Sonnet - A Short Film
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama, LGBTQ
Juliet, a victim of sexual abuse, and her best friend Leonardo, a gay man rejected by his family, come together searching for a reason to live.
Sonnet - A Short Film
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama, LGBTQ
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $11,820 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
159 supporters | followers
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Juliet, a victim of sexual abuse, and her best friend Leonardo, a gay man rejected by his family, come together searching for a reason to live.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
THE STORY
Juliet, a victim of sexual abuse, and her best friend Leonardo, a gay man rejected by his family, come together in Los Angeles searching for a reason to live. Throughout the film we explore issues of sexual identity, sexual abuse among women and the startling rise of suicides as a result of these issues that are sadly present within the world today.
WHY THIS STORY IS IMPORTANT
During the recent American Presidential election, social and political attitudes towards women’s rights and LGBTQ+ equality were front and center of the national debate. The potential impact of socially oppressive views towards these communities are heartbreaking to say the least, and we felt compelled to use our voices as filmmakers to bring these issues to light, seeking to elevate the humanity in one another.
The film is intended to be a beautiful piece of socially-conscious art, bringing awareness to the devastating consequences of society’s inhumane attitudes towards members of the LGBTQ+ community and the injustice so often showed to sexually abused women, removing them of a voice.
Here are some of the most heartbreaking statistics on suicide:
- Suicide claims approximately 30,000 lives in America alone each year;
- Between 30 and 40% of LGBTQ youth have attempted suicide and suicide is the leading cause of death for LGBTQ youth;
- 1 out of every 6 American women have been the victim of rape in her lifetime.
- One out of every four women who are victims of domestic violence attempt suicide and 13% of women who are raped attempt suicide.
We hope to deliver an important message of hope to those who have suffered similar life traumas that led to them contemplating suicide, as well as reflecting the devastating consequences of hate, prejudice and abuse against specific groups and demographics.
WHY WE NEED YOU TO JOIN US
The more we dove into researching suicide rates among LGBTQ members and women who have been victims of rape, the more it was clear that we needed to make Sonnet a powerful and thought-provoking piece so that it could be seen by a widespread audience.
Our dream is to take Sonnet to as many film festivals as we can, so that our message of unity, acceptance and hope can be heard loud and clear. In order to do that, we need to make sure that our screenplay translates into a visually impactful, cinematic short film.
Your contribution will help us to assemble a talented crew, rent all the necessary equipment, secure our location and help us to bring Leonardo and Juliet's stories to life in a profound and compelling way.
SONNET: WHY THE TITLE
Sonnets typically explore themes of love, time and death, which are all topics within our film. There are two kinds of sonnets: Italian and English, and coincidentally Sonnet’s writers and actors Alessandro and Charlotte are respectively Italian and English, and both characters share these nationalities. Additional Shakespearean Sonnet themes include the struggle between what collective society is willing to accept and an individual's desires.
We stumbled upon Shakespeare’s Sonnet 71 and realized that this beautiful sonnet reads like a suicide note. The themes explored in Sonnet 71 were parallel with the themes we were seeking to explore in our screenplay: life, death, love and how death affects those left behind. We chose to incorporate this powerful and profound poem and build around it, with the sonnet almost acting like the framework for the story.
SONNET 71 by William Shakespeare
No longer mourn for me when I am dead
Then you shall hear the surly sullen bell
Give warning to the world that I am fled
From this vile world, with vilest worms to dwell:
Nay, if you read this line, remember not
The hand that writ it; for I love you so
That I in your sweet thoughts would be forgot
If thinking on me then should make you woe.
O, if, I say, you look upon this verse
When I perhaps compounded am with clay,
Do not so much as my poor name rehearse.
But let your love even with my life decay,
Lest the wise world should look into your moan
And mock you with me after I am gone.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Assistant Director
Costs $600
It takes a village to make a movie and having an AD on board will help to make the shoot run smoothly!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Set of ND filters: .3, .6, .9 Rental
Costs $60
Neutral Density filters reduce the amount of light reaching the film enabling the shooter to adjust exposure without affecting color balance
1/8 Black Diffusion FX Filter Rental
Costs $35
Maintaining clear focused image, sharp eyes, effect of lighter grades is subtle, with higher grades becoming gradually more noticeable.
