Project Romeo
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama, Film-Noir
This film is a new take on Romeo and Juliet set in an alternate reality where the Cold War has never ended. He is a secret agent; she is his target. Project Romeo is a story about politics and deception, but beyond that, it explores the complexity of love and betrayal.
Project Romeo
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama, Film-Noir
2 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $3,900 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
36 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
This film is a new take on Romeo and Juliet set in an alternate reality where the Cold War has never ended. He is a secret agent; she is his target. Project Romeo is a story about politics and deception, but beyond that, it explores the complexity of love and betrayal.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The year is 1993. The Soviet Union has never collapsed. The Cold War never ended. The world is on the brink of the nuclear holocaust. A special unit of Communist Intelligence Agents, known as Romeo Spies is formed. Their job is to infiltrate the lives of American politicians and officials, by seducing their wives, secretaries, and daughters. Romeos are known for their good looks, exquisite manipulation skills, art of shapeshifting, and cold-blooded ruthlessness.
Our film tells a story of two secret lovers. He is a Romeo. She is his target. Taking place in a single hotel room over the course of one night, Project Romeo is a noir espionage thriller set in an alternate universe. What happens in that room could change the courses of the characters’ lives forever.
On a personal level, this is a story about unfulfilled promises and betrayal, romantic manipulation and sexual power struggles, the dark nature of a human mind and an examination of how far can one go in order to fulfill self-proclaimed duty. On a larger scale, we attempt to provide a commentary on a global political climate through a microcosm of a dysfunctional couple. Having a multinational team of creatives working on the project, we aim to introspect into our own national identities and reflect on the cultural impact of the Cold War.
Our passion for this story began with our fascination with the Cold War era, classic espionage films, and 20th century aesthetics. Over the past two years, the film’s creators, Jade Kaiser (writer) and Dmitriy Usov (writer/director), have been developing films and writing screenplays that revolve around Cold War history. Project Romeo is a manifestation of their love for historical fiction of that age, as well as an attempt to build a new cinematic world.
Our team consists of Loyola Marymount University graduates and students who share their passion for film, storytelling, and all things creative. We believe that our team brings together diverse voices and provides artistic perspectives from all around the globe.
Right now, the world’s political climate is incredibly tense. It seems like global powers are ruled by conflict and are separated by miscommunication; it feels like the Cold War has never ended. Our film is set in a fictional world, but we want to show that it is not very different from our own; the characters are motivated by false information, manipulation and distrust for each other. We want our audience to reflect back on the global state of political climates.
The road to making Project Romeo has had its challenges. The bigger world of Romeo Spies and–an alternate universe in which they are set in–has been in development for more than a year. The film’s production is scheduled to take place toward the end of January 2022, amidst the CoVid-19 Omicron variant pandemic in the U.S., which has created many obstacles.
As the rapid spread of CoVid creates concerns for health and safety, our team has come up with a careful plan to ensure that the Project Romeo cast and crew remain safe and comfortable. We have dedicated part of our budget to testing and sanitation materials so that we can provide antigen testing on both days of our shoot and keep our spaces clean and virus-free. Our whole team takes the pandemic very seriously, so we have come up with a system to regularly sanitize our shooting space and keep the number of people in each room to a minimum while maintaining social distancing.
Amidst all the challenges that the external world brings, our team remains positive. We strongly believe that the story we are telling is important and must be told in the current global political climate. The nostalgia for the past and multi-generational love for classic spy flicks will help our film to find its audience, and will lay a foundation for a larger franchise. Currently, we have a Project Romeo podcast series in development, and we plan to turn this 12 minute film into a feature-length film over the next couple of years.
How You Can Help:
Right now, we’re trying to raise $4,500 to cover production costs. On our wishlist tab, we included a breakdown of where each amount is going. You can donate to the project as a whole, or you can choose one of our Wishlist items to support that department specifically!
Even if you cannot make a monetary donation, we need help spreading word about our project. Another way you can support Project Romeo is by talking about it to friends! You can follow us on Instagram, @projectromeofilm, and share our posts, or you can make your own posts. Below, we have a few captions you can copy and paste:
I just read about a cool film that’s raising funds called Project Romeo! Check it out on Instagram @projectromeofilm and on Seed&Spark! www.seedandspark.com/fund/project-romeo
Fan of spy films? Take a look at this new short film, Project Romeo! Instagram: @projectromeofilm, Seed&Spark: www.seedandspark.com/fund/project-romeo
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Camera & Lighting Equipment
Costs $750
So our incredible Camera and Lighting teams can showcase their talents with the proper equipment!
