These Days
Brentwood, New York | Film Feature
Drama, Family
Jay, a 14-year-old artist lives with his strict single mother who is expecting another child. Without a father present the struggle to maintain a stable living becomes diffcult. With this film we want to transform stereotypes by empowering the Salvadoran youth in the U.S. to tell their own stories.
These Days
Brentwood, New York | Film Feature
Drama, Family
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $41,445 for development. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
277 supporters | followers
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Jay, a 14-year-old artist lives with his strict single mother who is expecting another child. Without a father present the struggle to maintain a stable living becomes diffcult. With this film we want to transform stereotypes by empowering the Salvadoran youth in the U.S. to tell their own stories.
In Partnership With
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The Story
Jay, a talented 14-year-old artist is trying to understand the journey of his life he is destined to take. He lives with a strict single mother, Alma, who is expecting another child. She expresses nothing but tough love to Jay. Without a father being present, the struggle to maintain a good and stable living becomes harder each present day.
Living in a working class Salvadoran or “Salvi” neighborhood in Brentwood, NY doesn’t help much either. Most kids are as troubled as the fathers that raised them. The only hope for Jay is to leave this tough urban neighborhood. However, for now, Jay needs to be street savvy and courageous in order to make it.
It’s a battle every day being at home without a parent. No one’s there for Jay because his mother works multiple jobs. Jay becomes frustrated and rebels against his mother and her rules. To him, there is no family. The only family he can depend on are his two “brothers,” Albert and Cisco, his best friends.
Eventually, these three boys get into innocent trouble as they hassle the corner bodega, confront a school bully Ray, and discover a new toy that salivates their interest: a loaded gun. Things seem to be under control until tragedy strikes when Albert was violently beaten by Ray and his gang. When Jay and Cisco discover this, their focus is to seek vengeance for their best friend. Now, all of a sudden the “new toy” is geared towards becoming a lethal weapon. Jay learns that God’s fate for his life can be very different from the one he has for himself.
All of the pieces in Jay’s young life begin to appear in a mural he’s painting in his room. These fragmented images, whether good or bad, are all essential to him becoming a young man.
What We Need
Film is a powerful way to spread our message of accurate representation, but it can also be an expensive one. We need to pay for things like crew, equipment, accommodations, insurance, the list goes on and on. This is where you come in, your contributions will help us get this important project made.
What You Get
Every little bit counts, and we want to personally thank each and every one of you for your contributions. When you support this campaign you have the opportunity to receive a wide variety of perks, to show our sincere appreciation. Some of the perks include: a personal shout out on Facebook, a private link to view the film as soon as it is released, or even an executive producer credit on the project!
The Impact
In today's world, it's incredibly important to tell stories that haven't been seen onscreen yet. We hope to use this film to not only transform stereotypes of Salvadoran youth in U.S., but also to provide opportunities to the community. This is a story that is meant to empower Salvadorans to tell their own stories. Once our film is completed our goal is to shop it around to TV networks and streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime.
Other Ways You Can Help
In order to reach our goal, we will need help from as many of you as possible. In addition to contributing to the campaign, sharing the link to the campaign via social media will help to spread the word about this important story.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Camera Package
Costs $3,800
We are committed to creating a beautiful film, which is why we need a great camera package!
Lighting
Costs $5,960
Creating a great looking film means we need to have the best lighting equipment in town!
Catering
Costs $7,560
We will be filming long hours and need to keep our team well-fed throughout the day!
Editing
Costs $4,100
The editing room is considered the last re-write. This is where everything comes together!
Colorist
Costs $2,700
A professional colorist will help give our film a unique aesthetic that works for the location.
Hard Drives
Costs $2,000
We need to be able to store all of the footage and audio we've recorded for our editor!
Location and Permits
Costs $2,400
It may not be glamorous, but shooting in New York requires film permits for all locations!
Insurance
Costs $1,800
We need insurance to make sure we are protected when renting out film equipment.
Crew
Costs $14,440
There are many people who make up our film crew, and it's important we pay them for their hard work!
Props and Set Dressing
Costs $3,240
We want to create an authentic film possible, which means we will need the right art direction!
Share this update!
About This Team
Junior Gonzalez
Writer/Director
The filmmaker was born and raised in California, from immigrant parents from El Salvador. He attended Loyola Marymount University’s Graduate Television and Film Program in Los Angeles. His experience range from working as a Hollywood assistant for Fox, Warner Brothers, to being a freelance news videographer where he's won video journalist awards. His recent groundbreaking award-winning documentary, “Words of Revolution,” was a major hit in many U.S. and international film festivals. Currently, he resides in Queens, New York making independent projects.
Victor Perez
Producer
He received his B.S. Electrical Engineering Technology from SUNY Farmingdale. Victor is actively involved in his community. He is a community organizer, a policymaker, and an advocate for Education, Nutrition, the Environment and the Fine Arts. He is the Business owner of Trilogy4Life and also an Investor. He sits on the Advisory Board for the Office of Hispanic Affairs in Nassau County, NY and is a board member for Elmont Culture Center. Being a Salvadoran-American as well, he understands the need to build and make more art for the Central American community.
Amanda Rivera
Producer
Amanda is a Salvadoran-American from Long Island, NY as well. She studied media studies and film. Her passion and focus for the film have made her become a film producer. She wants to be able to make more positive films about women and the Latin culture, especially for the Central American culture that exists here in the United States.
