The Grief Counselor
Statesville, North Carolina | Film Short
Drama
Struggling with unresolved trauma, an army veteran navigates life as a grief counselor while being haunted by her past and recurring nightmares. Isolated from everyone who ever cared for her, her life continuously spirals out of control. In a life of chaos and addiction, nothing is as it seems.
The Grief Counselor
Statesville, North Carolina | Film Short
Drama
2 Campaigns | North Carolina, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $11,805 for development. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
70 supporters | followers
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Struggling with unresolved trauma, an army veteran navigates life as a grief counselor while being haunted by her past and recurring nightmares. Isolated from everyone who ever cared for her, her life continuously spirals out of control. In a life of chaos and addiction, nothing is as it seems.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
BACKGROUND.
When I left the military after my last deployment, I thought I was invincible. I believed I could do anything... I believed I was the same person I was prior to my first deployment all those years ago. I was wrong.
It took over seven years of battling the symptoms associated with a common term we all hear, P.T.S.D. to accept something was off. Acceptance, admitting something was wrong was the hardest part. It still is.
During the time of denial after leaving the military, relationships were damaged... personally and professionally.
The film is fiction but based on real life experiences.
When the idea for a mental health story was first conceptualized, the story was about a male veteran. As conversations began and the team started to come together, the question was asked about the protagonist being a female and how that will fundamentally alter the film...
We felt that most stories about PTSD and mental health focus on men in the military and we wanted to change the narrative. We ran with the idea. We consulted woman veterans, grief counselors, and mental health professionals. April came to life.
APRIL: THE STORY.
Concept Art, "The Grief Counselor"
THE GRIEF COUNSELOR is a live-action, narrative short film that follows the daily experiences of a female veteran whose trajectory in life is heading toward tragedy. On one hand, she has a deep internal calling to be in a role of helping others; but, on the other, her own life is spiraling out of her control.
As she juggles life, her journey takes her to places she does not want to go. However, she must come to terms with who she has become, overcome her fears and denials, and accept her past for what it was.
She will either have to let go and forgive herself or her demons will consume her.
The Grief Counselor draws aesthetic inspiration from Denis Villeneuve's "Prisoners," Mike Mills' "20th Century Woman," Mark Romanek's "Never Let Me Go," and Thomas Vinterberg's "Another Round."
We will be filming with the Arri Alexa Mini and Cooke Anamorphic lenses to create a world that is both vast and immersive.
CAST AND CREW.
CAST
- Victoria Baxter: APRIL
KEY CREW
- Jason Keating: Writer and Producer
- Bishen Sen: Writer and Director
- Jen Ingulli: Casting Director
- Nathaniel Regier: Director of Photography
- Emma Cantor: Production Designer
- Tori Cordova: 1st AC
- Katie Dillon: Editor
- Darren Morze: Composer
- Pierce Pope: Directing Intern
BUDGET, AUDIENCE, PLANS.
We are hoping to raise between $10,000 and $13,000 with our first round of fundraising. We will be paying the on-set crew hourly and the production staff a flat rate and actors and actresses their day rates. Travel expenses, hotel rooms and meals will be covered out of the budget.
We are planning on taking the film to film festivals within the next year and we are currently looking at the film as a prequal to a feature. The script is currently being developed from the short into the feature story.
WHY NOW?
Mental health is a challenge and crisis right now. As we researched statistics, we were alarmed by the numbers. We found that on the VA.Gov website a statistic stating that "about 12 million adults in the U.S. have P.T.S.D. during a given year" and it goes on to say that this number is only a small portion who have experience trauma.
Research also showed that women are twice as likely as men to have P.T.S.D. per Psychiatry.org.
Our creative team has experienced many of the symptoms related to trauma and P.T.S.D. ranging from combat related symptoms to anxiety and depression.
We want to let others know that it is ok to talk about issues with mental health, it's actually the best way to handle it. Bottling up feelings and dark thoughts lead down a dark path.
Film can be like a good social media platform when used effectively. Voices can be heard, stories can be told, lives can be saved.
To anyone who has or is experiencing symptoms of mental health, we hope this film helps you in the healing process. We want you to know it's ok to talk. TOGETHER, WE CAN.
