Pit Stops
New York City, New York | Film Short
Family, Drama
A coming-of-age childhood drama for all the memories that passed us by when we were kids who were able to experience life in its simplest forms without the pressures of external realities, told through a Chinese immigrant family on a road trip to move to a new state.
Pit Stops
New York City, New York | Film Short
Family, Drama
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
118 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$8,749
Goal: $17,069 for production
A coming-of-age childhood drama for all the memories that passed us by when we were kids who were able to experience life in its simplest forms without the pressures of external realities, told through a Chinese immigrant family on a road trip to move to a new state.
Participating In
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Pit Stops is a coming-of-age childhood drama about a six year old girl, Mia, in the middle of moving states with her family. While Mia’s father fills up the gas, the rest of the family picks up essential supplies and an all Americana dinner at a supermarket and fast food restaurant. Quiet and observant, it is an intimate, character-driven story that is best served by the chaotic peace of being a kid.
MIA
Mia’s perception of the world vastly differs from the rest of her family. Her world consists of cartoons and toys, kindness and care, never given a reason to think otherwise. She accepts things as they are, only questioning when they inconvenience her in some manner, and rarely delves any deeper.
YUAN YUAN
Mia’s older brother, Zhiyuan (Yuan Yuan) moved to the United States when he was around Mia’s age. Despite barely being a teenager, he’s had to step up to support his family’s transition to the new country, often acting as a translator or liaison when communicating in English. He’s old enough to recognize the more intricate and unkind workings of the world around him, having experienced it firsthand.
MIA'S MOTHER
Mia’s mother is the rock of the family. While Mia’s father works, she takes care of the kids, makes the meals, and attends to the rest of the family’s needs. Her children are her everything and every decision she makes is in the hopes of a better life for them. She has had the hardest time adapting to the new culture in the United States, but she never lets it show.
MIA'S FATHER
Mia’s father has had to fight tooth and nail to get to where he is today, even though it is still far from where he would like to be. Having always needed to prove himself at every turn of the road, all he’s ever known is constant hard work and dedication to his career because he knows that is the one thing that will provide for his family.
Pit Stops is based on all the stories of my family’s past that my mom recounts to me every chance she gets. As the youngest child and the only one in my family to have lived my whole life in the United States, my life experiences have differed greatly from theirs. While the rest of my family was adapting to a completely new culture and language in addition to supporting a family of four on my dad's single student salary, I was horsing around in the playground sandboxes and television screens of our apartment complex, completely sheltered from the harsh realities of the world around me. The most difficult period of their lives occurred during the easiest period of mine when I was a toddler with a rudimentary and oversimplified understanding of the world. For my first film, I wanted to tell a story that pays respect to this significant period of my family’s history.
[from left to right: Little Miss Sunshine (2006), Yi Yi (2000), Minari (2020), The Florida Project (2017), Aftersun (2022), Chocolat (1988)]
Think films like The Florida Project, Minari, Yi Yi, and Little Miss Sunshine. Worlds where the children's lives seem so much simpler and straightforward compared to their parents'.
Mia’s family is a singularity against the vastness of a country they’re still only getting to know. Experienced largely from Mia’s perspective, we're seeking to capture the intimacies of being a kid in a family whose struggles are not always the most apparent or reasonable to their youngest member. We see the world as how Mia sees it - colorful and uncomplicated.
To make this project a reality, we need funds!
Here is a breakdown of where the budget will be allocated:
We are approaching our budget with stretch goals.
Level 1 - $17,896 : If we make our goal in our Seed and Spark, our cast and crew will be able to be paid with equal rates across the board, as well as equipment, food, locations, post production etc. Another layer to the project is that we will be working with kids! To ensure that they are protected and in a safe working environment, we need to have airtight insurance as well as other legal certificates, which costs a lot of money.
Level 2 - $23,226 : We have several people in our crew who are donating their time and skills to bring Pit Stops to life. If we make more than our goal in our Seed and Spark, we will be able to pay them for the time they've invested into the film!
