PURE
Los Angeles, California | Series
Adventure, Sci-Fi
Set in the distant future where genetic modification has divided society, PURE is a high-quality, independently produced digital series exploring freedom, sacrifice, and morality from an inclusive perspective.
PURE
Los Angeles, California | Series
Adventure, Sci-Fi
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $35,557 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
389 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
Set in the distant future where genetic modification has divided society, PURE is a high-quality, independently produced digital series exploring freedom, sacrifice, and morality from an inclusive perspective.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
As lovers of film, television, and performance media, we have spent most of our lives viewing stories told from a very narrow perspective. With PURE, we are aiming to create a studio-level, universally relatable story - more true to the world we live in today - while exploring humanity's potential future. We are excited to join the sci-fi/action genre with a female director and inclusive cast, crew, and producing team. This fundraising campaign will allow us to film the remainder of the pilot episode, which will demonstrate our vision and achievability to potential studio and financial partners.
PURE is set in a futuristic Earth where humans have evolved based on two current scientific theories of human evolution: 1. We will modify ourselves to the point that our genetic makeup is unrecognizable, and 2. Our extensive reliance on advances in medicine will severely weaken our immune systems.
In this world, society has devolved into three distinct groups: the Mods, the Pures, and the Dissension. The Mods sought perfect health, longevity, and beauty, and through genetic modification, their existence has become reliant on science. In order to survive, they have found only one option: collect and use the DNA of the Pures, people who have remained modification-free and choose a path of least resistance. A guerrilla force known as the Dissension has been attempting to stop the farming of people, but the Mods’ deadly warriors have proven difficult to overtake.
The story of PURE centers around two distinctly different characters and their unlikely relationship. Red is a trained hunter, enslaved by the Mods to capture Pures. Ailen lives in a nomadic Pure tribe, but has grown tired of the passivity of his people and their unwillingness to fight back. When Red enters his camp to kidnap a Pure, Ailen offers himself and learns his true past - that he is actually a Mod who has survived outside of the Annex. As captor and captive travel through an ever-changing world, they struggle to avoid conflict with the resistant group, the Dissension. Eventually, they come to realize the world is not as it seemed, and are forced to choose between saving themselves or saving the lives of many.
In the pilot episode, Red and Ailen are traveling to the Annex only to be ambushed by fighters from the Dissension. After defeating their attackers, Ailen is able to break through Red's shell and learns why the Mods are capturing Pures. When they find their path has been blocked, they are forced to re-route through dangerous territory.
PURE is directed by our writer, Cate Carson, and produced by Julia Morizawa, Briggon Snow, and J. Everley. We are four filmmakers who collectively have extensive experience as producers, directors, writers, actors, and all-around creators. To bring this project to life, we are working with an extremely talented crew whose experience ranges from huge-budget blockbusters like Lord of the Rings and Mission Impossible to independent passion projects such as The Bright Sessions. For more information about our cast and crew, please view our TEAM (see tab near top of page), and check out the reel below!
As people who work in the film and TV industries in other capacities, we face numerous obstacles to telling our stories. Today's landscape often relies on media popularity and bankable talent, and we still have a ways to go for diverse representation. We are choosing not to wait for permission to bring our story to life and to effect the change we wish to see by creating media that seeks inclusion.
Additionally, many stories set in the distant future take the audience into a world far away from Earth, with little to no reminiscence of human life today, very often in an apocalyptic, dystopian frame. PURE explores a future of humanity based on scientific research in a world that is still beautiful. We also find that a lot of sci-fi projects either ignore the issues of race and ethnicity or adapt it into situations of humans versus aliens. In PURE, the divide is between groups of humans based on their moral responses to genetic modification. We are creating a project that will be true to the genre while exploring human issues reflective of our world today.
With your help, we are raising $35,000 for the production of the PURE pilot episode, which includes the cost of this crowdfunding campaign.
We are paying all of our cast and crew, while remaining true to the independent nature of the budget. No one will be volunteering their time and skills, though we have a team who understands that the majority of our funding is coming from your generous hands. This cannot be a "guerilla" production, and permits are required for filming in all locations (like National Parks). We also refuse to cut corners that may jeopordize our team's health or safety. For more details on how your contributions will be key to the success of this project, please view our WISHLIST.
