Promise
New York City, New York | Film Short
Drama, Thriller
What may seem like a normal night for college friends Chris, Teo and Julian quickly turns sour and becomes a pivotal point in all the boy’s lives after Chris tells Teo his darkest secret.
Promise
New York City, New York | Film Short
Drama, Thriller
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $10,525 for pre-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
54 supporters | followers
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What may seem like a normal night for college friends Chris, Teo and Julian quickly turns sour and becomes a pivotal point in all the boy’s lives after Chris tells Teo his darkest secret.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The Impact
I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of morality. Having been born in Colombia, raised in Qatar and now living in New York, I’ve been able to live through different social values and cultures, yet morality is something that almost always seems to remain subjective to the individual.
This film aims to question our moral compass and our beliefs into what we perceive as right and wrong. More often than not I find that we always want to make the “right” decision. The “right” choice. But ultimately the “right” thing to do will ways be subjective. I aim for this film to open up ideas and feelings about how people feel about the subject matter and how people would act if they were in the characters' circumstances. Would you do the “right” thing? And if so, what is the right thing?
I strive to create movies that have a strong impact on the audience. Movies that leave a lingering question long after the credits roll; I find movies like that fascinating. Movies that camp out in your mind for hours, or days after you’ve watched them. Movies that make you question everything you’ve known or give you a strong different perspective on something you thought you understood. I ultimately try to replicate that feeling I get when I watch my favorite movies.
“I don't know how much movies should entertain. To me, I'm always interested in movies that scar.” - David Fincher.
Synopsis
The film follows childhood and college friends Teo, Chris and Julian. As the night develops we quickly start to realize that there is something strange going on with Chris.
After Julian leaves to get more drinks, Chris tells Teo a secret that he feels he can’t hold on to anymore. A secret that will alter the course of all the boys’ lives, forcing Teo to enter a world that he did not want to be a part of.
But when Julian returns, Teo has to decide what the right thing to do is. Should he tell Julian, or keep it to himself like he promised?
Approach
Our approach is led by creating a feeling of intimacy and entrapment with the characters. We want to use a lot of extreme closeups with an aspect ratio of 2.39:1. This will allow us to feel like we are interrupting and intruding in a moment in time in these characters' lives. As if the audience and camera themselves are a character in this world, we'll be able to really see how information lands and comes out of the characters heads, while simultaneously seeing the world around them.
We will also be aiming to shoot with telephoto lenses. These lenses will create a feeling of isolation by blurring out the backround and isolating the focus on the subject. By doing this we force the audience to focus on the important things. We create tension by making sure the viewer can't look away from the main point of focus.
We will also only be using one location to emphasize the feeling of claustrophobia. Since Chris feels trapped in this secret, we want Teo to also feel like he is trapped in this world he has just been forced into. By creating an environment that is familiar to the characters, yet only has one exit, we force these characters to deal with the circumstances in the immediate moment without being able to leave.
Timeline
- Rehearsals: Feb 19
- Principal Photography: Feb 26
- Picture Lock: May 10
- Color/ Sound/ Score Lock: June 15
- Festival Submissions: September 10
What We NEED
We have an amazing and talented crew that is taking their time and effort and investing it in this film because they believe in it. They are working artists in the professional world willing to work on this fproject. But unfortunately the cost of making a movie is high. We have managed to be as efficient as possible with our budget, and work in ways of making this movie possible without a lot of money. But we still need YOUR help. You can collaborate with us and join the team by making pledges that will fund our hard work. Below is a break down of our budget and how we plan to allocate the money.
Every single pledge will mean a lot to us, as it helps us get one step closer to making this film become a reality. We want to encourage people to become a part of this movie, which is why we are offering perks that will allow you to not only have your name in the credits, but also own unique items from the film such as storyboards, posters, and shooting scripts. We believe that we can show a unique story never been told before and with you helping us along the way, we will be able to create something amazing together.
