The Pigeon
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Comedy, Drama
An off-kilter comedy that explores how unexpressed grief can turn into unhealthy obsession. The Pigeon follows a depressed woman reeling from the death of her friend who tries to heal. But instead of feeling her big painful feelings, she becomes obsessed with getting rid of her backyard pigeon.
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This campaign raised $27,761 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
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An off-kilter comedy that explores how unexpressed grief can turn into unhealthy obsession. The Pigeon follows a depressed woman reeling from the death of her friend who tries to heal. But instead of feeling her big painful feelings, she becomes obsessed with getting rid of her backyard pigeon.
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
HELP US EXPAND THE IMPACT OF OUR FILM!
I had a lot of fear launching my crowdfunding campaign. Would I be able to reach my goal? What if I failed? Would my film ever get made? How embarrassed would I be to fall flat on my face in front of everyone I know?!?
Now that we have surpassed our goal - it could be tempting to play small and simply stop our campaign. But the fire has been ignited in us.
How much of an impact can we make with this film? How many people can we reach? What else is possible?
Your contribution at this point in the campaign isn't pointless. It makes so much more possible. More visibility, higher quality film festivals, the potential for private screenings in collaboration with grief support counselors.
The script was inspired by the deep grief of losing someone you love to suicide. So many people carry this pain with them. Who desperately need to feel seen and heard. To have a the experience of a lighthearted laugh in the midst of a dark situation. To take one step forward on their healing journey.
Those people need this film. That's who I wrote it for. That's what makes film so powerful.
If you see that we have surpassed our goal and thought, "Great! I don't need to contribute now," please reconsider! Our ability to raise more money expands our ability to reach more people who need this film.
Your support can help us make even more of a positive impact with our film.
===============
From Sundance award-winning actress Emily Grace (2003 Sundance Special Jury Prize for Emotional Truth, What Alice Found), and director Brooke Trantor (Oh, Baby; Yours Are Mine; Shadow Work) comes a dark comedy about grief, obsession, and healing…
Reeling from the suicide of her friend, a depressed woman moves to the suburbs for a fresh start. Her doctor suggests she heal from her grief through uninterrupted writing, but an unwelcome pigeon just might send her over the edge for good.
As the relentless pigeon insists on drinking water from the woman’s backyard pool, her focus on healing soon shifts. Instead of dealing with her big, painful feelings, she becomes obsessed with the pigeon. If she could just get rid of it - everything would be fine…right?
The Pigeon explores what happens when repressed grief turns to a very unhealthy obsession.
This story is inspired by a real-life pigeon who loves to drink pool water in the backyard - despite many attempts to get rid of it. The pigeon is relentless, unbothered, and follows a predictable pattern of behavior.
In fact, the script of The Pigeon was tailored to the real-life habits of the real-life pigeon.
But it’s more than just a silly story about a bird…
It’s also inspired by the loss of my aunt Beth to suicide.
It’s such a gut-wrenching way to lose someone you love. It’s painful and isolating and sometimes the hardest part about grief is allowing yourself to feel it.
But suppressed grief will find a way to express itself, and that’s exactly what the protagonist of The Pigeon discovers.
My aunt Beth was the epitome of the cool aunt, the life of the party, and she would have loved this silly-yet-touching film. I can almost hear her laughing about it now.
She was also a phenomenal artist, and The Pigeon will incorporate her artwork into the production design, and even some of our donor incentives.
This is a tiny glimpse into her body of work:
According to the CDC, In 2022, the suicide rate in the United States reached a record high - the highest it’s been since 1941. It’s unfortunate how many people will resonate with this film, but it’s all the more reason to make it.
The deep hole of grief after a suicide is very unique. The pain and isolation is terrible.
This film will remind you that you’re not alone.
It will help you feel the big feelings you might have been avoiding and give you a heart felt, deep laugh of recognition. In other words, a much needed catharsis.
This film will also provide a safe community for people to connect with others who completely understand, to honor the ones they have lost, and to celebrate the life their loved one lived.
