STAGED
New York City, New York | Film Short
LGBTQ, Drama
Lucas, a trans man, is working on the set of a movie where a popular cis actor is playing the role of a transgender teen. Their impromptu conversation in the backroom of the studio leaves Lucas feeling coerced into betraying himself and his community. This is a film about the politics of consent.
STAGED
New York City, New York | Film Short
LGBTQ, Drama
Green Light
This campaign raised $23,916 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
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Lucas, a trans man, is working on the set of a movie where a popular cis actor is playing the role of a transgender teen. Their impromptu conversation in the backroom of the studio leaves Lucas feeling coerced into betraying himself and his community. This is a film about the politics of consent.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Our story follows Lucas, a trans man working on the set of a new coming of age movie about a boy at the beginning of his gender transition. The caveat? The role has been taken by a cis woman. When Beatrice, the films ingenue, has a breakdown and rushes off set, Lucas gets caught in the crossfire. In an impromptu intimate conversation in a backroom, Beatrice asks Lucas how he feels about her playing the character. As a powerless production assistant, Lucas must put his personal misgivings about the situation aside in order to keep the movie on track. The interaction leaves Lucas feeling coerced into betraying himself and his community.
CHARACTERS:
LUCAS:
20s, White, Trans
A trans man working as a PA on a movie set. Lucas is forced to navigate his conflicting feelings about the film, while doing his best to comfort the project’s lead actress.
BEATRICE:
20s, White, Cis-Woman
An up and coming cis-gender Hollywood starlet who has been cast to play a trans man.
PRODUCTION TIMELINE
PRODUCTION | 2 Shooting Days | December 2024
POST PRODUCTION | Picture, Sound, and Color | Q1 2025
DISTRIBUTION | Festival Submissions | Q3 2025
A NOTE FROM OUR WRITER:
This film is very near and dear to me because I wrote it near the beginning of my transition, and it was inspired by the work I used to do as a set PA. For almost three years, I worked across various studio lots in LA, and in Austin– where I grew up, and it inspired me to write these characters, partially because I think I was was frustrated by the various blanketed portrayals of trans characters I saw across TV and film, as well as clued into some of the goings ons behind the scenes, and because I felt like I had something to say about the way trans inclusivity and diversity is tokenized and packaged up for the profit of those who it doesn’t belong to. Trans people deserve to be recognized and portrayed authentically, just like everyone else, and that’s exactly what this film is a dialogue about.
A NOTE FROM OUR DIRECTOR:
Staged is a fresh and nuanced take on a very sensitive topic: Who can play what? Which actors are allowed to play trans? To play queer? How much honesty do we owe our audience? Is it right to say that an actor has to have lived the life of their character? Is it not the role of the actor to embody the Other? Where does privilege come into play? What about authenticity? What about opportunity?
In Staged, the intrigue lies in the lack of clarity, the blurring of lines, and the truth that not all stories have heroes and villains. We aim, as a queer and trans cast and crew, to bring these topics of power and privilege, coercion and access into the foreground so that we can contribute our own experiences to this cultural discussion.
Art, like all beautiful things, is best when shared with and created by the Community. With your help, we can make this very Queer thing happen.
Thank you,
E.R. (they/them)
BUDGET:
Overall we are looking for $14200 to bring our vision to life! Here's the breakdown:
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Equipment Rentals
Costs $4,000
For the tools we need to make the movie happen.
Location
Costs $3,000
Fees for locking our soundstage.
Art Department
Costs $1,900
Fees for building our set & buying props.
Transportation
Costs $1,100
For travel costs for cast and crew.
Meals on Set
Costs $1,400
For feeding our entire cast and crew.
Post Production
Costs $2,800
For editing services + festival submissions.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
DIRECTOR - E.R. FIGHTMASTER (they/them) is a nonbinary artist and advocate living in Los Angeles. You can watch them in series like Hulu’s Shrill, Showtime’s Work in Progress, or on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy playing network television’s first nonbinary doctor. They are a writer for the hit A24/Netflix comedy series, Survival of the Thickest, and the director of the stage show, Quit While I’m Behind, which is currently running in LA. As a touring musician under the moniker FIGHTMASTER, they have released two EPs and just returned from a sold out tour of the U.S. and Canada. A proud advocate for the Queer community, they are the 2023 recipient of the Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER - EMIL WEINSTEIN (he/him) is an award-winning writer and director for television, film and theater.