1. Follow our Seed & Spark campaign.
Following our campaign helps us become eligible for additional funds and resources from Seed & Spark.
2. Follow PURE on all our social media channels.
Follow us on twitter, instagram, facebook, and tumblr. It shows new visitors that it's not just us and our parents supporting this project.
3. Spread the word about PURE.
Tell you friends, family, colleagues and neighbors about our project. Share our social media posts and campaign page.
If you hit your goal, what happens to the money you make after that?
Any contributions beyond our goal will go toward the post-production and distribution of the PURE pilot episode, including editing, visual FX, score/soundtrack, screenings, marketing, etc.
What happens if you don't reach your goal?
Seed & Spark requires us to reach at least 80% of our goal for our project to be greenlit and for your contributions to be transferred to us. If we are unable to reach the 80% mark, your credit card will not be charged and the campaign incentives will not be delivered.
Why are you using Seed & Spark instead of some other platform like Kickstarter or Indiegogo?
We chose to crowdfund on Seed & Spark because it is the only crowdfunding website made exclusively for film and television. Further, they are still small enough to be able to offer a great deal of one-on-one feedback and support. But most of all, they are a platform whose mission focuses on inclusion and diversity in media, which falls in line with our goals and priorities for Pure.
How does the Wishlist work?
The Wishlist is Seed & Spark's way of breaking down our project's budget so you can see exactly where the money we raise will go. If you have equipment that you would like to lend us, or if you're a rental house or catering company that can offer us a discount, click the "Loan" button, describe what you have to offer, and we'll reach out to you ASAP.
Does it cost extra to ship internationally?
Nope. The costs of our campaign incentives include estimated shipping fees.
For more information, please don't hesitate to contact us directly via our Seed & Spark campaign or at [email protected]. Thank you for taking this journey with us.
With Gratitude,
Cate Carson, Julia Morizawa, Briggon Snow & J. Everley
#journeytotheannex
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Art Department
Costs $2,500
Set construction/dressing materials and pay our Production Designer for pre-production/production.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Campaign Fees & Expenses
Costs $5,915
Covers the Seed & Spark and credit card fees; plus campaign production, incentives, and marketing.
Contingency
Costs $1,500
This is a little buffer in case something doesn't go exactly as planned.
Expendables
Costs $800
To cover the purchase of expendables like gels, tape, batteries, etc.
Insurance
Costs $1,500
Mandatory liability insurance to protect our cast and crew, and cover the equipment.
Catering
Costs $960
Meal catering and craft services for our cast and crew during the shoot.
Lighting Equipment
Costs $2,500
To rent a full lighting kit, truck, and generator for on-location shoot days.
Camera Equipment
Costs $1,800
To rent a Steadicam, drone, dolly and tracks, monitors for video village, and other equipment.
Director's Department
Costs $1,900
To pay our 1st AD, Script Supervisor, and Director for pre-production and production.
Production Team
Costs $1,500
To pay our Key Producer/Line Producer for pre-production and production; and 2 PAs during the shoot.
Sound Department
Costs $600
To pay our Sound Department for production and the use of their equipment.
Lighting Department
Costs $1,400
To pay our Gaffer and 2 Swings.
Camera Department
Costs $2,000
To pay our Director of Photography, 1st and 2nd AC's, and Camera Operators.
Locations
Costs $2,000
To pay for location fees and permits, required on-site reps, lodging and per diems.
Hair & Make-up
Costs $1,225
Make-up & Hair kits/supplies and to pay our Make-up and Hair Artists for pre-production, production.
Stunts
Costs $1,250
Stunt coordination, equipment, and performers for choreography, rehearsals, and shoot days.
Costumes
Costs $3,500
To buy materials and pay our Costume Designer and team to create our world's unique costumes.