And hey, grief is grief is grief. It sucks and it’s painful and unavoidable. If you’ve ever grieved a loved one, this film is for you.
EMILY GRACE is an actress, filmmaker, screenwriting coach, and podcast host. Her first film was the title role in What Alice Found, opposite Tony award winner Judith Ivey. The film received a 2003 Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize for Emotional Truth, as well as the American Deauville Film Festival Grand Prix. She recently Co-Produced and Assistant Directed the short film, Shadow Work. Past projects include the short film Last Handjob (writer, producer, actor), and the short documentary Qualify For Change (Co-Producer, Co-Director).
Through her company Pickford West Society (a combination of names: Mary Pickford and Mae West), she's helped over 300 people learn how to write and produce a script they're proud of so they never have to wait for permission to do what they love. She recently launched FILM BROADS, SEE?, a podcast for to demystify the screenwriting and self production process, with lots of inspiring stories of the pioneering women of old Hollywood along the way.
BROOKE TRANTOR is a Director/ Actor / Writer / Producer based in Los Angeles. She graduated Illinois Wesleyan University with a BFA in Acting and studied Shakespeare at The British American Drama Academy. Her true passion lies in the improv and the comedy world, where she has studied, taught, and performed at various institutions including Second City, UCB, Groundlings, and iO West. Some recent credits include HBO’s Perry Mason, NBC’s The Enemy Within, TNT’s Cocaine Cowboys Pilot, a lead in the comedy feature film Misfits, and acting alongside Shirley MacLaine in The Last Word. Brooke’s films have screened internationally on the festival circuit, procuring awards including Best Director, Best Actress, and the Powerful Voice Award.
Her latest film, Oh, Baby! won Best Film: Audience Choice Award at the esteemed 2021 Dances With Films LA, Best Director at Broad Humor Film Festival 2023, and many other awards on the circuit. Brooke is drawn to scripts that tend to live in the dramedy world, finding the comedy in life’s seemingly dark moments. She is currently in post production for Katie Mancuso’s Shadow Work, pre-production on several short films including Lydian Blossom’s Nut Milk In May, in development on a spinoff TV series based on Oh, Baby!, a Comedy-Horror feature film, and her single-camera comedy, Wild Woman.
MOLLY BECKER: Originally from the SF Bay Area, Molly Becker moved to LA in 2008. In 2012, she graduated from CSUN's Cinema and Television Arts program with an emphasis in Cinematography. Following college, Molly worked freelance in both Camera and Electrical departments. In 2015, she filmed her first feature, Spaghettiman, a dark superhero comedy, which was distributed on major streaming platforms in 2016.
In 2017, Molly started working for pocket.watch, a kids digital media studio, as their in-house Director of Photography. Across three years, she filmed 500+ episodes of various shows for children and pre-teens in a wide variety of genres, including adventure, comedy, horror, mystery, sci-fi, and talk show. In 2018, she shot the webseries Poor Us for which she earned a Best Cinematography Award.
In late 2020, Molly resumed working freelance as a Cinematographer, Camera Operator, and Gaffer. She currently works on videos for Vox Media and Buzzfeed, as well as independent shorts and webseries, including Shadow Work.
KATIE MANCUSO: Pennsylvania native Katie Mancuso graduated from Point Park University with a Bachelors in Theatre Arts. Immediately drawn to Chicago, she immersed herself in the comedy scene, studying at IO and Second City, while also performing with The Onion. Katie began crafting and producing her own work at Second City and comedy festivals. She premiered her one-woman show, entitled A One-Dummy Show: A Dumb Night in Dumb Dumbness, at UCBLA.
Upon moving to Los Angeles, Katie co-wrote and co-produced iMPERFECT mARTINIS, a web series featuring two odd-couple detectives. Recently, Katie fulfilled her long-held aspiration of writing, producing and starring in the story she always wanted to tell: Shadow Work, a short comedy about coping with trauma.