Crew & Collaborators
Sebastian Delascasas - Writer/Director - IMDB
Sam Coppola - Producer - IMDB
Teo Marinakis - Director of Photography - teomarinakis.com
Kaya Tone - Assistant Director - tonefilmproductions.com
Indie Jansons - Assistant Producer - indiejansons.com
Covid 19 Safety Precautions
Safety is our number one priority and we plan to take as many precautions as necessary. All cast and crew must be vaccinated and we will be testing before every rehersal and in person meeting. During shooting, we will have a desginated Covid Officer who will be symptom checking and collecting negative PCR test results at the door. The cast and crew will be wearing face masks, besides if they are directly shown on camera. All meals will be eaten outdoors and social distancing will be maintained as mush as possible.
Previous Work
This will be my second time writing a film and my first time directing one. My previous film 6 was selected for 6 Film Festivals, nominated for 17 awards, and won 8 of them.
With your help, I can make this film become a reality and explore ideas and creative ways of telling what i believe is a moving and engaging story of friendship and morals.
Other Ways You Can Help
We understand that not everyone can financially contribute to this project, but you can still help and be a part of this just by spreading the word. Share our campaign on social media platforms and get everyone you know as excited about this project as we are! By helping our campaign get to more people you are already contributing to our film. Make sure you follow us on Instagram to keep updated with how the project is going! Thank you so much, and looking forward to working with you.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Distribution
Costs $2,000
In order to get the film seen, we need your help to be able to send to festivals.
Transport
Costs $400
With all this great equipment, we're gonna need a way to move it around.
Share this update!
About This Team
Writer/ Director - Sebastian Delascasas was born in Bogota, Colombia but moved to Doha, Qatar at the age of 7. He grew up spending time between South America and the Middle East where he was able to learn and explore the complexity and beauty of divercity and culture. He graduated NYU Tisch in 2020 with the "Outstanding Achievement Award" in Studio and is currently based in NYC where he works as an actor represented by A3 Artists. His Previous writing credit is the short film "6", which was selected for 6 Film Festivals, nominated for 17 awards and won 8.
Director of Photography - Teo Marinakis is a director/cinematographer based in New York. He grew up in Chile to a Brazilian mother and Argentinian/Greek father. Growing up in a multicultural environment drew him towards a diverse range of stories that explore the human condition across borders. After graduating from NYU with a degree in Film & Television, he co-founded OOOF & The Walrus, an independent production company and has been actively directing, shooting, and producing commercials, music videos, and short films. His first short titled “Cabourg” won Audience Choice Award at the Hip Hop Film Festival. His follow up “VIVO” is completely finished and awaiting responses from festivals to announce its release.
Assistant Director - Kaya Tone was born and raised in the mountains outside of Boulder, CO. She moved to NYC in 2016 to attend NYU Tisch School of the Arts for her BFA in Film & TV with a minor in Religious Studies. During her time there, Tone worked on over thirty short films. Tone wrote and directed her first short film “Creature of the Night” in 2018 which received a Gold Award at the International Independent Film Awards (2019) and several other nominations. In the spring of 2019, Tone directed the music video “White Knuckles” for Maris which received 10k views. Her short fantasy film “The Call of Water” is currently in the film circuit with several nominations and awards such as “Best Fantasy Film”. She started her own production company in 2020, Tone Productions, with her sister and long time collaborator, Siena Tone. Together, the Tone sisters are excited to present their films, and hope to use them to educate and inspire people around the world.
Producer - Sam Coppola is a born and raised New Yorker. She attended NYU Tisch School of the Arts where she studied at the Atlantic Acting School and received her BFA in Drama and a double minor in Filmmaking and Producing. During her time at NYU, Sam interned for Oscar and Emmy Award-winning director Ellen Goosenberg Kent on her film "The Children of 9/11: Rebuilding Hope", which premiered on the Magnolia Network last fall. In August 2021, Sam moved to Los Angeles and currently works as a director's assistant for Julie Anne Robinson on her latest pilot for HULU. Along with co-founding Saloon 7 Productions she has worked as a director, producer and production coordinator on over 15 music videos, feuatures and shorts.
