The Glasses
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama, Family
The Glasses is a dramedy based on a true story about a family navigating incurable disease. A seemingly simple task takes on high stakes for Joseph and his family because they hope it will alleviate his Parkinson's symptoms. The film explores how, when facing inevitable loss, love looks like trying.
The Glasses
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama, Family
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $17,921 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
76 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
The Glasses is a dramedy based on a true story about a family navigating incurable disease. A seemingly simple task takes on high stakes for Joseph and his family because they hope it will alleviate his Parkinson's symptoms. The film explores how, when facing inevitable loss, love looks like trying.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Thank you, thank you, thank you for helping us reach our goal! We have set an extra stretch goal of $5000, which our executive producer, Ben Statz will MATCH! Thank you again!!!
Several years ago, my husband and I went home to visit my parents. At the time, my dad, who had been living with Parkinson's Disease for the better part of two decades, was struggling with what he described as "wooziness." It bothered him almost all the time. For years, he and my mom had experimented with strategies to improve this symptom to no avail.
At the start of our visit, a new neurologist gave my dad a surprisingly simple solution: new glasses! We all got excited, and set to work right away. But wouldn't you know, the simple task somehow became an obstacle course of communication misfires, expectation explosions, physical challenges, hurt feelings, personality clashes, and doubt.
As we each poured ourselves into this effort to make my dad's life better, there was the fact that could not be changed: he had an incurable, progressive illness, and none of us could make it go away.
At the time I was struck by how this experience felt like it had the shape of a quest.
We started with high hopes, faced surprising tests, almost gave up hope, but rallied in the end to come together and get the job done. We couldn't make the Parkinson's go away, but we could make his day-to-day a little bit better and express our love to each other in our own imperfect ways.
The Glasses is a bittersweet, understated dramedy. The events of the story are small -- trying to get Joseph the right pair of glasses -- but the emotional stakes for each character are high.
Some tonal inspirations for the film are The Straight Story, Nebraska, Marriage Story, and a beautiful Argentine film called Historias Minimas -- quiet, human-scale stories that are beautiful to look at and listen to and that maintain a subtle sense of humor. We will use composed cinematography, sound design, and original music to help tell the story.
This is a personal story, and I think there is truth in the adage that the more personal a story is, the more universal it becomes.
Illness can be scary, especially when seen from a distance. But we're all just people experiencing life and learning from the circumstances we encounter.
Our creative team is a family affair. Jeff Maksym, our director of photography, and I are married. We met on a short film back in NYC when Jeff was a film student at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, and I had just moved to the city after getting my MFA in acting from the A.R.T. & Moscow Art Theatre School Institute at Harvard.
For this project, we are teaming up with our friend, director Sarah Smith. She also went to NYU film school, and we've both worked with her on several previous projects. She's a deep-feeling powerhouse, and her most recent short film was an Official Selection at the Tribeca Film Festival. Additionally, we've turned to long-time friends producer Gordon Gee and casting director Paul Davis, CSA, to help bring our vision to life!
We would love to have you join our team! Our incredible Executive Producer, Ben Statz, will MATCH every dollar that we raise. So your pledge of, say, $15 will actually be worth $30 to our project! We will use this money for locations, equipment, festival submissions, and talent both behind and in front of the camera.
Here's where we're at and where we're going!
PRE-PRODUCTION
We are currently in pre-production: casting, scouting locations, working on re-writes, assembling the crew, raising money, doing test shoots, and making creative decisions.
PRODUCTION
We will shoot the film over 4 days in July/August. We will follow SAG-AFTRA protocols for Covid safety. Everyone involved will be vaccinated, the crew will be small, and we will require a negative Covid test to be on set.
POST-PRODUCTION
We will take 1-2 months to edit the film, finesse the color, complete the sound design, and add original music ... and then we will send our little labor of love to film festivals!
SHARING THE FILM
We hope to have a chance to take the film to some fun festivals and would love to see you there!
If there's something in this story that speaks to you and your experiences, or you like small-scale independent films, or you've seen some of our work before, or you like to support women filmmakers, or you're just curious to see how this all comes together, consider joining our team with either a pledge or a follow! By following the campaign, you will see our journey every step of the way!
CONNECT WITH US!
Facebook: @theglassesmovie
Instagram: @theglassesmovie
And follow us here on Seed & Spark! Click "follow project" at the top of this page to be the first to receive updates!