Cast
Costs $2,150
To pay our lead and supporting actors union wages, plus health & pension and agency fees.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Cate’s most recent success includes National Wildcard winning Lionsgate film, Masque, which also earned her a Women-in-Film Award at the 2015 Crystal and Lucy’s. Additionally, she has garnered top awards in several major screenwriting competitions for her script Charlotte Sometimes and previously directed the Top 20 HBO Project Greenlight film Whiskey Boys. Cate is an “actor’s director," having started as an actor herself in both theater and film. In 2000, she was awarded the title scholarship for acting out of over 200 applicants through Adams State College. With 16 years of experience as a military police officer, intelligence specialist, detective, and instructor in defensive tactics, she brings with her a unique skill set. Cate has a keen sense for truthful acting, visual style, blocking, and movement, as well as an understanding that the story is most important and a focus on characters essential.
Julia is primarily an actor with extensive experience in film, television, theatre, and web series. Career highlights include TV appearances on Scandal and Lewis Black’s The Root of All Evil; the feature film Judas Kiss; series regular roles on the web series Star Trek: Odyssey and Frontier Guard; the audio drama The Bright Sessions; as well as stunt work in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle. Julia’s writing and producing credits include the improvised feature film JesusCat (or How I Accidentally Joined a Cult), which was awarded Best Comedy Feature at the Asians on Film Festival in 2014; the short film Sin & Lyle, which earned her a Best Female Filmmaker nomination at the Action On Film Festival in 2007; and the play Twenty-Two, which premiered at the Knightsbridge Theatre in Los Angeles in 2010.
Briggon is the voice of Caleb on The Bright Sessions, a science-fiction podcast about people with supernatural abilities in therapy. With a recurring role on Nickelodeon’s Game Shakers and guest spots on CBS’ Seal Team, Showtime’s Masters of Sex, and Paul Bae's The Big Loop, Briggon is an actor with a wide-ranging and growing body of work. He is also an accomplished vocalist, with his recent cover music video, MERCY, and participation in Gay Star News’ Digital Pride performance series, celebrating LGBT equality, a cause and community very close to his heart.
J. (short of Justin) is an award-winning independent film producer who most recently produced and edited the film Masque, which won the wildcard in the Lionsgate/WIF short film competition. He was also the producer of the Top 20 short film Whiskey Boys for the 2015 Project Greenlight competition. Early in his career, J. trained and worked as a BMW technician, which strengthened his innate analytical and logistical skills. From here, J. transitioned to construction and worked his way up to job supervisor with a commercial masonry company. He quickly learned what it takes to manage multiple job sites, including equipment and stock inventories, employees, budgets, scheduling, contractor negotiations, as well as day to day problem solving and job estimates. When he finally made the jump to film, these skill sets proved invaluable, as the producer is, in many ways, like the general contractor of a film set.
Gareth is a Swiss-American cinematographer and photographer. Raised in Switzerland, he first felt the power of images through European cinema and the likes of Chaplin and Hitchcock. After relocating to Los Angeles in his early twenties, he merged a love for storytelling with a passion for photography and started a career in cinematography. Since then he has built a vast body of work, including films, documentaries, commercials, and music videos. Many of these projects have claimed recognition at festivals around the world, aired on television or found distribution outlets. Gareth has been nominated for several cinematography awards.
Born in Japan, Kumie split her time as an adolescent in both Yokohama and San Francisco. Kumie received the finest education in fashion design from Parsons The New School For Design in New York. While assisting the costume designer, Kumie moved from New York to Los Angeles to focus on articulating the elements of a story through costumes for films and TV shows. Besides working on international award-winning Pepsi Nex TV campaign and Samsung’s national TV commercials, she earned an MFA in Costume Design from UCLA's Theater, Film and TV program under the mentorship of Academy Award nominated costume designer Dr. Deborah Landis, Emmy award winning costume designer Chrisi Karvonides, and Jane Ruhm. Kumie's works include James Franco’s Rio, Zach Marion's Grad Daze, and Distant Vision, an innovative live cinema written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
Coming to visual effects from a fine arts and filmmaking background, Martin finds the power of the visual image to be of paramount importance to storytelling, and has worked in Hollywood production and post-production for over 20 years. His Digital Compositing and 3D work includes countless studio films like The Bourne Identity, Men in Black II, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Thor, Mission Impossible, Noah, and The Amazing Spiderman. He also has experience lighting model miniatures for films like Deep Rising, Con Air, Flubber, Armageddon, My Favorite Martian, Bicentennial Man, and Mission to Mars; and photographed large-format plates for The X Files and The Practice. Martin also teaches at the prestigious Gnomon School of Visual Effects and is a member of the Visual Effects Society. His team received an Emmy Award in 2008 for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Miniseries, Movie or Special for their work on John Adams.
