The House Sitters
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Horror, LGBTQ
When the timid Annie is asked to house sit an eerie home that belongs to her grandma's friend, Annie recruits her best friend and secret crush, Tatum, to stay with her for the weekend. When Tatum suddenly has to bail for a family emergency, Annie is forced to face the house all on her own.
The House Sitters
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Horror, LGBTQ
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $5,070 for post-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
57 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
When the timid Annie is asked to house sit an eerie home that belongs to her grandma's friend, Annie recruits her best friend and secret crush, Tatum, to stay with her for the weekend. When Tatum suddenly has to bail for a family emergency, Annie is forced to face the house all on her own.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
THE STORY:
When Annie house sits for her Grandma's mysterious friend, what was supposed to be a fun weekend with her best friend takes a hard left turn. Within House Sitters, we explore learning to embrace your queer idenity, the challenges of living with anxiety, and the power of female agency in today's present world.
GENRES:
HORROR
QUEER/LGBTQ+
ACCOLADES:
One of FIVE global competitors chosen for Inside Out Toronto's 2021 Pitch Please Competition!
LENGTH:
Roughly an 18 minute short film!
CHARACTERS:
Annie's best way of coping with her crippling anxiety is to just make sure everyone else gets their way, even if it means her feelings have to be set aside... which is probably why she hasn't told Tatum how she really feels.
Tatum knows it’s her world and we’re just living in it, and she’ll make sure of it. Tatum runs her school, her town, and just about everything. She's your popular girl to a tee.
Travis is Tatum’s twin brother, privilege was named after him, after all, he always gets his way, or else. Picture Billy Loomis from Scream.
The Old Woman that haunts our house is secretly a queer ally!! She may be scary, but she has great intentions. Don't mess with her house and don't mess with baby gays!!
COLOR SCHEME:
Earthy and warm tones throughout our furniture, clothing, and home decor. Our home is unique and lived in with essenses of your quirky Grandma's life collections.
Our lighting throughout the film goes from a warm environment into more cooler and night time tones. As Annie feels a colder presense and her anxiety heightens, our tones and colors grow more muted and blue.
DIRECTOR'S MOST RECENT QUEER HORROR FILM FESTIVAL CIRCUIT REVIEWS:
Festival Appearances at Outfest LA, Melbourne Queer, Out on Film Atlanta, Tallgrass, Inside Out Toronto, Salm Horror Fest, Final Girls Berlin, San Francisco's Another Hole in the Head, Aesthetica Short Film, Axwound, Rhode Island International, Fargo Moorhead LGBT, Indianapolis LGBT, Cannes Short Film, Gaze International and more.
WHAT YOUR MONEY GOES TOWARD:
Our post prodcution services! We are filming over a span of three days in the beginning of January and we need to secure funds for our post team. We have enough money to film our narrative and compensate our fearless crew members, but we need help wrapping out our film in the post realm. (Please note, any extra money will absolutely help and further advance/elevate our production when we film). Specifically, we need your help to secure our editor, colorist, post sound, and composer services. We are also asking for help with covering festival submission costs.
Why hire a composer you ask? Original scores make all the difference when it comes to making a stand out narrative. We want House Sitters to have the honor of its own musical composition and really take our viewers on a journey through Annie's anxiety and discovery of her queer idenity.
Here's a link to a previous score our composer made for our director's most recent film!
VISUAL REFERENCES FOR HOUSE SITTERS:
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Composer
Costs $750
Help us pay for the original music to invoke the emotions that Annie feels in this eerie film.
Editing
Costs $750
Help us finish our film! Our team are working professionals and we would like to pay them as such.
Coloring
Costs $500
Coloring makes a huge difference in the final product and will be a game changer for this film.
Festival Circuit
Costs $1,350
Our team is hoping to apply for as many festivals as possible to give recognition to the whole crew.
Insurance
Costs $750
No matter the size of the production, we need insurance for the entirety of the project.
Post Sound
Costs $500
Obviously for a horror film, sound can be the most important in the edit!
Hard Drives
Costs $400
The worst thing that can happen during production is a hard drive or media card malfunctioning.
Share this update!
About This Team
EDWARD ZORICH (HE/HIM)
Edward Zorich, our creator and writer, is an LA based writer originally from the south suburbs of Chicago. Since finding his grounding on the west coast, he has been writing children's programs for Nickelodeon and Atomic Cartoons. When he's not writing about playdates and princesses, he's avidly feeding his craving for both queer and horror stories. Edward is most drawn to the horror realm due to its experimental nature and its ability to play with boundries. As a gay individual, Edward is on mission to craft stories providing new narratives for the queer community.
SYDNE HORTON (SHE/HER)
Sydne Horton, our director, is an LA based director originally from Carmel, Indiana. Navigating the world as an adopted and queer identifying individual, she formed a strong bond with the film "E.T" and aspires to direct and tell stories that bring alienated groups together both literally and figuratively. She had her break into the industry as a television academy foundation intern and most recently has found success with her short films premiering at LA Shorts International Festival and Outfest Los Angeles. Other festival appearances include Inside Out Toronto, Melbourne Queer, Salem Horror Fest, Aesthetica Short Film, Final Girls Berlin and more.
