subsequent to.
Merced, California | Film Short
Drama
This short film centers around two sisters who survive a high school shooting. It aims to give audiences an organic look at what an evening after living through a traumatic event may look like, reminding them that in a situation like a mass shooting, trauma is the best case scenario.
Green Light
This campaign raised $18,310 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
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This short film centers around two sisters who survive a high school shooting. It aims to give audiences an organic look at what an evening after living through a traumatic event may look like, reminding them that in a situation like a mass shooting, trauma is the best case scenario.
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
subsequent to. is a short film that centers around two sisters who survive a high school mass shooting, closely following the pair and their mother as the three of them navigate the evening after this chilling event. Though traumatized and distraught, the sisters and their mother are fortunate in their anguish. Amidst this family's most somber moments, poignant interruptions serve as a reminder to viewers that many families grapple with a dual burden of grief, not only mourning the tragic incident itself, but also contending with the profound loss of a loved one. These interruptions underscore the unsettling reality that, within the context of a mass shooting, merely navigating survival is the comparatively fortunate scenario.
The film aims to provide an unbiased and organic perspective of what over 300,000 American students have been forced to navigate and offers a short look at what their experience might have looked like. It is our hope that this perspective will affect people and mobilize unlikely audiences to action.
Your contribution will go towards covering the following:
- Equipment- This investment is crucial to ensuring that our movie reaches its full potential, both artistically and technically. Your support will directly contribute to the high quality and impactful storytelling that we aspire to achieve.
- Insurance- Securing insurance is a legal necessity and will play a pivotal role in guaranteeing a smooth and successful production.
- Meals- We will feed our dedicated cast and crew during extended shoot days.
- Travel- Production will cover travel expenses for out-of-town talent.
- Wardrobe & Props- These items are essential to bringing the story to life.
- Post Production- This is the most vital part of filmmaking; bringing visuals, sound, music, effects, and more into a cohesive whole.
- Festival Fees- Submitting to film festivals is a pivotal step in expanding the reach of our film to broader audiences.
Goal: $17,700

STRETCH GOALS
-Our $17,700 goal is what we need to get our project green-lit to move into production. If we, however, surpass this goal, there are several additional costs that could be covered.
-At $18,500 we could account for any contingency issues (loss of location, weather reschedules, etc.) as well as any last minute costs that may arise.
-At $25,000 we could pay our hardworking crew who is, at this point, volunteering their time and energy to tell this important story.
TIMELINE
*Pre-Production: August 2023 - November 2023
The script is locked and we are now in our pre-production process.
During this stretch, we are casting talent and acquiring crew.
*Production: December 2023 & March 2024
Due to cast and crew availability, we will shoot the film in two blocks.
Do not fret, the time in between will be used effectively.
*Post-Production: April 2024
After we complete filming block #2, we will go straight into post-production.
*Distribution: May 2024 - January 2025
subsequent to. will enter the festival circuit near the end of May 2024.
We will hold a screening in Merced for our campaign supporters and community.
Your contribution is greatly appreciated and 100% tax deductible.
- IMPORTANT *Seed & Spark requires that we raise at least 80% of our goal for the project to be funded.
- Your financial pledge here, will NOT be charged UNTIL we meet this goal.
- We must reach this goal in 30 days or the campaign is deemed unsuccessful.
What else can you do to help?
If you cannot contribute financially, here are some other ways you can help:
- Please SHARE on Social Media
- Tell your friends!
- Help to spread the word about this important project
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
meals.
Costs $1,000
Feeding our dedicated cast and crew during extended shoot days.
insurance.
Costs $2,500
Securing insurance is a legal necessity and will play a pivotal role in guaranteeing a smooth and successful production.
equipment.
Costs $2,000
Ensuring that our movie reaches its full potential, both artistically and technically.
travel.
Costs $1,000
Covering the travel expenses for out-of-town talent.
wardrobe & props.
Costs $400
Bringing the story to life with these essential items.
film festivals.
Costs $800
Submitting to film festivals is a pivotal step in expanding the reach of our film to broader audiences.
post production.