Emil’s short film Candace has played at festivals worldwide including the American Pavilion Emerging LGBTQ Filmmakers Showcase at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won Best Film. Emil recently directed four episodes of season three of The L Word Generation Q. He’s written for AMC’s Invitation to a Bonfire, and Amazon’s reboot of A League of Their Own. Emil’s short film In France Michelle is a Man’s Name has won two Academy Award Qualifying Grand Jury Prizes for Best Narrative Short at Slamdance (2021) and Outfest (2020). It won an award for Best US Short at 2021 The San Diego International Film Festival and the award for Best Writing at the 2021 Shark Awards. It continues to play at festivals around the world. Emil graduated summa cum laude from Smith College and received an M.F.A. from Yale School of Drama. Emil is repped by CAA and Adventure Media.
PRODUCER & CASTING DIRECTOR - VIOLETTE TROTTER (she/her) is an American Casting Director, Producer, Street Scout, and is the current Head of Development at Berkshire Entertainment. She has worked behind and in front of the camera on projects for A24, Neon, HBO, Utopia, Amazon Studios, and Hulu among many others. Most recently she was the casting director on Alex Ross Perry’s Pavements, which be Premiering at The Venice International Film Festival, NYFF, & SXSW Sydney, and has received nationwide distribution. She has years of experience working on queer media, and has devoted much of her career as a queer artist to bringing LGBTQ+ stories to life.
WRITER - SOF MARTINEZ (they/them) is a trans, Latino writer from Austin, Texas who is passionate about telling queer stories. While they were still in high school, Sof wrote and directed a feature length film based on his experience as a teenager in inpatient treatment for an eating disorder, titled May I Be at Peace, which is currently available on Prime Video.In the creation of this film, they were able to share their recovery story and work with folks who would eventually bring them into the folds of the Austin film industry. These connections allowed them to go on to work on a number of titles, including a film for director Robert Rodriguez, (Spy Kids, 2001) before moving to LA around 2019, where they continued their production assistant work on shows such as Barry, For All Mankind, Big Shots, Hacks, and more. Their work as a PA on these productions was the inspiration for this film. During the pandemic, Sof decided to pursue a degree in literature at Bennington College, which they currently attend.
CINEMATOGRAPHER - IDIL ERYUREKLI (she/her) is a Turkish-born cinematographer based in New York. She grew up in Istanbul where she was first introduced to photography by her father. Following her education at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Idil’s work has premiered at SXSW, Tribeca, Telluride, HollyShorts, and Palm Springs SortFest. Her work on Fish Out of Water (dir. Francesca Scorsese) has won her two Best Cinematography awards. As a queer immigrant, Idil aims to amplify multi-national stories and marginalized characters by showing them outside of their molds and in unconventional structures. She is a member of the ICFC, as well as a ’24-’25 ASC Vision Mentee.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Our story follows Lucas, a trans man working on the set of a new coming of age movie about a boy at the beginning of his gender transition. The caveat? The role has been taken by a cis woman. When Beatrice, the films ingenue, has a breakdown and rushes off set, Lucas gets caught in the crossfire. In an impromptu intimate conversation in a backroom, Beatrice asks Lucas how he feels about her playing the character. As a powerless production assistant, Lucas must put his personal misgivings about the situation aside in order to keep the movie on track. The interaction leaves Lucas feeling coerced into betraying himself and his community.
CHARACTERS:
LUCAS:
20s, White, Trans
A trans man working as a PA on a movie set. Lucas is forced to navigate his conflicting feelings about the film, while doing his best to comfort the project’s lead actress.
BEATRICE:
20s, White, Cis-Woman
An up and coming cis-gender Hollywood starlet who has been cast to play a trans man.
PRODUCTION TIMELINE
PRODUCTION | 2 Shooting Days | December 2024
POST PRODUCTION | Picture, Sound, and Color | Q1 2025
DISTRIBUTION | Festival Submissions | Q3 2025
A NOTE FROM OUR WRITER:
This film is very near and dear to me because I wrote it near the beginning of my transition, and it was inspired by the work I used to do as a set PA. For almost three years, I worked across various studio lots in LA, and in Austin– where I grew up, and it inspired me to write these characters, partially because I think I was was frustrated by the various blanketed portrayals of trans characters I saw across TV and film, as well as clued into some of the goings ons behind the scenes, and because I felt like I had something to say about the way trans inclusivity and diversity is tokenized and packaged up for the profit of those who it doesn’t belong to. Trans people deserve to be recognized and portrayed authentically, just like everyone else, and that’s exactly what this film is a dialogue about.
A NOTE FROM OUR DIRECTOR:
Staged is a fresh and nuanced take on a very sensitive topic: Who can play what? Which actors are allowed to play trans? To play queer? How much honesty do we owe our audience? Is it right to say that an actor has to have lived the life of their character? Is it not the role of the actor to embody the Other? Where does privilege come into play? What about authenticity? What about opportunity?
