Outtakes
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama
As the cover band, "The Ladybugs", goes through rehearsal, the narrative intercuts between rehearsals, arguments, and other shenanigans. Arguments climax with John wanting to continue the band post-grad while Paul is ready to move on. The disorganized band rehearses through song and relationships.
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$400
Goal: $1,600 for production
As the cover band, "The Ladybugs", goes through rehearsal, the narrative intercuts between rehearsals, arguments, and other shenanigans. Arguments climax with John wanting to continue the band post-grad while Paul is ready to move on. The disorganized band rehearses through song and relationships.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
In a dingy garage filled to the brim with years of junk and a scattering of Beatles memorabilia, we find four university students impersonating the Beatles as the Ladybugs - John, Paul (F), George, and Ringo (early 20s). They're spunky, restless, musically gifted, and more importantly, all dressed in early 60s Beatles attire. We find them in the midst of rehearsal, setting up, preparing for one last gig.
On the brink of college graduation, the gang of friends finds their relationship tested by their ever-diverging paths. John desperately wants to keep the band together, never withholding his angst from the other members. In the opposite camp, Paul is ready to move on to another chapter of her life - grad school. George and Ringo are caught up in the crossfire of the two,eager to just keep rehearsal going.
With their strained relationships taking center stage, the short film intercuts between the group rehearsing, arguing, and playing games together. Taking place all in one setting and one rehearsal, the narrative takes on a docu-esque feel. Leaning into the art of the rehearsal process - the growth and discord found within.
Outtakes is a passion project sparked by my love for the artmaking process and my artistic idols that have shaped the process for me. In our current digital landscape, our rapid consumption of information leads to a great emphasis on perfection and the idea that the end justifies the means within art. It strips away our understanding and appreciation for the tremulous process of creating. I wanted to hone in on this arduous and taxing process that all creatives go through.
For me, it's a battle of wills. I constantly struggle to face what I have completed and what to create next. As a pianist and cellist growing up, there were countless hours of heated contention that resulted in achieving a single piece. I've always struggled with that process, but I was always grateful for its results. Recently graduating from UCLA has taught me that the process is its own artform - being able to embrace the difficulties instead of seeing them as counterproductive. With this in mind, I began to meld my passions for film production with my other love, the Beatles.
The idea of artistic identity has been fascinating for me, especially regarding younger artists. Coming of age films often focus on the interpersonal transition between adolescence and adulthood. I wanted to transport this coming of age question to one of artistic identity. What does it mean for an artist to find their voice? Regardless of what stage of life we are in, we often wear our influences on our sleeves. They're prominent figureheads in our lives and define our own stylistic approaches to craft. It would be hard to find a less influential band in our modern musical era than the Beatles. I wanted to explore how being in a cover band has been an aid for these musicians in finding their own voices.
Outtakes is a docu-esque narrative that emphasizes the interpersonal connection between character and art. At its core, it's a love letter to artistic growth and the figures that have helped countless people find their own voice.
-JZ
The first major inspiration of the film is the Beatles themselves. Their early 60s boyish charm and rebellious love songs define the youthful nature of the script's dialogue and themes. Songs such as "This Boy" and "All My Loving" capture a sweet and sincere nature that I aim to capture in the script. Beyond their songs, I drew upon the Beatles' wide range of film work - most prominently Hard Day's Night (1964, Dir. Richard Lester) and The Beatles: Get Back (2021, Dir. Peter Jackson). The jubilant energy of Hard Day's Night and the extensive creative rehearsals (and the conflict within them) of Get Back are major influences on the tone/themes in Outtakes. Along the same musical lines, I also drew inspiration from other musical documentaries such as Bob Dylan in Don't Look Back (1967, Dir. D.A. Pennebaker) and the Rolling Stones in Sympathy for the Devil (1968, Dir. J.L. Godard).
Following a scrappy and homemade energy, I also drew heavy inspiration from films of the Dogma 95 movement. I am drawn to the authentic and stripped-down functions of films such as The Celebration (1998, Dir. Thomas Vinterberg) and Italian for Beginners (2000, Dir. Lone Scherfig). We are planning to shoot the film in a similar manner to capture a homemade videotape aesthetic. The entire film will be shot on an early 2000s camcorder. I believe that this aesthetic best matches the energy within the rag-tag cover band as they document their last few rehearsals together. Shooting in this handheld and bare bones manner also helps us compensate for project costs.