Costs $10,000
Bringing visuals, sound, music, effects, and more into a cohesive whole.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
About This Team
Madison Mitchell
Writer/ Executive Producer/ Director/ Actor
Madison is an actor, director, and producer based in California's Central Valley. Madison runs a Children's Theater Education Program where she produces, directs, and choreographs shows for young performers, aged 7 - 18 years old. Aside from teaching, Madison is a working actor who spent a majority of the pandemic living and working in Los Angeles. Now that she is back in Merced, she has been pouring her heart into creating and producing art in the Central Valley.
subsequent to. was written by, and will be directed and produced by Madison. In addition to spearheading the production side of the film, Madi will play a leading role. This film is a labor of love for her, as she is incredibly passionate about not only the story, but about producing it in Merced County.
Abby Samuelson
Producer/ Actor
Abby Samuelson is a local high school student with a passion for storytelling. She has been performing on stage since the age of four with a repertoire that includes Shakespeare classics, Broadway favorites and most recently, dramatic contemporary works. Behind the scenes, she has experience in music directing, choreography, and video editing. Recently, she has worked both behind and in front of the camera on a variety of local films; jumping in and learning new skills with every opportunity. She is very excited to venture into this new space of film production.
Jenni Samuelson
Producer/ Co-Director
Jenni is a Merced native who has enjoyed a versatile career on opera, musical theater, and concert stages across the country. After completing her graduate work at Northwestern University, she and her high school sweetheart-turned-husband, Brad, returned to Merced in 2003 where they have enjoyed raising three daughters surrounded by the community they love. Since 2011, Jenni has been serving on the faculty at UC Merced for the Global Arts Studies Program; instructing courses surrounding performative storytelling, music, and theater. Jenni is incredibly passionate about bringing communities together through the arts and creating shared experiences that spark meaningful conversation.
Bridget Mitchell
Producer/ Co-Director
Born and raised in Merced, Bridget's journey is a blend of education, entrepreneurship, and the arts. Once a dedicated teacher, she later took the administrative helm of her family's electrical contracting business. Bridget found her passion for theater in adulthood, and throughout the past 15 years, she has had the joy of sharing the stage with her children. Since 2018, she has been a member of Phoenix Creative Collective, contributing to small films, theater productions, and interactive projects. She is excited to collaborate with her children and the creative team on this impactful short. As an educator and mother, she finds this project to be especially important.
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
subsequent to. is a short film that centers around two sisters who survive a high school mass shooting, closely following the pair and their mother as the three of them navigate the evening after this chilling event. Though traumatized and distraught, the sisters and their mother are fortunate in their anguish. Amidst this family's most somber moments, poignant interruptions serve as a reminder to viewers that many families grapple with a dual burden of grief, not only mourning the tragic incident itself, but also contending with the profound loss of a loved one. These interruptions underscore the unsettling reality that, within the context of a mass shooting, merely navigating survival is the comparatively fortunate scenario.
The film aims to provide an unbiased and organic perspective of what over 300,000 American students have been forced to navigate and offers a short look at what their experience might have looked like. It is our hope that this perspective will affect people and mobilize unlikely audiences to action.
Your contribution will go towards covering the following:
- Equipment- This investment is crucial to ensuring that our movie reaches its full potential, both artistically and technically. Your support will directly contribute to the high quality and impactful storytelling that we aspire to achieve.
- Insurance- Securing insurance is a legal necessity and will play a pivotal role in guaranteeing a smooth and successful production.
- Meals- We will feed our dedicated cast and crew during extended shoot days.
- Travel- Production will cover travel expenses for out-of-town talent.
- Wardrobe & Props- These items are essential to bringing the story to life.
- Post Production- This is the most vital part of filmmaking; bringing visuals, sound, music, effects, and more into a cohesive whole.
- Festival Fees- Submitting to film festivals is a pivotal step in expanding the reach of our film to broader audiences.
Goal: $17,700

STRETCH GOALS
-Our $17,700 goal is what we need to get our project green-lit to move into production. If we, however, surpass this goal, there are several additional costs that could be covered.
-At $18,500 we could account for any contingency issues (loss of location, weather reschedules, etc.) as well as any last minute costs that may arise.