JACKIE MERRY (SHE/HER)
Jackie Merry, our producer, is an LA based executive producer originally from Minnesota. Primarily working in the unscripted/docu world, she has worn many hats, including directing and editing. She held a full time producer position for ViacomCBS and Awesomeness, until deciding to switch to freelancing in 2021 where she has been able to executive produce and direct for three Facebook Watch series. She is currently splitting her time between unscripted and scripted to broaden her experience in all genres. As a female producer, Jackie's mission is to hire a diverse cast and crew on every project.
CASPER HANNEY (THEY/THEM)
Casper Hanney, our associate producer, is a freelance producer and a fan of everything TV-related. With experience ranging from an assistant to production coordinator, to line producer. After going through their second puberty, Casper and their partner moved from Chicago to Los Angeles (with their two cats and a dog) to pursue their love of creating entertainment. On the weekends, you will find them playing board games with friends, while Doctor Who is on in the background.
MITCHELL KERBY (HE/HIM)
Mitchell Kerby, our Director of Photography, is a cinematographer based out of wherever the creative process takes him. His love for the camera quickly grew into a passion for storytelling through film and with these stories he hopes to inspire others to tell their own.
DANNY DUNITZ (HE/HIS)
Danny Dunitz, our Casting Director, is a Los Angeles-based Casting Director. After getting his start in New York City casting for Broadway, Off-Broadway, and National Tour productions, he moved back to his hometown of LA to explore on-screen storytelling. His most recent TV work can be seen on NBC, Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Max. He is thrilled to be part of The House Sitters team bringing this spooky, queer tale to life.
POLLY GREGORY (SHE/HER)
Polly Gregory, our Costume Designer, moved to Los Angeles after completing the Television Academy Foundation summer program as the costume design intern. Since then she has been able to costume design several short films, plays, and feature length films. Her work has been played at Outfest, Beyond Fest, Austin Film Festival, and LA Shorts International Film Fest. As a self proclaimed final girl and major horror fan herself, Polly is incredibly excited to design the costumes for the unique characters of House Sitters.
MICHAELA FOSTER (SHE/HER)
Michaela Foster, our Script Supervisor, is a jack of all trades. She specializes in script coordinating children's programming, script supervising indepedent shoots, and avidly consuming cinema.
ALLISON KOSS (SHE/HER)
Allison Koss, our Prop Master, is so busy in the field she couldn't write a bio.
THOMAS J. PETERS (HE/HIM)
Thomas J. Peters, our composer, crafts lavish & powerful thematic musical settings for Film, Television, & Interactive Media. He continually seeks out innovative music composition with an emphasis on narrative story telling at the forefront and has a deep passion for the horror genre and the creative reign this genre allows him to play with.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
THE STORY:
When Annie house sits for her Grandma's mysterious friend, what was supposed to be a fun weekend with her best friend takes a hard left turn. Within House Sitters, we explore learning to embrace your queer idenity, the challenges of living with anxiety, and the power of female agency in today's present world.
GENRES:
HORROR
QUEER/LGBTQ+
ACCOLADES:
One of FIVE global competitors chosen for Inside Out Toronto's 2021 Pitch Please Competition!
LENGTH:
Roughly an 18 minute short film!
CHARACTERS:
Annie's best way of coping with her crippling anxiety is to just make sure everyone else gets their way, even if it means her feelings have to be set aside... which is probably why she hasn't told Tatum how she really feels.
Tatum knows it’s her world and we’re just living in it, and she’ll make sure of it. Tatum runs her school, her town, and just about everything. She's your popular girl to a tee.
Travis is Tatum’s twin brother, privilege was named after him, after all, he always gets his way, or else. Picture Billy Loomis from Scream.
The Old Woman that haunts our house is secretly a queer ally!! She may be scary, but she has great intentions. Don't mess with her house and don't mess with baby gays!!
COLOR SCHEME:
Earthy and warm tones throughout our furniture, clothing, and home decor. Our home is unique and lived in with essenses of your quirky Grandma's life collections.
Our lighting throughout the film goes from a warm environment into more cooler and night time tones. As Annie feels a colder presense and her anxiety heightens, our tones and colors grow more muted and blue.
DIRECTOR'S MOST RECENT QUEER HORROR FILM FESTIVAL CIRCUIT REVIEWS:
Festival Appearances at Outfest LA, Melbourne Queer, Out on Film Atlanta, Tallgrass, Inside Out Toronto, Salm Horror Fest, Final Girls Berlin, San Francisco's Another Hole in the Head, Aesthetica Short Film, Axwound, Rhode Island International, Fargo Moorhead LGBT, Indianapolis LGBT, Cannes Short Film, Gaze International and more.
WHAT YOUR MONEY GOES TOWARD:
Our post prodcution services! We are filming over a span of three days in the beginning of January and we need to secure funds for our post team. We have enough money to film our narrative and compensate our fearless crew members, but we need help wrapping out our film in the post realm. (Please note, any extra money will absolutely help and further advance/elevate our production when we film). Specifically, we need your help to secure our editor, colorist, post sound, and composer services. We are also asking for help with covering festival submission costs.
