Welcome to "The Adulterer" fundraising campaign. I truly believe "The Adulterer" is a fascinating, and genuine project. I wish to continue to make thoughtful, interesting content for this series but I need the support of the audience I hope to serve. You! Join me and we'll make art together!
Welcome to "The Adulterer" fundraising campaign. I truly believe "The Adulterer" is a fascinating, and genuine project. I wish to continue to make thoughtful, interesting content for this series but I need the support of the audience I hope to serve. You! Join me and we'll make art together!
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Story
Mission Statement
The entire team is made up of a diverse and talented group, including our Asian-American director, and a few of the women in our art department with direct lineage to Africa. All of the moving parts behind the camera will be people of color and on screen our two female leads are also black women.About The Project
About the project:
The Adulterer Short Film Watch film here!
“The Adulterer” is a visual novel about monogamy, identity, expectations, and the choices we make in service to those qualities… or in spite of them. Each player in “The Adulterer” wants something their vows are keeping them from. Simultaneously they want to placate the needs they feel their vows entitle them to, and the wants to which they feel their partners are betrothed. The story begins with a seemingly happenstance meeting between Hugh and the woman that will change things for his family. By the time the tale is unraveled, monogamy, identity, and expectations will take on new meanings for the characters as well as for us viewing at home. The film does a lot of the work that this statement intends to do, so your best bet is to give it a watch. Just know that when you reach the final credits we’re only at the beginning.
“The Adulterer” began it’s festival run at Los Angeles Black Film Fest and then a few weeks later jumped coasts to the 30th Ft. Lauderdale international Film Fest. Along the way several stops and many screenings took place. “The Adulterer” won the coveted Remi award at 49th annual Worldfest Houston International Film festival in the category ‘Dramatic Original series’, an award shared by Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and Ang Lee. “The Adulterer” capped its festival run with screenings in Chicago For Black Harvest film festival at the Gene Siskel center
and Atlanta for Bronzelens film festival where it shared a premiere with Issa Rae’s “Insecure” and “Queen Sugar.” In total “The Adulterer” Screened at 12 Festivals in all regions of the country.
What I wish, is to realize the full potential of this series which I cannot do alone. Far too often our best ideas are at the whims of the powers already established... But institutions are not the end all. There is power in numbers as well. And with your help we can create something special. The goal is to produce a completed narrative over a three season seven episode per season arc. This will come at no small cost and that’s why I need you. There are more technical flaws in the original short film version than I would like due to my minimal budget. This time, with more resources we will make the visual experience match the narrative’s explosive potential. 
Filmmaker's Statement:
I screened “The Adulterer” for a fellow film maker I was intending to work with on an altogether different project. His immediate response after watching the film was “So what’s next?” In my own mind, I had already conceived of the ‘next’ and arrived at my own conclusions for the outcomes of these characters I hoped the audience would also be able to reach within the film content. But I hadn’t yet thought of putting it to screen.
These days, completing the story of “The Adulterer” is the only thing I think about.
This will be the second series for distribution on my YouTube network P.B.E: S.Ou.L following a completed season of the groundbreaking franchise "open mike", a look at the subculture of poetry and jazz in New Orleans. As an artist I’m most notable for my appearances and work on the second season of HBO’s series "Treme"
I wrote for and was featured in several promotional trailers as well as an appearance on the show. I’m growing as an artist everyday and with your help I believe this first season of three of “The Adulterer” will be a great step.
I hope the possibilities are intriguing to you, and I hope you want to see them enough to help support this vision with your feedback, contributions and shares. Please continue reading and find out what we need to do and how we can make this a reality. Thanks in advance.
Incentives
$2
Weekly Raffle
Every Friday I will be raffling off some great prizes contributed by sponsors who believe in and support "The Adulterer." Prizes will include, food, music, art, and alcohol. Sounds like all winners right? We will announce the raffle prize on Sunday of each new week and the raffle drawing will be held Friday evening vial live FB stream. Each $2 ticket will get you one entry into that week's drawing.
