When you’re twenty-something, you don't know shit about anything... But not Dolly and Nate. they think they’re the shit when it comes to everything....

DOLLY CAMPBELL needs a job. After moving to a new town, she can’t seem to catch a break. Her roommate, NATE FILLERLASTNAME, isn’t doing much better with his dead end job at the grocery store, while he dreams of stand-up comedy success. When their landlord, Patrick, says he needs a boyfriend by that weekend, the two losers see an ingenious opportunity to make rent. Will they succeed as matchmakers, or be evicted with broken hearts?

THEMES

Being young sucks

One minute you’re in love, with a wad of rent in your pocket, thinking you’ve made it... the next, your pocket is empty and you’re dressed like Lady Gaga trying to seduce a sugar daddy.

[Sh!ts F*#ked]

The current state of the American job market is f*cking and sucking us all... which is why you’re in the Lady Gaga meat dress on a Wednesday evening meeting Jonathan (stockbroker, 64) off Hinge.

But unlikely relationships make it all worth it 🙂

Maybe the date didn’t go so well. Maybe Jonathan turned out to be a vegetarian. But then you see a hyperpop techno freak, like Dolly, and a delusional jock, like Nate (Delusional, yes. Jock, [?]) share an ice cream on the sidewalk. You realize that, through all of life’s absurdities and difficulties, friendship keeps your ship afloat.

THE MATCHMAKERS is at times crass, surreal, and unafraid to pull the rug out from beneath the audience. Tonal comps include ALWAYS SUNNY, BROAD CITY, and SMILING FRIENDS. Dolly and Nate show us unbelievable journeys, ones reminiscent of those chaotic nights from our youth that necessitate a debrief in the morning.

THE LOCATION

Don't be fooled by the "Pittsburgh, PA" as the location at the top! I don't know how to change it!!

Co-director Campbell Dukes grew up In Beaufort and believes this small town is the perfect location for the story to take place. Beaufort is a community emblematic of the story’s central themes, being full of young people trying to make it work. Growing up, Campbell was taken by Beaufort as a community of budding adults building their lives, partially giving Campbell the courage to chart their own path as a filmmaker. THE MATCHMAKERS captures Campbell’s past, present, and future as an artist. What better place to tell a story about making your future than setting it in the place that made you?

Through this project, Campbell also hopes to pay homage to their hometown, once a booming film town hosting movies like THE BIG CHILL and FORREST GUMP. The team is excited to play a role in continuing that history by helping to re-energize the film community in Campbell’s little southern paradise.

INSPIRATIONS

THE MATCHMAKERS takes inspiration from the comedies Campbell and Nate were raised on and the stories that helped sustain them through their early 20's.

Shows like GIRLS, IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA, and BROAD CITY as well as movies like BOTTOMS and NIRVANA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE, focus on the wild mania of adulthood, grounded in friendship. Campbell and Nate are taken by these stories, which have taught them that through platonic love, you can withstand any hurdle growing up may throw at you... sure you might leave a wake of wreckage, but you’ll always look back on it and laugh... okay, most of the time you’ll look back on it and laugh... okay maybe more like 20% or maybe more like 10% of the time you’ll look back on it and laugh...

VISUAL STYLE

With a bare bones, no-frills style of production, we hope to keep the story focused on the relationship between Nate and Campbell, which is at the crux of the story. The absurdity of starting your adult life is captured via the vibrant interpersonal relationships of the characters, rather than visual elements. We’re inspired by comedies like NATHAN FOR YOU, BROAD CITY, and GIRLS that ground ridiculous moments in simple choices that augement reality, meeting audiences where they’re at to invite them to experience our wacky ride.

WHY THIS STORY???

Let’s be honest, it’s tough to be an adult, especially becoming an adult in a time when rent Is high, wages are low, and the job market Is In shambles. People our age need to get creative with their careers, hustling just to make ends meet. This Is a love letter to all those getting creative!

THE MATCHMAKERS is a many laughs-per-minute comedy with a heart. It doesn’t shy away from addressing the pressing issues of life, like getting by (and making rent), finding connection, and becoming a more conscious and aware person.

The show provides laughs during crazy, stressful, and frequently disheartening times, while not over-glamorizing or romanticizing the world most Americans live in.

THE MATCHMAKERS is a Gen Z comedy made for and by Gen Z. It’s genuine, with equal parts comedy and sincerity.

BUDGET BREAKDOWN

We're aiming for $6000 to make our project a reality:

$1600-- Crafty a.k.a. the Food we need to feed our cast and crew during filming

$1200-- Transportation: Most of our team will be traveling from outside of South Carolina to make this thing happen!

$1000-- Rental Rates/Permits: permits and money to rent spaces for filming!

$2000-- Cast/Crew Payment-- making sure we can pay our lovely cast and crew!

$200 + slush fund from other sections-- Production Design: this money will go towards props and set decorations to bring our story to life!

Thank you for taking the time to read through our humble pitch :) please consider donating today!!