This is where you come in!
If you choose to donate to our Seed and Spark campaign, you will have our many thanks and more. The majority of our budget will come from crowdfunding, which makes you a vital part of making our story come to life! Check the incentives tab to learn what you can get with a contribution to our film :)
We also understand that not everyone has the means to support monetarily. But worry not, a quick follow on our Seed and Spark above will go a long way. Pit Stops is also participating in Seed and Spark's AAPI Renaissance Rally! So if we reach 350 followers, we may be eligible for more funds! So SHARE SHARE SHARE! Talk about our film to your friends and family! Send them a link and follow us on Instagram @pitstopsfilm, where we'll be posting more updates and BTS about our journey! The more traction we have, the better!
Thank you all for reading this far, and thank you for supporting us <3
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast and Crew
Costs $6,390
Help us make sure that everybody who works on this project is fairly compensated! Pit Stops is very proud to be paying equal rates to all.
Equipment rentals
Costs $1,300
We need equipment (camera, sound, etc.) to actually shoot the film! Help us carry out our creative vision.
Location Fees
Costs $2,600
Pit Stops wouldn't be Pit Stops without, well- pit stops! Assist us in securing the perfect locations!
Transportation
Costs $885
We couldn't make it to our locations without cars for our cast, crew, and equipment! Support this initiative to get this show on the road!
Food
Costs $960
Our cast and crew have to be properly fueled for this journey! Pit Stops is committed to prioritizing the health and wellbeing of our team.
Legal Items!
Costs $2,621
To insure the safety of production we have lots of legal fees! Child performer permits, film insurance, workers comp, etc are all essential!
Production Design
Costs $650
Props and set dressing for all our locations to take us back to a road trip in 2007 (when the film is set).
Share this update!
About This Team
ERIKA YANG - Writer/Director
Erika is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker and software engineer from Knoxville, TN. Interested in stories about the small pockets of existence that compose our everyday lives, she seeks to capture them in her own work. She graduated from MIT with a B.S. in Computer Science and a minor in Literature/Film Studies. Pit Stops will mark her directorial debut. In her free time, she enjoys learning various aerial apparatuses.
YELIM KIM - Producer
Yelim is a Korean Queens based producer, videographer, photographer, and editor. She moved to NYC in 2024 from Chicago, and has been putting a focus on passion projects since. Mundane aspects of everyday life, complexities between Asian cultures, queerness, and justice in gender violence is a recurring theme in her storytelling interests. In her free time, she goes on photo walks with her friends and volunteers for Gaia Music Collective.
JULIA PUGMIRE - Producer
Julia is an educator, writer, and documentary filmmaker based in Brooklyn, NY. When she isn’t using her creative storytelling skills in the classroom, she is applying them to her many passion projects, which have included one short and one feature length documentary as a part of her M.A. degree in French studies. In addition to working on Pit Stops, Julia is also writing a sitcom pilot and creating a book of illustrations for preschool aged children to color.
MOLLY SCOTTI - Director of Photography
Molly is a Brooklyn-based cinematographer, photographer, and filmmaker. A 2022 graduate of Wesleyan University's film program, her debut feature as Director of Photography, Ben and Suzanne, A Reunion in Four Parts, premiered at South by Southwest in 2024. In addition to her film work, she teaches classes at the documentary film community DCTV in Chinatown and is a regular volunteer at the nonprofit film school and community dark room Mono No Aware.
JOYCE LAI - Production Designer
Joyce is a production and set designer based in New York City. She has designed commercials, music videos, shorts and feature films, which have been presented in festivals including Cannes, Tribeca, Telluride, and BFI, and featured in publications including The New Yorker and The New York Times - including the feature Summer Solstice which was an NYT Critic's Pick. She holds an MFA in Set Design from Brooklyn College and a BA in Studio Art from Wesleyan University.