Week 1 (Nov 27-Dec 1) Dinner for 2 at The Munch Factory
Week 2 (December 2-Dec 9) Original Ayo Scott Painting print
Week 3 (December 10-17) Two tickets to Tank & The Bangas New Years Eve concert at the JOY in New Orleans
$10
Focus group membership
Ok, this is going to sound funny, but I'm dead serious. For your $10 contribution you get to work for me.... OK... only kind of serious. But for $10 you will be given early access to "The Adulterer" series before official launch with the caveat that your last minute feedback will be needed just to iron out the glitches before the project goes public. Sometimes you need a different lens to see that one little thing that needs fixing. Help me and I'll help you help me! Sounds fair right?
Package also includes one raffle ticket.
$25
Be immortalized
A couple of things about this iteration of "The Adulterer" will be different from the last, including a narrator to give the series an element of being a visual novel. In that spirit, For each $25 contribution I will swipe a picture from your social media profile (or you can provide one) and based on either what I know about you already or what I can see in the picture I will give you a novel-esque introduction to caption your photo. It's kind of like you're the star of your own story if you had a professional writing your own story for you. And just think... you have like 500 pictures on instagram. For only $25 a pop you can have 500 little stories told about you. And I'll damn near have made my budget already. Win Win!
Package also includes one raffle ticket and focus group membership.
$40
EXCLUSIVE Premiere (travel not included)
Obviously once the dust has settled all of the people who worked on this project are going to want to celebrate. And who am I to refuse an invitation to throw a party. But while we're here we might as well invite some cool kids to the party as well. For your $40 contribution you will be invited to this private screening and exclusive after party to hang out with the crew and tell us what talented people we all are. As a matter of fact... just to further incentivize this prize I'm not letting anyone tell me I'm talented UNTIL the premiere..... hold your applause people... and pay $40 for this ticket.
Package also includes one raffle ticket, and one personalized meme via $25 level.$60
EXCLUSIVE premiere + a friend (travel not included)
Oh.... your friend wants to know if they can come to the exclusive premiere too...? I know, I know.... asking for a friend right? Fine... I'm going to do my groupon thing and give y'all a little buy one get one half off deal but only because I like the way you smell and I want you both in my party.
Package includes ONE raffle ticket and ONE personalized meme. Your friend ain't getting everything for free.
$100
Name in End Credits
...and I'm not even gonna roll em by really fast. You'll have time to screenshot or selfie it, or however else you want to prove that you were part of a movie getting made. You're a star right...? Prove it!
Package also includes access to Exclusive screening for you and a friend, one personalized meme and one raffle ticket. Wow.... that's so much. I might just contribute $100 myself.
$250
Poker Party or Poetry Show (New Orleans only)
In the original "The Adulterer" Harold tells his wife he isn't coming home soon because he's going to 'play poker' *wink wink* If only Harold had seen my campaign earlier he wouldn't have had to lie to his wife. For the amount of a $250 contribution I will host a poker party for you at your home or an alternate space. Maybe you want a tournament style format for you and your friends, maybe you just want a private game dealt for a couple of hours. Either way I got this... these are things I know how to do!
"I don't like poker" you say. Ok... I got you. How about this? Instead I'll host a private poetry show for you and whatever friends you want to bring along. I'll hand select two other poets based on your poetry preference and the three of us will give you a nice 60 minute show at your bachelorette party, or your baby shower, or your lodge meeting for your men's club! Look... it doesn't matter if you match this up with an event or if you just want to do this as an isolated thing. You don't even have to share it. It could just be three poets serenading you by yourself while you eat Bride Cake ice cream. You got the $250 it's yours.
Package also includes name in end credits, Ticket to Exclusive premiere for you and a friend, one personalized meme and one raffle ticket.
$325
Day on set
Have you ever been on a movie set? I gotta tell you it's pretty life-affirming. $300ish bucks is a small price to pay for this incentive. Now I'm not promising I won't hand you a boom mic or a camera to take some production stills. You might have to work. especially if you gonna eat up all my crew and talent's food. But we like visitors so, come through.
Package also includes afore mentioned prizes $100 level or below. Do I really need to list them again? I think you know the drill at this point.
$504
Name your character
$500 is a lot of money. I wouldn't just be giving this away all will-nilly. I got something special for you for this one. *looks around to see if anyone is listening, starts whispering* keep this one on the hush ok.... for your 504 (N.O. represent!) I'm going to write a character into the show for you.