Assistant Producer - Indie Jansons is a screenwriter, director, and actress based in New York City. Her work ranges from producing advertising campaigns and social media content for clients including Gabriela Hearst, ELLE Magazine Bulgaria, and Kerastase as well as having over 10 short essays published with 15,000+ reads. Her most recent work includes her directorial debut, directing V Magazine's first web series, "My New York." From Paris to New York to the suburbs of America, Indie's background as a military dependent built the foundation for her art; the trials of being an outsider is a shared human experience she is very familiar with and one that she tries to convey in her writing. Incorporating international inspiration from literature, art, and culture, her work is a hybrid of mediums, just as much as she is.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The Impact
I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of morality. Having been born in Colombia, raised in Qatar and now living in New York, I’ve been able to live through different social values and cultures, yet morality is something that almost always seems to remain subjective to the individual.
This film aims to question our moral compass and our beliefs into what we perceive as right and wrong. More often than not I find that we always want to make the “right” decision. The “right” choice. But ultimately the “right” thing to do will ways be subjective. I aim for this film to open up ideas and feelings about how people feel about the subject matter and how people would act if they were in the characters' circumstances. Would you do the “right” thing? And if so, what is the right thing?
I strive to create movies that have a strong impact on the audience. Movies that leave a lingering question long after the credits roll; I find movies like that fascinating. Movies that camp out in your mind for hours, or days after you’ve watched them. Movies that make you question everything you’ve known or give you a strong different perspective on something you thought you understood. I ultimately try to replicate that feeling I get when I watch my favorite movies.
“I don't know how much movies should entertain. To me, I'm always interested in movies that scar.” - David Fincher.
Synopsis
The film follows childhood and college friends Teo, Chris and Julian. As the night develops we quickly start to realize that there is something strange going on with Chris.
After Julian leaves to get more drinks, Chris tells Teo a secret that he feels he can’t hold on to anymore. A secret that will alter the course of all the boys’ lives, forcing Teo to enter a world that he did not want to be a part of.
But when Julian returns, Teo has to decide what the right thing to do is. Should he tell Julian, or keep it to himself like he promised?
Approach
Our approach is led by creating a feeling of intimacy and entrapment with the characters. We want to use a lot of extreme closeups with an aspect ratio of 2.39:1. This will allow us to feel like we are interrupting and intruding in a moment in time in these characters' lives. As if the audience and camera themselves are a character in this world, we'll be able to really see how information lands and comes out of the characters heads, while simultaneously seeing the world around them.
We will also be aiming to shoot with telephoto lenses. These lenses will create a feeling of isolation by blurring out the backround and isolating the focus on the subject. By doing this we force the audience to focus on the important things. We create tension by making sure the viewer can't look away from the main point of focus.
We will also only be using one location to emphasize the feeling of claustrophobia. Since Chris feels trapped in this secret, we want Teo to also feel like he is trapped in this world he has just been forced into. By creating an environment that is familiar to the characters, yet only has one exit, we force these characters to deal with the circumstances in the immediate moment without being able to leave.
Timeline
- Rehearsals: Feb 19
- Principal Photography: Feb 26
- Picture Lock: May 10
- Color/ Sound/ Score Lock: June 15
- Festival Submissions: September 10
What We NEED
We have an amazing and talented crew that is taking their time and effort and investing it in this film because they believe in it. They are working artists in the professional world willing to work on this fproject. But unfortunately the cost of making a movie is high. We have managed to be as efficient as possible with our budget, and work in ways of making this movie possible without a lot of money. But we still need YOUR help. You can collaborate with us and join the team by making pledges that will fund our hard work. Below is a break down of our budget and how we plan to allocate the money.
Every single pledge will mean a lot to us, as it helps us get one step closer to making this film become a reality. We want to encourage people to become a part of this movie, which is why we are offering perks that will allow you to not only have your name in the credits, but also own unique items from the film such as storyboards, posters, and shooting scripts. We believe that we can show a unique story never been told before and with you helping us along the way, we will be able to create something amazing together.
Crew & Collaborators
Sebastian Delascasas - Writer/Director - IMDB
Sam Coppola - Producer - IMDB
Teo Marinakis - Director of Photography - teomarinakis.com
Kaya Tone - Assistant Director - tonefilmproductions.com
Indie Jansons - Assistant Producer - indiejansons.com
Covid 19 Safety Precautions
Safety is our number one priority and we plan to take as many precautions as necessary. All cast and crew must be vaccinated and we will be testing before every rehersal and in person meeting. During shooting, we will have a desginated Covid Officer who will be symptom checking and collecting negative PCR test results at the door. The cast and crew will be wearing face masks, besides if they are directly shown on camera. All meals will be eaten outdoors and social distancing will be maintained as mush as possible.