LULU TIAN - 1st AD
Lulu is a filmmaker and educator who is interested in longitudinal projects about people’s “everyday” lives, and how memory manifests in mundane moments. Lulu is currently working on projects with her family, and communities in Chicago, Uganda, and Tanzania. Outside of filmmaking, Lulu loves running and has been working with local organizations in Uganda’s refugee camps to start 2 community libraries and hold filmmaking workshops.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Pit Stops is a coming-of-age childhood drama about a six year old girl, Mia, in the middle of moving states with her family. While Mia’s father fills up the gas, the rest of the family picks up essential supplies and an all Americana dinner at a supermarket and fast food restaurant. Quiet and observant, it is an intimate, character-driven story that is best served by the chaotic peace of being a kid.
MIA
Mia’s perception of the world vastly differs from the rest of her family. Her world consists of cartoons and toys, kindness and care, never given a reason to think otherwise. She accepts things as they are, only questioning when they inconvenience her in some manner, and rarely delves any deeper.
YUAN YUAN
Mia’s older brother, Zhiyuan (Yuan Yuan) moved to the United States when he was around Mia’s age. Despite barely being a teenager, he’s had to step up to support his family’s transition to the new country, often acting as a translator or liaison when communicating in English. He’s old enough to recognize the more intricate and unkind workings of the world around him, having experienced it firsthand.
MIA'S MOTHER
Mia’s mother is the rock of the family. While Mia’s father works, she takes care of the kids, makes the meals, and attends to the rest of the family’s needs. Her children are her everything and every decision she makes is in the hopes of a better life for them. She has had the hardest time adapting to the new culture in the United States, but she never lets it show.
MIA'S FATHER
Mia’s father has had to fight tooth and nail to get to where he is today, even though it is still far from where he would like to be. Having always needed to prove himself at every turn of the road, all he’s ever known is constant hard work and dedication to his career because he knows that is the one thing that will provide for his family.
Pit Stops is based on all the stories of my family’s past that my mom recounts to me every chance she gets. As the youngest child and the only one in my family to have lived my whole life in the United States, my life experiences have differed greatly from theirs. While the rest of my family was adapting to a completely new culture and language in addition to supporting a family of four on my dad's single student salary, I was horsing around in the playground sandboxes and television screens of our apartment complex, completely sheltered from the harsh realities of the world around me. The most difficult period of their lives occurred during the easiest period of mine when I was a toddler with a rudimentary and oversimplified understanding of the world. For my first film, I wanted to tell a story that pays respect to this significant period of my family’s history.
[from left to right: Little Miss Sunshine (2006), Yi Yi (2000), Minari (2020), The Florida Project (2017), Aftersun (2022), Chocolat (1988)]
Think films like The Florida Project, Minari, Yi Yi, and Little Miss Sunshine. Worlds where the children's lives seem so much simpler and straightforward compared to their parents'.
Mia’s family is a singularity against the vastness of a country they’re still only getting to know. Experienced largely from Mia’s perspective, we're seeking to capture the intimacies of being a kid in a family whose struggles are not always the most apparent or reasonable to their youngest member. We see the world as how Mia sees it - colorful and uncomplicated.
To make this project a reality, we need funds!
Here is a breakdown of where the budget will be allocated:
We are approaching our budget with stretch goals.
Level 1 - $17,896 : If we make our goal in our Seed and Spark, our cast and crew will be able to be paid with equal rates across the board, as well as equipment, food, locations, post production etc. Another layer to the project is that we will be working with kids! To ensure that they are protected and in a safe working environment, we need to have airtight insurance as well as other legal certificates, which costs a lot of money.
Level 2 - $23,226 : We have several people in our crew who are donating their time and skills to bring Pit Stops to life. If we make more than our goal in our Seed and Spark, we will be able to pay them for the time they've invested into the film!
This is where you come in!