In Staged, the intrigue lies in the lack of clarity, the blurring of lines, and the truth that not all stories have heroes and villains. We aim, as a queer and trans cast and crew, to bring these topics of power and privilege, coercion and access into the foreground so that we can contribute our own experiences to this cultural discussion.
Art, like all beautiful things, is best when shared with and created by the Community. With your help, we can make this very Queer thing happen.
Thank you,
E.R. (they/them)
BUDGET:
Overall we are looking for $14200 to bring our vision to life! Here's the breakdown:
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Equipment Rentals
Costs $4,000
For the tools we need to make the movie happen.
Location
Costs $3,000
Fees for locking our soundstage.
Art Department
Costs $1,900
Fees for building our set & buying props.
Transportation
Costs $1,100
For travel costs for cast and crew.
Meals on Set
Costs $1,400
For feeding our entire cast and crew.
Post Production
Costs $2,800
For editing services + festival submissions.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
DIRECTOR - E.R. FIGHTMASTER (they/them) is a nonbinary artist and advocate living in Los Angeles. You can watch them in series like Hulu’s Shrill, Showtime’s Work in Progress, or on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy playing network television’s first nonbinary doctor. They are a writer for the hit A24/Netflix comedy series, Survival of the Thickest, and the director of the stage show, Quit While I’m Behind, which is currently running in LA. As a touring musician under the moniker FIGHTMASTER, they have released two EPs and just returned from a sold out tour of the U.S. and Canada. A proud advocate for the Queer community, they are the 2023 recipient of the Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER - EMIL WEINSTEIN (he/him) is an award-winning writer and director for television, film and theater.
Emil’s short film Candace has played at festivals worldwide including the American Pavilion Emerging LGBTQ Filmmakers Showcase at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won Best Film. Emil recently directed four episodes of season three of The L Word Generation Q. He’s written for AMC’s Invitation to a Bonfire, and Amazon’s reboot of A League of Their Own. Emil’s short film In France Michelle is a Man’s Name has won two Academy Award Qualifying Grand Jury Prizes for Best Narrative Short at Slamdance (2021) and Outfest (2020). It won an award for Best US Short at 2021 The San Diego International Film Festival and the award for Best Writing at the 2021 Shark Awards. It continues to play at festivals around the world. Emil graduated summa cum laude from Smith College and received an M.F.A. from Yale School of Drama. Emil is repped by CAA and Adventure Media.
PRODUCER & CASTING DIRECTOR - VIOLETTE TROTTER (she/her) is an American Casting Director, Producer, Street Scout, and is the current Head of Development at Berkshire Entertainment. She has worked behind and in front of the camera on projects for A24, Neon, HBO, Utopia, Amazon Studios, and Hulu among many others. Most recently she was the casting director on Alex Ross Perry’s Pavements, which be Premiering at The Venice International Film Festival, NYFF, & SXSW Sydney, and has received nationwide distribution. She has years of experience working on queer media, and has devoted much of her career as a queer artist to bringing LGBTQ+ stories to life.
WRITER - SOF MARTINEZ (they/them) is a trans, Latino writer from Austin, Texas who is passionate about telling queer stories. While they were still in high school, Sof wrote and directed a feature length film based on his experience as a teenager in inpatient treatment for an eating disorder, titled May I Be at Peace, which is currently available on Prime Video.In the creation of this film, they were able to share their recovery story and work with folks who would eventually bring them into the folds of the Austin film industry. These connections allowed them to go on to work on a number of titles, including a film for director Robert Rodriguez, (Spy Kids, 2001) before moving to LA around 2019, where they continued their production assistant work on shows such as Barry, For All Mankind, Big Shots, Hacks, and more. Their work as a PA on these productions was the inspiration for this film. During the pandemic, Sof decided to pursue a degree in literature at Bennington College, which they currently attend.
CINEMATOGRAPHER - IDIL ERYUREKLI (she/her) is a Turkish-born cinematographer based in New York. She grew up in Istanbul where she was first introduced to photography by her father. Following her education at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Idil’s work has premiered at SXSW, Tribeca, Telluride, HollyShorts, and Palm Springs SortFest. Her work on Fish Out of Water (dir. Francesca Scorsese) has won her two Best Cinematography awards. As a queer immigrant, Idil aims to amplify multi-national stories and marginalized characters by showing them outside of their molds and in unconventional structures. She is a member of the ICFC, as well as a ’24-’25 ASC Vision Mentee.