Pearl Rising
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Experimental, Fantasy
Pearl Rising is a transformative cinematic experience following Mother Earth as she destroys the souls of her own creation. A gripping tale of the planet’s only chance to recover unfolds as her daughter, Pearl, has her own wishes for the future of humanity.
Pearl Rising
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Experimental, Fantasy
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $20,200 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
36 supporters | followers
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Pearl Rising is a transformative cinematic experience following Mother Earth as she destroys the souls of her own creation. A gripping tale of the planet’s only chance to recover unfolds as her daughter, Pearl, has her own wishes for the future of humanity.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
In a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by Mother Earth's destructive forces, Pearl, her sole surviving daughter, emerges from the ashes of all former life. Earth has suffered at the hands of Fire, Water, and Wind, while Pearl, their sister, and the soul of Mother Earth's spirit, remains. With a heavy heart, Pearl endeavors to restore the once beautiful planet, unaware of her mother's intent to deny Earth's lost souls a second chance.
All that remains of life is one single seed. Mother Earth reveals that hatred poisoned the planet, eroding respect and appreciation among its people, who turned a blind eye to the damage they caused. However, Pearl realizes her mother, too, has turned a blind eye and closed her heart to humanity. Defying her mother's wishes, Pearl consumes the last seed from Earth. In sacrificing her own body, she nurtures a tree of life, offering humanity a new beginning.
Pearl
Pearl is a pure creation, born from Mother Earth herself, with the ability to withhold a storm but die from a broken heart. She holds unwavering hope in humanity and would sacrifice herself for the greater good without spearing a thought. All her life she looked up at her elemental sisters - Fire, Water, and Wind in awe of their force and strength, seeing herself as the weakest one, she will soon discover that she has more courage than she could ever imagine.
Mother Earth
Mother Earth, the essence of all life and creator of nature, is a radiant soul that got ravaged and tortured by humanity to a point of no return. Her goal is for Earth to regenerate without humanity. From her body, she birthed 4 daughters - Fire, Water, Wind, and Soul (Pearl). Pearl is most precious to her, as she is not just an element of nature, but an element of Mother Earth herself.
The world of Pearl Rising is set against a post-apocalyptic background, with humanity gone and Earth destroyed at the hands of Mother Earth and her elemental children, Fire, Water, and Wind. What is left behind are only ashes and dust, memories of the past, and no hope for the future except for one single Seed.
At the heart of this world now lives a broken Tree of Life, that causes the holy space in which Mother Earth and her daughter Pearl reside, to crumble as it is slowly dying. The feeling of dread and hopelessness reflects in the world of Pearl - a sense of having reached the end of time and the knowledge that nothing can be the same again.
A young woman buried in ashes, anchored to the ground, amidst a world fragmented into lifeless dust.
It was this single visual that came across my mind in 2016, captivated my imagination, and ultimately became the catalyst for “Pearl Rising.”
As I began exploring this idea further, I was profoundly influenced by the devastating hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, and other natural disasters that seemed to grow in frequency each year. It brought me face to face with the distinct possibility of Earth's annihilation--all as a direct result of human actions. Yet regrettably, there wasn't a substantial change in our society's everyday behavior to combat this potential future. It was within this realization that the thought of resetting the story of human life, our story, to the beginning of time came to mind. This prospect seemed both frightening, yet strangely peaceful at the same time, a duality that came to mirror the opposing perspectives of the film's characters, Pearl and Mother Earth, and the visual environment of the film itself.
Ultimately, the story aims to provoke a vital question: Are we sacrificing our planet's future by failing to initiate change and adopt more responsible behaviors?
With this film, I hope to raise awareness about our self-destructive habits, shed light on the peril we pose to our planet, and inspire others to adopt more sustainable practices.
The artistic approach to "Pearl Rising" can be distilled into three main components: Poetry, Dance, and Visual Effects
Spoken Word Poetry
The narrative of "Pearl Rising" is grounded in spoken word poetry that is delivered by the film's main characters and dueling perspectives, Pearl and Mother Earth. The poem will be experienced as a voiceover within the film, while the characters of Pearl and Mother Earth will illustrate their battling visions of Earth's future through dance and choreography.
Performance Art
I intend to design a performance with both characters, in collaboration with a choreographer, that moves with the spoken words and directs the rhythm of the film. Body language and movement evoke and immerse the audience in a shared emotional experience of a world in pieces. We will also embark on collaborations with a music composer and sound designer to create a captivating and otherworldly experience.