Eranuvia Castillo
Production Manager
Eranuvia is a User Experience Designer. She is a very creative tech savy individual with a background in Marketing. She studied at the Art Institute of New York City for Web Design and Interactive Media. She has worked for major companies on their digital experiences. Her other passion is drawing, dancing and anything that involves art. She challenged herself and wanted to help with the project. She was also responsible for the wardrobe of the cast.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The Story
Jay, a talented 14-year-old artist is trying to understand the journey of his life he is destined to take. He lives with a strict single mother, Alma, who is expecting another child. She expresses nothing but tough love to Jay. Without a father being present, the struggle to maintain a good and stable living becomes harder each present day.
Living in a working class Salvadoran or “Salvi” neighborhood in Brentwood, NY doesn’t help much either. Most kids are as troubled as the fathers that raised them. The only hope for Jay is to leave this tough urban neighborhood. However, for now, Jay needs to be street savvy and courageous in order to make it.
It’s a battle every day being at home without a parent. No one’s there for Jay because his mother works multiple jobs. Jay becomes frustrated and rebels against his mother and her rules. To him, there is no family. The only family he can depend on are his two “brothers,” Albert and Cisco, his best friends.
Eventually, these three boys get into innocent trouble as they hassle the corner bodega, confront a school bully Ray, and discover a new toy that salivates their interest: a loaded gun. Things seem to be under control until tragedy strikes when Albert was violently beaten by Ray and his gang. When Jay and Cisco discover this, their focus is to seek vengeance for their best friend. Now, all of a sudden the “new toy” is geared towards becoming a lethal weapon. Jay learns that God’s fate for his life can be very different from the one he has for himself.
All of the pieces in Jay’s young life begin to appear in a mural he’s painting in his room. These fragmented images, whether good or bad, are all essential to him becoming a young man.
What We Need
Film is a powerful way to spread our message of accurate representation, but it can also be an expensive one. We need to pay for things like crew, equipment, accommodations, insurance, the list goes on and on. This is where you come in, your contributions will help us get this important project made.
What You Get
Every little bit counts, and we want to personally thank each and every one of you for your contributions. When you support this campaign you have the opportunity to receive a wide variety of perks, to show our sincere appreciation. Some of the perks include: a personal shout out on Facebook, a private link to view the film as soon as it is released, or even an executive producer credit on the project!
The Impact
In today's world, it's incredibly important to tell stories that haven't been seen onscreen yet. We hope to use this film to not only transform stereotypes of Salvadoran youth in U.S., but also to provide opportunities to the community. This is a story that is meant to empower Salvadorans to tell their own stories. Once our film is completed our goal is to shop it around to TV networks and streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime.
Other Ways You Can Help
In order to reach our goal, we will need help from as many of you as possible. In addition to contributing to the campaign, sharing the link to the campaign via social media will help to spread the word about this important story.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Camera Package
Costs $3,800
We are committed to creating a beautiful film, which is why we need a great camera package!
Lighting
Costs $5,960
Creating a great looking film means we need to have the best lighting equipment in town!
Catering
Costs $7,560
We will be filming long hours and need to keep our team well-fed throughout the day!
Editing
Costs $4,100
The editing room is considered the last re-write. This is where everything comes together!
Colorist
Costs $2,700
A professional colorist will help give our film a unique aesthetic that works for the location.
Hard Drives
Costs $2,000
We need to be able to store all of the footage and audio we've recorded for our editor!
Location and Permits
Costs $2,400
It may not be glamorous, but shooting in New York requires film permits for all locations!
Insurance
Costs $1,800
We need insurance to make sure we are protected when renting out film equipment.
Crew
Costs $14,440
There are many people who make up our film crew, and it's important we pay them for their hard work!
Props and Set Dressing
Costs $3,240
We want to create an authentic film possible, which means we will need the right art direction!
Share this update!
About This Team
Junior Gonzalez
Writer/Director
The filmmaker was born and raised in California, from immigrant parents from El Salvador. He attended Loyola Marymount University’s Graduate Television and Film Program in Los Angeles. His experience range from working as a Hollywood assistant for Fox, Warner Brothers, to being a freelance news videographer where he's won video journalist awards. His recent groundbreaking award-winning documentary, “Words of Revolution,” was a major hit in many U.S. and international film festivals. Currently, he resides in Queens, New York making independent projects.
Victor Perez
Producer
He received his B.S. Electrical Engineering Technology from SUNY Farmingdale. Victor is actively involved in his community. He is a community organizer, a policymaker, and an advocate for Education, Nutrition, the Environment and the Fine Arts. He is the Business owner of Trilogy4Life and also an Investor. He sits on the Advisory Board for the Office of Hispanic Affairs in Nassau County, NY and is a board member for Elmont Culture Center. Being a Salvadoran-American as well, he understands the need to build and make more art for the Central American community.
Amanda Rivera
Producer
Amanda is a Salvadoran-American from Long Island, NY as well. She studied media studies and film. Her passion and focus for the film have made her become a film producer. She wants to be able to make more positive films about women and the Latin culture, especially for the Central American culture that exists here in the United States.
Eranuvia Castillo
Production Manager
Eranuvia is a User Experience Designer. She is a very creative tech savy individual with a background in Marketing. She studied at the Art Institute of New York City for Web Design and Interactive Media. She has worked for major companies on their digital experiences. Her other passion is drawing, dancing and anything that involves art. She challenged herself and wanted to help with the project. She was also responsible for the wardrobe of the cast.