-At $25,000 we could pay our hardworking crew who is, at this point, volunteering their time and energy to tell this important story.
TIMELINE
*Pre-Production: August 2023 - November 2023
The script is locked and we are now in our pre-production process.
During this stretch, we are casting talent and acquiring crew.
*Production: December 2023 & March 2024
Due to cast and crew availability, we will shoot the film in two blocks.
Do not fret, the time in between will be used effectively.
*Post-Production: April 2024
After we complete filming block #2, we will go straight into post-production.
*Distribution: May 2024 - January 2025
subsequent to. will enter the festival circuit near the end of May 2024.
We will hold a screening in Merced for our campaign supporters and community.
Your contribution is greatly appreciated and 100% tax deductible.
- IMPORTANT *Seed & Spark requires that we raise at least 80% of our goal for the project to be funded.
- Your financial pledge here, will NOT be charged UNTIL we meet this goal.
- We must reach this goal in 30 days or the campaign is deemed unsuccessful.
What else can you do to help?
If you cannot contribute financially, here are some other ways you can help:
- Please SHARE on Social Media
- Tell your friends!
- Help to spread the word about this important project
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
meals.
Costs $1,000
Feeding our dedicated cast and crew during extended shoot days.
insurance.
Costs $2,500
Securing insurance is a legal necessity and will play a pivotal role in guaranteeing a smooth and successful production.
equipment.
Costs $2,000
Ensuring that our movie reaches its full potential, both artistically and technically.
travel.
Costs $1,000
Covering the travel expenses for out-of-town talent.
wardrobe & props.
Costs $400
Bringing the story to life with these essential items.
film festivals.
Costs $800
Submitting to film festivals is a pivotal step in expanding the reach of our film to broader audiences.
post production.
Costs $10,000
Bringing visuals, sound, music, effects, and more into a cohesive whole.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
About This Team
Madison Mitchell
Writer/ Executive Producer/ Director/ Actor
Madison is an actor, director, and producer based in California's Central Valley. Madison runs a Children's Theater Education Program where she produces, directs, and choreographs shows for young performers, aged 7 - 18 years old. Aside from teaching, Madison is a working actor who spent a majority of the pandemic living and working in Los Angeles. Now that she is back in Merced, she has been pouring her heart into creating and producing art in the Central Valley.
subsequent to. was written by, and will be directed and produced by Madison. In addition to spearheading the production side of the film, Madi will play a leading role. This film is a labor of love for her, as she is incredibly passionate about not only the story, but about producing it in Merced County.
Abby Samuelson
Producer/ Actor
Abby Samuelson is a local high school student with a passion for storytelling. She has been performing on stage since the age of four with a repertoire that includes Shakespeare classics, Broadway favorites and most recently, dramatic contemporary works. Behind the scenes, she has experience in music directing, choreography, and video editing. Recently, she has worked both behind and in front of the camera on a variety of local films; jumping in and learning new skills with every opportunity. She is very excited to venture into this new space of film production.
Jenni Samuelson
Producer/ Co-Director
Jenni is a Merced native who has enjoyed a versatile career on opera, musical theater, and concert stages across the country. After completing her graduate work at Northwestern University, she and her high school sweetheart-turned-husband, Brad, returned to Merced in 2003 where they have enjoyed raising three daughters surrounded by the community they love. Since 2011, Jenni has been serving on the faculty at UC Merced for the Global Arts Studies Program; instructing courses surrounding performative storytelling, music, and theater. Jenni is incredibly passionate about bringing communities together through the arts and creating shared experiences that spark meaningful conversation.
Bridget Mitchell
Producer/ Co-Director
Born and raised in Merced, Bridget's journey is a blend of education, entrepreneurship, and the arts. Once a dedicated teacher, she later took the administrative helm of her family's electrical contracting business. Bridget found her passion for theater in adulthood, and throughout the past 15 years, she has had the joy of sharing the stage with her children. Since 2018, she has been a member of Phoenix Creative Collective, contributing to small films, theater productions, and interactive projects. She is excited to collaborate with her children and the creative team on this impactful short. As an educator and mother, she finds this project to be especially important.