Visual Effects
We are excited to embrace cutting-edge technology in the film industry by filming on a volume stage. Doing this will not only elevate the space and the performance for the artists, but also give us the opportunity to change the environment in real time. It also allows us to start production before filming begins by crafting environmental assets to evoke the sensation of being in an unknown holy realm that now is formed by ashes.
We stand on the precipice of transforming the story of "Pearl Rising" from concept to reality, armed with a wealth of ideas and a talented team, but we cannot fully realize this monumental project without your help.
Currently, we are in the pre-production phase and we aim to move into production by April 2024. To bring this story to life and begin shooting, we must raise $25,000. These funds will enable us to secure essential elements such as renting the volume stage, renting our camera and lighting equipment, fairly compensating our cast and crew, creating the characters' intricate costumes, their striking hair & makeup looks, and the materials to build our other-worldly, real-life set that seamlessly flows into the virtual environment. Moreover, your contribution will ensure that we can shoot safely, feed our cast and crew on set, and provide transportation.
You can support "Pearl Rising" by selecting a donation amount here and receiving one of the many great incentives from our project! If you're looking to donate a larger amount than what you see here, you can donate through our fiscal sponsor, From the Heart Productions, and receive a tax write-off for your contribution.
However, we understand that supporting the film financially may not be an option for everyone, but if our story speaks to you, you can help us by spreading the word!
Follow us @pearlrisingshortfilm on Instagram and Facebook, and share this campaign with your family, friends, and network!
We are incredibly grateful for all your support!
Much Love,
the Pearl Rising Team
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast & Crew
Costs $6,000
The hard work and talent of our crew and cast is what will bring Pearl Rising to life! We want to ensure they're compensated fairly.
Volume Stage
Costs $9,000
We're renting an LED Volume Stage to immerse the cast into the world of Pearl Rising and change the environment in real time while filming
Costumes
Costs $1,500
Creating out-of-this-world costumes that embody celestial purity & earthly essence for our characters is critical to the film's visual style
Visual Effects
Costs $4,000
Visual effects are critical to creating the environment of Pearl Rising and we need support for our VFX artists and the software building it
Production Design
Costs $2,000
We need to source materials to construct the other-worldly set in front of our volume stage that blends seamlessly with the virtual design
Makeup & Hair
Costs $500
We aim to create distinctly unique make-up and hair designs to perfectly embody the essences of Mother Earth, Pearl, Fire, Water, and Wind
Camera Equipment
Costs $2,000
We're looking to rent the Sony Venice camera to achieve the desired look of the film, while brilliantly capturing the virtual environment
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
More to come soon!
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
In a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by Mother Earth's destructive forces, Pearl, her sole surviving daughter, emerges from the ashes of all former life. Earth has suffered at the hands of Fire, Water, and Wind, while Pearl, their sister, and the soul of Mother Earth's spirit, remains. With a heavy heart, Pearl endeavors to restore the once beautiful planet, unaware of her mother's intent to deny Earth's lost souls a second chance.
All that remains of life is one single seed. Mother Earth reveals that hatred poisoned the planet, eroding respect and appreciation among its people, who turned a blind eye to the damage they caused. However, Pearl realizes her mother, too, has turned a blind eye and closed her heart to humanity. Defying her mother's wishes, Pearl consumes the last seed from Earth. In sacrificing her own body, she nurtures a tree of life, offering humanity a new beginning.
Pearl
Pearl is a pure creation, born from Mother Earth herself, with the ability to withhold a storm but die from a broken heart. She holds unwavering hope in humanity and would sacrifice herself for the greater good without spearing a thought. All her life she looked up at her elemental sisters - Fire, Water, and Wind in awe of their force and strength, seeing herself as the weakest one, she will soon discover that she has more courage than she could ever imagine.
Mother Earth
Mother Earth, the essence of all life and creator of nature, is a radiant soul that got ravaged and tortured by humanity to a point of no return. Her goal is for Earth to regenerate without humanity. From her body, she birthed 4 daughters - Fire, Water, Wind, and Soul (Pearl). Pearl is most precious to her, as she is not just an element of nature, but an element of Mother Earth herself.
The world of Pearl Rising is set against a post-apocalyptic background, with humanity gone and Earth destroyed at the hands of Mother Earth and her elemental children, Fire, Water, and Wind. What is left behind are only ashes and dust, memories of the past, and no hope for the future except for one single Seed.
At the heart of this world now lives a broken Tree of Life, that causes the holy space in which Mother Earth and her daughter Pearl reside, to crumble as it is slowly dying. The feeling of dread and hopelessness reflects in the world of Pearl - a sense of having reached the end of time and the knowledge that nothing can be the same again.
