Straight Up

Los Angeles, California | Film Feature

LGBTQ, Romantic Comedy

James Sweeney

1 Campaigns | California, United States

Green Light

This campaign raised $23,340 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.

157 supporters | followers

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STRAIGHT UP is a feature film about intellectual soul mates. Todd might be gay. Rory might not care. A neat romantic-comedy drama with a twist; this is a love story without the thrill of copulation.

About The Project

  • The Story
  • Wishlist
  • Updates
  • The Team
  • Community

Mission Statement

Starring an anti-leading man, our film illuminates issues of mental health and sexual identity with humor and depth (including some less trodden words on the spectrum: aesexuality, bisexuality, and heteromanticism.) Also, James is clearly Asian.

The Story

Salutations! Please take off your shoes, keep your socks on, and stay awhile. 

Do you like smart comedies? Do you feel guilty using the handicap stall? Are you convinced you're going to die alone? Then keep reading, this is the movie for you!

 

This is the story of gay boy meets lonely girl... So we made a proof of concept for FOX Digital Studios, entitled Normal Doors. It was featured on Short of the Week.  (See below).

Todd is a persnickety half-virgin diagnosed with OCD who thinks maybe he was socially conditioned to be gay. Rory is a struggling actress with her own sexual trauma who thinks Todd is #notallmen. They discover a shared fondness for Gilmore Girls and bananagrams and quickly evolve into two peas in a platonic pod. Then they fall in love. And the big question looms over them: can their relationship sustain without physical intimacy? Can Todd (or anyone) choose his sexual identity? What is love? Okay, we ask several big questions...

 

Good news is we've already raised the majority of financing through private equity. Not buttloads, but enough that, with your help, we can finally make Straight Up! To be clear though, if we do NOT raise our goal, this movie is dead. Deeaad. Dumbledore-level dead.

 

 

We have assembled a team of professional filmmakers who specialize in low-budget indies. In addition to Normal Doors, we have made a string of shorts together, including The FirstScenes from a Song, and Before Midnight Cowboy (currently streaming here on Seed&Spark.) Our film school training and years of production experience, combined with our industry relationships, will ensure Straight Up looks, sounds, and feels like a professional film at a fraction of the cost of a studio-financed feature.

 

 

We have a 20-day shoot and plan to commence filming in June. Post-production will take place over the summer, and we will submit to major film festivals and premiere in 2019. If we're extremely lucky, we could be in a theater near you next fall! (An arthouse theater subsidized by MoviePass, let's be real, we're not making Rampage.)

 

To the right, to the right. Everything you want is in a box to the right.

These rewards were meticulously crafted for your pleasure. Our three personal favorite incentives are The Grateful Banana, The Prop Master, and The Witty Banter Scene. The latter two are in short supply, so don't delay!

 

Our Seed&Spark Bananagram Sets will feature custom artwork AND thanks to our friends at Bananagrams HQ, our sets will also have wild tiles — special tiles that can stand in for any letter. We'll also include our Straight Up 'House Rules' inside the banana pouch. *There may or may not be a drinking game.

 

Importante Information:

· Travel, lodging and transportation to events are not included at any incentive level

· Some rewards may require additional paperwork (to protect us and you), such as a non-disclosure agreement or legal clearances.

 

So it's a different cast than Normal Doors?

Yes. It's possible you may see a familiar face in Straight Up, subject to actor availability, as these things go in show business. Stay tuned for casting announcements! 

 

I have a fancy apartment/house in L.A. county. Do you want to film there?

Maybe! Please click the 'Loan' button under our 'Wishlist' and send us a message or reach out to us with pictures at [email protected].

 

What the f*ck is a instabananagram?

It's an anagram of your first + last name. We will email you an instagram-ready photo; share it, frame it, or delete it (but don't tell us. These are handmade, y'all.) #straightupfilm

Is the white elephant gift going to be something dumb, like a jar of peanut butter?

How little you think of me. At the very least, it will be Justin's Nut Butter. The questionnaire will help us gage your sense of humor and your affinity for practical gifts, and we will shop accordingly.

 

Can I get a discount if I want a DVD and not a Blu-ray? Blu-rays cost more.

No.

 

I don't know how to play bananagrams.

That's not a question.

 

Why all the prime numbers?

Like Todd and Rory, prime numbers are the outsiders among natural numbers.

 

Are you saying homosexuality is unnatural?

I don't know, it's just a metaphor.

 

If you have additional questions, or would like to lend your support in other ways, email us at [email protected]! We are not accepting naked casting submissions at this time.

Wishlist

Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.

1000 Yellow Daisies

Costs $500

These daisies pop up in a penultimate scene.

Walkies

Costs $500

So we don't have to yell at each other.

Small Black Box Theater

Costs $750

Seeking a small theater space for filming. Bonus points if there's an office space attached.

Therapist's Office

Costs $750

Todd needs therapy. Seeking a symmetrical office space to soothe him.

Corporate Space

Costs $750

Seeking a corporate office space with cubicles and a kitchen.

Library

Costs $750

Or bookstore. This is where Todd and Rory meet-cute.

Restaurant

Costs $1,000

Seeking a filmmaker-friendly restaurant shooting location. We promise no food fights.

Bar

Costs $1,000

Seeking a nightclub or lounge bar for Todd's first 'straight' night out.

Modern Home

Costs $1,000

Seeking a trendy house or large apartment for a fabulous costume party scene.

Luxury Home

Costs $2,000

Todd is a professional housesitter. We need to borrow a 1%-er house.

Legal Services

Costs $3,000

This will help us not get sued.

Cube Van

Costs $2,000

To lug around all our stuff.

Craft Services

Costs $2,000

A well-fed crew is a happy crew. Happy crews come from California.

Wardrobe Rentals

Costs $3,000

We need to clothe our actors. Otherwise it's a very different movie.

Grip Rentals

Costs $4,000

Duckbills, Tweenies, and Beefy Babies, oh my! Yes, these are real things we need.

Cash Pledge

Costs $0

About This Team

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