If you want to promote the campaign and would like to copy and paste something to share, here's an idea, but please write whatever you'd like! (If you're not an "Ooo!" type person, no worries.)
Ooo! @franceschewning is developing a heartfelt new short film with award-winning director Sarah Smith! Join the team at seedandspark.com/fund/the-glasses! #theglassesmovie #parkinsons #womeninfilm #femalefilmmakers
Thank you so much for being part of this creative adventure!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
The family home, the glasses store, and a decrepit mall.
Costs $2,000
The locations are characters in the film, and we want to be able to get them right.
Camera and lighting equipment
Costs $3,200
Canon is lending us a beautiful camera and lenses, but we need all the accoutrements and lighting.
Food for the cast and crew!
Costs $2,000
We're planning a 4-day shoot, and we need to keep everyone healthy and hydrated!
Insurance
Costs $1,000
While not the most glamorous item, insurance is essential to rent equipment and locations!
Labor
Costs $5,800
This is far from the total cost of our cast & crew's time and efforts, but it's a little something!
Sound equipment
Costs $1,000
A crucial element of the film!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Writer, Actor, and Co-Director Frances Chewning
Frances has acted in award-winning films that were official selections at Sundance, AFI Fest, and New York Film Festival among others, as well as onstage at Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Whitney Museum, American Repertorty Theatre, HERE Arts Center (NYC), the Lark Theatre (NYC), and the Cavern Club Celebrity Theatre (LA). She will soon be appearing as "Sally Jessy Raphael" in an as-yet-untitled Hulu series starring Kumail Nanjiani and Murray Bartlett. She co-created the pioneering comedy web-series The Mimi & Flo Show and has written and performed sketch & improv at UCB-LA, Comix (NYC; headliner), The Second City (LA), and The Clubhouse (LA). She has an MFA in Acting from the Moscow Art Theatre School/A.R.T. Institute at Harvard University and a BA, cum laude, in Philosopy from Lawrence University. She is thrilled to have such a talented, compassionate team of creators working with her.
Director Sarah Smith
Sarah Smith is a Los Angeles based filmmaker. She and Frances previously collaborated on a webseries pilot Tender Touches, which went on to win the 2018 AT&T Shape Creat-A-Thon. Other credits include Black Hat, which screened at over 35 festivals around the globe, including the Tribeca Film Festival, and won the 2019 Iris Prize; and the 2015 award-winning short D.Asian, which screened at over 30 festivals world-wide, including Palm Springs Shortfest, and went on to win the AT&T Under-Represented Filmmaker Award. She just finished post-production on her latest short film entitled Cardiff, which was shot in Cardiff, Wales. Black Hat can currently be seen in the US on PBS KCET as part of their Fine Cut series of emerging filmmakers, and can also be seen on HBO Europe, Dekkoo.com, Ficto, and Here TV.
Director of Photography Jeff Maksym
Jeff Maksym is an LA-based filmmaker who has collaborated extensively with wife Frances on comedy, film, and life projects (most recently, a delightful daughter)! He has worked with Sarah as Director of Photography on several projects including the short films D. Asian, Cardiff, and the award-winning Tender Touches. Jeff has over 20 years of experience as a DP, producer, director, and editor in various mediums and genres including comedy, commercial, fashion, music video, reality and industrial projects, in addition to writing and developing television and feature projects. Jeff served as lead editor of the 4th season of Illeana Douglas' Ikea-sponsored Webby-award-winning webseries, Easy To Assemble, and was also the Director/Co-Creator/Co-Writer of the ground-breaking, interactive, comedy webseries The Mimi and Flo Show. Jeff has studied both Improv and Sketch-Writing at the Upright Citizens Brigade and is a graduate of Film & TV Production from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Jeff is a proud member of the Writers Guild of America East.
Producer Gordon Gee (like the letter "G")
Gordon has worked in the film industry for the past 18+ years, developing and producing studio and independent features, tv pilots and countless commercials, promos and music videos, yada yada yada (insert fun name drops here). Although Gordon is not entirely sure what life is all about, creatively collaborating on projects with friends continues to be a source of great enjoyment.
