THRIFT SHOP
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Romance
Thrift Shop is a love story that blossoms between two unsatisfied women, one engaged and the other married, when they uncover their true feelings for each other during their routine meetings at their local thrift shop.
Green Light
This campaign raised $8,010 for pre-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
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Thrift Shop is a love story that blossoms between two unsatisfied women, one engaged and the other married, when they uncover their true feelings for each other during their routine meetings at their local thrift shop.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Emma Johnson and Julia Canning are best friends of two years who spend their time together sifting through clothes at a local thrift shop while gossiping about life with the Latina store clerk Rita. Julia is married and Emma is engaged to Travis, a strictly routine, compulsive techie who lately has been pushing for Emma to set a date for their wedding. But this push to start wedding prep makes Emma wonder if marrying Travis is what she really wants. Every trip to the store complicates Emma’s thinking about her relationship; she finds herself getting closer to Julia, while feeling more and more distanced from her fiancé.
The most important language my French father and Dominican grandmother taught me is to love hard.
I have been devising my own love stories since the day I received my first Barbie and Ken doll. I scripted and directed these cherished characters with my fairytale knowledge of romance, which my first USC film “Play Date” commemorates. With every candle came a new doll, a new member of the private romance club whose wedding ceremonies I would stage on my window sill, with Bermuda’s waters as the backdrop, where I grew up.
When I was thirteen I asked my Dominican grandmother, a well-known novelist, composer, and devout Catholic, why I hadn’t read any of her stories. With a glass full of wine and a polished grip, she waited a few suspenseful seconds to reply. With an elegant smile, she replied with full disclosure: “My novellas contain too much sex.” I was thirteen at the time. Love and romantic entanglements are at the core of every story I hope to write and if I'm lucky enough enough, direct.
This film is meant to serve as a love story; one in which the protagonist Emma finds solace in a new, honest beginning with her best friend Julia. Every rendezvous with Julia complicates Emma’s relationship with Travis a little further.
- EMMA (20s-30s): Our protagonist, timid and shy. She hides her disappointment with the world behind a quiet, easy going expression when in reality she has dreams that have never seemed to come true. Men have disappointed her throughout her lifetime. Travis was one of the first men that showed her true commitment and kindness.
- JULIA (20s-30s): Emma's best friend and foil. She's perceptive. She knows how to love and want love. Her parents have given her everything she’s wanted and in return she married the man they wanted her to marry. She and Liam have fun together, but she has always found herself wanting something greater, someone to love herself and on her own terms.
- TRAVIS (20s-30s): Emma's fiance of 1 year who is notoriously known for wearing stripes. He is a compulsive techie and a strictly J-crew kind of guy. That or his mother has bought him everything he wears. He’s the kind of guy that calls his partner first and mother second whenever he has a problem and needs help. He believes he is a good partner to Emma. He loves her wholeheartedly and would do anything for her and she knows that.
- LIAM (20s-30s): A cleancut, wall street kind of guy. He is Julia's husband of 2 years. Most things have come easy to him, including women. Julia, his lifelong family friend, was the only woman he never had, but wanted. His and her parents started pushing for them to get together after they each graduated from college which made Liam’s dream come true and pulled him away from tinder and other dating apps.
- RITA (30s-40s): a latina kook and store clerk with a rotating eyeshadow collection. She knows men and has seen men. She borrows from the store’s clothes and accessories daily. So long as she gets paid, she doesn’t care what happens inside the store and works to make the space as welcoming as possible–a home and hookup spot for one and all, and her rotating records add a little bit of latin flare to the mix.
- The Lustful couple (60s): two people who love their individual partners but are looking for a little more sexual spontaneity and yearning in their life. Think Meryl Streep and Alec Bawldwin from “It’s Complicated” but without the financial backing.
Budget & Production Schedule:
Pre-Production: October-Early November
Principal Photography: Mid-Late November
Post-Production: December-Early Spring
Film Completion: Mother's Day!
Film Release & Screenings: Spring 2024
We are in the middle of pre-production gearing up to film November 11-12 & 16-19! This campaign will help us secure our filming locations, feed our wonderfully talented and committed cast and crew, and pay for equipment rental. The project is meant to be screened at USC's Norris Theater on Mother's Day in 2024! In order to meet this screening timeline and goal, post-production will begin as soon as we wrap production. If our project surpasses its $10,000 intended goal, it will allow us to afford more camera equipment and also save money that can go towards applying to festivals and distribution! Please please please share this campaign with family and friends by reposting on your instagram and emailing the link to anyone and everyone you know that loves love and loves film!