Follow our campaign and stay up-to-date on the latest "The Grief Counselor" news! It's 100% free.
What does the "The Grief Counselor" team get out of it? Seed&Spark rewards us for building our audience. The more followers we get, the more we unlock products, services, and festival fee waivers courtesy of Seed&Spark!
CONTRIBUTE AND PLEDGE.
You can make a contribution to our film by making a pledge. We have to collect 80% of our crowdfunding goal to keep our funds. You can choose an incentive or make a pledge to a specific Wishlist item, the choice is yours. You can choose any pledge and incentive amount that fits your budget. No pledge is too small and we are beyond grateful for your support.
Every dollar makes a difference in making our film possible!
PUTTING IT IN CONTEXT.
The funds we aim to raise will solidify our production costs and allow us to film the best story we can. We plan to submit The Grief Counselor to festivals such as Tribeca and SXSW, as well as shopping it around to various studios.
SPREAD THE WORD
The only way we will reach our crowdfunding goal is if we reach beyond our networks. If you’d like to be a part of supporting the team tell a powerful story about mental health, if you'd like to help us break the stigma that mental health is bad, YOU can make the difference in our success!
Please share our campaign via your social media, email, word-of-mouth, however you want! We can't do this without you!
Here are some examples. Feel free to copy and paste!
Help filmmakers @thejasonkeating and @bishens by supporting their dramatic film about a female Army veteran dealing with PTSD and grief and her possible spiral out of control as she juggles life. Join them on www.seedandspark.com/fund/the-grief-counselor.
I'm so excited to see the short film The Grief Counselor, by writer/producer Jason Keating and and director/writer Bishen Sen, be made in Statesville, North Carolina this fall. Support them on www.seedandspark.com/fund/the-grief-counselor.
DEALING WITH COVID.
Our safety plan follows SAG-AFTRA guidelines in regards to testing and masks when necessary.
Follow us on @tgcfilm on Instagram and on Facebook @TGCFilm and feel free to share our numerous posts to help spread the word!
Here are some hashtags to use when sharing:#tgcfilm #thegriefcounselor
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Camera Package
Costs $3,000
To create this world of real emotion, our team will be using top of the line equipment.
Casting
Costs $5,700
To pay our amazing cast! An important aspect of the vision work with the best.
Flights
Costs $1,400
We offered to pay for their travel here. All agreed and the coach tickets are waiting.
Insurance
Costs $2,000
We owe it to everyone involved to make sure that things are covered.
Share this update!
About This Team
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
BACKGROUND.
When I left the military after my last deployment, I thought I was invincible. I believed I could do anything... I believed I was the same person I was prior to my first deployment all those years ago. I was wrong.
It took over seven years of battling the symptoms associated with a common term we all hear, P.T.S.D. to accept something was off. Acceptance, admitting something was wrong was the hardest part. It still is.
During the time of denial after leaving the military, relationships were damaged... personally and professionally.
The film is fiction but based on real life experiences.
When the idea for a mental health story was first conceptualized, the story was about a male veteran. As conversations began and the team started to come together, the question was asked about the protagonist being a female and how that will fundamentally alter the film...
We felt that most stories about PTSD and mental health focus on men in the military and we wanted to change the narrative. We ran with the idea. We consulted woman veterans, grief counselors, and mental health professionals. April came to life.
APRIL: THE STORY.
Concept Art, "The Grief Counselor"
THE GRIEF COUNSELOR is a live-action, narrative short film that follows the daily experiences of a female veteran whose trajectory in life is heading toward tragedy. On one hand, she has a deep internal calling to be in a role of helping others; but, on the other, her own life is spiraling out of her control.
As she juggles life, her journey takes her to places she does not want to go. However, she must come to terms with who she has become, overcome her fears and denials, and accept her past for what it was.
She will either have to let go and forgive herself or her demons will consume her.
The Grief Counselor draws aesthetic inspiration from Denis Villeneuve's "Prisoners," Mike Mills' "20th Century Woman," Mark Romanek's "Never Let Me Go," and Thomas Vinterberg's "Another Round."
We will be filming with the Arri Alexa Mini and Cooke Anamorphic lenses to create a world that is both vast and immersive.
CAST AND CREW.