Executive Producer Ben Statz
Ben is the co-founder and director of Parhelion, Ltd, a financial trading firm, as well as the director of Nimbio, a technology company. He made a name for himself in the world of professional poker, having placed 16th in the World Series of Poker. He and Frances became friends in high school in Madison, Wisconsin (East High!). Because of their friendship and his interest in film production, he has taken on the glamorous roles of boom operator, production assistant, and cast member, playing important characters like "Cool Guy at Party" in Frances & Jeff's previous productions. He has an MS in Mathematics in Finance from NYU and a BS in Economics and Molecular Biology from UW-Madison.
Associate Producer Michelle Tesoro, ACE
Michelle is an Emmy-winning editor, having just won Best Editor of a Limited Series for "The Queen's Gambit" (Netflix). Other notable editing work includes Sean Penn's "Flag Day;" Focus Features’ biography of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg "On the Basis of Sex;" Bold Films and Participant Media’s "Shot Caller" starring Jon Bernthal and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau; and three Emmy-nominated series for Netflix: "Godless" directed by Scott Frank, "When They See Us" directed by Ava DuVernay, and "House of Cards."
Composer John Chin
John Chin has been a fixture on the New York Jazz scene since 1998. He was introduced to the piano at the age of four. Under the tutelage of master pianist and composer Kenny Barron, John earned an artist diploma from the Juilliard School. He is an associate professor of music at the RocNation school of music in Brooklyn. John has performed internationally as a leader and sideman at many major festivals as well as at some of America's most important and storied jazz rooms. Chin is a prolific composer, drawing inspiration from the jazz, pop, and western classical traiditions. Chin was nominated for a Grammy for his work as a pianist on vocalist Rene Marie's 2017 release "Sound of Red." John has five album releases as a leader.
Duncan Birmingham: "Justin"
Duncan Birmingham is primarily a writer and director but can sometimes be persuaded to step in front of the camera. He wrote and directed the horror comedy feature, “Who Invited Them,” which is currently playing film festivals and will premiere for a general audience on Shudder, AMC Network’s streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural. He has written and produced various TV shows including "Blunt Talk" on Starz and “Maron” starring Marc Maron on IFC. He once played a clown opposite Patrick Stewart and is excited to come out of acting retirement for this role.
Dave Theune: "Matt, the Lensmakers Guy"
Dave Theune is an actor/comedian whose credits include "Minx" (HBO Max), "Good Girls" (NBC), and "Never Have I Ever" (Netflix). Dave is/has been a main company performer at UCB, iO, and ComedySportz. Dave is currently trying to drop 5-10 lbs, but isn't freaking out about it, which means it's going slowly.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Thank you, thank you, thank you for helping us reach our goal! We have set an extra stretch goal of $5000, which our executive producer, Ben Statz will MATCH! Thank you again!!!
Several years ago, my husband and I went home to visit my parents. At the time, my dad, who had been living with Parkinson's Disease for the better part of two decades, was struggling with what he described as "wooziness." It bothered him almost all the time. For years, he and my mom had experimented with strategies to improve this symptom to no avail.
At the start of our visit, a new neurologist gave my dad a surprisingly simple solution: new glasses! We all got excited, and set to work right away. But wouldn't you know, the simple task somehow became an obstacle course of communication misfires, expectation explosions, physical challenges, hurt feelings, personality clashes, and doubt.
As we each poured ourselves into this effort to make my dad's life better, there was the fact that could not be changed: he had an incurable, progressive illness, and none of us could make it go away.
At the time I was struck by how this experience felt like it had the shape of a quest.
We started with high hopes, faced surprising tests, almost gave up hope, but rallied in the end to come together and get the job done. We couldn't make the Parkinson's go away, but we could make his day-to-day a little bit better and express our love to each other in our own imperfect ways.
The Glasses is a bittersweet, understated dramedy. The events of the story are small -- trying to get Joseph the right pair of glasses -- but the emotional stakes for each character are high.
Some tonal inspirations for the film are The Straight Story, Nebraska, Marriage Story, and a beautiful Argentine film called Historias Minimas -- quiet, human-scale stories that are beautiful to look at and listen to and that maintain a subtle sense of humor. We will use composed cinematography, sound design, and original music to help tell the story.
This is a personal story, and I think there is truth in the adage that the more personal a story is, the more universal it becomes.
Illness can be scary, especially when seen from a distance. But we're all just people experiencing life and learning from the circumstances we encounter.