How else can you support?
In addition to contributing to our campaign, you can help us by:
Sharing our campaign on social media and spreading the word with your friends, family and coworkers.
Follow along with our production by following us here on Seed & Spark as well as on my personal instagram.
We'll be posting updates periodically. @camila_papadopoulo
Are you a local LGBTQ business and/or Women's organization interested in supporting us? Please reach out to us and we would appreciate any community support including donations, coupons, discounts, and more. ¡Muchas Gracias!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Set Operations
Costs $2,500
Help us feed our top notch cast and crew!
Locations
Costs $5,000
Help us pay for locations!
Equipment
Costs $2,500
Help us give each department the resources they need to make this film!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Camila Papadopoulo is a recent graduate of Bowdoin College, enrolled in film production at USC's School of Cinematic Arts. A native to Bermuda, she is deeply interested in all aspects of filming, and has also studied acting at NYU, Stella Adler, and Yale's Summer programs.
Kate Hanson is a filmmaker based in Los Angeles, CA with a passion for bringing untold stories to light. Her background in biochemistry sparked an interest in exploring human behavior beyond the molecular level in order to better understand what makes us who we are. She strives to inspire connection and conversation through her works, which often focus on mental health, identity, and our relationships with others and ourselves. She is involved with organizations like Teens4TeensHelp that create accessible resources to support local students and break the stigma around mental health. Kate is currently pursuing her MFA in Film & Television Production at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts.
Mariam Abd-Allah, raised in Rancho Cucamonga, California, grew up with the intention of following in her father’s footsteps and becoming a doctor. It wasn’t until she took a creative writing elective that her career plan began to unravel. Mariam is now a second year MFA student in the Film & Television Production program at the University of Southern California, School of Cinematic Arts. She is a culturally conscious filmmaker of Egyptian descent who strives to tell stories that highlight the complexities of the human experience in the hopes of providing a means to connect people and bridge cultures. She plans to concentrate on both dramatic and light-hearted films that educate audiences on important issues that are overlooked or unfamiliar, inspire social change for the better, and provoke joy and wonder.
Luke Sargent is a Cinematographer that grew up in Southern California. Growing up he struggled with dyslexia, which made it extremely hard to enjoy written or spoken stories until his grandfather introduced him to silent films like Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. Luke fell in love with the visual storytelling that allowed him to enjoy films without his dyslexia getting in the way. He enrolled at USC School of Cinematic Arts where he earned a Student Academy Award for the film "Sweet Potatoes" as well as shooting his first feature film less than a year after graduating. Since then, Luke has worked on Narrative Films, Television Pilots, and with musical artists like Umi, Cupcake, and My Morning Jacket, as well as brands like Nike, ESPN & McDonalds. Luke always dreamed of making movies and now he does.
Zoe Gittelson is a Los Angeles California-based artist, production designer and set decorator and a member of IATSE Local 44. Zoe has worked in the set decoration and prop department on sets including The Joker, HBO’s the Gilded Age, Apple TV’s High Desert, Amazon’s The Consultant and Showtime's Your Honor. She has production designed music videos and many short films. Zoe finds inspiration from studying Art & Art History, working for the Eames Foundation and her travels.
Born and raised in Colorado and now in Los Angeles, John Malone holds a Master of Fine Arts in Cinematic Arts (Film and Television Production) from the University of Southern California and an MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction and scriptwriting) from Regis University. In 2019, he received the Robert A. O’Sullivan Award for Excellence in Writing from Regis University. John has worked in various genres, from competing as a slam poet to directing award-winning short films to writing original songs. His work centers on mental health and coming-of-age stories, and he loves working on heartfelt projects with passionate filmmakers. He considers himself a writer, director, and editor—but above all, a storyteller. John has had work published in the Avalon Literary Review, the Albion Review, and Barnstorm Journal. He also really likes dogs, pineapple pizza, and alternative music.
Jordan Vertison-Hardy is a 24 year-old filmmaker from Memphis, Tennessee. With a passion for queer film, he's incredibly excited to work alongside the crew on this project, and looking forward to making something special.
