Project Gaslight
by Jon Julsrud
Jon Julsrud
Follow
Project Gaslight
by Jon Julsrud
Jon Julsrud
Follow
Melissa and Scott’s dream home turns into a nightmare when they take on new tenants to make ends meet. As Melissa descends into paranoia and delusion, they must fight to save their unborn child. Project Gaslight is a psychological thriller that packs in the suspense.
Melissa and Scott’s dream home turns into a nightmare when they take on new tenants to make ends meet. As Melissa descends into paranoia and delusion, they must fight to save their unborn child. Project Gaslight is a psychological thriller that packs in the suspense.
Participating In
Hometown Heroes 2017
-
Story
Mission Statement
Although we will be a SAG production, and plan to exceed the diversity in casting program requirements. Our budget is so small we will not benefit from it in any way. Our cast is at least 50% female and will represent about 80% of spoken lines.About The Project
Melissa and Scott Henderson finally have it all. After years of struggling as Scott worked his way through medical school and Melissa fought an opioid addiction, they are able to purchase their dream home. Melissa, an artist, is clean and expecting the couple’s first child, and Scott is at the top of his game, about to be promoted to Chief Obstetrics Resident.
The reality of new homeownership, however, sends the couple into a desperate search for extra cash. Melissa’s sales dry up, and she finds herself exhausted, stressed, and uninspired to create new work. Scott, pulling 80+ hour weeks at work, is overwhelmed by house repairs and maintenance. To avoid foreclosure, they take on tenants to live in the guesthouse on their property.
Scott and Melissa are convinced that Tyler Thomas and Alexandra Schofield are a perfect fit. Tyler is a construction worker whose skills and tools are much needed around the house. Alexandra is a home health aide who can help Melissa around the house as her due date approaches. Melissa and Alex become fast friends, and for a while, life is great for both couples. And then Melissa begins to lose her mind.
It starts with her art pieces, which start showing up all over the house, although Tyler, Alex, and Scott swear they haven’t touched them. She also has dizziness spells of increasing severity, but her doctors can’t find a physical reason for them. Valuable heirlooms go missing and then are found in her possession.
As things are going downhill for Melissa, Alex announces that she, too, is pregnant. They start to do prenatal yoga together and grow closer as they share milestones and preparations for their babies. As Melissa grows closer to Alex, she starts to suspect that Tyler is somehow responsible for all the odd occurrences, but she can’t prove it.
Scott is concerned for his wife, but chalks it up to pregnancy hormones and stress about their ongoing financial issues. When he finds prescription painkillers in her studio, though, he feels like he needs to act. Melissa swears the drugs aren’t hers, and that she’d never put their baby in jeopardy. Scott doesn’t know what to believe and asks Alex to move into the house to keep an eye on her while he is away at a medical conference.
Before he leaves, Melissa throws a dinner party and invites Alex and Tyler to make amends after her accusations. They show up and after a few drinks, Tyler reveals his misogynistic, bigoted character to her. Given her recent track record, Scott thinks Melissa might be exaggerating. She wants to kick Tyler off their property immediately, but Scott convinces her to wait until he returns from his trip.
As soon as Scott leaves, Melissa takes an immediate turn for the worse. She can’t focus or figure out what is real or not. Her life and her child’s life are at stake, and she needs to take matters into her own hands to save them both..
We hope this movie will shine the light on a common but often misunderstood form of emotional abuse, as well as entertain and beguile the audience.
Will, the director, and Jon, the producer, have been business partners for the last 7 years working in VFX and post-production while developing many projects.
We finally decided to put together a script that we have the means to produce within the year.
Project Gaslight was born.
But we need your help to make this successful...
First of all - Project Gaslight? I bet you can come up with a better title than that. Or perhaps you have intimate knowledge about the depths of emotion experienced when gaslit; then you might be interested in our script consultant perk.
Currently, our overall budget to make the film is around $50K, all in, including a marketing & distribtuion budget. We are able to produce a high quality product at this budget level through cashing in favors we have accumulated over the years along with our own personal sweat equity.
To hit the target, we are offering some really cool perks too. Our high-roller Executive Producer perks include a week in Montana skiing or fishing, hanging out with the producer.
More important than the funds we are able to raise, we want to find our audience and engage with the people who want to hear this story.