The Pigeon will film in the summer of 2024. Our budget will go towards equipment rental - particularly some fancy zoom lenses to capture the pigeon in high-def, toward cast and crew, post production and of course a fabulous festival run.
Everyone on this project is working below their normal rate - a testament to their love of the script! Every dollar is essential to make this love letter to Aunt Beth (and anyone who wears the stamp of grief on their heart) as high-quality as possible.
*If the project campaign goes over our goal, our stretch goals will go toward better quality post-production, and toward festival submission, travel and promotion to increase visibility and impact*
WHAT'S THE PLAN?
The goal is gain festival acceptance and recognition, to build a community of support for fans of the film who have been impacted by a similar experience of loss, and partner with organizations who provide grief support to share the film, provide needed levity, and spread the word about grief organizations to those who need it.
This project is a way to normalize the experience of grief, build community and start conversations to pair our community with established groups to give them a safe place and the tools of support they may need.
The Pigeon’s gotta fly, baby! And that’s where you come in.
With any amount you pledge, you help us make this film a reality, and we will be forever grateful. Plus you’ll receive some exclusive perks that are only available to Seed & Spark backers.
Pick the amount that fits your budget, and the perk that most speaks to you. And thank you for your willingness to give your hard earned money to this film.
SHARE THE LOVE
To hit our financial goal it’s essential to expand beyond our personal network. How can you help? Please like & follow this page, share this project with your circle, and support a powerful group of female filmmakers to further the conversation (and bring some levity) to grief after unfathomable loss.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Campaign And Contributor Perks
Costs $2,959
These funds go to those who have helped us get here and to our contributor perks.
Equipment Rental
Costs $1,100
For kit fees and other equipment we will need to make this film look and sound good!
Housing
Costs $1,800
Our film will be shot 90 minutes outside of LA, and our team will need housing. These funds are for 2 nights in an airbnb for 10 people.
Film Festival Circuit
Costs $1,279
Festival submissions, travel, and promotion to spread the word about this film.
Camera Package
Costs $1,500
A camera package (with multiple zoom lenses) to film the pigeon (and and our actors too!).
Production Design
Costs $1,100
To make our set look fabulous, and find a way to seamlessly incorporate original artwork as a tribute to Aunt Beth.
About This Team
From the team that brought you Shadow Work...
This powerful, all-female team will tackle our second project with The Pigeon.
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
HELP US EXPAND THE IMPACT OF OUR FILM!
I had a lot of fear launching my crowdfunding campaign. Would I be able to reach my goal? What if I failed? Would my film ever get made? How embarrassed would I be to fall flat on my face in front of everyone I know?!?
Now that we have surpassed our goal - it could be tempting to play small and simply stop our campaign. But the fire has been ignited in us.
How much of an impact can we make with this film? How many people can we reach? What else is possible?
Your contribution at this point in the campaign isn't pointless. It makes so much more possible. More visibility, higher quality film festivals, the potential for private screenings in collaboration with grief support counselors.
The script was inspired by the deep grief of losing someone you love to suicide. So many people carry this pain with them. Who desperately need to feel seen and heard. To have a the experience of a lighthearted laugh in the midst of a dark situation. To take one step forward on their healing journey.
Those people need this film. That's who I wrote it for. That's what makes film so powerful.
If you see that we have surpassed our goal and thought, "Great! I don't need to contribute now," please reconsider! Our ability to raise more money expands our ability to reach more people who need this film.
Your support can help us make even more of a positive impact with our film.
===============
From Sundance award-winning actress Emily Grace (2003 Sundance Special Jury Prize for Emotional Truth, What Alice Found), and director Brooke Trantor (Oh, Baby; Yours Are Mine; Shadow Work) comes a dark comedy about grief, obsession, and healing…
Reeling from the suicide of her friend, a depressed woman moves to the suburbs for a fresh start. Her doctor suggests she heal from her grief through uninterrupted writing, but an unwelcome pigeon just might send her over the edge for good.