Philips Hue Lights Set
Costs $150
These smart lights will allow us to change temperature of the light, helping us achieve the look we envisioned for Sonnet.
Atomos Flame 4K External Recorder Rental
Costs $270
The Atomos Shogun Flame is a 7-in. 4K HDMI & SDI HDR monitor with recording in 10-bit 4:2:2 ProRes, DNxHD, and DNxHR.
4x5 Mattebox Rental
Costs $180
The matte box ensures we reduce unwanted lens flares & gives us the ability to use special filters to achieve our desired cinematic look.
Metabones Speed Booster MFT to EF Rental
Costs $150
The adapter will mount our preferred lenses to camera & maximize the lens' angle of view, while providing 1-stop increase for aperture range
The Rokinon Lens Set Rental
Costs $450
The Rokinon Lens Set will be needed for three days of shooting to provide us the lenses we need to make Sonnet a beautiful piece of art!
Camera Crew
Costs $3,000
This amount includes fairly compensating our DP, Focus Puller and Gaffer.
Cleaning
Costs $250
We'd like to hire a professional to clean up the location before & after the shoot, so we can leave this beautiful penthouse as we found it!
Parking Permits
Costs $100
We are shooting in a residential area in the Hollywood Hills that requires parking permits for our crew. LA parking police are ruthless!
Costume Designer & Wardrobe
Costs $600
Our protagonists need to look the part! With the help of our costume designer we are sourcing some unique pieces for Leonardo and Juliet.
Make Up Artist
Costs $600
To help us get camera ready!
Boom Operator + Sound Equipment
Costs $1,200
A great film needs amazing sound!This amount covers our amazing sound mixer and all the sound equipment we need to rent.
Location, insurance and permits
Costs $2,000
Our location is key in order to tell our story in a visually compelling way. This amount will go towards insuring we can use our location.
Props
Costs $300
To tell a great story, we need great props including box, cigarettes, pillows and blankets, candles, tiki torches, lamps & dessert cake.
Meals and Craft Services
Costs $800
We plan to shoot for 12-15 hours/day so we need to make sure our crew are well-fed and energized! This will cover meals, coffee and crafty.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Alessandro Nori | Writer, Producer and Actor
Born and raised in Milan, Alessandro is an experienced theatre and film actor who has also been writing short stories, plays and short films throughout his life. He is the face of Fiat's original campaign Neighbors, produced as a limited web series in collaboration with Funny or Die. He can also be seen in the upcoming web series Random: LA, written by Rain Valdez
Alessandro is passionate about sharing stories about the LGBTQ+ community: he has played leading roles in plays such as Other People by Christopher Shinn and most recently in Harvey Fierstein's Tony Award Winner for Best Play Torch Song Trilogy at Theatre Out in Santa Ana.
With Sonnet he's hoping to amplify the voice of people in marginalized communities and offer hope to all of those who are struggling with acceptance and self-love, who might be on the verge of taking their own lives because of the constant bullying and abuse our society subjects them to, and to all of those who are suffering from discrimination due to their sexual orientation or identity.
Charlotte Rothwell | Writer, Producer and Actor
Born in the English seaside town of Southport, near Liverpool, Charlotte Rothwell started acting at the age of 4 and was awarded the Actress of the Year award at the Liverpool Performing Arts Festival on three separate occasions. She moved to Los Angeles to study with the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and has since been named one of BAFTA – Los Angeles’ Newcomers of the Year and ‘Brits To Watch’. She can be seen playing the lead in films such as The Escape and Senoa, and has made appearances in television shows such as My Crazy Ex and Murder Book.
Charlotte has a deep passion for women’s rights and the need for equality within the LGBTQ+ community, which has only been heightened as a result of the topics at the forefront of today’s political climate. She felt compelled to make Sonnet in the hope that the film can inspire someone somewhere to know that they are enough and that there is always hope.