Our goal is to raise $10,750 through crowdfunding. Even though this is a low budget project, the crowdfunding raise only represents about 15% of the total budget. 60% of the budget will come from active investors, another 15-20% will come through product placement deals courtesy of Brandwood Global, and we are also looking into options for grants and tax incentives. Again, we are too low budget to qualify for Snowbate the MN state film tax incentive, but there are a few regional tax incentives we may be able to leverage. Our director, Will Cox, plans to apply for the Jerome Foundation Grant this coming year and we are also looking into other possible grants.
Incentives
$2
Name the Film
CAN YOU COME UP WITH A BETTER TITLE THAN US??!! Cause right now, you've probably noticed the movie is currently untitled. If your title is chosen from the submissions, you will also receive 2 tickets to a red carpet premiere and after party! Note: travel and lodging not included.
Claimed: 2 of 100
$5
If you @ it, they will come.
Send $5... see what happens.
A #SocialMedia #ShoutOut and access to our newsletter & behind-the-scenes goodies.
$10
#GASLIGHT #SELFIE
Send us a front and side view photo and we will create a mind bending profile pic. Send it in @ 300 dpi and you will even be able to print it out to hang a canvas if you deisre.
Estimated turn around: 24-48 hrs.
$40
Hometown Hero Premiere
Grab an advance ticket for the red carpet premiere that will take place in Rochester, MN. You will also get access to the afterparty celebation, location to be determined.
*travel and lodging not included
Claimed: 9 of 75
$50
Script Consultant
Ever wanted to get into the high-stakes world of script consulting?
Maybe you have intimate knowledge of the perils of gaslighting or opioid abuse... Maybe you're my aunt who has been trying to FaceTime me for the last three months. Whatever your reason, if you like to read and are into new forms of communication, this is the reward for you.
Advance access to early draft of script, 45 min Skype session with producer, director and screenwriter. #Social #Media #shoutout!
Claimed: 5 of 35
$50
Red Carpet Movie Time
Bring the Red Carpet to your hometown. Let us know what city you want us to bring the movie to and get two tickets to the Red Carpet Premiere including an intimate Q & A following the theatrical event.
*travel and lodging not included
$150
Resume & Cover Letter Revamp ($350 value)
Our screenwriter, Elyse Forbes, will create an industry-specific resume and up to 2 cover letters for you (or revise existing materials) and provide phone consultation to help you snag your dream job. She's been working with busy professionals for 10 years to help them tell their stories in a compelling, engaging way.
Claimed: 0 of 5
$499
Cameo
Have you always wanted to jumpstart your acting career?
Well, now is your chance!
We will be casting a nosey real estate agent; a smarmy HVAC repair man; an OBGYN; a gun nut, a hippy and a crazy cat lady are also required. If you aren't the character actor type, we also have some normal dinner guest people too.
Send headshot and representation information when submitting. NO AGENCIES!
Get that on camera speaking role and SAG elegibiltiy you always dreamed off, skip the pesky casting director.
Plus:
- set access
- credit in film, on IMDb
- Invitiation to red carpet screening, after party
- digital copy of film
*Travel and lodging not Included
Claimed: 1 of 5
$600
Art Collector
You are a patreon of the arts and appreciate the finer things in life. You see the value in art as a cultural investment.
We are working with international fine arts painter, Jaclyn Martinez, to create a series of original paintings to be used as the movie poster one sheet for Project Gaslight. Each painting, unique.
Her work is dreamlike and ethereal, of characters lost in between reality and fantasy, representing stories of our inner most profound desires and insecurities; reflecting our need to feel intimacy within a world of isolation.
So you can see why we chose to work with her.
Get a signed original work from this painter 8"x11" acryllic on canvas commissioned specifically for this psychological thriller.
*these 12 peices can not be shown, because they have not been created yet
Claimed: 0 of 12
$1,000
Associate Producer
Go ahead... Be that obnoxious guy in line at starbucks.
Talking a little to loud on your bluetooth about the new feature you're producing. Tell them it's a taught, sexy, psychological thriller, but you don't think ScarJo is quite right for the part...
Associate Producer credit on the film. Listed in the credits and on IMDB with our eternal gratitude.
Plus:
- social medial shout out
- Gaslight Selfie
- early access to finished script
- behind the scenes access
- set visit
- 2 tickets to Red Carpet Premiere and afterparty.
- link to stream the film
Note: Some logistics of this perk are still being worked out. We'll work with you to make it amazing!
*travel and lodging not included.
$10,000
Executive Producer, A River Runs Through It Edition
We reached out to Plan B, but they weren't interested...
So we've moved on to Plan Seed&Spark. Get in on the ground floor before interest from the Duplass brothers jack up the buy in costs...