If you choose to donate to our Seed and Spark campaign, you will have our many thanks and more. The majority of our budget will come from crowdfunding, which makes you a vital part of making our story come to life! Check the incentives tab to learn what you can get with a contribution to our film :)
We also understand that not everyone has the means to support monetarily. But worry not, a quick follow on our Seed and Spark above will go a long way. Pit Stops is also participating in Seed and Spark's AAPI Renaissance Rally! So if we reach 350 followers, we may be eligible for more funds! So SHARE SHARE SHARE! Talk about our film to your friends and family! Send them a link and follow us on Instagram @pitstopsfilm, where we'll be posting more updates and BTS about our journey! The more traction we have, the better!
Thank you all for reading this far, and thank you for supporting us <3
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast and Crew
Costs $6,390
Help us make sure that everybody who works on this project is fairly compensated! Pit Stops is very proud to be paying equal rates to all.
Equipment rentals
Costs $1,300
We need equipment (camera, sound, etc.) to actually shoot the film! Help us carry out our creative vision.
Location Fees
Costs $2,600
Pit Stops wouldn't be Pit Stops without, well- pit stops! Assist us in securing the perfect locations!
Transportation
Costs $885
We couldn't make it to our locations without cars for our cast, crew, and equipment! Support this initiative to get this show on the road!
Food
Costs $960
Our cast and crew have to be properly fueled for this journey! Pit Stops is committed to prioritizing the health and wellbeing of our team.
Legal Items!
Costs $2,621
To insure the safety of production we have lots of legal fees! Child performer permits, film insurance, workers comp, etc are all essential!
Production Design
Costs $650
Props and set dressing for all our locations to take us back to a road trip in 2007 (when the film is set).
Share this update!
About This Team
ERIKA YANG - Writer/Director
Erika is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker and software engineer from Knoxville, TN. Interested in stories about the small pockets of existence that compose our everyday lives, she seeks to capture them in her own work. She graduated from MIT with a B.S. in Computer Science and a minor in Literature/Film Studies. Pit Stops will mark her directorial debut. In her free time, she enjoys learning various aerial apparatuses.
YELIM KIM - Producer
Yelim is a Korean Queens based producer, videographer, photographer, and editor. She moved to NYC in 2024 from Chicago, and has been putting a focus on passion projects since. Mundane aspects of everyday life, complexities between Asian cultures, queerness, and justice in gender violence is a recurring theme in her storytelling interests. In her free time, she goes on photo walks with her friends and volunteers for Gaia Music Collective.
JULIA PUGMIRE - Producer
Julia is an educator, writer, and documentary filmmaker based in Brooklyn, NY. When she isn’t using her creative storytelling skills in the classroom, she is applying them to her many passion projects, which have included one short and one feature length documentary as a part of her M.A. degree in French studies. In addition to working on Pit Stops, Julia is also writing a sitcom pilot and creating a book of illustrations for preschool aged children to color.
MOLLY SCOTTI - Director of Photography
Molly is a Brooklyn-based cinematographer, photographer, and filmmaker. A 2022 graduate of Wesleyan University's film program, her debut feature as Director of Photography, Ben and Suzanne, A Reunion in Four Parts, premiered at South by Southwest in 2024. In addition to her film work, she teaches classes at the documentary film community DCTV in Chinatown and is a regular volunteer at the nonprofit film school and community dark room Mono No Aware.
JOYCE LAI - Production Designer
Joyce is a production and set designer based in New York City. She has designed commercials, music videos, shorts and feature films, which have been presented in festivals including Cannes, Tribeca, Telluride, and BFI, and featured in publications including The New Yorker and The New York Times - including the feature Summer Solstice which was an NYT Critic's Pick. She holds an MFA in Set Design from Brooklyn College and a BA in Studio Art from Wesleyan University.
LULU TIAN - 1st AD
Lulu is a filmmaker and educator who is interested in longitudinal projects about people’s “everyday” lives, and how memory manifests in mundane moments. Lulu is currently working on projects with her family, and communities in Chicago, Uganda, and Tanzania. Outside of filmmaking, Lulu loves running and has been working with local organizations in Uganda’s refugee camps to start 2 community libraries and hold filmmaking workshops.