This Is How It Starts
Los Angeles, California | Film Feature
Horror
Have you ever wondered what would happen if a rigid, 1950’s nuclear family got spiked with LSD? We did! The film centers around two rival political families who unknowingly embark on nightmarish trips together. Their mid-century manners slowly melt away and their dark secrets are exposed.
This Is How It Starts
Los Angeles, California | Film Feature
Horror
8 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $14,615 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
94 supporters | followers
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Have you ever wondered what would happen if a rigid, 1950’s nuclear family got spiked with LSD? We did! The film centers around two rival political families who unknowingly embark on nightmarish trips together. Their mid-century manners slowly melt away and their dark secrets are exposed.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
THE STORY
In a quaint 1950s Louisiana suburb, Ruby, a dutiful housewife, prepares for a press-covered dinner for her husband, Norman, and his mayoral campaign. Norman’s opponent, George, and his family are invited as well. Dinner begins, and the families start to eat, unknowingly consuming LSD from their drinks. Harold, a reporter, arrives as the effects of the drug start to bubble to the surface.
Everyone in the house, including the kids, spirals into the worst trips of their lives. Secrets, regrets, and the past are confronted, and Ruby has to fight for what she wants out of life.
A horrifying combination of all kinds of horror sub-genres: acid, paranormal, and body. Who spiked the families, and who survives the night?
WHY ARE WE MAKING THIS FILM?
From director Colton Van Til:
All my life, my grandparents would play classic 40s and 50s films for me whenever they visited. If I close my eyes right now, I could probably watch It’s a Wonderful Life in its entirety from memory.
I was introduced to acid horror by Gasper Noe’s films (Climax, Enter the Void). I noticed that the effects of LSD are a brilliant tool to unravel a character’s deepest repressions.
Visually, my goal is to combine the vibrant, in-your-face visuals of acid horror with the classic look of 50s cinema.
For the film as a whole, I aim to pair techniques from the French Extremist movement with the traditional American structure. This way, domestic audiences can watch something they haven’t seen before while still delivering a cohesive narrative. So we don’t lose them.
Several plays and works of literature were highly influential in this project’s inception, like Ibsen’s A Doll’s House and Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper.
I want to put the 1950s up on screen and have audiences see themselves or their spouses in the characters. I want to put modern audiences through a horrific but enlightening acid trip and leave them walking out with their brains rattled, and their perspectives shifted.
WHY CONTRIBUTE?
This story sheds light on important societal issues that still affect us to this day. Examining class, gender roles, and the cost of lies, this film is an incredibly relevant project that will engage audiences through an unforgettable ride.
Your donation would be the backbone of our film. You would be the difference between helping us make a good film or a great film. By funding this film, you are financing young, up-and-coming filmmakers and giving them a push to grow in this creative and competitive industry.
Especially young female artists as our crew is 70% women!
In the short term, this grant would lift a tremendous financial burden from our shoulders. In the long term, you have helped us jump-start our careers.
Thank You!
WHAT WE NEED
Your donations will be going towards:
- Renting higher quality equipment
- Paying talent for their hard work
- Production design
- Special Effects
- Transportation
- Permitting
- Festival fees
- Meals! (for our cast and crew)
WHAT YOU GET
Depending on how much you are able to donate, you can receive one of our many exciting rewards, including:
- A personalized thank you from this extraordinary filmmaking team
- A shout-out on social media
- A one-of-a-kind curated "Acid Trip" playlist just for you!
- An opportunity to shout out your art, yourself, or your business in the film
- A Thank You in the ending credits
- An Executive Producer credit in the opening credits and IMDb
By supporting our filmmakers in this campaign, you will be an integral part of the process of bringing this exciting story to life!
Risks & Challenges
Your donation is risk-free! Your donation helps us:
- Make our dream more professional
- Create quality content
- Reach larger audiences when we submit to festivals.
Other Ways You Can Help!
It's okay if you're unable to contribute at this time. Here are some other ways you could help us out:
- Sharing our campaign on whatever social media accounts you use
- Sending this campaign directly to those you think would be interested in donating
- Going to see and supporting our film once we've completed it!
COVID-19 Protocols
We will be taking every precaution necessary to ensure the health & safety of our cast & crew. Production will be taking place in one location to reduce the risks associated with travel. On-set personnel will be kept to a minimum and remain part of a quarantined bubble for the duration of the production. Everyone on set will be required to wear a mask at all times. Social distancing practices and regular cleaning & disinfecting of all common areas, supplies, and equipment, will be mandated. All members of the cast & crew will be required to submit a negative COVID-19 test result before being permitted to come on set.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast
Costs $3,000
A talented cast is what is going to carry this film beyond the acid trip. We want to pay them well!