Jeffrey is an award-winning composer for film, television, and video games. In his youth, he taught himself how to play piano by ear before the age of seven. In high school, he was recognized by the Music Teacher’s National Association at the regional and national levels for composing. After studying piano and violin at the Cleveland Institute of Music, he attended Berklee College of Music, earning his degree in film scoring with a minor in video game scoring. During his time at Berklee, Jeffrey was awarded with the ASCAP Film Scoring scholarship. He was also the grand-prize winning composer for Berklee’s own Scoring and Sound Design contest, two years in a row; was granted a prestigious seat in the Berklee Film Scoring Session Orchestra; and was hand-selected as a composer and conductor in the first Berklee Silent Film Orchestra. He has scored a number of award-winning independent short films, including the Lionsgate 2015 wildcard winning short film Masque by Sensorium Pictures. Jeffrey now resides in LA, working as a composer full-time, alongside renowned composer Bear McCreary.
Alisha is a graduate of the Make-up Designory’s Master Make-up Artistry program (MUD). She had a passion for both the arts and make-up from an early age, and gravitated toward film and television make-up while assisting a production in college. After obtaining her bachelor’s degree from Castleton State College in 2010, where she majored in technical theater design with a concentration in costume and theatrical make-up design, Alisha took her education a step further by enrolling in MUD. She was able to expand her knowledge and ability in make-up in order to be well-versed in all areas of the artistry, including but not limited to, beauty, fashion, character, and special effects for TV, film, stage, editorial, print, and runway. Alisha has worked on several theatre, narrative and documentary film projects, and served as the Key Make-up Artist for the 2015 award-winning Lionsgate/WIF short film Masque, which was also produced by Sensorium Pictures.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
As lovers of film, television, and performance media, we have spent most of our lives viewing stories told from a very narrow perspective. With PURE, we are aiming to create a studio-level, universally relatable story - more true to the world we live in today - while exploring humanity's potential future. We are excited to join the sci-fi/action genre with a female director and inclusive cast, crew, and producing team. This fundraising campaign will allow us to film the remainder of the pilot episode, which will demonstrate our vision and achievability to potential studio and financial partners.
PURE is set in a futuristic Earth where humans have evolved based on two current scientific theories of human evolution: 1. We will modify ourselves to the point that our genetic makeup is unrecognizable, and 2. Our extensive reliance on advances in medicine will severely weaken our immune systems.
In this world, society has devolved into three distinct groups: the Mods, the Pures, and the Dissension. The Mods sought perfect health, longevity, and beauty, and through genetic modification, their existence has become reliant on science. In order to survive, they have found only one option: collect and use the DNA of the Pures, people who have remained modification-free and choose a path of least resistance. A guerrilla force known as the Dissension has been attempting to stop the farming of people, but the Mods’ deadly warriors have proven difficult to overtake.
The story of PURE centers around two distinctly different characters and their unlikely relationship. Red is a trained hunter, enslaved by the Mods to capture Pures. Ailen lives in a nomadic Pure tribe, but has grown tired of the passivity of his people and their unwillingness to fight back. When Red enters his camp to kidnap a Pure, Ailen offers himself and learns his true past - that he is actually a Mod who has survived outside of the Annex. As captor and captive travel through an ever-changing world, they struggle to avoid conflict with the resistant group, the Dissension. Eventually, they come to realize the world is not as it seemed, and are forced to choose between saving themselves or saving the lives of many.