As the relentless pigeon insists on drinking water from the woman’s backyard pool, her focus on healing soon shifts. Instead of dealing with her big, painful feelings, she becomes obsessed with the pigeon. If she could just get rid of it - everything would be fine…right?
The Pigeon explores what happens when repressed grief turns to a very unhealthy obsession.
This story is inspired by a real-life pigeon who loves to drink pool water in the backyard - despite many attempts to get rid of it. The pigeon is relentless, unbothered, and follows a predictable pattern of behavior.
In fact, the script of The Pigeon was tailored to the real-life habits of the real-life pigeon.
But it’s more than just a silly story about a bird…
It’s also inspired by the loss of my aunt Beth to suicide.
It’s such a gut-wrenching way to lose someone you love. It’s painful and isolating and sometimes the hardest part about grief is allowing yourself to feel it.
But suppressed grief will find a way to express itself, and that’s exactly what the protagonist of The Pigeon discovers.
My aunt Beth was the epitome of the cool aunt, the life of the party, and she would have loved this silly-yet-touching film. I can almost hear her laughing about it now.
She was also a phenomenal artist, and The Pigeon will incorporate her artwork into the production design, and even some of our donor incentives.
This is a tiny glimpse into her body of work:
According to the CDC, In 2022, the suicide rate in the United States reached a record high - the highest it’s been since 1941. It’s unfortunate how many people will resonate with this film, but it’s all the more reason to make it.
The deep hole of grief after a suicide is very unique. The pain and isolation is terrible.
This film will remind you that you’re not alone.
It will help you feel the big feelings you might have been avoiding and give you a heart felt, deep laugh of recognition. In other words, a much needed catharsis.
This film will also provide a safe community for people to connect with others who completely understand, to honor the ones they have lost, and to celebrate the life their loved one lived.
And hey, grief is grief is grief. It sucks and it’s painful and unavoidable. If you’ve ever grieved a loved one, this film is for you.
EMILY GRACE is an actress, filmmaker, screenwriting coach, and podcast host. Her first film was the title role in What Alice Found, opposite Tony award winner Judith Ivey. The film received a 2003 Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize for Emotional Truth, as well as the American Deauville Film Festival Grand Prix. She recently Co-Produced and Assistant Directed the short film, Shadow Work. Past projects include the short film Last Handjob (writer, producer, actor), and the short documentary Qualify For Change (Co-Producer, Co-Director).
Through her company Pickford West Society (a combination of names: Mary Pickford and Mae West), she's helped over 300 people learn how to write and produce a script they're proud of so they never have to wait for permission to do what they love. She recently launched FILM BROADS, SEE?, a podcast for to demystify the screenwriting and self production process, with lots of inspiring stories of the pioneering women of old Hollywood along the way.
BROOKE TRANTOR is a Director/ Actor / Writer / Producer based in Los Angeles. She graduated Illinois Wesleyan University with a BFA in Acting and studied Shakespeare at The British American Drama Academy. Her true passion lies in the improv and the comedy world, where she has studied, taught, and performed at various institutions including Second City, UCB, Groundlings, and iO West. Some recent credits include HBO’s Perry Mason, NBC’s The Enemy Within, TNT’s Cocaine Cowboys Pilot, a lead in the comedy feature film Misfits, and acting alongside Shirley MacLaine in The Last Word. Brooke’s films have screened internationally on the festival circuit, procuring awards including Best Director, Best Actress, and the Powerful Voice Award.
Her latest film, Oh, Baby! won Best Film: Audience Choice Award at the esteemed 2021 Dances With Films LA, Best Director at Broad Humor Film Festival 2023, and many other awards on the circuit. Brooke is drawn to scripts that tend to live in the dramedy world, finding the comedy in life’s seemingly dark moments. She is currently in post production for Katie Mancuso’s Shadow Work, pre-production on several short films including Lydian Blossom’s Nut Milk In May, in development on a spinoff TV series based on Oh, Baby!, a Comedy-Horror feature film, and her single-camera comedy, Wild Woman.