Why hire a composer you ask? Original scores make all the difference when it comes to making a stand out narrative. We want House Sitters to have the honor of its own musical composition and really take our viewers on a journey through Annie's anxiety and discovery of her queer idenity.
Here's a link to a previous score our composer made for our director's most recent film!
VISUAL REFERENCES FOR HOUSE SITTERS:
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Composer
Costs $750
Help us pay for the original music to invoke the emotions that Annie feels in this eerie film.
Editing
Costs $750
Help us finish our film! Our team are working professionals and we would like to pay them as such.
Coloring
Costs $500
Coloring makes a huge difference in the final product and will be a game changer for this film.
Festival Circuit
Costs $1,350
Our team is hoping to apply for as many festivals as possible to give recognition to the whole crew.
Insurance
Costs $750
No matter the size of the production, we need insurance for the entirety of the project.
Post Sound
Costs $500
Obviously for a horror film, sound can be the most important in the edit!
Hard Drives
Costs $400
The worst thing that can happen during production is a hard drive or media card malfunctioning.
Share this update!
About This Team
EDWARD ZORICH (HE/HIM)
Edward Zorich, our creator and writer, is an LA based writer originally from the south suburbs of Chicago. Since finding his grounding on the west coast, he has been writing children's programs for Nickelodeon and Atomic Cartoons. When he's not writing about playdates and princesses, he's avidly feeding his craving for both queer and horror stories. Edward is most drawn to the horror realm due to its experimental nature and its ability to play with boundries. As a gay individual, Edward is on mission to craft stories providing new narratives for the queer community.
SYDNE HORTON (SHE/HER)
Sydne Horton, our director, is an LA based director originally from Carmel, Indiana. Navigating the world as an adopted and queer identifying individual, she formed a strong bond with the film "E.T" and aspires to direct and tell stories that bring alienated groups together both literally and figuratively. She had her break into the industry as a television academy foundation intern and most recently has found success with her short films premiering at LA Shorts International Festival and Outfest Los Angeles. Other festival appearances include Inside Out Toronto, Melbourne Queer, Salem Horror Fest, Aesthetica Short Film, Final Girls Berlin and more.
JACKIE MERRY (SHE/HER)
Jackie Merry, our producer, is an LA based executive producer originally from Minnesota. Primarily working in the unscripted/docu world, she has worn many hats, including directing and editing. She held a full time producer position for ViacomCBS and Awesomeness, until deciding to switch to freelancing in 2021 where she has been able to executive produce and direct for three Facebook Watch series. She is currently splitting her time between unscripted and scripted to broaden her experience in all genres. As a female producer, Jackie's mission is to hire a diverse cast and crew on every project.
CASPER HANNEY (THEY/THEM)
Casper Hanney, our associate producer, is a freelance producer and a fan of everything TV-related. With experience ranging from an assistant to production coordinator, to line producer. After going through their second puberty, Casper and their partner moved from Chicago to Los Angeles (with their two cats and a dog) to pursue their love of creating entertainment. On the weekends, you will find them playing board games with friends, while Doctor Who is on in the background.
MITCHELL KERBY (HE/HIM)
Mitchell Kerby, our Director of Photography, is a cinematographer based out of wherever the creative process takes him. His love for the camera quickly grew into a passion for storytelling through film and with these stories he hopes to inspire others to tell their own.
DANNY DUNITZ (HE/HIS)
Danny Dunitz, our Casting Director, is a Los Angeles-based Casting Director. After getting his start in New York City casting for Broadway, Off-Broadway, and National Tour productions, he moved back to his hometown of LA to explore on-screen storytelling. His most recent TV work can be seen on NBC, Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Max. He is thrilled to be part of The House Sitters team bringing this spooky, queer tale to life.
POLLY GREGORY (SHE/HER)
Polly Gregory, our Costume Designer, moved to Los Angeles after completing the Television Academy Foundation summer program as the costume design intern. Since then she has been able to costume design several short films, plays, and feature length films. Her work has been played at Outfest, Beyond Fest, Austin Film Festival, and LA Shorts International Film Fest. As a self proclaimed final girl and major horror fan herself, Polly is incredibly excited to design the costumes for the unique characters of House Sitters.
MICHAELA FOSTER (SHE/HER)
Michaela Foster, our Script Supervisor, is a jack of all trades. She specializes in script coordinating children's programming, script supervising indepedent shoots, and avidly consuming cinema.
ALLISON KOSS (SHE/HER)
Allison Koss, our Prop Master, is so busy in the field she couldn't write a bio.
THOMAS J. PETERS (HE/HIM)
Thomas J. Peters, our composer, crafts lavish & powerful thematic musical settings for Film, Television, & Interactive Media. He continually seeks out innovative music composition with an emphasis on narrative story telling at the forefront and has a deep passion for the horror genre and the creative reign this genre allows him to play with.