
Over the weekend of September 16-18th, we finished filming with our incredible team of 25 cast and crew members. We're so incredibly proud of the result and can't wait to share the completed film with you! So why are we asking for support? Your contributions will help us cover costs of production (equipment rentals, craft services, production design) and post-production (editing, coloring, sound-designing, and musical scoring of the film). Your support will also cover film festival entry fees to increase our film's exposure and help OPEN UP reach the widest audience possible. Every single contribution matters!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Post Production
Costs $300
Hire a professional colorist and composer. Includes hard drive costs.
Catering
Costs $850
Nutritious snacks and meals to feed our wonderful cast and crew
Camera and Lighting Equipment
Costs $450
Professional camera and lighting rentals to create a high quality film.
Production Design
Costs $315
Help create realistic teenage bedrooms and a beachy suburban home aesthetic.
Festival Entry Fees
Costs $200
After this beautiful film is done, we want to share it with as many festivals as possible!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Meet our talented team!
Amanda Maddocks: Producer/Writer/Director
Amanda Maddocks is an LA-based writer, director, and producer currently working as Associate Producer of Unscripted Production at Brat TV. She is a recent alumni of San Diego State University's film program, and her senior thesis film "Squeaky Clean" was a semi-finalist at Fine Cut Film Festival.
Meg Darbourne: Producer/Assistant Director
Meg Darbourne is a writer, director, and producer known for her WALLY! award winning short film "SRY, LOL." She co-founded a female led production company called No Storage Productions that creates music videos, commericals and short films, and strives to uplift female stories and artists. She has a passion for filmmaking and is grateful for the opportunity to bring "Open Up" to life and help it reach its full potential.
Jacob Flores: Associate Producer
Jacob Flores is a producer and third-year film student at SDSU. Having worked with most of the incredible crew behind this project, he is absolutely ecstatic to be joining this team and is looking forward to the great experience he'll gain. He cannot wait to bring this story to life and is so excited for everyone to see it!
Sonali Chugani: Director of Photography
Sonali Chugani is a cinematographer, editor, and producer based in Los Angeles. She was DP on the WALLY! award-winning short film "SRY, LOL", and is the co-founder of the female-led production company No Storage Productions.
Jayne Chen: Production Designer
Jayne is a production designer and rising junior at USC School of Cinematic Arts interested in telling visual stories.
Jenna Doolittle: Editor
Jenna is an LA-based editor and concert photographer. She has worked as an editor on television shows including "The Hamptons", "The Cube", and "Press Your Luck". Through her brand, It's Fine Photography, she has edited music videos for Soheill (Start All Over), Radio Romance (Holding On) and Desk Job (Temporary).
Madi Hart: "Morgan"
Madi Hart is an LA-based comedian and writer, recently graduated from Northwestern University. Catch her monthly comedy show (Chicago10s) at the Lyric Hyperion, or watch her new web series “Using Protection” when it releases this Fall!
Jessica Taylor: "Kelsey"
Jessica Taylor is an American stage and film actress. She last appeared in HookedTV’s ‘Nightmare Smile’, and is most recently starring in the Western, ‘Blood in Them Hills’. She’s looking forward to making her comedy debut in Amanda Maddock’s ‘OPEN UP’. In addition to her film career, Jessica Taylor is a writer, currently completing her first collection; FOREVER, FOR A LITTLE BIT.