Our creative team is a family affair. Jeff Maksym, our director of photography, and I are married. We met on a short film back in NYC when Jeff was a film student at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, and I had just moved to the city after getting my MFA in acting from the A.R.T. & Moscow Art Theatre School Institute at Harvard.
For this project, we are teaming up with our friend, director Sarah Smith. She also went to NYU film school, and we've both worked with her on several previous projects. She's a deep-feeling powerhouse, and her most recent short film was an Official Selection at the Tribeca Film Festival. Additionally, we've turned to long-time friends producer Gordon Gee and casting director Paul Davis, CSA, to help bring our vision to life!
We would love to have you join our team! Our incredible Executive Producer, Ben Statz, will MATCH every dollar that we raise. So your pledge of, say, $15 will actually be worth $30 to our project! We will use this money for locations, equipment, festival submissions, and talent both behind and in front of the camera.
Here's where we're at and where we're going!
PRE-PRODUCTION
We are currently in pre-production: casting, scouting locations, working on re-writes, assembling the crew, raising money, doing test shoots, and making creative decisions.
PRODUCTION
We will shoot the film over 4 days in July/August. We will follow SAG-AFTRA protocols for Covid safety. Everyone involved will be vaccinated, the crew will be small, and we will require a negative Covid test to be on set.
POST-PRODUCTION
We will take 1-2 months to edit the film, finesse the color, complete the sound design, and add original music ... and then we will send our little labor of love to film festivals!
SHARING THE FILM
We hope to have a chance to take the film to some fun festivals and would love to see you there!
If there's something in this story that speaks to you and your experiences, or you like small-scale independent films, or you've seen some of our work before, or you like to support women filmmakers, or you're just curious to see how this all comes together, consider joining our team with either a pledge or a follow! By following the campaign, you will see our journey every step of the way!
CONNECT WITH US!
Facebook: @theglassesmovie
Instagram: @theglassesmovie
And follow us here on Seed & Spark! Click "follow project" at the top of this page to be the first to receive updates!
If you want to promote the campaign and would like to copy and paste something to share, here's an idea, but please write whatever you'd like! (If you're not an "Ooo!" type person, no worries.)
Ooo! @franceschewning is developing a heartfelt new short film with award-winning director Sarah Smith! Join the team at seedandspark.com/fund/the-glasses! #theglassesmovie #parkinsons #womeninfilm #femalefilmmakers
Thank you so much for being part of this creative adventure!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
The family home, the glasses store, and a decrepit mall.
Costs $2,000
The locations are characters in the film, and we want to be able to get them right.
Camera and lighting equipment
Costs $3,200
Canon is lending us a beautiful camera and lenses, but we need all the accoutrements and lighting.
Food for the cast and crew!
Costs $2,000
We're planning a 4-day shoot, and we need to keep everyone healthy and hydrated!
Insurance
Costs $1,000
While not the most glamorous item, insurance is essential to rent equipment and locations!
Labor
Costs $5,800
This is far from the total cost of our cast & crew's time and efforts, but it's a little something!
Sound equipment
Costs $1,000
A crucial element of the film!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Writer, Actor, and Co-Director Frances Chewning
Frances has acted in award-winning films that were official selections at Sundance, AFI Fest, and New York Film Festival among others, as well as onstage at Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Whitney Museum, American Repertorty Theatre, HERE Arts Center (NYC), the Lark Theatre (NYC), and the Cavern Club Celebrity Theatre (LA). She will soon be appearing as "Sally Jessy Raphael" in an as-yet-untitled Hulu series starring Kumail Nanjiani and Murray Bartlett. She co-created the pioneering comedy web-series The Mimi & Flo Show and has written and performed sketch & improv at UCB-LA, Comix (NYC; headliner), The Second City (LA), and The Clubhouse (LA). She has an MFA in Acting from the Moscow Art Theatre School/A.R.T. Institute at Harvard University and a BA, cum laude, in Philosopy from Lawrence University. She is thrilled to have such a talented, compassionate team of creators working with her.
Director Sarah Smith
Sarah Smith is a Los Angeles based filmmaker. She and Frances previously collaborated on a webseries pilot Tender Touches, which went on to win the 2018 AT&T Shape Creat-A-Thon. Other credits include Black Hat, which screened at over 35 festivals around the globe, including the Tribeca Film Festival, and won the 2019 Iris Prize; and the 2015 award-winning short D.Asian, which screened at over 30 festivals world-wide, including Palm Springs Shortfest, and went on to win the AT&T Under-Represented Filmmaker Award. She just finished post-production on her latest short film entitled Cardiff, which was shot in Cardiff, Wales. Black Hat can currently be seen in the US on PBS KCET as part of their Fine Cut series of emerging filmmakers, and can also be seen on HBO Europe, Dekkoo.com, Ficto, and Here TV.