*Sirens blazing, loud noises, confetti*
Dang bruh... did you have to tell everybody you are going to be on the show? It's all good. You still got that. Yup, you get your own character named after you. You might even get to play him/her/them if you live in or will be in New Orleans.
Package includes all that other good stuff too.
$1,111
Video Work (New Orleans only)
So you made it to the adult section huh? Ok big spender, I see you want to find out what we got for the VIP!
Can I interest you in your very own film maker for a day?
I will personally provide up to 2 hours of free video work and up to 5 hours of free video editing. You can use this for a wedding, an anniversary, your vow renewals. I can come document you while you nap for your Sleep Apnea diagnosis, etc.
Or
I can help you script a short 3-5 minute film about you (narrative, documentary, whatever) or someone you know and I'll produce it for you. Now... only thing is I'll probably have to get around to this one AFTER we're done "The Adulterer" That's kind of the point of this whole campaign thing so... yeah. But once I'm done I'm all yours!
Plus other prizes $100 level and below
$3,000
Executive Producer
So if you giving up 3 stacks clearly you might as well go on ahead and call yourself a producer. Of course that means you gotta do what producers do. First of all.. Your name needs to be front and center when the opening credits roll so everybody can know who you are and what you're about. After that me and you are travelling to a film festival together as producers of this film. Now I can't say which one yet, cause I don't know which one we'll get in. But I've been to a few before, trust me it will be fun.
Or
Maybe you don't live in New Orleans and you want to show your new film project off to some friends. Well I will gladly bring "The Adulterer"to your city so we can all celebrate the wise choice you made backing this project.Package also includes everything you saw listed earlier obviously. I mean, for 3k I might name my first born child after you and he already has a name.
$5,000
You are the MVP
You get everything already mentioned and I will go to the trophy shop and make you a trophy that says MVP. Yeah, I know that's not really a great incentive, but I kind of ran out of ideas for things to give away. I just want to make it perfectly clear it is ok and, in fact, encouraged to contribute this amount or MORE!
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Wishlist
Use the WishList to pledge cash and loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an incentive directly.
$2
Weekly Raffle
Every Friday I will be raffling off some great prizes contributed by sponsors who believe in and support "The Adulterer." Prizes will include, food, music, art, and alcohol. Sounds like all winners right? We will announce the raffle prize on Sunday of each new week and the raffle drawing will be held Friday evening vial live FB stream. Each $2 ticket will get you one entry into that week's drawing.
Week 1 (Nov 27-Dec 1) Dinner for 2 at The Munch Factory
Week 2 (December 2-Dec 9) Original Ayo Scott Painting print
Week 3 (December 10-17) Two tickets to Tank & The Bangas New Years Eve concert at the JOY in New Orleans
$10
Focus group membership
Ok, this is going to sound funny, but I'm dead serious. For your $10 contribution you get to work for me.... OK... only kind of serious. But for $10 you will be given early access to "The Adulterer" series before official launch with the caveat that your last minute feedback will be needed just to iron out the glitches before the project goes public. Sometimes you need a different lens to see that one little thing that needs fixing. Help me and I'll help you help me! Sounds fair right?
Package also includes one raffle ticket.
$25
Be immortalized
A couple of things about this iteration of "The Adulterer" will be different from the last, including a narrator to give the series an element of being a visual novel. In that spirit, For each $25 contribution I will swipe a picture from your social media profile (or you can provide one) and based on either what I know about you already or what I can see in the picture I will give you a novel-esque introduction to caption your photo. It's kind of like you're the star of your own story if you had a professional writing your own story for you. And just think... you have like 500 pictures on instagram. For only $25 a pop you can have 500 little stories told about you. And I'll damn near have made my budget already. Win Win!
Package also includes one raffle ticket and focus group membership.
$40
EXCLUSIVE Premiere (travel not included)
Obviously once the dust has settled all of the people who worked on this project are going to want to celebrate. And who am I to refuse an invitation to throw a party. But while we're here we might as well invite some cool kids to the party as well. For your $40 contribution you will be invited to this private screening and exclusive after party to hang out with the crew and tell us what talented people we all are. As a matter of fact... just to further incentivize this prize I'm not letting anyone tell me I'm talented UNTIL the premiere..... hold your applause people... and pay $40 for this ticket.