Production Design
Costs $1,500
So our Production Designer can bring their period piece vision to life!
Costumes
Costs $400
So our Costume Designer can craft wardrobe as accurately as possible to the period!
Post-Production
Costs $400
So our wonderful Editors have the resources they need to masterfully bring the film together!
Other Expenses
Costs $150
For any extra expenses incurred that we may not have accounted for!
COVID Precautions
Costs $500
So that we can ensure a safe and healthy set by providing testing and sanitation resources!
Share this update!
About This Team
We have assembled a diverse, passionate, and international team of individuals who all share a true love for the craft of filmmaking. We wanted to tell a story representative of two individuals living very different lives, so we brought together people from different national and ethnical backgrounds to provide a global perspective on the story. Here are some of our team members:
Jade Kaiser (she/her) - Writer
Jade Kaiser is an American actor and screenwriter based in Los Angeles. Since her grandparents came to America after World War II right at the start of the Cold War, they have told her countless stories about life under an oppressive socialist regime in Eastern Germany, and why they had to flee. This has inspired her strong fascination with Cold War European history and stories related to espionage. She also enjoys American history on politics, social justice and cultural growth which helped her to shape the film's plot in the context of 1990s Tennessee during George H. Bush’s presidency.
Dmitriy Usov (he/him) - Writer/Director
Dmitriy Usov is a Russian screenwriter, photographer, and director currently based in Los Angeles. Having grown up in the multinational Mediterranean island of Cyprus, Dmitriy has been captivated by telling stories that bridge gaps in cultural differences, distance, and time. From an early age Dmitriy has been fascinated with historical fiction, Sci-Fi,and espionage drama, elements of which are all present in Project Romeo.
Maria Vittoria Conti (she/her) - Producer
Maria Vittoria Conti is an Italian filmmaker and photographer, currently based in Los Angeles.
Nicole Gillette (she/her) - Producer
Nicole Gillette is from Dallas, Texas and lives in Los Angeles. She’s working toward her Bachelor’s degree in film production at Loyola Marymount University and is interested in writing, directing, and producing for film. She has always had a love of storytelling, which is what drew her to filmmaking.
Carson Bennett (he/him) - Director of Photography
Carson Bennett is a Director and Cinematographer from Oregon currently studying at Loyola Marymount University. Coming from a small town, Carson has a strong focus on collaboration as a means of telling human stories that connect people together.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The year is 1993. The Soviet Union has never collapsed. The Cold War never ended. The world is on the brink of the nuclear holocaust. A special unit of Communist Intelligence Agents, known as Romeo Spies is formed. Their job is to infiltrate the lives of American politicians and officials, by seducing their wives, secretaries, and daughters. Romeos are known for their good looks, exquisite manipulation skills, art of shapeshifting, and cold-blooded ruthlessness.
Our film tells a story of two secret lovers. He is a Romeo. She is his target. Taking place in a single hotel room over the course of one night, Project Romeo is a noir espionage thriller set in an alternate universe. What happens in that room could change the courses of the characters’ lives forever.
On a personal level, this is a story about unfulfilled promises and betrayal, romantic manipulation and sexual power struggles, the dark nature of a human mind and an examination of how far can one go in order to fulfill self-proclaimed duty. On a larger scale, we attempt to provide a commentary on a global political climate through a microcosm of a dysfunctional couple. Having a multinational team of creatives working on the project, we aim to introspect into our own national identities and reflect on the cultural impact of the Cold War.
Our passion for this story began with our fascination with the Cold War era, classic espionage films, and 20th century aesthetics. Over the past two years, the film’s creators, Jade Kaiser (writer) and Dmitriy Usov (writer/director), have been developing films and writing screenplays that revolve around Cold War history. Project Romeo is a manifestation of their love for historical fiction of that age, as well as an attempt to build a new cinematic world.
Our team consists of Loyola Marymount University graduates and students who share their passion for film, storytelling, and all things creative. We believe that our team brings together diverse voices and provides artistic perspectives from all around the globe.
Right now, the world’s political climate is incredibly tense. It seems like global powers are ruled by conflict and are separated by miscommunication; it feels like the Cold War has never ended. Our film is set in a fictional world, but we want to show that it is not very different from our own; the characters are motivated by false information, manipulation and distrust for each other. We want our audience to reflect back on the global state of political climates.
