The World Takes
Trenton, New Jersey | Film Short
Drama, Family
“TRENTON MAKES, THE WORLD TAKES.” This personal story about a family's eviction focuses on the second half of Trenton's motto, but the making of the film itself will deliver on the first: “TRENTON MAKES.”
The World Takes
Trenton, New Jersey | Film Short
Drama, Family
2 Campaigns | Pennsylvania, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $11,152 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
129 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
“TRENTON MAKES, THE WORLD TAKES.” This personal story about a family's eviction focuses on the second half of Trenton's motto, but the making of the film itself will deliver on the first: “TRENTON MAKES.”
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The World Takes is a narrative short fiction film that features two young brothers and their father grappling with their own fragility as they navigate an impending eviction from their home in Trenton, New Jersey. The power is out, the heat is off, and the family car is on the back of a tow truck. At just 13 years old, Joop, the film’s protagonist, must transition from older brother to primary care-taker in order to maintain a family lie which will allow his younger brother to remain a child for just a little while longer. The World Takes wants us to consider every inch of the phrase “cost of living.”
There’s a famous bridge in my hometown of Trenton, New Jersey, known for the large red neon lettering of the city’s motto on the south side of the bridge: “TRENTON MAKES, THE WORLD TAKES.” For me, personally, because I was evicted from my childhood home in Trenton, I feel I have access to the second half of the motto, but I really want this film, and specifically the making of the film, to deliver on the first half: “Trenton Makes…”
I’m really proud of the resilience of my hometown, and I’ve met some amazing people over the years who share that pride. I want the film and the process of producing this film to highlight the city and the people that make the city special. I want to cast kids from Trenton. I want to film in Trenton. I want to surround the production with Trenton makers.
-Tommy Butler (writer, director)
After my family was evicted from my childhood home, I remember my brother and sister and I breaking back into our house to get our toys before the bank (or who ever) took them for good. Take my house if you have to, but don’t touch my Magic: The Gathering cards. This memory was the initial inspiration for this film! This is all to say: this is my most personal project to date, and as we gear up for production, I really could use your partnership to bring the film to life. We’re calling on our friends, family, and community to help get this film together! We need you in all sorts of ways, from cold cash to word of mouth to helping block streets.
Any cash contribution you make will directly support:
production costs: actors, production team, equipment rentals, craft services, location costs, street and bridge closures, security, etc...
post-production costs: sound mixing and mastering, editing, coloring, scoring, festival submissions, distribution, etc...
Tommy Butler (Director + Writer) and Rick Cook (Director of Photography) location scouting.
Our $10,000 goal is the bare minimum needed for us to make this film (at a quality level everyone involved can be proud of). For this campaign, we also have a STRETCH GOAL of an additional $5,000, which will cover additional post-production costs like graphic design, title sequence, marketing, and most importantly: travel costs for the film's festival run!
Please help us get the word out! When you receive a social media shout out from our production -- re-post it so it reaches your network. When you receive your personalized thank you -- let everyone know! Tell your friends about the project.
If you are available to help out on in pre-production or on set, please send us an email at [email protected] with your availability and any special skills (location scouting (we're looking to film in a house in the Trenton-area!), driving, cooking, fundraising, DJing, etc.)
**COVID PLAN: The World Takes will follow current Covid-19 safety protocols, as outlined by Temple University**
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Crew Fees
Costs $5,000
Everyone on the team needs to be compensated for their efforts!
Actor Fees
Costs $1,500
Joop, Frankie, Father, and all the kids from the block.
Post-production
Costs $2,500
Color correction, sound mixing and design, sound mastering, graphics, titles, score
Distribution
Costs $1,000
Festival submissions, marketing materials, and travel costs
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Tommy Butler – Director + Writer
TOMMY BUTLER is an award-winning Trenton-born, Philadelphia-based filmmaker. Tommy’s most recent short film “Scabs” was an official selection at the 2022 Palm Springs International ShortFest and the New Hampshire Film Festival, two Academy Award-qualifying film festivals. He has received various awards including Best Narrative Film (Scabs), Best Graduate Film (Scabs, Everything You Me), Best Emerging Cinematography (Scabs), Audience Award Winner (Spark), and Best Screenplay (The World Takes). Tommy is a 2022 recipient of the Benjamin and Minnie Lazaroff Award, a 2014 Production Ensemble Guest Lecturer at Swarthmore College, a 2011 Directing Fellow at The Kennedy Center, and a 2010 Resident Directing Intern at Actor's Express. MFA Candidate, Cinematic Arts, Temple University; Bachelor’s Degree, Theatre Performance, Westminster College of Fine & Performing Arts (Rider University).
