Pa
Atlanta, Georgia | Film Short
Comedy
Pa is a heartwarming fish-out-of-water comedy about an older person getting a second chance at life. It explores themes of how we perceive the elderly and the idea that it's never too late to follow your dreams - all through the lens of a set PA in the unique setting of the film industry.
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This campaign raised $27,170 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
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Pa is a heartwarming fish-out-of-water comedy about an older person getting a second chance at life. It explores themes of how we perceive the elderly and the idea that it's never too late to follow your dreams - all through the lens of a set PA in the unique setting of the film industry.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Imagine having to stand on your feet for twelve hours or more each day. Oftentime out in the elements - sometimes in the freezing cold, other times in the scorching heat. Weathering rain and sun and wind, diligently trying to maintain quiet on set while the director gets the perfect shot.
Now imagine being 75 years old and doing that.
This is a side to moviemaking that not many people realize when they sit down in the theater to watch their favorite movies - least of all Arthur Stevenson, a 75-year-old grandfather who decides to follow his childhood dream of making motion pictures. But this is just another day in the life of a production assistant, and Arthur soon learns that life in the film industry isn't as glamorous as he thought. But will this stop him from pursuing his dream?
Meet Arthur Stevenson - a friendly and kindhearted soul, a war veteran, and a lover of classic Hollywood movies. His beloved wife of 50 years just passed away, leaving him truly alone for the first time in just as long. To find new purpose, he decides to pursue his long lost dream of making movies... and becomes the world's oldest PA. But when he gets on set, it's far from what he imagined and he realizes this movie is not like the Jimmy Stewart and Cary Grant pictures from his youth.
I had the idea for this film while working as a PA myself. The work is strenuous and physically challenging even for a younger person, which got me wondering... what would this be like for an older person? What if my grandfather (or yours) had to do this type of job? Not only had to, but wanted to? And then it clicked. Grandpa. Pa... PA. That's when I knew I had to tell this story. And thus, Arthur Stevenson was born.
What ultimately results is a culture clash. When Arthur gets on set, the young crew consists almost entirely of Zoomers and Millennials. At first, they don't take Arthur seriously. They think, "Who is this old man wasting our time?" However, Arthur strikes up a friendship in the most unlikely of places - with the film's young director Harrison, who, like Arthur, is judged by his age. The producers underestimate him and think he is too young and inexperienced to direct a feature film. These two underdogs form an unlikely bond and end up inspiring one another to perservere. Eventually, Arthur wins the crew over with his positive attitude and grandfatherly nature. And over time, they begin to call him...
"Pa."
Since moving to Atlanta from Maryland, I have been fortunate to have collaborated with an incredible team of filmmakers, starting with our first award-winning short film Kung Pao Corpse in 2019. We followed that with Champ (2020), User (2021), Roast Pork Butt and Kevin Saunders's new drama Sorrows of Yesterday (both 2023). And with each project, our film family has grown bigger and bigger. And now it's time to get the band back together for our biggest one yet.
And that's where we need your help. With Pa being my most ambitious endeavor to date, it will require some money to pull off. As much as I wish it was, unfortunately filmmaking is not cheap. Pa features a diverse cast of characters and multiple locations. It will need not only film equipment for us to use, but to create the illusion of our fictional film set. We will need to pay our talented crew to handle and operate this equipment. Not to mention catering to be able to feed all of these hungry, hardworking people. As you can imagine, things quickly start to add up. And then there is insurance, props, costumes. The list goes on!
But moreover, this short film is intended to be proof of concept for a full-length feature film, for which I have already written the script. The better we make this short film, the greater chance it has of getting into more prestigious festivals, which means more eyes will be on it. Which means it has a higher chance of gaining the attention of producers and investors. But it all starts with this short. And that is why any amount you are able to pledge, no matter how big or small, will help us on our journey to making that feature dream a reality.
The message of the film...
It's never too late to follow your dreams.
I feel this is an important story to tell because it explores how we perceive the elderly - I want to show that older folks aren't just a waste of time or space, but that they're people too, with hopes and dreams and a lot to teach us about life. I also wanted to shine a light on the hardships and challenges that PAs face every day on set, which often go unappreciated. My hope is that after watching this movie, viewers will feel compelled to call their grandparents to tell them how much they appreciate them.