Other narrative influences include early works by the Safdie brothers and John Cassavetes. Similar to the Dogma 95 movement, I am drawn to their choreographed authenticity - bordering on a mumblecore film. Outtakes will also draw from their handheld shooting and choreography. Furthermore, following the same vein, Outtakes will have an eclectic mesh of editing. It'll be frenetic when presenting the arguments, but sustained when showing the rehearsal process - a reprieve from the interpersonal drama.
Despite its more retro and minimalistic look, we believe that this project is important for the here and now because it explores the humanity of art making. In the rise of AI leeching into creative spheres, it is important to remember our humanity and all its worth.
Budget Breakdown
- Crew Meals & Crafty 🍽: $650
- Camera 🎥: $250
- Grip & Electric 💡: $200
- PD & Costumes 🎨: $200
- Transportation & Parking 🚗: $150
- Contingency 🧰: $150
TOTAL GOAL BUDGET: $1,600
Outtakes is intentionally designed to be produced on a low budget without compromising the story we want to tell. Because the film unfolds entirely in one location, we're able to keep production costs low by limiting company moves and minimizing location expenses. We are also incredibly fortunate to be making this film alongside a team of current students and recent graduates from the UCLA film community. Although this is a completely independent production, many of our crew members have access to professional filmmaking equipment through student organizations and generous support from friends and collaborators who are lending gear and other supplies to the project.
Every dollar raised will go directly toward the expenses we can't borrow: feeding our cast and crew, camera and grip equipment that still needs to be sourced, production design and costumes to authentically capture the band’s 1960s style, transportation, and other essential production costs that ensure we have a safe and successful shoot.
Production Timeline
- July–August 2026 - Pre-Production
- August 22–23, 2026 - Production
- Late August 2026–Early 2027 - Post-Production
- Spring/Summer 2027 - Festival Run
We are currently in pre-production and on track to begin principal photography on August 22-23, 2026. Following production, we'll move immediately into post-production with the goal of completing the film in time for 2027 Spring/Summer festival submissions.
Thank you for your time and consideration towards Outtakes. Any amount of support is appreciated. Let's face the music together.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Camera
Costs $250
For renting a camera, camera gear, and any additional costs that come with operating a camcorder
Production Design and Costumes
Costs $200
For sourcing costumes and any production design materials
Transportation and Parking
Costs $150
For renting transportation equipment for cast and crew
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Joshua Zhao is a recent psychology graduate from UCLA. UCLA has opened new gateways that have allowed him to explore film creatively and professionally. Joshua made his directorial debut with a feature-length production of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya for UCLA’s Shakespeare Company - giving him a holistic view of directing as an artform. He has extensive experience in student-led film production, having crewed on many UCLA MFA/undergraduate student films and music videos in roles such as 1st/2nd AD, 1st/2nd AC, and PA. Eager to learn more about the film business, Joshua has interned at lauded companies such as StudioCanal, XYZ Films, and Anton. Outside of devouring films, he is a Bob Dylan fanatic and enjoys critical writing.
Favorite Beatles Song: While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Lana Tania is a Singapore-born, Jakarta-raised filmmaker currently based in LA. She recently earned her B.A. in Film and TV with a senior concentration in Narrative Directing from UCLA’s School of Film, TV, and Digital Media. Since arriving in LA, Lana has consistently been directing, producing, or otherwise contributing to film and media productions. This summer, she has been producing narrative shorts and music videos alike while completing post-production on her thesis film and supporting marketing efforts at an LA-based distribution company through her editing work. As a writer-director, Lana primarily works in the comedy genre and uses wacky premises as a vehicle for reshaping Asian representation in media. As a producer, she is passionate about helping shepherd fellow young filmmakers’ voices to the screen and is thrilled to add Joshua Zhao’s incredible film to her roster. Outside of film, Lana produces electronic music and DJs, which makes her especially excited to be part of a film that explores the role music plays in human connection.
Favorite Beatles Song: Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
Katherine Mathews (Producer) is a writer, director, and producer based in Los Angeles. Kate is a recent graduate from UCLA's School of Theater, Film, and Television with a B.A. in Film and Television and a concentration in screenwriting. Alongside her feature-length script projects, Kate has written and directed multiple short films during her time in the program, such as THINGS YOU LEAVE BEHIND, ACCRETION, and NO ALARMS. She’s avid short-film producer, having worked on multitude of films in the past year, including UCLA senior capstones GET WOK’D, CROSSROADS, and FIAT LUX, and NYU senior capstone BEETLE RING. Her work spans narrative shorts, documentary shorts, and music videos, with a specific emphasis on complicated connections and conflicted characters. As a writer and director herself, she intimately understands the trials of the production process, and finds passion as a producer in supporting fellow directors on their journey of creation.