In the pilot episode, Red and Ailen are traveling to the Annex only to be ambushed by fighters from the Dissension. After defeating their attackers, Ailen is able to break through Red's shell and learns why the Mods are capturing Pures. When they find their path has been blocked, they are forced to re-route through dangerous territory.
PURE is directed by our writer, Cate Carson, and produced by Julia Morizawa, Briggon Snow, and J. Everley. We are four filmmakers who collectively have extensive experience as producers, directors, writers, actors, and all-around creators. To bring this project to life, we are working with an extremely talented crew whose experience ranges from huge-budget blockbusters like Lord of the Rings and Mission Impossible to independent passion projects such as The Bright Sessions. For more information about our cast and crew, please view our TEAM (see tab near top of page), and check out the reel below!
As people who work in the film and TV industries in other capacities, we face numerous obstacles to telling our stories. Today's landscape often relies on media popularity and bankable talent, and we still have a ways to go for diverse representation. We are choosing not to wait for permission to bring our story to life and to effect the change we wish to see by creating media that seeks inclusion.
Additionally, many stories set in the distant future take the audience into a world far away from Earth, with little to no reminiscence of human life today, very often in an apocalyptic, dystopian frame. PURE explores a future of humanity based on scientific research in a world that is still beautiful. We also find that a lot of sci-fi projects either ignore the issues of race and ethnicity or adapt it into situations of humans versus aliens. In PURE, the divide is between groups of humans based on their moral responses to genetic modification. We are creating a project that will be true to the genre while exploring human issues reflective of our world today.
With your help, we are raising $35,000 for the production of the PURE pilot episode, which includes the cost of this crowdfunding campaign.
We are paying all of our cast and crew, while remaining true to the independent nature of the budget. No one will be volunteering their time and skills, though we have a team who understands that the majority of our funding is coming from your generous hands. This cannot be a "guerilla" production, and permits are required for filming in all locations (like National Parks). We also refuse to cut corners that may jeopordize our team's health or safety. For more details on how your contributions will be key to the success of this project, please view our WISHLIST.
1. Follow our Seed & Spark campaign.
Following our campaign helps us become eligible for additional funds and resources from Seed & Spark.
2. Follow PURE on all our social media channels.
Follow us on twitter, instagram, facebook, and tumblr. It shows new visitors that it's not just us and our parents supporting this project.
3. Spread the word about PURE.
Tell you friends, family, colleagues and neighbors about our project. Share our social media posts and campaign page.
If you hit your goal, what happens to the money you make after that?
Any contributions beyond our goal will go toward the post-production and distribution of the PURE pilot episode, including editing, visual FX, score/soundtrack, screenings, marketing, etc.
What happens if you don't reach your goal?
Seed & Spark requires us to reach at least 80% of our goal for our project to be greenlit and for your contributions to be transferred to us. If we are unable to reach the 80% mark, your credit card will not be charged and the campaign incentives will not be delivered.
Why are you using Seed & Spark instead of some other platform like Kickstarter or Indiegogo?
We chose to crowdfund on Seed & Spark because it is the only crowdfunding website made exclusively for film and television. Further, they are still small enough to be able to offer a great deal of one-on-one feedback and support. But most of all, they are a platform whose mission focuses on inclusion and diversity in media, which falls in line with our goals and priorities for Pure.
How does the Wishlist work?
The Wishlist is Seed & Spark's way of breaking down our project's budget so you can see exactly where the money we raise will go. If you have equipment that you would like to lend us, or if you're a rental house or catering company that can offer us a discount, click the "Loan" button, describe what you have to offer, and we'll reach out to you ASAP.
Does it cost extra to ship internationally?
Nope. The costs of our campaign incentives include estimated shipping fees.
For more information, please don't hesitate to contact us directly via our Seed & Spark campaign or at [email protected]. Thank you for taking this journey with us.
With Gratitude,
Cate Carson, Julia Morizawa, Briggon Snow & J. Everley
#journeytotheannex
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Art Department
Costs $2,500
Set construction/dressing materials and pay our Production Designer for pre-production/production.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Campaign Fees & Expenses
Costs $5,915
Covers the Seed & Spark and credit card fees; plus campaign production, incentives, and marketing.