G&E and Camera Rentals
Costs $4,000
A good grip and camera package means a good film! Help us get that technicolor look.
Production Design
Costs $3,000
We're winding back the clock and need some 1950s props and furniture! Help us time travel.
Food & Crafty
Costs $2,500
Can't work on an empty stomach! Please help us provide quality meals to some quality people.
Housing & Transportation
Costs $2,500
We're filming in beautiful small-town Louisiana - but we need to get there!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
COLTON VAN TIL
Director/Writer/Producer
Colton was born and raised outside of Seattle, Washington, and is the writer/director of the duo. He’s honed
his craft through his years at Loyola Marymount University’s School of Film and Television and graduated
at the end of 2020. Over his past few years in LA, he’s written three feature films, produced two, and directed
one. His short films have appeared in over a dozen festivals throughout the US. For this project, he’s deeply
interested in combining the styles of the 50s films he grew up watching with his family with the arthouse
horror he enjoyed through his film school years.
SOPHIA HOEFLE
Producer/Writer/Assistant Director
Sophia grew up in San Antonio, Texas, and is the producer/AD mind of Cloudstar. Her specialty is producing projects on a limited budget and she knows how to stretch her resources to their fullest potential. Sophia loves to bring projects to life that center around family and have thrilling plots that keep audiences hooked. She’s been a huge horror buff for as long as she can remember and can’t wait to scare audiences with this project. Throughout her time in LA she’s produced over ten short films and one feature, while assistant directing two features and five shorts.
JORDAN PFEIFER
Producer
Jordan Pfeifer is a graduate from the School of Film and Television at Loyola Marymount University,
with an emphasis in directing. She is the owner, founder, and Executive Producer of ONYX Films LLC, a female-led genre-focused production company. There, she has directed and produced five shorts on top of the ones that she has made outside of ONYX. She is a huge horror fan, spending her college career interning at Blumhouse, Ghost House Pictures, and Raimi Productions. Her dream has always been to assemble a group of talented people to make empowering, inspiring, and visceral art.
THOMAS GEORGE
Producer/Director of Photography
Thomas George is a Los Angeles-based producer and cinematographer specializing in narrative and
commercial storytelling. Originally from Wisconsin, he loves the excitement of a new project and is always
looking for the best way to realize a film’s potential through his intimate knowledge of lighting, camera, and
visual storytelling. Thomas is experienced with and passionate about digital and film cinematography.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
THE STORY
In a quaint 1950s Louisiana suburb, Ruby, a dutiful housewife, prepares for a press-covered dinner for her husband, Norman, and his mayoral campaign. Norman’s opponent, George, and his family are invited as well. Dinner begins, and the families start to eat, unknowingly consuming LSD from their drinks. Harold, a reporter, arrives as the effects of the drug start to bubble to the surface.
Everyone in the house, including the kids, spirals into the worst trips of their lives. Secrets, regrets, and the past are confronted, and Ruby has to fight for what she wants out of life.
A horrifying combination of all kinds of horror sub-genres: acid, paranormal, and body. Who spiked the families, and who survives the night?
WHY ARE WE MAKING THIS FILM?
From director Colton Van Til:
All my life, my grandparents would play classic 40s and 50s films for me whenever they visited. If I close my eyes right now, I could probably watch It’s a Wonderful Life in its entirety from memory.
I was introduced to acid horror by Gasper Noe’s films (Climax, Enter the Void). I noticed that the effects of LSD are a brilliant tool to unravel a character’s deepest repressions.
Visually, my goal is to combine the vibrant, in-your-face visuals of acid horror with the classic look of 50s cinema.
For the film as a whole, I aim to pair techniques from the French Extremist movement with the traditional American structure. This way, domestic audiences can watch something they haven’t seen before while still delivering a cohesive narrative. So we don’t lose them.
Several plays and works of literature were highly influential in this project’s inception, like Ibsen’s A Doll’s House and Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper.
I want to put the 1950s up on screen and have audiences see themselves or their spouses in the characters. I want to put modern audiences through a horrific but enlightening acid trip and leave them walking out with their brains rattled, and their perspectives shifted.
WHY CONTRIBUTE?
This story sheds light on important societal issues that still affect us to this day. Examining class, gender roles, and the cost of lies, this film is an incredibly relevant project that will engage audiences through an unforgettable ride.