Previous Work
This will be my second time writing a film and my first time directing one. My previous film 6 was selected for 6 Film Festivals, nominated for 17 awards, and won 8 of them.
With your help, I can make this film become a reality and explore ideas and creative ways of telling what i believe is a moving and engaging story of friendship and morals.
Other Ways You Can Help
We understand that not everyone can financially contribute to this project, but you can still help and be a part of this just by spreading the word. Share our campaign on social media platforms and get everyone you know as excited about this project as we are! By helping our campaign get to more people you are already contributing to our film. Make sure you follow us on Instagram to keep updated with how the project is going! Thank you so much, and looking forward to working with you.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Distribution
Costs $2,000
In order to get the film seen, we need your help to be able to send to festivals.
Transport
Costs $400
With all this great equipment, we're gonna need a way to move it around.
Share this update!
About This Team
Writer/ Director - Sebastian Delascasas was born in Bogota, Colombia but moved to Doha, Qatar at the age of 7. He grew up spending time between South America and the Middle East where he was able to learn and explore the complexity and beauty of divercity and culture. He graduated NYU Tisch in 2020 with the "Outstanding Achievement Award" in Studio and is currently based in NYC where he works as an actor represented by A3 Artists. His Previous writing credit is the short film "6", which was selected for 6 Film Festivals, nominated for 17 awards and won 8.
Director of Photography - Teo Marinakis is a director/cinematographer based in New York. He grew up in Chile to a Brazilian mother and Argentinian/Greek father. Growing up in a multicultural environment drew him towards a diverse range of stories that explore the human condition across borders. After graduating from NYU with a degree in Film & Television, he co-founded OOOF & The Walrus, an independent production company and has been actively directing, shooting, and producing commercials, music videos, and short films. His first short titled “Cabourg” won Audience Choice Award at the Hip Hop Film Festival. His follow up “VIVO” is completely finished and awaiting responses from festivals to announce its release.
Assistant Director - Kaya Tone was born and raised in the mountains outside of Boulder, CO. She moved to NYC in 2016 to attend NYU Tisch School of the Arts for her BFA in Film & TV with a minor in Religious Studies. During her time there, Tone worked on over thirty short films. Tone wrote and directed her first short film “Creature of the Night” in 2018 which received a Gold Award at the International Independent Film Awards (2019) and several other nominations. In the spring of 2019, Tone directed the music video “White Knuckles” for Maris which received 10k views. Her short fantasy film “The Call of Water” is currently in the film circuit with several nominations and awards such as “Best Fantasy Film”. She started her own production company in 2020, Tone Productions, with her sister and long time collaborator, Siena Tone. Together, the Tone sisters are excited to present their films, and hope to use them to educate and inspire people around the world.
Producer - Sam Coppola is a born and raised New Yorker. She attended NYU Tisch School of the Arts where she studied at the Atlantic Acting School and received her BFA in Drama and a double minor in Filmmaking and Producing. During her time at NYU, Sam interned for Oscar and Emmy Award-winning director Ellen Goosenberg Kent on her film "The Children of 9/11: Rebuilding Hope", which premiered on the Magnolia Network last fall. In August 2021, Sam moved to Los Angeles and currently works as a director's assistant for Julie Anne Robinson on her latest pilot for HULU. Along with co-founding Saloon 7 Productions she has worked as a director, producer and production coordinator on over 15 music videos, feuatures and shorts.
Assistant Producer - Indie Jansons is a screenwriter, director, and actress based in New York City. Her work ranges from producing advertising campaigns and social media content for clients including Gabriela Hearst, ELLE Magazine Bulgaria, and Kerastase as well as having over 10 short essays published with 15,000+ reads. Her most recent work includes her directorial debut, directing V Magazine's first web series, "My New York." From Paris to New York to the suburbs of America, Indie's background as a military dependent built the foundation for her art; the trials of being an outsider is a shared human experience she is very familiar with and one that she tries to convey in her writing. Incorporating international inspiration from literature, art, and culture, her work is a hybrid of mediums, just as much as she is.