Rick Cook - Director of Photography
RICK COOK is an award-winning cinematographer based in Philadelphia with 13 years of freelance experience. His work is deeply inspired by the world and city he lives in lending itself to intimate coverage and naturally motivated lighting. Rick has shot numerous short films, music videos, documentaries, as well as his feature film debut in 2018. Rick’s most recent short film “Parrot” won the Grand Prize - Alternative Spirit Award at the Academy Award-qualifying Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival.
Alyssa Stump - Production Designer
Alyssa Stump is a Teacher and Production Designer currently living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Eva Steinmetz – Assistant Director
Eva Steinmetz is a Philadelphia-based theater and film director, making new works that straddle the ordinary and extraordinary. Most notably she directed and co-wrote The Appointment, a satirical musical examining the American abortion debate (NY Times Critic’s Pick; Time Out NY critics Pick; 6 Barrymore Nominations, including Best Director). Other collaborations include the Pig Iron Theater Company, Team Sunshine Performance Corporation, The Polyphone Festival, Alexandra Tatarsky, Sarah Knittel, and Lily Kind. Eva was also a performer/creator in Josephine Decker’s award-winning film, Madeline’s Madeline. She is a graduate of Bard College and the Pig Iron School, and is pursuing an MFA in filmmaking from Temple University.
Stephanie Hampton – Associate Producer
STEPHANIE HAMPTON is a Hamilton-born actor and film writer. She has appeared in short films from The Conscious Co-Creatives production team, student films with Bronx Community College at CUNY, REEL Works Student Filmmakers, and more on stage with Kelsey Theatre in Hamilton, NJ. In 2019 Stephanie created her blog The Purple Screen (https://thepurplescreen.squarespace.com) where she writes a mix of personal essays as well as film analyses' and critiques through the lens of intersectional feminism. Stephanie received her Bachelor's Degree in Theatre Performance from the Westminster College of Fine and Performing Arts (Rider University) in 2019. The World Takes is the first film Stephanie has produced.
Phoebe Schaub – Associate Producer + Child Guardian
Phoebe Schaub is a multimedia artist, specializing in live performance. She is the Operations Manager of Team Sunshine Performance, a former Teaching Artist and Mentor of the Resident Playwrights at Philadelphia Young Playwrights, and was the Associate Producer of The Philadelphia Thing's Trade School festival from 2019-2022. She produced the short films Scabs (directed by Tommy Butler; WORLD PREMIERE: Palm Springs International Shortfest 2022, OFFICIAL SELECTION: New Hampshire Film Festival 2022, OFFICIAL SELECTION: Charlotte Film Festival 2022) and Everything You Owe Me (directed by Tommy Butler; OFFICIAL SELECTION: Reading Film Festival, Miami Film Festival Quarter Finalist, Mountain Shadow Film Competition Finalist, Bucks Fever Film Festival, Diamond Screen Film Festival, Temple University Best Graduate Film Winner). She is a co-founder and former company member of Found Theater Company, a frequent collaborator of musical act soleCALIBUR, and previously co-produced and curated the Secret Show Series at Painted Bride Art Center. She received her BA in theater, with a concentration in directing, from Temple University.
Chelsea Hall – Script Supervisor
Chelsea Hall (Chelsea Diggs-Smith) is an MFA Candidate at Temple University. She is a filmmaker, writer, and actor who has spent the last 15 years on stage and screen. Credits include world premiere musical YOSHIMI BATTLES THE PINK ROBOTS (La Jolla Playhouse), BET network’s REBEL (dir. John Singleton) and upcoming Andrew Sullivan film I DON’T WANT TO DRINK YOUR BLOOD ANYMORE. She is a mom, Maryland native, and jigsaw puzzle expert.