Bring up to 3 other people and spend a week in Big Sky Montana this summer with the director. If the dates work out, we may even be able to get the writer, director, actor, or whomever from the project you are intrested in hobnobbing with to join. Spend a day on the golf course, a day floating on the Galatin and a day touring Yellowstone. What do you want to do with the remaining days? Whatever you want.
18 holes at Big Sky golf course
Yellowstone tour
River Guide service
Lodging and food included.
+ all the perks of the asociate producer incentive level.
*travel not included
Note: Some logistics of this perk are still being worked out. We'll work with you to make it amazing!
Claimed: 0 of 1
$15,000
Executive Producer, Powder Days Edition
Bring up to 3 other people and spend a week in Big Sky Montana this winter with the producer. If the dates work out, we may even be able to get the writer, director, actor, or whomever from the project you are intrested in hobnobbing with.
4, 3 day passes to Big Sky Ski Resort.
Rental equipment outfitted by Black Tie Ski Rental, the premiere conseirge ski delivery and fitting service.
Lodging and food included.
+ all the perks of the asociate producer incentive level.
*travel not included
Note: Some logistics of this perk are still being worked out. We'll work with you to make it amazing!
Claimed: 0 of 2
-
Wishlist
Use the WishList to pledge cash and loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an incentive directly.
$2
Name the Film
CAN YOU COME UP WITH A BETTER TITLE THAN US??!! Cause right now, you've probably noticed the movie is currently untitled. If your title is chosen from the submissions, you will also receive 2 tickets to a red carpet premiere and after party! Note: travel and lodging not included.
Claimed: 2 of 100
$5
If you @ it, they will come.
Send $5... see what happens.
A #SocialMedia #ShoutOut and access to our newsletter & behind-the-scenes goodies.
$10
#GASLIGHT #SELFIE
Send us a front and side view photo and we will create a mind bending profile pic. Send it in @ 300 dpi and you will even be able to print it out to hang a canvas if you deisre.
Estimated turn around: 24-48 hrs.
$40
Hometown Hero Premiere
Grab an advance ticket for the red carpet premiere that will take place in Rochester, MN. You will also get access to the afterparty celebation, location to be determined.
*travel and lodging not included
Claimed: 9 of 75
$50
Script Consultant
Ever wanted to get into the high-stakes world of script consulting?
Maybe you have intimate knowledge of the perils of gaslighting or opioid abuse... Maybe you're my aunt who has been trying to FaceTime me for the last three months. Whatever your reason, if you like to read and are into new forms of communication, this is the reward for you.
Advance access to early draft of script, 45 min Skype session with producer, director and screenwriter. #Social #Media #shoutout!
Claimed: 5 of 35
$50
Red Carpet Movie Time
Bring the Red Carpet to your hometown. Let us know what city you want us to bring the movie to and get two tickets to the Red Carpet Premiere including an intimate Q & A following the theatrical event.
*travel and lodging not included
$150
Resume & Cover Letter Revamp ($350 value)
Our screenwriter, Elyse Forbes, will create an industry-specific resume and up to 2 cover letters for you (or revise existing materials) and provide phone consultation to help you snag your dream job. She's been working with busy professionals for 10 years to help them tell their stories in a compelling, engaging way.
Claimed: 0 of 5
$499
Cameo
Have you always wanted to jumpstart your acting career?
Well, now is your chance!
We will be casting a nosey real estate agent; a smarmy HVAC repair man; an OBGYN; a gun nut, a hippy and a crazy cat lady are also required. If you aren't the character actor type, we also have some normal dinner guest people too.
Send headshot and representation information when submitting. NO AGENCIES!
Get that on camera speaking role and SAG elegibiltiy you always dreamed off, skip the pesky casting director.
Plus:
- set access
- credit in film, on IMDb
- Invitiation to red carpet screening, after party
- digital copy of film
*Travel and lodging not Included
Claimed: 1 of 5
$600
Art Collector
You are a patreon of the arts and appreciate the finer things in life. You see the value in art as a cultural investment.
We are working with international fine arts painter, Jaclyn Martinez, to create a series of original paintings to be used as the movie poster one sheet for Project Gaslight. Each painting, unique.
Her work is dreamlike and ethereal, of characters lost in between reality and fantasy, representing stories of our inner most profound desires and insecurities; reflecting our need to feel intimacy within a world of isolation.
So you can see why we chose to work with her.
Get a signed original work from this painter 8"x11" acryllic on canvas commissioned specifically for this psychological thriller.