Jeff Bomberger | Director and Producer
Jeff Bomberger is a filmmaker born and raised in Southern California. Jeff started his career in show business as a child actor. He worked as a series regular on the Fox sitcom Daddy Dearest and Guest Starred on NYPD Blue before leaving the industry to focus on school, sports and studying philosophy.
After a long hiatus from show biz, Jeff rediscovered his passion for film and storytelling. With an affection for films such as A Clockwork Orange, Network, Shame and Her, Jeff aspires to tell thought provoking stories that challenge the audience to see life from new perspectives.
Most recently Jeff has worked as a writer, director and editor on a variety of projects for Unified Soul Theory, an online inspirational platform that boasts over 800,000 followers. Over the last year he also helped create digital campaigns for various organizations tackling social justice issues, political corruption and helping the homeless.
Jeff chose to direct Sonnet because of its strong social themes related to the mistreatment of women and the LGBTQ community, as well as it being a delicate meditation on the power of love between friends.
Austin Nordell | Director of Photography
With over 12 years of experience as an award-winning cinematographer, Austin thrives on the creativity and collaboration of a film set. His varied list of work includes Feature Films, Music Videos, and Documentaries. Clients include: ABC, Marvel, Hulu, Epix, Blur Studio, AOL, Coca-Cola, Maxim Magazine, Major League Baseball, Under Armour, ESL Gaming, Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, Hollywood Electrics, SunCentral Inc., and more.
Recent work as Cinematographer include: Hulu's Spoilers With Kevin Smith, Epix' Milius Documentary, ABC's Television Specials: Marvel: 75 Years, From Pulp To Pop and Marvel's Captain America: 75 Heroic Years.
Danene Montella | Assistant Director
Danene Montella is an award-winning actress based in Los Angeles, CA and Sonnet will be her second short film as an assistant director. She graduated from Bryant University in Rhode Island and made the move to Hollywood two years ago to explore creative opportunities that align with her energy. Since then, she’s been involved in a feature film, several independent short films, three music videos and a local theatre production allowing her to pursue her passion for evoking emotion through the art of storytelling.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
THE STORY
Juliet, a victim of sexual abuse, and her best friend Leonardo, a gay man rejected by his family, come together in Los Angeles searching for a reason to live. Throughout the film we explore issues of sexual identity, sexual abuse among women and the startling rise of suicides as a result of these issues that are sadly present within the world today.
WHY THIS STORY IS IMPORTANT
During the recent American Presidential election, social and political attitudes towards women’s rights and LGBTQ+ equality were front and center of the national debate. The potential impact of socially oppressive views towards these communities are heartbreaking to say the least, and we felt compelled to use our voices as filmmakers to bring these issues to light, seeking to elevate the humanity in one another.
The film is intended to be a beautiful piece of socially-conscious art, bringing awareness to the devastating consequences of society’s inhumane attitudes towards members of the LGBTQ+ community and the injustice so often showed to sexually abused women, removing them of a voice.
Here are some of the most heartbreaking statistics on suicide:
- Suicide claims approximately 30,000 lives in America alone each year;
- Between 30 and 40% of LGBTQ youth have attempted suicide and suicide is the leading cause of death for LGBTQ youth;
- 1 out of every 6 American women have been the victim of rape in her lifetime.
- One out of every four women who are victims of domestic violence attempt suicide and 13% of women who are raped attempt suicide.
We hope to deliver an important message of hope to those who have suffered similar life traumas that led to them contemplating suicide, as well as reflecting the devastating consequences of hate, prejudice and abuse against specific groups and demographics.
WHY WE NEED YOU TO JOIN US
The more we dove into researching suicide rates among LGBTQ members and women who have been victims of rape, the more it was clear that we needed to make Sonnet a powerful and thought-provoking piece so that it could be seen by a widespread audience.