I drew heavily on my own experience as a PA and based many aspects of Arthur on my own grandfather, which makes me uniquely suited to tell this story. And I am so excited to share it with you!
Please consider joining us on this journey.
Thank you so much for your support and for believing in this project.
Sincerely,
Zack Burkett
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Name Actor for Lead Role
Costs $5,000
We hope to secure name talent for the lead role. A known actor will boost the credibility of our film, but can cost as much as $5000.
Supporting Cast
Costs $4,000
Pa features a large cast of characters and we need talented actors to fill these roles. We hope to compensate our actors at around $200/day.
Locations
Costs $2,000
Pa's settings include a cabin in the woods and production trailers. Renting these things will require various permits and fees.
Camera Department
Costs $4,500
To make Pa look its best, we need to shoot on the best. That means renting a high-end camera, quality lenses, and talented crew to operate.
Catering
Costs $2,000
A well-fed crew is a happy crew. Filmmaking is hard work, and long days mean big appetites. We're responsible for feeding our cast and crew.
Sound Department
Costs $1,200
What good is a movie if you can't hear it? We'll need boom mics, lav mics, and at least one on-set sound mixer to operate this equipment.
Grip & Electric
Costs $2,000
Lights, camera, action. This covers a whole truck full of lighting equipment, grip gear, and grips and electricians to set it all up.
Insurance
Costs $500
As we continue to raise the bar and up the stakes of our productions, we have to do things by the book. Insurance is a necessity.
Props
Costs $1,000
This will pay for our props master as well as the props themselves. In this case, much of our props also happens to be film equipment.
Production Team
Costs $2,000
The message of Pa is 'Value your PAs'! This will pay our production staff including 1st AD, 2nd AD, PAs, and Script Supervisor.
Wardrobe
Costs $1,200
Lots of characters means lots of costumes to purchase and keep track of. This will cover all of those costumes as well as our lead costumer.
Hair & Makeup
Costs $600
Our actors need to look good for the camera! This will cover our hair stylist and makeup artist and all of their supplies.
Post Production
Costs $2,000
The work doesn't end when we call 'Wrap'! This will cover the work of our editor, colorist, post-sound mixer, and music composer.
Contingency
Costs $2,000
Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. This will cover those unexpected expenses that will inevitably pop up!
Producers
Costs $2,000
We need producers to make anything happen. This will pay our producers working hard behind the scenes to get this whole show off the ground!
Share this update!
About This Team
Meet the Pa team!
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Imagine having to stand on your feet for twelve hours or more each day. Oftentime out in the elements - sometimes in the freezing cold, other times in the scorching heat. Weathering rain and sun and wind, diligently trying to maintain quiet on set while the director gets the perfect shot.
Now imagine being 75 years old and doing that.
This is a side to moviemaking that not many people realize when they sit down in the theater to watch their favorite movies - least of all Arthur Stevenson, a 75-year-old grandfather who decides to follow his childhood dream of making motion pictures. But this is just another day in the life of a production assistant, and Arthur soon learns that life in the film industry isn't as glamorous as he thought. But will this stop him from pursuing his dream?
Meet Arthur Stevenson - a friendly and kindhearted soul, a war veteran, and a lover of classic Hollywood movies. His beloved wife of 50 years just passed away, leaving him truly alone for the first time in just as long. To find new purpose, he decides to pursue his long lost dream of making movies... and becomes the world's oldest PA. But when he gets on set, it's far from what he imagined and he realizes this movie is not like the Jimmy Stewart and Cary Grant pictures from his youth.
I had the idea for this film while working as a PA myself. The work is strenuous and physically challenging even for a younger person, which got me wondering... what would this be like for an older person? What if my grandfather (or yours) had to do this type of job? Not only had to, but wanted to? And then it clicked. Grandpa. Pa... PA. That's when I knew I had to tell this story. And thus, Arthur Stevenson was born.
What ultimately results is a culture clash. When Arthur gets on set, the young crew consists almost entirely of Zoomers and Millennials. At first, they don't take Arthur seriously. They think, "Who is this old man wasting our time?" However, Arthur strikes up a friendship in the most unlikely of places - with the film's young director Harrison, who, like Arthur, is judged by his age. The producers underestimate him and think he is too young and inexperienced to direct a feature film. These two underdogs form an unlikely bond and end up inspiring one another to perservere. Eventually, Arthur wins the crew over with his positive attitude and grandfatherly nature. And over time, they begin to call him...
