This is baby’s first feature film! This is also my most personal project yet. In Scabs, the main character’s compulsive behavior (skin picking) is a disorder that I also have. It’s a behavior I’ve struggled with for most of my life and have only recently started to talk about openly. I feel like in today’s image-obsessed, social media-crazed world, every “flaw” on our body is scrutinized. As the pervasive practice of creating flawless images online continues to grow, I feel compelled to offer vulnerability instead. For me, Scabs is a response to my own desire to hide. The process of writing this film has already provided unimaginable compassion, understanding, and community. I can’t wait to see what happens when we actually make the thing!

Scabs is based on the short film with the same name. During the film’s festival run, I met countless audience members who were moved by the story, sharing their own personal struggles with body-focused repetitive behavior disorders (skin picking, hair pulling, etc), whether it was something they did themselves or something they watched a child or loved one struggling with. The process of sharing the short film with festival audiences, and meeting people with such close connections to the story, inspired me to spend more time with the protagonist.

Making a feature film is a uniquely monstrous challenge, and we are going to need all the help we can get. We’re calling on our friends, family, and community to partner with us in order to bring the project to life! Do you want to make a feature film with us? Here’s how you can help:

Our $15,000 goal is ⅔ of the money needed to complete the production. Monetary donations towards this goal will directly support:

• The People (actors, crew members, designers, an intimacy coordinator, a special effects consultant, security & life guards)
• The Stuff (equipment rentals, costumes, props, fake guts & a giant scab)
• The Places (location rentals & street closure permits)
• The Process (script printing, hard drives & most importantly, food to feed everyone on set)

WE HAVE A STRETCH GOAL!!!!

Our $15,000 goal is the bare minimum needed to get us through production. We have a stretch goal of $20,000, which will significantly kickstart our post-production process, and help with editing, coloring, scoring, marketing, and distributing the final film!

You could also help us secure locations for the film! We’re actively searching for the following locations in Philadelphia in July:

• A studio / 1 BR apartment (if it’s rundown or not cool, that’s ideal!) // 3 days of filming
• A full bathroom (with tub & shower curtain) // 2-3 days of filming
• A grocery store / bodega / corner store // 1 evening of filming
• A warehouse / photography studio // 2 days of filming
• An elementary school classroom or campgrounds // 1-2 day of filming



If you are interested in helping out on set, please send us an email at [email protected] with your availability and any special skills (driving, cooking, fundraising, DJing, etc.). Making a feature film is a huge lift, and we need all the help we can get. 

During the festival run of the short-film version of Scabs, the team started dreaming of a feature-length version of the film. What might that look like? Who might be involved? I set aside two hours every day to start exploring the Scabs universe, and after about a month of brainstorming, I felt I had enough gas in the tank to start writing the first draft. After an initial read through with the team, we started making "official" plans. Fast forward a little over a year (and 29 drafts of the script later) and we're now ready to head into production. We're currently building out our crew, we're looking for locations, we're casting all the characters, we're securing production insurance, and we're talking about how to build a giant scab. Things are picking up and we're aiming to film in July. Below are a few camera tests our Director of Photography, Rick Cook, and I just did this week (we wanted to test what filming in a tight space might look and feel like...there are a lot of scenes in this film that take place in a bathroom).

Thankfully, Rick likes testing as much as I do (so we test...a lot). These tests will continue for the next month or two. Your contributions will ensure that these tests eventually turn into an actual film, with actual actors, on an actual set, and with actual lighting. I'm so grateful that you're considering supporting this production. I can't wait to actually make this thing!

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Scabs is about someone with Dermatillomania (compulsive skin picking disorder), which is a “body-focused repetitive behavior” or BFRB. There are a lot of wonderful resources available for anyone navigating BFRBs or for anyone who’s curious to learn more. Here are some of the organizations that have been central to my experience and this project:

The TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors 

Picking Me Foundation

The Center for Emotional Health

BFRB Changemakers