SURVIVAL JOB flips the script on the common actor trope and keeps the twists coming in this dark comedy about the pressure to perform under the most difficult of conditions. By supporting this project, you’re supporting a team of hardworking storytellers committed to creating against all odds!
SURVIVAL JOB flips the script on the common actor trope and keeps the twists coming in this dark comedy about the pressure to perform under the most difficult of conditions. By supporting this project, you’re supporting a team of hardworking storytellers committed to creating against all odds!
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Story
Mission Statement
We're a group of creative folks in NYC who believe that everyone is multifaceted, multitalented, and delightfully complicated! The actors and producers are class colleagues, and the camera crew are a dynamite team of professionals. Collectively we've had over 300 survival jobs and counting!About The Project
UPDATE: LET'S STRETCH!!!!
You showed us that anything is possible, and now we've set our sights on our first stretch goal total of $11,000 (which means raising another $3500) to help us cover our post-production costs including:
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Editing
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Color correction
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Sound mixing
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Music
THE STORY
Survival Job opens in a Method acting class in New York City. Student Tessa Wren struggles to connect with her classmates because she is overwhelmed with her day job and life outside the classroom. The teacher, Mimi Bond, articulates the importance of turning our constraints into our creative inspiration, or what Stanislkovski describes as “the creative state of being.”
When a phone call from Tessa’s agent derails the class, Tessa must race through midtown to get to her appointment on time.
But the appointment is not what is seems, and Tessa must rely on the skills she’s honed as an actress in order to escape her constraints (with the help of a monologue from Chekhov’s The Seagull) and face her deepest fear: truly connecting with another person.
We don’t want to spoil the ending, but as Tessa tells us, she “trusts no one.” We discover this is because everyone is more than who they first appear to be. Survival Job shines the spotlight on the reality that we all contain a multitude of identities within.THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY
Being an actor in NYC has always been challenging, but this past year has been particularly devastating for actors who have had both their theatrical dreams and their survival jobs taken away. But as the late Carrie Fisher advised, ‘take your broken heart and make it into art.” That is an underlying message of film as well as the impetus for making it.
Monica first came up with the concept for a show about an actress who may or may not be a CIA agent following a conversation with her parents years ago. They suspected that her unusual life of travel, training, and experiences might mean that she worked for the CIA. The reality was far less glamorous. Since she was fifteen, Monica has worked “survival jobs” including: waitressing and bartending in over 26 bars and restaurants, singing in a Big Band in Nagasaki, babysitting, temping, children’s birthday party princess, hand-model, shoe-model, health coach, public speaking coach, cater-waiter, stand-in, photo double, background actor, health coach, copywriter, and more.
Following a crisis of identity while understudying in a Broadway show, Monica took a hiatus from acting for most of a decade. She traveled to 50+ countries, and as an entrepreneur, hosted hundreds of events/workshops/talkbacks and created a podcast about the intersection between philosophy, self-help, and emotional intelligence.
But a chance encounter with a former acting colleague led her to a method acting class where, for the first time, Monica experienced sense memory, basic relaxation, and utilizing both the subconscious mind and the imagination to enter the unknown in a way she didn’t know was possible. Her love for acting and the theater was rekindled and her view of theater and the importance of storytelling to connect us has become a thread in her writing and artistic endeavors.
Survival Job has a flawed but complicated female identifying protagonist and a majority female-identifying cast and crew.THE VISUAL STORY
The visual world of Survival Job is a love child between Barry meets Alias.
The bare interiors of an off-Broadway studio and an empty stage contrast sharply with the exterior shots of Times Square, a canvas of color and sound.
Other visual sources of inspiration for the mood include: Vertigo, The Americans, and Killing Eve.HOW YOU CAN JOIN US
We know (and love!) that theater and filmmaking are two of the most collaberative arts possible. This dream would not be possible without the vision, talent, and dedication of our cast and crew.
But we can't do it alone!
Your support goes directly to helping us make this movie.
We have some AWESOME incentives to show our sincere appreciation for your support! Be sure to check them out and hit the follow button at the top of our campaign page to get the latest updates and behind the scenes photos.
THANK YOU for being part of the SURVIVAL JOB FAMILY! We're thrilled to have you join us!
Incentives
$10
The Temp
Thank you! In addition to our gratitude you'll get a shoutout on social media. We appreciate you!
$25
The Babysitter
All of the above PLUS:
A digital link to watch the finished film!
AND
A personalized shareable graphic, with your assigned secret spy identity and survival job!
$50
The Dog Walker
All of the above PLUS:
Access to Monica's recorded Decoding Shakespeare Power-Hour Workshop and worksheets! If you've ever been intimidated by Shakespeare, or you just want to deepen your Bard brilliance, this is for you!
(Check out more about Monica as a Shakespeare instructor here)
$100
The Cater Waiter
All the above PLUS:
Special thanks in film credits!
AND
Access to Monica's signature PERFORM & PIVOT Course to help you find your ideal side hustle or bonus career!
AND
Invitation to a Covid-Safety-approved screening and Q&A with the writer/director!** Travel and accomidations to/in NYC not included
Claimed: 18 of 50
$250
The Personal Assistant
All of the above PLUS:
Your choice of:
a 50-minute Zoom private coaching session from Monica for your Shakesepeare or Chekov monologue. (Monica coaches actors for grad school and professional auditions)
OR
a 50-minute coaching session from Lindy Rogers (Mimi Bond in Survival Job) in the Alexander Technique. ( Lindy is an AmSAT certified Alexander Technique Teacher based out The Balanced Arts Center. She teaches privately and at the Balance Arts Center. She also teaches movement courses at St. Margaret’s House with a focus on balance and mobility.)