Contingency
Costs $1,500
This is a little buffer in case something doesn't go exactly as planned.
Expendables
Costs $800
To cover the purchase of expendables like gels, tape, batteries, etc.
Insurance
Costs $1,500
Mandatory liability insurance to protect our cast and crew, and cover the equipment.
Catering
Costs $960
Meal catering and craft services for our cast and crew during the shoot.
Lighting Equipment
Costs $2,500
To rent a full lighting kit, truck, and generator for on-location shoot days.
Camera Equipment
Costs $1,800
To rent a Steadicam, drone, dolly and tracks, monitors for video village, and other equipment.
Director's Department
Costs $1,900
To pay our 1st AD, Script Supervisor, and Director for pre-production and production.
Production Team
Costs $1,500
To pay our Key Producer/Line Producer for pre-production and production; and 2 PAs during the shoot.
Sound Department
Costs $600
To pay our Sound Department for production and the use of their equipment.
Lighting Department
Costs $1,400
To pay our Gaffer and 2 Swings.
Camera Department
Costs $2,000
To pay our Director of Photography, 1st and 2nd AC's, and Camera Operators.
Locations
Costs $2,000
To pay for location fees and permits, required on-site reps, lodging and per diems.
Hair & Make-up
Costs $1,225
Make-up & Hair kits/supplies and to pay our Make-up and Hair Artists for pre-production, production.
Stunts
Costs $1,250
Stunt coordination, equipment, and performers for choreography, rehearsals, and shoot days.
Costumes
Costs $3,500
To buy materials and pay our Costume Designer and team to create our world's unique costumes.
Cast
Costs $2,150
To pay our lead and supporting actors union wages, plus health & pension and agency fees.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Cate’s most recent success includes National Wildcard winning Lionsgate film, Masque, which also earned her a Women-in-Film Award at the 2015 Crystal and Lucy’s. Additionally, she has garnered top awards in several major screenwriting competitions for her script Charlotte Sometimes and previously directed the Top 20 HBO Project Greenlight film Whiskey Boys. Cate is an “actor’s director," having started as an actor herself in both theater and film. In 2000, she was awarded the title scholarship for acting out of over 200 applicants through Adams State College. With 16 years of experience as a military police officer, intelligence specialist, detective, and instructor in defensive tactics, she brings with her a unique skill set. Cate has a keen sense for truthful acting, visual style, blocking, and movement, as well as an understanding that the story is most important and a focus on characters essential.
Julia is primarily an actor with extensive experience in film, television, theatre, and web series. Career highlights include TV appearances on Scandal and Lewis Black’s The Root of All Evil; the feature film Judas Kiss; series regular roles on the web series Star Trek: Odyssey and Frontier Guard; the audio drama The Bright Sessions; as well as stunt work in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle. Julia’s writing and producing credits include the improvised feature film JesusCat (or How I Accidentally Joined a Cult), which was awarded Best Comedy Feature at the Asians on Film Festival in 2014; the short film Sin & Lyle, which earned her a Best Female Filmmaker nomination at the Action On Film Festival in 2007; and the play Twenty-Two, which premiered at the Knightsbridge Theatre in Los Angeles in 2010.
Briggon is the voice of Caleb on The Bright Sessions, a science-fiction podcast about people with supernatural abilities in therapy. With a recurring role on Nickelodeon’s Game Shakers and guest spots on CBS’ Seal Team, Showtime’s Masters of Sex, and Paul Bae's The Big Loop, Briggon is an actor with a wide-ranging and growing body of work. He is also an accomplished vocalist, with his recent cover music video, MERCY, and participation in Gay Star News’ Digital Pride performance series, celebrating LGBT equality, a cause and community very close to his heart.