Your donation would be the backbone of our film. You would be the difference between helping us make a good film or a great film. By funding this film, you are financing young, up-and-coming filmmakers and giving them a push to grow in this creative and competitive industry.
Especially young female artists as our crew is 70% women!
In the short term, this grant would lift a tremendous financial burden from our shoulders. In the long term, you have helped us jump-start our careers.
Thank You!
WHAT WE NEED
Your donations will be going towards:
- Renting higher quality equipment
- Paying talent for their hard work
- Production design
- Special Effects
- Transportation
- Permitting
- Festival fees
- Meals! (for our cast and crew)
WHAT YOU GET
Depending on how much you are able to donate, you can receive one of our many exciting rewards, including:
- A personalized thank you from this extraordinary filmmaking team
- A shout-out on social media
- A one-of-a-kind curated "Acid Trip" playlist just for you!
- An opportunity to shout out your art, yourself, or your business in the film
- A Thank You in the ending credits
- An Executive Producer credit in the opening credits and IMDb
By supporting our filmmakers in this campaign, you will be an integral part of the process of bringing this exciting story to life!
Risks & Challenges
Your donation is risk-free! Your donation helps us:
- Make our dream more professional
- Create quality content
- Reach larger audiences when we submit to festivals.
Other Ways You Can Help!
It's okay if you're unable to contribute at this time. Here are some other ways you could help us out:
- Sharing our campaign on whatever social media accounts you use
- Sending this campaign directly to those you think would be interested in donating
- Going to see and supporting our film once we've completed it!
COVID-19 Protocols
We will be taking every precaution necessary to ensure the health & safety of our cast & crew. Production will be taking place in one location to reduce the risks associated with travel. On-set personnel will be kept to a minimum and remain part of a quarantined bubble for the duration of the production. Everyone on set will be required to wear a mask at all times. Social distancing practices and regular cleaning & disinfecting of all common areas, supplies, and equipment, will be mandated. All members of the cast & crew will be required to submit a negative COVID-19 test result before being permitted to come on set.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast
Costs $3,000
A talented cast is what is going to carry this film beyond the acid trip. We want to pay them well!
G&E and Camera Rentals
Costs $4,000
A good grip and camera package means a good film! Help us get that technicolor look.
Production Design
Costs $3,000
We're winding back the clock and need some 1950s props and furniture! Help us time travel.
Food & Crafty
Costs $2,500
Can't work on an empty stomach! Please help us provide quality meals to some quality people.
Housing & Transportation
Costs $2,500
We're filming in beautiful small-town Louisiana - but we need to get there!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
COLTON VAN TIL
Director/Writer/Producer
Colton was born and raised outside of Seattle, Washington, and is the writer/director of the duo. He’s honed
his craft through his years at Loyola Marymount University’s School of Film and Television and graduated
at the end of 2020. Over his past few years in LA, he’s written three feature films, produced two, and directed
one. His short films have appeared in over a dozen festivals throughout the US. For this project, he’s deeply
interested in combining the styles of the 50s films he grew up watching with his family with the arthouse
horror he enjoyed through his film school years.
SOPHIA HOEFLE
Producer/Writer/Assistant Director
Sophia grew up in San Antonio, Texas, and is the producer/AD mind of Cloudstar. Her specialty is producing projects on a limited budget and she knows how to stretch her resources to their fullest potential. Sophia loves to bring projects to life that center around family and have thrilling plots that keep audiences hooked. She’s been a huge horror buff for as long as she can remember and can’t wait to scare audiences with this project. Throughout her time in LA she’s produced over ten short films and one feature, while assistant directing two features and five shorts.
JORDAN PFEIFER
Producer
Jordan Pfeifer is a graduate from the School of Film and Television at Loyola Marymount University,
with an emphasis in directing. She is the owner, founder, and Executive Producer of ONYX Films LLC, a female-led genre-focused production company. There, she has directed and produced five shorts on top of the ones that she has made outside of ONYX. She is a huge horror fan, spending her college career interning at Blumhouse, Ghost House Pictures, and Raimi Productions. Her dream has always been to assemble a group of talented people to make empowering, inspiring, and visceral art.
THOMAS GEORGE
Producer/Director of Photography
Thomas George is a Los Angeles-based producer and cinematographer specializing in narrative and
commercial storytelling. Originally from Wisconsin, he loves the excitement of a new project and is always
looking for the best way to realize a film’s potential through his intimate knowledge of lighting, camera, and
visual storytelling. Thomas is experienced with and passionate about digital and film cinematography.