Package also includes one raffle ticket, and one personalized meme via $25 level.$60
EXCLUSIVE premiere + a friend (travel not included)
Oh.... your friend wants to know if they can come to the exclusive premiere too...? I know, I know.... asking for a friend right? Fine... I'm going to do my groupon thing and give y'all a little buy one get one half off deal but only because I like the way you smell and I want you both in my party.
Package includes ONE raffle ticket and ONE personalized meme. Your friend ain't getting everything for free.
$100
Name in End Credits
...and I'm not even gonna roll em by really fast. You'll have time to screenshot or selfie it, or however else you want to prove that you were part of a movie getting made. You're a star right...? Prove it!
Package also includes access to Exclusive screening for you and a friend, one personalized meme and one raffle ticket. Wow.... that's so much. I might just contribute $100 myself.
$250
Poker Party or Poetry Show (New Orleans only)
In the original "The Adulterer" Harold tells his wife he isn't coming home soon because he's going to 'play poker' *wink wink* If only Harold had seen my campaign earlier he wouldn't have had to lie to his wife. For the amount of a $250 contribution I will host a poker party for you at your home or an alternate space. Maybe you want a tournament style format for you and your friends, maybe you just want a private game dealt for a couple of hours. Either way I got this... these are things I know how to do!
"I don't like poker" you say. Ok... I got you. How about this? Instead I'll host a private poetry show for you and whatever friends you want to bring along. I'll hand select two other poets based on your poetry preference and the three of us will give you a nice 60 minute show at your bachelorette party, or your baby shower, or your lodge meeting for your men's club! Look... it doesn't matter if you match this up with an event or if you just want to do this as an isolated thing. You don't even have to share it. It could just be three poets serenading you by yourself while you eat Bride Cake ice cream. You got the $250 it's yours.
Package also includes name in end credits, Ticket to Exclusive premiere for you and a friend, one personalized meme and one raffle ticket.
$325
Day on set
Have you ever been on a movie set? I gotta tell you it's pretty life-affirming. $300ish bucks is a small price to pay for this incentive. Now I'm not promising I won't hand you a boom mic or a camera to take some production stills. You might have to work. especially if you gonna eat up all my crew and talent's food. But we like visitors so, come through.
Package also includes afore mentioned prizes $100 level or below. Do I really need to list them again? I think you know the drill at this point.
$504
Name your character
$500 is a lot of money. I wouldn't just be giving this away all will-nilly. I got something special for you for this one. *looks around to see if anyone is listening, starts whispering* keep this one on the hush ok.... for your 504 (N.O. represent!) I'm going to write a character into the show for you.
*Sirens blazing, loud noises, confetti*
Dang bruh... did you have to tell everybody you are going to be on the show? It's all good. You still got that. Yup, you get your own character named after you. You might even get to play him/her/them if you live in or will be in New Orleans.
Package includes all that other good stuff too.
$1,111
Video Work (New Orleans only)
So you made it to the adult section huh? Ok big spender, I see you want to find out what we got for the VIP!
Can I interest you in your very own film maker for a day?
I will personally provide up to 2 hours of free video work and up to 5 hours of free video editing. You can use this for a wedding, an anniversary, your vow renewals. I can come document you while you nap for your Sleep Apnea diagnosis, etc.
Or
I can help you script a short 3-5 minute film about you (narrative, documentary, whatever) or someone you know and I'll produce it for you. Now... only thing is I'll probably have to get around to this one AFTER we're done "The Adulterer" That's kind of the point of this whole campaign thing so... yeah. But once I'm done I'm all yours!
Plus other prizes $100 level and below
$3,000
Executive Producer
So if you giving up 3 stacks clearly you might as well go on ahead and call yourself a producer. Of course that means you gotta do what producers do. First of all.. Your name needs to be front and center when the opening credits roll so everybody can know who you are and what you're about. After that me and you are travelling to a film festival together as producers of this film. Now I can't say which one yet, cause I don't know which one we'll get in. But I've been to a few before, trust me it will be fun.