The road to making Project Romeo has had its challenges. The bigger world of Romeo Spies and–an alternate universe in which they are set in–has been in development for more than a year. The film’s production is scheduled to take place toward the end of January 2022, amidst the CoVid-19 Omicron variant pandemic in the U.S., which has created many obstacles.
As the rapid spread of CoVid creates concerns for health and safety, our team has come up with a careful plan to ensure that the Project Romeo cast and crew remain safe and comfortable. We have dedicated part of our budget to testing and sanitation materials so that we can provide antigen testing on both days of our shoot and keep our spaces clean and virus-free. Our whole team takes the pandemic very seriously, so we have come up with a system to regularly sanitize our shooting space and keep the number of people in each room to a minimum while maintaining social distancing.
Amidst all the challenges that the external world brings, our team remains positive. We strongly believe that the story we are telling is important and must be told in the current global political climate. The nostalgia for the past and multi-generational love for classic spy flicks will help our film to find its audience, and will lay a foundation for a larger franchise. Currently, we have a Project Romeo podcast series in development, and we plan to turn this 12 minute film into a feature-length film over the next couple of years.
How You Can Help:
Right now, we’re trying to raise $4,500 to cover production costs. On our wishlist tab, we included a breakdown of where each amount is going. You can donate to the project as a whole, or you can choose one of our Wishlist items to support that department specifically!
Even if you cannot make a monetary donation, we need help spreading word about our project. Another way you can support Project Romeo is by talking about it to friends! You can follow us on Instagram, @projectromeofilm, and share our posts, or you can make your own posts. Below, we have a few captions you can copy and paste:
I just read about a cool film that’s raising funds called Project Romeo! Check it out on Instagram @projectromeofilm and on Seed&Spark! www.seedandspark.com/fund/project-romeo
Fan of spy films? Take a look at this new short film, Project Romeo! Instagram: @projectromeofilm, Seed&Spark: www.seedandspark.com/fund/project-romeo
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Camera & Lighting Equipment
Costs $750
So our incredible Camera and Lighting teams can showcase their talents with the proper equipment!
Production Design
Costs $1,500
So our Production Designer can bring their period piece vision to life!
Costumes
Costs $400
So our Costume Designer can craft wardrobe as accurately as possible to the period!
Post-Production
Costs $400
So our wonderful Editors have the resources they need to masterfully bring the film together!
Other Expenses
Costs $150
For any extra expenses incurred that we may not have accounted for!
COVID Precautions
Costs $500
So that we can ensure a safe and healthy set by providing testing and sanitation resources!
Share this update!
About This Team
We have assembled a diverse, passionate, and international team of individuals who all share a true love for the craft of filmmaking. We wanted to tell a story representative of two individuals living very different lives, so we brought together people from different national and ethnical backgrounds to provide a global perspective on the story. Here are some of our team members:
Jade Kaiser (she/her) - Writer
Jade Kaiser is an American actor and screenwriter based in Los Angeles. Since her grandparents came to America after World War II right at the start of the Cold War, they have told her countless stories about life under an oppressive socialist regime in Eastern Germany, and why they had to flee. This has inspired her strong fascination with Cold War European history and stories related to espionage. She also enjoys American history on politics, social justice and cultural growth which helped her to shape the film's plot in the context of 1990s Tennessee during George H. Bush’s presidency.
Dmitriy Usov (he/him) - Writer/Director
Dmitriy Usov is a Russian screenwriter, photographer, and director currently based in Los Angeles. Having grown up in the multinational Mediterranean island of Cyprus, Dmitriy has been captivated by telling stories that bridge gaps in cultural differences, distance, and time. From an early age Dmitriy has been fascinated with historical fiction, Sci-Fi,and espionage drama, elements of which are all present in Project Romeo.
Maria Vittoria Conti (she/her) - Producer
Maria Vittoria Conti is an Italian filmmaker and photographer, currently based in Los Angeles.
Nicole Gillette (she/her) - Producer
Nicole Gillette is from Dallas, Texas and lives in Los Angeles. She’s working toward her Bachelor’s degree in film production at Loyola Marymount University and is interested in writing, directing, and producing for film. She has always had a love of storytelling, which is what drew her to filmmaking.
Carson Bennett (he/him) - Director of Photography
Carson Bennett is a Director and Cinematographer from Oregon currently studying at Loyola Marymount University. Coming from a small town, Carson has a strong focus on collaboration as a means of telling human stories that connect people together.