Spenser Stratlin - Sound Mixer
Spenser is a Sound Mixer who lives and works in Philadelphia. Well, lives in Delco, but doesn’t like to talk about it.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The World Takes is a narrative short fiction film that features two young brothers and their father grappling with their own fragility as they navigate an impending eviction from their home in Trenton, New Jersey. The power is out, the heat is off, and the family car is on the back of a tow truck. At just 13 years old, Joop, the film’s protagonist, must transition from older brother to primary care-taker in order to maintain a family lie which will allow his younger brother to remain a child for just a little while longer. The World Takes wants us to consider every inch of the phrase “cost of living.”
There’s a famous bridge in my hometown of Trenton, New Jersey, known for the large red neon lettering of the city’s motto on the south side of the bridge: “TRENTON MAKES, THE WORLD TAKES.” For me, personally, because I was evicted from my childhood home in Trenton, I feel I have access to the second half of the motto, but I really want this film, and specifically the making of the film, to deliver on the first half: “Trenton Makes…”
I’m really proud of the resilience of my hometown, and I’ve met some amazing people over the years who share that pride. I want the film and the process of producing this film to highlight the city and the people that make the city special. I want to cast kids from Trenton. I want to film in Trenton. I want to surround the production with Trenton makers.
-Tommy Butler (writer, director)
After my family was evicted from my childhood home, I remember my brother and sister and I breaking back into our house to get our toys before the bank (or who ever) took them for good. Take my house if you have to, but don’t touch my Magic: The Gathering cards. This memory was the initial inspiration for this film! This is all to say: this is my most personal project to date, and as we gear up for production, I really could use your partnership to bring the film to life. We’re calling on our friends, family, and community to help get this film together! We need you in all sorts of ways, from cold cash to word of mouth to helping block streets.
Any cash contribution you make will directly support:
production costs: actors, production team, equipment rentals, craft services, location costs, street and bridge closures, security, etc...
post-production costs: sound mixing and mastering, editing, coloring, scoring, festival submissions, distribution, etc...
Tommy Butler (Director + Writer) and Rick Cook (Director of Photography) location scouting.
Our $10,000 goal is the bare minimum needed for us to make this film (at a quality level everyone involved can be proud of). For this campaign, we also have a STRETCH GOAL of an additional $5,000, which will cover additional post-production costs like graphic design, title sequence, marketing, and most importantly: travel costs for the film's festival run!
Please help us get the word out! When you receive a social media shout out from our production -- re-post it so it reaches your network. When you receive your personalized thank you -- let everyone know! Tell your friends about the project.
If you are available to help out on in pre-production or on set, please send us an email at [email protected] with your availability and any special skills (location scouting (we're looking to film in a house in the Trenton-area!), driving, cooking, fundraising, DJing, etc.)
**COVID PLAN: The World Takes will follow current Covid-19 safety protocols, as outlined by Temple University**
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Crew Fees
Costs $5,000
Everyone on the team needs to be compensated for their efforts!
Actor Fees
Costs $1,500
Joop, Frankie, Father, and all the kids from the block.
Post-production
Costs $2,500
Color correction, sound mixing and design, sound mastering, graphics, titles, score
Distribution
Costs $1,000
Festival submissions, marketing materials, and travel costs
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Tommy Butler – Director + Writer
TOMMY BUTLER is an award-winning Trenton-born, Philadelphia-based filmmaker. Tommy’s most recent short film “Scabs” was an official selection at the 2022 Palm Springs International ShortFest and the New Hampshire Film Festival, two Academy Award-qualifying film festivals. He has received various awards including Best Narrative Film (Scabs), Best Graduate Film (Scabs, Everything You Me), Best Emerging Cinematography (Scabs), Audience Award Winner (Spark), and Best Screenplay (The World Takes). Tommy is a 2022 recipient of the Benjamin and Minnie Lazaroff Award, a 2014 Production Ensemble Guest Lecturer at Swarthmore College, a 2011 Directing Fellow at The Kennedy Center, and a 2010 Resident Directing Intern at Actor's Express. MFA Candidate, Cinematic Arts, Temple University; Bachelor’s Degree, Theatre Performance, Westminster College of Fine & Performing Arts (Rider University).