*these 12 peices can not be shown, because they have not been created yet
Claimed: 0 of 12
$1,000
Associate Producer
Go ahead... Be that obnoxious guy in line at starbucks.
Talking a little to loud on your bluetooth about the new feature you're producing. Tell them it's a taught, sexy, psychological thriller, but you don't think ScarJo is quite right for the part...
Associate Producer credit on the film. Listed in the credits and on IMDB with our eternal gratitude.
Plus:
- social medial shout out
- Gaslight Selfie
- early access to finished script
- behind the scenes access
- set visit
- 2 tickets to Red Carpet Premiere and afterparty.
- link to stream the film
Note: Some logistics of this perk are still being worked out. We'll work with you to make it amazing!
*travel and lodging not included.
$10,000
Executive Producer, A River Runs Through It Edition
We reached out to Plan B, but they weren't interested...
So we've moved on to Plan Seed&Spark. Get in on the ground floor before interest from the Duplass brothers jack up the buy in costs...
Bring up to 3 other people and spend a week in Big Sky Montana this summer with the director. If the dates work out, we may even be able to get the writer, director, actor, or whomever from the project you are intrested in hobnobbing with to join. Spend a day on the golf course, a day floating on the Galatin and a day touring Yellowstone. What do you want to do with the remaining days? Whatever you want.
18 holes at Big Sky golf course
Yellowstone tour
River Guide service
Lodging and food included.
+ all the perks of the asociate producer incentive level.
*travel not included
Note: Some logistics of this perk are still being worked out. We'll work with you to make it amazing!
Claimed: 0 of 1
$15,000
Executive Producer, Powder Days Edition
Bring up to 3 other people and spend a week in Big Sky Montana this winter with the producer. If the dates work out, we may even be able to get the writer, director, actor, or whomever from the project you are intrested in hobnobbing with.
4, 3 day passes to Big Sky Ski Resort.
Rental equipment outfitted by Black Tie Ski Rental, the premiere conseirge ski delivery and fitting service.
Lodging and food included.
+ all the perks of the asociate producer incentive level.
*travel not included
Note: Some logistics of this perk are still being worked out. We'll work with you to make it amazing!
Claimed: 0 of 2
- Updates
-
Current Team
About This Team
Will Cox, Director -- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4621167/
Born March 5th 1985 on an Air Force base in Homestead Florida. He was raised in Duluth Minnesota and graduated from Duluth Central High School. He later attended the art Institute Interntional in Minneapolis Minnesota. He moved out to Los Angeles California where he began his career in visual effects. Mainly working as a freelance rotoscope artist and compositor, he worked for a number of studios and big name projects. In 2011 he started a visual effects boutique with his business partner and began VFX supervising and producing on independent features.
Ben Encke, Diretor of Photography -- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4938521/
Ben is an award-winning DP from Seoul, South Korea, living in the Twin Cities. Ben has lensed numerous films that have been featured at festivals and in theaters across the country, including the award winning short films CLEAN CUT and SHEAR MADNESS, feature length documentary OUT IN THE COLD, and the feature length narrative MILES BETWEEN US. He has a bias towards naturalistic cinematography, particularly images that make you feel something, even if you don't know quite what that feeling is. Ben is currently an instructor at the Institute of Production and Recording, and enjoys street photography and thumbing through Instagram in his spare time.
Elyse Forbes, Screenwriter -- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3412507/
Elyse Moretti was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and resides in the Midwest. She has completed the improvisation and writing programs at iO Chicago and the Conservatory program at Second City Chicago. Elyse has performed in the Chicago Improv Festival and Chicago Women's Funny Festival and her work has been featured in the Mary Scruggs Works by Women festival.Jon Julsrud, Producer -- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4016865/
Jon Julsrud is a Producer of Marketing and Distribution and VFX artist that recently moved back to his hometown of Rochester, MN. After graduating from St. Olaf College with a degree in psychology, and receiving a second degree in visual effects at the Art Institute in Minneapolis; he spent 8 years based out of LA as a digital nomad working in visual effects and post production on project like Captain America: The First Avenger, Titanic and King Arthur: Legend of the sword.
He returned to Rochester, MN to open a boutique production services company offer Marketing & Distribution services and VFX consultation. Currently, he is working toward bringing a regional tax incentive to SE Minnesota along with the help of local community and business leaders.
In his spare time he can be found working in his hops yard or hanging out in Big Sky, Montana.
-
Media
Videos
Images
-
Community
Supporters
Followers