Arden Sarner is a producer and sound designer with a passion for the vibrant, immersive nature of audio in bringing stories to life. Her career began as a food videographer, creating viral recipe videos for corporate sponsors that received over 275 million views. She recently completed her MFA at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and previously graduated Summa Cum Laude from Duke University.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Emma Johnson and Julia Canning are best friends of two years who spend their time together sifting through clothes at a local thrift shop while gossiping about life with the Latina store clerk Rita. Julia is married and Emma is engaged to Travis, a strictly routine, compulsive techie who lately has been pushing for Emma to set a date for their wedding. But this push to start wedding prep makes Emma wonder if marrying Travis is what she really wants. Every trip to the store complicates Emma’s thinking about her relationship; she finds herself getting closer to Julia, while feeling more and more distanced from her fiancé.
The most important language my French father and Dominican grandmother taught me is to love hard.
I have been devising my own love stories since the day I received my first Barbie and Ken doll. I scripted and directed these cherished characters with my fairytale knowledge of romance, which my first USC film “Play Date” commemorates. With every candle came a new doll, a new member of the private romance club whose wedding ceremonies I would stage on my window sill, with Bermuda’s waters as the backdrop, where I grew up.
When I was thirteen I asked my Dominican grandmother, a well-known novelist, composer, and devout Catholic, why I hadn’t read any of her stories. With a glass full of wine and a polished grip, she waited a few suspenseful seconds to reply. With an elegant smile, she replied with full disclosure: “My novellas contain too much sex.” I was thirteen at the time. Love and romantic entanglements are at the core of every story I hope to write and if I'm lucky enough enough, direct.
This film is meant to serve as a love story; one in which the protagonist Emma finds solace in a new, honest beginning with her best friend Julia. Every rendezvous with Julia complicates Emma’s relationship with Travis a little further.
- EMMA (20s-30s): Our protagonist, timid and shy. She hides her disappointment with the world behind a quiet, easy going expression when in reality she has dreams that have never seemed to come true. Men have disappointed her throughout her lifetime. Travis was one of the first men that showed her true commitment and kindness.
- JULIA (20s-30s): Emma's best friend and foil. She's perceptive. She knows how to love and want love. Her parents have given her everything she’s wanted and in return she married the man they wanted her to marry. She and Liam have fun together, but she has always found herself wanting something greater, someone to love herself and on her own terms.
- TRAVIS (20s-30s): Emma's fiance of 1 year who is notoriously known for wearing stripes. He is a compulsive techie and a strictly J-crew kind of guy. That or his mother has bought him everything he wears. He’s the kind of guy that calls his partner first and mother second whenever he has a problem and needs help. He believes he is a good partner to Emma. He loves her wholeheartedly and would do anything for her and she knows that.
- LIAM (20s-30s): A cleancut, wall street kind of guy. He is Julia's husband of 2 years. Most things have come easy to him, including women. Julia, his lifelong family friend, was the only woman he never had, but wanted. His and her parents started pushing for them to get together after they each graduated from college which made Liam’s dream come true and pulled him away from tinder and other dating apps.
- RITA (30s-40s): a latina kook and store clerk with a rotating eyeshadow collection. She knows men and has seen men. She borrows from the store’s clothes and accessories daily. So long as she gets paid, she doesn’t care what happens inside the store and works to make the space as welcoming as possible–a home and hookup spot for one and all, and her rotating records add a little bit of latin flare to the mix.
- The Lustful couple (60s): two people who love their individual partners but are looking for a little more sexual spontaneity and yearning in their life. Think Meryl Streep and Alec Bawldwin from “It’s Complicated” but without the financial backing.
Budget & Production Schedule:
Pre-Production: October-Early November
Principal Photography: Mid-Late November
Post-Production: December-Early Spring
Film Completion: Mother's Day!
Film Release & Screenings: Spring 2024
We are in the middle of pre-production gearing up to film November 11-12 & 16-19! This campaign will help us secure our filming locations, feed our wonderfully talented and committed cast and crew, and pay for equipment rental. The project is meant to be screened at USC's Norris Theater on Mother's Day in 2024! In order to meet this screening timeline and goal, post-production will begin as soon as we wrap production. If our project surpasses its $10,000 intended goal, it will allow us to afford more camera equipment and also save money that can go towards applying to festivals and distribution! Please please please share this campaign with family and friends by reposting on your instagram and emailing the link to anyone and everyone you know that loves love and loves film!