"Pa."
Since moving to Atlanta from Maryland, I have been fortunate to have collaborated with an incredible team of filmmakers, starting with our first award-winning short film Kung Pao Corpse in 2019. We followed that with Champ (2020), User (2021), Roast Pork Butt and Kevin Saunders's new drama Sorrows of Yesterday (both 2023). And with each project, our film family has grown bigger and bigger. And now it's time to get the band back together for our biggest one yet.
And that's where we need your help. With Pa being my most ambitious endeavor to date, it will require some money to pull off. As much as I wish it was, unfortunately filmmaking is not cheap. Pa features a diverse cast of characters and multiple locations. It will need not only film equipment for us to use, but to create the illusion of our fictional film set. We will need to pay our talented crew to handle and operate this equipment. Not to mention catering to be able to feed all of these hungry, hardworking people. As you can imagine, things quickly start to add up. And then there is insurance, props, costumes. The list goes on!
But moreover, this short film is intended to be proof of concept for a full-length feature film, for which I have already written the script. The better we make this short film, the greater chance it has of getting into more prestigious festivals, which means more eyes will be on it. Which means it has a higher chance of gaining the attention of producers and investors. But it all starts with this short. And that is why any amount you are able to pledge, no matter how big or small, will help us on our journey to making that feature dream a reality.
The message of the film...
It's never too late to follow your dreams.
I feel this is an important story to tell because it explores how we perceive the elderly - I want to show that older folks aren't just a waste of time or space, but that they're people too, with hopes and dreams and a lot to teach us about life. I also wanted to shine a light on the hardships and challenges that PAs face every day on set, which often go unappreciated. My hope is that after watching this movie, viewers will feel compelled to call their grandparents to tell them how much they appreciate them.
I drew heavily on my own experience as a PA and based many aspects of Arthur on my own grandfather, which makes me uniquely suited to tell this story. And I am so excited to share it with you!
Please consider joining us on this journey.
Thank you so much for your support and for believing in this project.
Sincerely,
Zack Burkett
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Name Actor for Lead Role
Costs $5,000
We hope to secure name talent for the lead role. A known actor will boost the credibility of our film, but can cost as much as $5000.
Supporting Cast
Costs $4,000
Pa features a large cast of characters and we need talented actors to fill these roles. We hope to compensate our actors at around $200/day.
Locations
Costs $2,000
Pa's settings include a cabin in the woods and production trailers. Renting these things will require various permits and fees.
Camera Department
Costs $4,500
To make Pa look its best, we need to shoot on the best. That means renting a high-end camera, quality lenses, and talented crew to operate.
Catering
Costs $2,000
A well-fed crew is a happy crew. Filmmaking is hard work, and long days mean big appetites. We're responsible for feeding our cast and crew.
Sound Department
Costs $1,200
What good is a movie if you can't hear it? We'll need boom mics, lav mics, and at least one on-set sound mixer to operate this equipment.
Grip & Electric
Costs $2,000
Lights, camera, action. This covers a whole truck full of lighting equipment, grip gear, and grips and electricians to set it all up.
Insurance
Costs $500
As we continue to raise the bar and up the stakes of our productions, we have to do things by the book. Insurance is a necessity.
Props
Costs $1,000
This will pay for our props master as well as the props themselves. In this case, much of our props also happens to be film equipment.
Production Team
Costs $2,000
The message of Pa is 'Value your PAs'! This will pay our production staff including 1st AD, 2nd AD, PAs, and Script Supervisor.
Wardrobe
Costs $1,200
Lots of characters means lots of costumes to purchase and keep track of. This will cover all of those costumes as well as our lead costumer.
Hair & Makeup
Costs $600
Our actors need to look good for the camera! This will cover our hair stylist and makeup artist and all of their supplies.
Post Production
Costs $2,000
The work doesn't end when we call 'Wrap'! This will cover the work of our editor, colorist, post-sound mixer, and music composer.
Contingency
Costs $2,000
Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. This will cover those unexpected expenses that will inevitably pop up!
Producers
Costs $2,000
We need producers to make anything happen. This will pay our producers working hard behind the scenes to get this whole show off the ground!
Share this update!
About This Team
Meet the Pa team!