Favorite Beatles Song: Two of Us
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
In a dingy garage filled to the brim with years of junk and a scattering of Beatles memorabilia, we find four university students impersonating the Beatles as the Ladybugs - John, Paul (F), George, and Ringo (early 20s). They're spunky, restless, musically gifted, and more importantly, all dressed in early 60s Beatles attire. We find them in the midst of rehearsal, setting up, preparing for one last gig.
On the brink of college graduation, the gang of friends finds their relationship tested by their ever-diverging paths. John desperately wants to keep the band together, never withholding his angst from the other members. In the opposite camp, Paul is ready to move on to another chapter of her life - grad school. George and Ringo are caught up in the crossfire of the two,eager to just keep rehearsal going.
With their strained relationships taking center stage, the short film intercuts between the group rehearsing, arguing, and playing games together. Taking place all in one setting and one rehearsal, the narrative takes on a docu-esque feel. Leaning into the art of the rehearsal process - the growth and discord found within.
Outtakes is a passion project sparked by my love for the artmaking process and my artistic idols that have shaped the process for me. In our current digital landscape, our rapid consumption of information leads to a great emphasis on perfection and the idea that the end justifies the means within art. It strips away our understanding and appreciation for the tremulous process of creating. I wanted to hone in on this arduous and taxing process that all creatives go through.
For me, it's a battle of wills. I constantly struggle to face what I have completed and what to create next. As a pianist and cellist growing up, there were countless hours of heated contention that resulted in achieving a single piece. I've always struggled with that process, but I was always grateful for its results. Recently graduating from UCLA has taught me that the process is its own artform - being able to embrace the difficulties instead of seeing them as counterproductive. With this in mind, I began to meld my passions for film production with my other love, the Beatles.
The idea of artistic identity has been fascinating for me, especially regarding younger artists. Coming of age films often focus on the interpersonal transition between adolescence and adulthood. I wanted to transport this coming of age question to one of artistic identity. What does it mean for an artist to find their voice? Regardless of what stage of life we are in, we often wear our influences on our sleeves. They're prominent figureheads in our lives and define our own stylistic approaches to craft. It would be hard to find a less influential band in our modern musical era than the Beatles. I wanted to explore how being in a cover band has been an aid for these musicians in finding their own voices.
Outtakes is a docu-esque narrative that emphasizes the interpersonal connection between character and art. At its core, it's a love letter to artistic growth and the figures that have helped countless people find their own voice.
-JZ
The first major inspiration of the film is the Beatles themselves. Their early 60s boyish charm and rebellious love songs define the youthful nature of the script's dialogue and themes. Songs such as "This Boy" and "All My Loving" capture a sweet and sincere nature that I aim to capture in the script. Beyond their songs, I drew upon the Beatles' wide range of film work - most prominently Hard Day's Night (1964, Dir. Richard Lester) and The Beatles: Get Back (2021, Dir. Peter Jackson). The jubilant energy of Hard Day's Night and the extensive creative rehearsals (and the conflict within them) of Get Back are major influences on the tone/themes in Outtakes. Along the same musical lines, I also drew inspiration from other musical documentaries such as Bob Dylan in Don't Look Back (1967, Dir. D.A. Pennebaker) and the Rolling Stones in Sympathy for the Devil (1968, Dir. J.L. Godard).
Following a scrappy and homemade energy, I also drew heavy inspiration from films of the Dogma 95 movement. I am drawn to the authentic and stripped-down functions of films such as The Celebration (1998, Dir. Thomas Vinterberg) and Italian for Beginners (2000, Dir. Lone Scherfig). We are planning to shoot the film in a similar manner to capture a homemade videotape aesthetic. The entire film will be shot on an early 2000s camcorder. I believe that this aesthetic best matches the energy within the rag-tag cover band as they document their last few rehearsals together. Shooting in this handheld and bare bones manner also helps us compensate for project costs.
Other narrative influences include early works by the Safdie brothers and John Cassavetes. Similar to the Dogma 95 movement, I am drawn to their choreographed authenticity - bordering on a mumblecore film. Outtakes will also draw from their handheld shooting and choreography. Furthermore, following the same vein, Outtakes will have an eclectic mesh of editing. It'll be frenetic when presenting the arguments, but sustained when showing the rehearsal process - a reprieve from the interpersonal drama.