J. (short of Justin) is an award-winning independent film producer who most recently produced and edited the film Masque, which won the wildcard in the Lionsgate/WIF short film competition. He was also the producer of the Top 20 short film Whiskey Boys for the 2015 Project Greenlight competition. Early in his career, J. trained and worked as a BMW technician, which strengthened his innate analytical and logistical skills. From here, J. transitioned to construction and worked his way up to job supervisor with a commercial masonry company. He quickly learned what it takes to manage multiple job sites, including equipment and stock inventories, employees, budgets, scheduling, contractor negotiations, as well as day to day problem solving and job estimates. When he finally made the jump to film, these skill sets proved invaluable, as the producer is, in many ways, like the general contractor of a film set.
Gareth is a Swiss-American cinematographer and photographer. Raised in Switzerland, he first felt the power of images through European cinema and the likes of Chaplin and Hitchcock. After relocating to Los Angeles in his early twenties, he merged a love for storytelling with a passion for photography and started a career in cinematography. Since then he has built a vast body of work, including films, documentaries, commercials, and music videos. Many of these projects have claimed recognition at festivals around the world, aired on television or found distribution outlets. Gareth has been nominated for several cinematography awards.
Born in Japan, Kumie split her time as an adolescent in both Yokohama and San Francisco. Kumie received the finest education in fashion design from Parsons The New School For Design in New York. While assisting the costume designer, Kumie moved from New York to Los Angeles to focus on articulating the elements of a story through costumes for films and TV shows. Besides working on international award-winning Pepsi Nex TV campaign and Samsung’s national TV commercials, she earned an MFA in Costume Design from UCLA's Theater, Film and TV program under the mentorship of Academy Award nominated costume designer Dr. Deborah Landis, Emmy award winning costume designer Chrisi Karvonides, and Jane Ruhm. Kumie's works include James Franco’s Rio, Zach Marion's Grad Daze, and Distant Vision, an innovative live cinema written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
Coming to visual effects from a fine arts and filmmaking background, Martin finds the power of the visual image to be of paramount importance to storytelling, and has worked in Hollywood production and post-production for over 20 years. His Digital Compositing and 3D work includes countless studio films like The Bourne Identity, Men in Black II, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Thor, Mission Impossible, Noah, and The Amazing Spiderman. He also has experience lighting model miniatures for films like Deep Rising, Con Air, Flubber, Armageddon, My Favorite Martian, Bicentennial Man, and Mission to Mars; and photographed large-format plates for The X Files and The Practice. Martin also teaches at the prestigious Gnomon School of Visual Effects and is a member of the Visual Effects Society. His team received an Emmy Award in 2008 for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Miniseries, Movie or Special for their work on John Adams.
Jeffrey is an award-winning composer for film, television, and video games. In his youth, he taught himself how to play piano by ear before the age of seven. In high school, he was recognized by the Music Teacher’s National Association at the regional and national levels for composing. After studying piano and violin at the Cleveland Institute of Music, he attended Berklee College of Music, earning his degree in film scoring with a minor in video game scoring. During his time at Berklee, Jeffrey was awarded with the ASCAP Film Scoring scholarship. He was also the grand-prize winning composer for Berklee’s own Scoring and Sound Design contest, two years in a row; was granted a prestigious seat in the Berklee Film Scoring Session Orchestra; and was hand-selected as a composer and conductor in the first Berklee Silent Film Orchestra. He has scored a number of award-winning independent short films, including the Lionsgate 2015 wildcard winning short film Masque by Sensorium Pictures. Jeffrey now resides in LA, working as a composer full-time, alongside renowned composer Bear McCreary.
Alisha is a graduate of the Make-up Designory’s Master Make-up Artistry program (MUD). She had a passion for both the arts and make-up from an early age, and gravitated toward film and television make-up while assisting a production in college. After obtaining her bachelor’s degree from Castleton State College in 2010, where she majored in technical theater design with a concentration in costume and theatrical make-up design, Alisha took her education a step further by enrolling in MUD. She was able to expand her knowledge and ability in make-up in order to be well-versed in all areas of the artistry, including but not limited to, beauty, fashion, character, and special effects for TV, film, stage, editorial, print, and runway. Alisha has worked on several theatre, narrative and documentary film projects, and served as the Key Make-up Artist for the 2015 award-winning Lionsgate/WIF short film Masque, which was also produced by Sensorium Pictures.