MOLLY BECKER: Originally from the SF Bay Area, Molly Becker moved to LA in 2008. In 2012, she graduated from CSUN's Cinema and Television Arts program with an emphasis in Cinematography. Following college, Molly worked freelance in both Camera and Electrical departments. In 2015, she filmed her first feature, Spaghettiman, a dark superhero comedy, which was distributed on major streaming platforms in 2016.
In 2017, Molly started working for pocket.watch, a kids digital media studio, as their in-house Director of Photography. Across three years, she filmed 500+ episodes of various shows for children and pre-teens in a wide variety of genres, including adventure, comedy, horror, mystery, sci-fi, and talk show. In 2018, she shot the webseries Poor Us for which she earned a Best Cinematography Award.
In late 2020, Molly resumed working freelance as a Cinematographer, Camera Operator, and Gaffer. She currently works on videos for Vox Media and Buzzfeed, as well as independent shorts and webseries, including Shadow Work.
KATIE MANCUSO: Pennsylvania native Katie Mancuso graduated from Point Park University with a Bachelors in Theatre Arts. Immediately drawn to Chicago, she immersed herself in the comedy scene, studying at IO and Second City, while also performing with The Onion. Katie began crafting and producing her own work at Second City and comedy festivals. She premiered her one-woman show, entitled A One-Dummy Show: A Dumb Night in Dumb Dumbness, at UCBLA.
Upon moving to Los Angeles, Katie co-wrote and co-produced iMPERFECT mARTINIS, a web series featuring two odd-couple detectives. Recently, Katie fulfilled her long-held aspiration of writing, producing and starring in the story she always wanted to tell: Shadow Work, a short comedy about coping with trauma.
The Pigeon will film in the summer of 2024. Our budget will go towards equipment rental - particularly some fancy zoom lenses to capture the pigeon in high-def, toward cast and crew, post production and of course a fabulous festival run.
Everyone on this project is working below their normal rate - a testament to their love of the script! Every dollar is essential to make this love letter to Aunt Beth (and anyone who wears the stamp of grief on their heart) as high-quality as possible.
*If the project campaign goes over our goal, our stretch goals will go toward better quality post-production, and toward festival submission, travel and promotion to increase visibility and impact*
WHAT'S THE PLAN?
The goal is gain festival acceptance and recognition, to build a community of support for fans of the film who have been impacted by a similar experience of loss, and partner with organizations who provide grief support to share the film, provide needed levity, and spread the word about grief organizations to those who need it.
This project is a way to normalize the experience of grief, build community and start conversations to pair our community with established groups to give them a safe place and the tools of support they may need.
The Pigeon’s gotta fly, baby! And that’s where you come in.
With any amount you pledge, you help us make this film a reality, and we will be forever grateful. Plus you’ll receive some exclusive perks that are only available to Seed & Spark backers.
Pick the amount that fits your budget, and the perk that most speaks to you. And thank you for your willingness to give your hard earned money to this film.
SHARE THE LOVE
To hit our financial goal it’s essential to expand beyond our personal network. How can you help? Please like & follow this page, share this project with your circle, and support a powerful group of female filmmakers to further the conversation (and bring some levity) to grief after unfathomable loss.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Campaign And Contributor Perks
Costs $2,959
These funds go to those who have helped us get here and to our contributor perks.
Equipment Rental
Costs $1,100
For kit fees and other equipment we will need to make this film look and sound good!
Housing
Costs $1,800
Our film will be shot 90 minutes outside of LA, and our team will need housing. These funds are for 2 nights in an airbnb for 10 people.
Film Festival Circuit
Costs $1,279
Festival submissions, travel, and promotion to spread the word about this film.
Camera Package
Costs $1,500
A camera package (with multiple zoom lenses) to film the pigeon (and and our actors too!).
Production Design
Costs $1,100
To make our set look fabulous, and find a way to seamlessly incorporate original artwork as a tribute to Aunt Beth.
About This Team
From the team that brought you Shadow Work...
This powerful, all-female team will tackle our second project with The Pigeon.