Our dream is to take Sonnet to as many film festivals as we can, so that our message of unity, acceptance and hope can be heard loud and clear. In order to do that, we need to make sure that our screenplay translates into a visually impactful, cinematic short film.
Your contribution will help us to assemble a talented crew, rent all the necessary equipment, secure our location and help us to bring Leonardo and Juliet's stories to life in a profound and compelling way.
SONNET: WHY THE TITLE
Sonnets typically explore themes of love, time and death, which are all topics within our film. There are two kinds of sonnets: Italian and English, and coincidentally Sonnet’s writers and actors Alessandro and Charlotte are respectively Italian and English, and both characters share these nationalities. Additional Shakespearean Sonnet themes include the struggle between what collective society is willing to accept and an individual's desires.
We stumbled upon Shakespeare’s Sonnet 71 and realized that this beautiful sonnet reads like a suicide note. The themes explored in Sonnet 71 were parallel with the themes we were seeking to explore in our screenplay: life, death, love and how death affects those left behind. We chose to incorporate this powerful and profound poem and build around it, with the sonnet almost acting like the framework for the story.
SONNET 71 by William Shakespeare
No longer mourn for me when I am dead
Then you shall hear the surly sullen bell
Give warning to the world that I am fled
From this vile world, with vilest worms to dwell:
Nay, if you read this line, remember not
The hand that writ it; for I love you so
That I in your sweet thoughts would be forgot
If thinking on me then should make you woe.
O, if, I say, you look upon this verse
When I perhaps compounded am with clay,
Do not so much as my poor name rehearse.
But let your love even with my life decay,
Lest the wise world should look into your moan
And mock you with me after I am gone.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Assistant Director
Costs $600
It takes a village to make a movie and having an AD on board will help to make the shoot run smoothly!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Set of ND filters: .3, .6, .9 Rental
Costs $60
Neutral Density filters reduce the amount of light reaching the film enabling the shooter to adjust exposure without affecting color balance
1/8 Black Diffusion FX Filter Rental
Costs $35
Maintaining clear focused image, sharp eyes, effect of lighter grades is subtle, with higher grades becoming gradually more noticeable.
Philips Hue Lights Set
Costs $150
These smart lights will allow us to change temperature of the light, helping us achieve the look we envisioned for Sonnet.
Atomos Flame 4K External Recorder Rental
Costs $270
The Atomos Shogun Flame is a 7-in. 4K HDMI & SDI HDR monitor with recording in 10-bit 4:2:2 ProRes, DNxHD, and DNxHR.
4x5 Mattebox Rental
Costs $180
The matte box ensures we reduce unwanted lens flares & gives us the ability to use special filters to achieve our desired cinematic look.
Metabones Speed Booster MFT to EF Rental
Costs $150
The adapter will mount our preferred lenses to camera & maximize the lens' angle of view, while providing 1-stop increase for aperture range
The Rokinon Lens Set Rental
Costs $450
The Rokinon Lens Set will be needed for three days of shooting to provide us the lenses we need to make Sonnet a beautiful piece of art!
Camera Crew
Costs $3,000
This amount includes fairly compensating our DP, Focus Puller and Gaffer.
Cleaning
Costs $250
We'd like to hire a professional to clean up the location before & after the shoot, so we can leave this beautiful penthouse as we found it!
Parking Permits
Costs $100
We are shooting in a residential area in the Hollywood Hills that requires parking permits for our crew. LA parking police are ruthless!
Costume Designer & Wardrobe
Costs $600
Our protagonists need to look the part! With the help of our costume designer we are sourcing some unique pieces for Leonardo and Juliet.
Make Up Artist
Costs $600
To help us get camera ready!
Boom Operator + Sound Equipment
Costs $1,200
A great film needs amazing sound!This amount covers our amazing sound mixer and all the sound equipment we need to rent.
Location, insurance and permits
Costs $2,000
Our location is key in order to tell our story in a visually compelling way. This amount will go towards insuring we can use our location.
Props
Costs $300
To tell a great story, we need great props including box, cigarettes, pillows and blankets, candles, tiki torches, lamps & dessert cake.