How else can you support?
In addition to contributing to our campaign, you can help us by:
Sharing our campaign on social media and spreading the word with your friends, family and coworkers.
Follow along with our production by following us here on Seed & Spark as well as on my personal instagram.
We'll be posting updates periodically. @camila_papadopoulo
Are you a local LGBTQ business and/or Women's organization interested in supporting us? Please reach out to us and we would appreciate any community support including donations, coupons, discounts, and more. ¡Muchas Gracias!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Set Operations
Costs $2,500
Help us feed our top notch cast and crew!
Locations
Costs $5,000
Help us pay for locations!
Equipment
Costs $2,500
Help us give each department the resources they need to make this film!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Camila Papadopoulo is a recent graduate of Bowdoin College, enrolled in film production at USC's School of Cinematic Arts. A native to Bermuda, she is deeply interested in all aspects of filming, and has also studied acting at NYU, Stella Adler, and Yale's Summer programs.
Kate Hanson is a filmmaker based in Los Angeles, CA with a passion for bringing untold stories to light. Her background in biochemistry sparked an interest in exploring human behavior beyond the molecular level in order to better understand what makes us who we are. She strives to inspire connection and conversation through her works, which often focus on mental health, identity, and our relationships with others and ourselves. She is involved with organizations like Teens4TeensHelp that create accessible resources to support local students and break the stigma around mental health. Kate is currently pursuing her MFA in Film & Television Production at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts.
Mariam Abd-Allah, raised in Rancho Cucamonga, California, grew up with the intention of following in her father’s footsteps and becoming a doctor. It wasn’t until she took a creative writing elective that her career plan began to unravel. Mariam is now a second year MFA student in the Film & Television Production program at the University of Southern California, School of Cinematic Arts. She is a culturally conscious filmmaker of Egyptian descent who strives to tell stories that highlight the complexities of the human experience in the hopes of providing a means to connect people and bridge cultures. She plans to concentrate on both dramatic and light-hearted films that educate audiences on important issues that are overlooked or unfamiliar, inspire social change for the better, and provoke joy and wonder.
Luke Sargent is a Cinematographer that grew up in Southern California. Growing up he struggled with dyslexia, which made it extremely hard to enjoy written or spoken stories until his grandfather introduced him to silent films like Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. Luke fell in love with the visual storytelling that allowed him to enjoy films without his dyslexia getting in the way. He enrolled at USC School of Cinematic Arts where he earned a Student Academy Award for the film "Sweet Potatoes" as well as shooting his first feature film less than a year after graduating. Since then, Luke has worked on Narrative Films, Television Pilots, and with musical artists like Umi, Cupcake, and My Morning Jacket, as well as brands like Nike, ESPN & McDonalds. Luke always dreamed of making movies and now he does.
Zoe Gittelson is a Los Angeles California-based artist, production designer and set decorator and a member of IATSE Local 44. Zoe has worked in the set decoration and prop department on sets including The Joker, HBO’s the Gilded Age, Apple TV’s High Desert, Amazon’s The Consultant and Showtime's Your Honor. She has production designed music videos and many short films. Zoe finds inspiration from studying Art & Art History, working for the Eames Foundation and her travels.
Born and raised in Colorado and now in Los Angeles, John Malone holds a Master of Fine Arts in Cinematic Arts (Film and Television Production) from the University of Southern California and an MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction and scriptwriting) from Regis University. In 2019, he received the Robert A. O’Sullivan Award for Excellence in Writing from Regis University. John has worked in various genres, from competing as a slam poet to directing award-winning short films to writing original songs. His work centers on mental health and coming-of-age stories, and he loves working on heartfelt projects with passionate filmmakers. He considers himself a writer, director, and editor—but above all, a storyteller. John has had work published in the Avalon Literary Review, the Albion Review, and Barnstorm Journal. He also really likes dogs, pineapple pizza, and alternative music.
Jordan Vertison-Hardy is a 24 year-old filmmaker from Memphis, Tennessee. With a passion for queer film, he's incredibly excited to work alongside the crew on this project, and looking forward to making something special.
Arden Sarner is a producer and sound designer with a passion for the vibrant, immersive nature of audio in bringing stories to life. Her career began as a food videographer, creating viral recipe videos for corporate sponsors that received over 275 million views. She recently completed her MFA at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and previously graduated Summa Cum Laude from Duke University.