Despite its more retro and minimalistic look, we believe that this project is important for the here and now because it explores the humanity of art making. In the rise of AI leeching into creative spheres, it is important to remember our humanity and all its worth.
Budget Breakdown
- Crew Meals & Crafty 🍽: $650
- Camera 🎥: $250
- Grip & Electric 💡: $200
- PD & Costumes 🎨: $200
- Transportation & Parking 🚗: $150
- Contingency 🧰: $150
TOTAL GOAL BUDGET: $1,600
Outtakes is intentionally designed to be produced on a low budget without compromising the story we want to tell. Because the film unfolds entirely in one location, we're able to keep production costs low by limiting company moves and minimizing location expenses. We are also incredibly fortunate to be making this film alongside a team of current students and recent graduates from the UCLA film community. Although this is a completely independent production, many of our crew members have access to professional filmmaking equipment through student organizations and generous support from friends and collaborators who are lending gear and other supplies to the project.
Every dollar raised will go directly toward the expenses we can't borrow: feeding our cast and crew, camera and grip equipment that still needs to be sourced, production design and costumes to authentically capture the band’s 1960s style, transportation, and other essential production costs that ensure we have a safe and successful shoot.
Production Timeline
- July–August 2026 - Pre-Production
- August 22–23, 2026 - Production
- Late August 2026–Early 2027 - Post-Production
- Spring/Summer 2027 - Festival Run
We are currently in pre-production and on track to begin principal photography on August 22-23, 2026. Following production, we'll move immediately into post-production with the goal of completing the film in time for 2027 Spring/Summer festival submissions.
Thank you for your time and consideration towards Outtakes. Any amount of support is appreciated. Let's face the music together.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Camera
Costs $250
For renting a camera, camera gear, and any additional costs that come with operating a camcorder
Production Design and Costumes
Costs $200
For sourcing costumes and any production design materials
Transportation and Parking
Costs $150
For renting transportation equipment for cast and crew
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Joshua Zhao is a recent psychology graduate from UCLA. UCLA has opened new gateways that have allowed him to explore film creatively and professionally. Joshua made his directorial debut with a feature-length production of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya for UCLA’s Shakespeare Company - giving him a holistic view of directing as an artform. He has extensive experience in student-led film production, having crewed on many UCLA MFA/undergraduate student films and music videos in roles such as 1st/2nd AD, 1st/2nd AC, and PA. Eager to learn more about the film business, Joshua has interned at lauded companies such as StudioCanal, XYZ Films, and Anton. Outside of devouring films, he is a Bob Dylan fanatic and enjoys critical writing.
Favorite Beatles Song: While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Lana Tania is a Singapore-born, Jakarta-raised filmmaker currently based in LA. She recently earned her B.A. in Film and TV with a senior concentration in Narrative Directing from UCLA’s School of Film, TV, and Digital Media. Since arriving in LA, Lana has consistently been directing, producing, or otherwise contributing to film and media productions. This summer, she has been producing narrative shorts and music videos alike while completing post-production on her thesis film and supporting marketing efforts at an LA-based distribution company through her editing work. As a writer-director, Lana primarily works in the comedy genre and uses wacky premises as a vehicle for reshaping Asian representation in media. As a producer, she is passionate about helping shepherd fellow young filmmakers’ voices to the screen and is thrilled to add Joshua Zhao’s incredible film to her roster. Outside of film, Lana produces electronic music and DJs, which makes her especially excited to be part of a film that explores the role music plays in human connection.
Favorite Beatles Song: Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
Katherine Mathews (Producer) is a writer, director, and producer based in Los Angeles. Kate is a recent graduate from UCLA's School of Theater, Film, and Television with a B.A. in Film and Television and a concentration in screenwriting. Alongside her feature-length script projects, Kate has written and directed multiple short films during her time in the program, such as THINGS YOU LEAVE BEHIND, ACCRETION, and NO ALARMS. She’s avid short-film producer, having worked on multitude of films in the past year, including UCLA senior capstones GET WOK’D, CROSSROADS, and FIAT LUX, and NYU senior capstone BEETLE RING. Her work spans narrative shorts, documentary shorts, and music videos, with a specific emphasis on complicated connections and conflicted characters. As a writer and director herself, she intimately understands the trials of the production process, and finds passion as a producer in supporting fellow directors on their journey of creation.
Favorite Beatles Song: Two of Us