Director of Photography Jeff Maksym
Jeff Maksym is an LA-based filmmaker who has collaborated extensively with wife Frances on comedy, film, and life projects (most recently, a delightful daughter)! He has worked with Sarah as Director of Photography on several projects including the short films D. Asian, Cardiff, and the award-winning Tender Touches. Jeff has over 20 years of experience as a DP, producer, director, and editor in various mediums and genres including comedy, commercial, fashion, music video, reality and industrial projects, in addition to writing and developing television and feature projects. Jeff served as lead editor of the 4th season of Illeana Douglas' Ikea-sponsored Webby-award-winning webseries, Easy To Assemble, and was also the Director/Co-Creator/Co-Writer of the ground-breaking, interactive, comedy webseries The Mimi and Flo Show. Jeff has studied both Improv and Sketch-Writing at the Upright Citizens Brigade and is a graduate of Film & TV Production from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Jeff is a proud member of the Writers Guild of America East.
Producer Gordon Gee (like the letter "G")
Gordon has worked in the film industry for the past 18+ years, developing and producing studio and independent features, tv pilots and countless commercials, promos and music videos, yada yada yada (insert fun name drops here). Although Gordon is not entirely sure what life is all about, creatively collaborating on projects with friends continues to be a source of great enjoyment.
Executive Producer Ben Statz
Ben is the co-founder and director of Parhelion, Ltd, a financial trading firm, as well as the director of Nimbio, a technology company. He made a name for himself in the world of professional poker, having placed 16th in the World Series of Poker. He and Frances became friends in high school in Madison, Wisconsin (East High!). Because of their friendship and his interest in film production, he has taken on the glamorous roles of boom operator, production assistant, and cast member, playing important characters like "Cool Guy at Party" in Frances & Jeff's previous productions. He has an MS in Mathematics in Finance from NYU and a BS in Economics and Molecular Biology from UW-Madison.
Associate Producer Michelle Tesoro, ACE
Michelle is an Emmy-winning editor, having just won Best Editor of a Limited Series for "The Queen's Gambit" (Netflix). Other notable editing work includes Sean Penn's "Flag Day;" Focus Features’ biography of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg "On the Basis of Sex;" Bold Films and Participant Media’s "Shot Caller" starring Jon Bernthal and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau; and three Emmy-nominated series for Netflix: "Godless" directed by Scott Frank, "When They See Us" directed by Ava DuVernay, and "House of Cards."
Composer John Chin
John Chin has been a fixture on the New York Jazz scene since 1998. He was introduced to the piano at the age of four. Under the tutelage of master pianist and composer Kenny Barron, John earned an artist diploma from the Juilliard School. He is an associate professor of music at the RocNation school of music in Brooklyn. John has performed internationally as a leader and sideman at many major festivals as well as at some of America's most important and storied jazz rooms. Chin is a prolific composer, drawing inspiration from the jazz, pop, and western classical traiditions. Chin was nominated for a Grammy for his work as a pianist on vocalist Rene Marie's 2017 release "Sound of Red." John has five album releases as a leader.
Duncan Birmingham: "Justin"
Duncan Birmingham is primarily a writer and director but can sometimes be persuaded to step in front of the camera. He wrote and directed the horror comedy feature, “Who Invited Them,” which is currently playing film festivals and will premiere for a general audience on Shudder, AMC Network’s streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural. He has written and produced various TV shows including "Blunt Talk" on Starz and “Maron” starring Marc Maron on IFC. He once played a clown opposite Patrick Stewart and is excited to come out of acting retirement for this role.
Dave Theune: "Matt, the Lensmakers Guy"
Dave Theune is an actor/comedian whose credits include "Minx" (HBO Max), "Good Girls" (NBC), and "Never Have I Ever" (Netflix). Dave is/has been a main company performer at UCB, iO, and ComedySportz. Dave is currently trying to drop 5-10 lbs, but isn't freaking out about it, which means it's going slowly.