CAST
- Victoria Baxter: APRIL
KEY CREW
- Jason Keating: Writer and Producer
- Bishen Sen: Writer and Director
- Jen Ingulli: Casting Director
- Nathaniel Regier: Director of Photography
- Emma Cantor: Production Designer
- Tori Cordova: 1st AC
- Katie Dillon: Editor
- Darren Morze: Composer
- Pierce Pope: Directing Intern
BUDGET, AUDIENCE, PLANS.
We are hoping to raise between $10,000 and $13,000 with our first round of fundraising. We will be paying the on-set crew hourly and the production staff a flat rate and actors and actresses their day rates. Travel expenses, hotel rooms and meals will be covered out of the budget.
We are planning on taking the film to film festivals within the next year and we are currently looking at the film as a prequal to a feature. The script is currently being developed from the short into the feature story.
WHY NOW?
Mental health is a challenge and crisis right now. As we researched statistics, we were alarmed by the numbers. We found that on the VA.Gov website a statistic stating that "about 12 million adults in the U.S. have P.T.S.D. during a given year" and it goes on to say that this number is only a small portion who have experience trauma.
Research also showed that women are twice as likely as men to have P.T.S.D. per Psychiatry.org.
Our creative team has experienced many of the symptoms related to trauma and P.T.S.D. ranging from combat related symptoms to anxiety and depression.
We want to let others know that it is ok to talk about issues with mental health, it's actually the best way to handle it. Bottling up feelings and dark thoughts lead down a dark path.
Film can be like a good social media platform when used effectively. Voices can be heard, stories can be told, lives can be saved.
To anyone who has or is experiencing symptoms of mental health, we hope this film helps you in the healing process. We want you to know it's ok to talk. TOGETHER, WE CAN.
Follow our campaign and stay up-to-date on the latest "The Grief Counselor" news! It's 100% free.
What does the "The Grief Counselor" team get out of it? Seed&Spark rewards us for building our audience. The more followers we get, the more we unlock products, services, and festival fee waivers courtesy of Seed&Spark!
CONTRIBUTE AND PLEDGE.
You can make a contribution to our film by making a pledge. We have to collect 80% of our crowdfunding goal to keep our funds. You can choose an incentive or make a pledge to a specific Wishlist item, the choice is yours. You can choose any pledge and incentive amount that fits your budget. No pledge is too small and we are beyond grateful for your support.
Every dollar makes a difference in making our film possible!
PUTTING IT IN CONTEXT.
The funds we aim to raise will solidify our production costs and allow us to film the best story we can. We plan to submit The Grief Counselor to festivals such as Tribeca and SXSW, as well as shopping it around to various studios.
SPREAD THE WORD
The only way we will reach our crowdfunding goal is if we reach beyond our networks. If you’d like to be a part of supporting the team tell a powerful story about mental health, if you'd like to help us break the stigma that mental health is bad, YOU can make the difference in our success!
Please share our campaign via your social media, email, word-of-mouth, however you want! We can't do this without you!
Here are some examples. Feel free to copy and paste!
Help filmmakers @thejasonkeating and @bishens by supporting their dramatic film about a female Army veteran dealing with PTSD and grief and her possible spiral out of control as she juggles life. Join them on www.seedandspark.com/fund/the-grief-counselor.
I'm so excited to see the short film The Grief Counselor, by writer/producer Jason Keating and and director/writer Bishen Sen, be made in Statesville, North Carolina this fall. Support them on www.seedandspark.com/fund/the-grief-counselor.
DEALING WITH COVID.
Our safety plan follows SAG-AFTRA guidelines in regards to testing and masks when necessary.
Follow us on @tgcfilm on Instagram and on Facebook @TGCFilm and feel free to share our numerous posts to help spread the word!
Here are some hashtags to use when sharing:#tgcfilm #thegriefcounselor
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Camera Package
Costs $3,000
To create this world of real emotion, our team will be using top of the line equipment.
Casting
Costs $5,700
To pay our amazing cast! An important aspect of the vision work with the best.
Flights
Costs $1,400
We offered to pay for their travel here. All agreed and the coach tickets are waiting.
Insurance
Costs $2,000
We owe it to everyone involved to make sure that things are covered.
Share this update!