Meals and Craft Services
Costs $800
We plan to shoot for 12-15 hours/day so we need to make sure our crew are well-fed and energized! This will cover meals, coffee and crafty.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Alessandro Nori | Writer, Producer and Actor
Born and raised in Milan, Alessandro is an experienced theatre and film actor who has also been writing short stories, plays and short films throughout his life. He is the face of Fiat's original campaign Neighbors, produced as a limited web series in collaboration with Funny or Die. He can also be seen in the upcoming web series Random: LA, written by Rain Valdez
Alessandro is passionate about sharing stories about the LGBTQ+ community: he has played leading roles in plays such as Other People by Christopher Shinn and most recently in Harvey Fierstein's Tony Award Winner for Best Play Torch Song Trilogy at Theatre Out in Santa Ana.
With Sonnet he's hoping to amplify the voice of people in marginalized communities and offer hope to all of those who are struggling with acceptance and self-love, who might be on the verge of taking their own lives because of the constant bullying and abuse our society subjects them to, and to all of those who are suffering from discrimination due to their sexual orientation or identity.
Charlotte Rothwell | Writer, Producer and Actor
Born in the English seaside town of Southport, near Liverpool, Charlotte Rothwell started acting at the age of 4 and was awarded the Actress of the Year award at the Liverpool Performing Arts Festival on three separate occasions. She moved to Los Angeles to study with the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and has since been named one of BAFTA – Los Angeles’ Newcomers of the Year and ‘Brits To Watch’. She can be seen playing the lead in films such as The Escape and Senoa, and has made appearances in television shows such as My Crazy Ex and Murder Book.
Charlotte has a deep passion for women’s rights and the need for equality within the LGBTQ+ community, which has only been heightened as a result of the topics at the forefront of today’s political climate. She felt compelled to make Sonnet in the hope that the film can inspire someone somewhere to know that they are enough and that there is always hope.
Jeff Bomberger | Director and Producer
Jeff Bomberger is a filmmaker born and raised in Southern California. Jeff started his career in show business as a child actor. He worked as a series regular on the Fox sitcom Daddy Dearest and Guest Starred on NYPD Blue before leaving the industry to focus on school, sports and studying philosophy.
After a long hiatus from show biz, Jeff rediscovered his passion for film and storytelling. With an affection for films such as A Clockwork Orange, Network, Shame and Her, Jeff aspires to tell thought provoking stories that challenge the audience to see life from new perspectives.
Most recently Jeff has worked as a writer, director and editor on a variety of projects for Unified Soul Theory, an online inspirational platform that boasts over 800,000 followers. Over the last year he also helped create digital campaigns for various organizations tackling social justice issues, political corruption and helping the homeless.
Jeff chose to direct Sonnet because of its strong social themes related to the mistreatment of women and the LGBTQ community, as well as it being a delicate meditation on the power of love between friends.
Austin Nordell | Director of Photography
With over 12 years of experience as an award-winning cinematographer, Austin thrives on the creativity and collaboration of a film set. His varied list of work includes Feature Films, Music Videos, and Documentaries. Clients include: ABC, Marvel, Hulu, Epix, Blur Studio, AOL, Coca-Cola, Maxim Magazine, Major League Baseball, Under Armour, ESL Gaming, Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, Hollywood Electrics, SunCentral Inc., and more.
Recent work as Cinematographer include: Hulu's Spoilers With Kevin Smith, Epix' Milius Documentary, ABC's Television Specials: Marvel: 75 Years, From Pulp To Pop and Marvel's Captain America: 75 Heroic Years.
Danene Montella | Assistant Director
Danene Montella is an award-winning actress based in Los Angeles, CA and Sonnet will be her second short film as an assistant director. She graduated from Bryant University in Rhode Island and made the move to Hollywood two years ago to explore creative opportunities that align with her energy. Since then, she’s been involved in a feature film, several independent short films, three music videos and a local theatre production allowing her to pursue her passion for evoking emotion through the art of storytelling.