Rick Cook - Director of Photography
RICK COOK is an award-winning cinematographer based in Philadelphia with 13 years of freelance experience. His work is deeply inspired by the world and city he lives in lending itself to intimate coverage and naturally motivated lighting. Rick has shot numerous short films, music videos, documentaries, as well as his feature film debut in 2018. Rick’s most recent short film “Parrot” won the Grand Prize - Alternative Spirit Award at the Academy Award-qualifying Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival.
Alyssa Stump - Production Designer
Alyssa Stump is a Teacher and Production Designer currently living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Eva Steinmetz – Assistant Director
Eva Steinmetz is a Philadelphia-based theater and film director, making new works that straddle the ordinary and extraordinary. Most notably she directed and co-wrote The Appointment, a satirical musical examining the American abortion debate (NY Times Critic’s Pick; Time Out NY critics Pick; 6 Barrymore Nominations, including Best Director). Other collaborations include the Pig Iron Theater Company, Team Sunshine Performance Corporation, The Polyphone Festival, Alexandra Tatarsky, Sarah Knittel, and Lily Kind. Eva was also a performer/creator in Josephine Decker’s award-winning film, Madeline’s Madeline. She is a graduate of Bard College and the Pig Iron School, and is pursuing an MFA in filmmaking from Temple University.
Stephanie Hampton – Associate Producer
STEPHANIE HAMPTON is a Hamilton-born actor and film writer. She has appeared in short films from The Conscious Co-Creatives production team, student films with Bronx Community College at CUNY, REEL Works Student Filmmakers, and more on stage with Kelsey Theatre in Hamilton, NJ. In 2019 Stephanie created her blog The Purple Screen (https://thepurplescreen.squarespace.com) where she writes a mix of personal essays as well as film analyses' and critiques through the lens of intersectional feminism. Stephanie received her Bachelor's Degree in Theatre Performance from the Westminster College of Fine and Performing Arts (Rider University) in 2019. The World Takes is the first film Stephanie has produced.
Phoebe Schaub – Associate Producer + Child Guardian
Phoebe Schaub is a multimedia artist, specializing in live performance. She is the Operations Manager of Team Sunshine Performance, a former Teaching Artist and Mentor of the Resident Playwrights at Philadelphia Young Playwrights, and was the Associate Producer of The Philadelphia Thing's Trade School festival from 2019-2022. She produced the short films Scabs (directed by Tommy Butler; WORLD PREMIERE: Palm Springs International Shortfest 2022, OFFICIAL SELECTION: New Hampshire Film Festival 2022, OFFICIAL SELECTION: Charlotte Film Festival 2022) and Everything You Owe Me (directed by Tommy Butler; OFFICIAL SELECTION: Reading Film Festival, Miami Film Festival Quarter Finalist, Mountain Shadow Film Competition Finalist, Bucks Fever Film Festival, Diamond Screen Film Festival, Temple University Best Graduate Film Winner). She is a co-founder and former company member of Found Theater Company, a frequent collaborator of musical act soleCALIBUR, and previously co-produced and curated the Secret Show Series at Painted Bride Art Center. She received her BA in theater, with a concentration in directing, from Temple University.
Chelsea Hall – Script Supervisor
Chelsea Hall (Chelsea Diggs-Smith) is an MFA Candidate at Temple University. She is a filmmaker, writer, and actor who has spent the last 15 years on stage and screen. Credits include world premiere musical YOSHIMI BATTLES THE PINK ROBOTS (La Jolla Playhouse), BET network’s REBEL (dir. John Singleton) and upcoming Andrew Sullivan film I DON’T WANT TO DRINK YOUR BLOOD ANYMORE. She is a mom, Maryland native, and jigsaw puzzle expert.
Spenser Stratlin - Sound Mixer
Spenser is a Sound Mixer who lives and works in Philadelphia. Well, lives in Delco, but doesn’t like to talk about it.