Or
Maybe you don't live in New Orleans and you want to show your new film project off to some friends. Well I will gladly bring "The Adulterer"to your city so we can all celebrate the wise choice you made backing this project.Package also includes everything you saw listed earlier obviously. I mean, for 3k I might name my first born child after you and he already has a name.
$5,000
You are the MVP
You get everything already mentioned and I will go to the trophy shop and make you a trophy that says MVP. Yeah, I know that's not really a great incentive, but I kind of ran out of ideas for things to give away. I just want to make it perfectly clear it is ok and, in fact, encouraged to contribute this amount or MORE!
- Updates
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Current Team
About This Team
I have recruited some very talented artists and specialists for "The Adulterer" I have worked on different projects with most of these individuals. I know their commitment to doing good work and I know their talents will do this project justice.
Producers
Leonard Stewart is my oldest and best friend. He and I have been creating stories since our days playing with Gi. Joe's and Construx. These days he's an intellectual property lawyer at a Fortune 500 company as well as a husband and father of two young boys. He has more natural talent than anyone I know and it's truly a blessing that he has agreed to join me in this campaign as well as future film & television endeavors.
Alphonse Smith is a one man artist incubator. He holds many important seats within the New Orleans arts community including his position as Place and Civic Design Director at Arts Council of New Orleans. For years his service to the arts community has been integral to a cultural renaissance in New Orleans performance art post Katrina.
Jonathan Isaac Jackson is an accomplished filmmaker for his production company The Colored Section featuring films screened on both coasts and several spots in between. Jonathan's service to this project as a consultant and advisor will be key to production.
Crew
Bobby Yan, a graduate in digital design from NYU, is an accomplished entitiy in the world of film and television. This five time emmy winner has worked with some of the biggest musical acts in the world on music video production. His first narrative production "Marz" (a film about an aspiring rapper trying to navigate identity and past) is currently in the film festival circuit and has already screened in over a dozen festivals throughout the United States.
Adrione Domino is a prolific film maker in New Orleans through her production company 3517Law St. She has produced an episodic series as well as several film shorts. Adrione's background in acting has proven to be a true asset to her behind the camera skills working on many "Hollywood" productions filmed in New Orleans.
That's me, Gian Francisco Smith. I created "The Adulterer" short film and series concept. I'll be writing all the episodes and doing the final edits along with all the grunt work in between. I could carry on about my accomplishments, but as you can see by all of the amazing people I'm working with, my best talent is convincing better people than me to support my vision.
Kinitra Brooks, PhD is a television and film scholar. An associate professor of African-American and Afro-Caribbean literature and culture, Kinitra is most notable for her instruction on a course in Beyoncé’s “Lemonade.” Kinitra has become a significant voice championing women in film, art and music. Her presence as a script advisor and consultant will be instrumental in capturing the complexity of the Adulterer character.
Art
Ayo Scott is a prolific, accomplished visual artist in New Orleans. He bears the legacy of his father, MacArthur fellow, John T. Scott. But Ayo's brilliance is not simply captured on canvas. Every environment Ayo enters becomes his canvas and everyday he collaborates with friends and strangers to make art come to life in the world. World building will be essential for this project and his insight and talents will prove to be invaluable. Visit him Here.
Tiffani Sherriff has a keen eye for style. As a stylist she has an impecable repuatation with her clients which has landed her in all the biggest markets managing everything from runway shows to art exhibitions.
Jewel Emefa is an activist for public interest while managing her own design and branding company. Jewel constructed the PBE website which you can visit at www.pbesoul.com
Music
Spirit Mcintyre is a cellist in New Orleans. Spirit's soulful melodies speak poingantly as a culture bearer and liasion to our ancestors. Spirit's music is as moving as it is narrative, and fits perfectly with the tone and mood of 'The Adulterer" Outreach
Quincy Williams is a social media savant. His popular, yet controversial blog http://www.thevitaminq.com/ has gained him many titles (some endearing, some not) and many followers (some endearing, some not) but make no mistake he’s good at what he does!
I would love to tell you about all the actors working on this film, but their participation is contingent on this film's budget beign acheived. Talent isn't free and your contributions will do a great deal towards putting the best people in place for this project.
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Media
Videos
Images
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Community
Supporters
Followers