A young woman buried in ashes, anchored to the ground, amidst a world fragmented into lifeless dust.
It was this single visual that came across my mind in 2016, captivated my imagination, and ultimately became the catalyst for “Pearl Rising.”
As I began exploring this idea further, I was profoundly influenced by the devastating hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, and other natural disasters that seemed to grow in frequency each year. It brought me face to face with the distinct possibility of Earth's annihilation--all as a direct result of human actions. Yet regrettably, there wasn't a substantial change in our society's everyday behavior to combat this potential future. It was within this realization that the thought of resetting the story of human life, our story, to the beginning of time came to mind. This prospect seemed both frightening, yet strangely peaceful at the same time, a duality that came to mirror the opposing perspectives of the film's characters, Pearl and Mother Earth, and the visual environment of the film itself.
Ultimately, the story aims to provoke a vital question: Are we sacrificing our planet's future by failing to initiate change and adopt more responsible behaviors?
With this film, I hope to raise awareness about our self-destructive habits, shed light on the peril we pose to our planet, and inspire others to adopt more sustainable practices.
The artistic approach to "Pearl Rising" can be distilled into three main components: Poetry, Dance, and Visual Effects
Spoken Word Poetry
The narrative of "Pearl Rising" is grounded in spoken word poetry that is delivered by the film's main characters and dueling perspectives, Pearl and Mother Earth. The poem will be experienced as a voiceover within the film, while the characters of Pearl and Mother Earth will illustrate their battling visions of Earth's future through dance and choreography.
Performance Art
I intend to design a performance with both characters, in collaboration with a choreographer, that moves with the spoken words and directs the rhythm of the film. Body language and movement evoke and immerse the audience in a shared emotional experience of a world in pieces. We will also embark on collaborations with a music composer and sound designer to create a captivating and otherworldly experience.
Visual Effects
We are excited to embrace cutting-edge technology in the film industry by filming on a volume stage. Doing this will not only elevate the space and the performance for the artists, but also give us the opportunity to change the environment in real time. It also allows us to start production before filming begins by crafting environmental assets to evoke the sensation of being in an unknown holy realm that now is formed by ashes.
We stand on the precipice of transforming the story of "Pearl Rising" from concept to reality, armed with a wealth of ideas and a talented team, but we cannot fully realize this monumental project without your help.
Currently, we are in the pre-production phase and we aim to move into production by April 2024. To bring this story to life and begin shooting, we must raise $25,000. These funds will enable us to secure essential elements such as renting the volume stage, renting our camera and lighting equipment, fairly compensating our cast and crew, creating the characters' intricate costumes, their striking hair & makeup looks, and the materials to build our other-worldly, real-life set that seamlessly flows into the virtual environment. Moreover, your contribution will ensure that we can shoot safely, feed our cast and crew on set, and provide transportation.
You can support "Pearl Rising" by selecting a donation amount here and receiving one of the many great incentives from our project! If you're looking to donate a larger amount than what you see here, you can donate through our fiscal sponsor, From the Heart Productions, and receive a tax write-off for your contribution.
However, we understand that supporting the film financially may not be an option for everyone, but if our story speaks to you, you can help us by spreading the word!
Follow us @pearlrisingshortfilm on Instagram and Facebook, and share this campaign with your family, friends, and network!
We are incredibly grateful for all your support!
Much Love,
the Pearl Rising Team
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast & Crew
Costs $6,000
The hard work and talent of our crew and cast is what will bring Pearl Rising to life! We want to ensure they're compensated fairly.
Volume Stage
Costs $9,000
We're renting an LED Volume Stage to immerse the cast into the world of Pearl Rising and change the environment in real time while filming
Costumes
Costs $1,500
Creating out-of-this-world costumes that embody celestial purity & earthly essence for our characters is critical to the film's visual style
Visual Effects
Costs $4,000
Visual effects are critical to creating the environment of Pearl Rising and we need support for our VFX artists and the software building it
Production Design
Costs $2,000
We need to source materials to construct the other-worldly set in front of our volume stage that blends seamlessly with the virtual design
Makeup & Hair
Costs $500
We aim to create distinctly unique make-up and hair designs to perfectly embody the essences of Mother Earth, Pearl, Fire, Water, and Wind
Camera Equipment
Costs $2,000
We're looking to rent the Sony Venice camera to achieve the desired look of the film, while brilliantly capturing the virtual environment
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
More to come soon!