OR
a 50-minute Voice-Over coaching with successful voice-over artist (and Survival Job's own co-Producer) Nathalie Frederick. Nathalie's work includes spots and internal content for Google, Hasbro, Gevalia, Carl's Jr, Pearson, Savvas and more.
Claimed: 2 of 20
$500
The Trophy Spouse
All of the above PLUS:
Feedback on your script, play, essay from Monica ( More on her writing here. *cough* Harvard MA in Creative Writing & Literature *cough*)
OR
A 45-min Zoom session Virtual Event Planner extraordinaire (and Survival Job's own co-producer), Elizabeth Daniels!
OR
A 30 min Zoom session with Casting Director & Performance Coach, Brette Goldstein to identify your super power as an actor or business leader!
Claimed: 2 of 10
$1,000
The Associate Producer
All of the above PLUS:
You'll be credited in the film and on IMDBas an ASSOCIATE PRODUCER!
Welcome to the team, you sexy thang.
Claimed: 1 of 10
$3,000
The Producer
All of the above PLUS:
CONGRATULATIONS you're a producer!!!
You'll be listed as a producer in the credits and on IMDB!!
Claimed: 0 of 10
$10,000
The Executive Producer
All of the above PLUS:
HOLY SMOKES you are an EXECUTIVE PRODUCER!You'll get first looks on the edits, the red carpet treatment and all the gratitude in the land!
Claimed: 0 of 2
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Wishlist
Use the WishList to pledge cash and loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an incentive directly.
$10
The Temp
Thank you! In addition to our gratitude you'll get a shoutout on social media. We appreciate you!
$25
The Babysitter
All of the above PLUS:
A digital link to watch the finished film!
AND
A personalized shareable graphic, with your assigned secret spy identity and survival job!
$50
The Dog Walker
All of the above PLUS:
Access to Monica's recorded Decoding Shakespeare Power-Hour Workshop and worksheets! If you've ever been intimidated by Shakespeare, or you just want to deepen your Bard brilliance, this is for you!
(Check out more about Monica as a Shakespeare instructor here)
$100
The Cater Waiter
All the above PLUS:
Special thanks in film credits!
AND
Access to Monica's signature PERFORM & PIVOT Course to help you find your ideal side hustle or bonus career!
AND
Invitation to a Covid-Safety-approved screening and Q&A with the writer/director!** Travel and accomidations to/in NYC not included
Claimed: 18 of 50
$250
The Personal Assistant
All of the above PLUS:
Your choice of:
a 50-minute Zoom private coaching session from Monica for your Shakesepeare or Chekov monologue. (Monica coaches actors for grad school and professional auditions)
OR
a 50-minute coaching session from Lindy Rogers (Mimi Bond in Survival Job) in the Alexander Technique. ( Lindy is an AmSAT certified Alexander Technique Teacher based out The Balanced Arts Center. She teaches privately and at the Balance Arts Center. She also teaches movement courses at St. Margaret’s House with a focus on balance and mobility.)
OR
a 50-minute Voice-Over coaching with successful voice-over artist (and Survival Job's own co-Producer) Nathalie Frederick. Nathalie's work includes spots and internal content for Google, Hasbro, Gevalia, Carl's Jr, Pearson, Savvas and more.
Claimed: 2 of 20
$500
The Trophy Spouse
All of the above PLUS:
Feedback on your script, play, essay from Monica ( More on her writing here. *cough* Harvard MA in Creative Writing & Literature *cough*)
OR
A 45-min Zoom session Virtual Event Planner extraordinaire (and Survival Job's own co-producer), Elizabeth Daniels!
OR
A 30 min Zoom session with Casting Director & Performance Coach, Brette Goldstein to identify your super power as an actor or business leader!
Claimed: 2 of 10
$1,000
The Associate Producer
All of the above PLUS:
You'll be credited in the film and on IMDBas an ASSOCIATE PRODUCER!
Welcome to the team, you sexy thang.
Claimed: 1 of 10
$3,000
The Producer
All of the above PLUS:
CONGRATULATIONS you're a producer!!!
You'll be listed as a producer in the credits and on IMDB!!
Claimed: 0 of 10
$10,000
The Executive Producer
All of the above PLUS:
HOLY SMOKES you are an EXECUTIVE PRODUCER!You'll get first looks on the edits, the red carpet treatment and all the gratitude in the land!
Claimed: 0 of 2
- Updates
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Current Team
About This Team
ABOUT THE TEAM
Our hard-working crew is majority female identifying, with LGTBQ and international representation, and a diverse cast. Between us, we’ve had over 300 survival jobs.
CREW
Writer/Director/Executive Producer: Monica McCarthyExecutive Producer: Erin Glass
Co-Producer: Nathalie Frederick
Co-Producer: Elizabeth Daniels
Director Of Photography: John Fitzpatrick
Gaffer:Thomas Hutteau
Sound: Mariya Chulichkova
Assistant Camera: Justine Bertrand
Costume Designer: Mia Gutierrez
Editor: Alison Kusmik
HMU: Julia Valldi
Fight Choreographer: Shannon Michael Wamser
CAST
TESSA WREN: Monica McCarthyMIMI BOND: Lindy Rogers
THE RUSSIAN: Sergey Nagorny
Classmates:Ben Brown
Yaz Perea
Ben Stroman
Nina Tarr
Jude Severin
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Community
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