Tri-County
Miami, Florida | Series
Comedy, LGBTQ
This is the pilot episode of a series that explores the love, lies, fears and complexities of diverse people in Florida's melting pot. The narrative explores the lives of those around him, but centers on Cameron, after his reconnection with his ex-fiancé sparks concern with his friends and family.
Green Light
This campaign raised $31,886 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
189 supporters | followers
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This is the pilot episode of a series that explores the love, lies, fears and complexities of diverse people in Florida's melting pot. The narrative explores the lives of those around him, but centers on Cameron, after his reconnection with his ex-fiancé sparks concern with his friends and family.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Cameron Frazier, 28, is ambitious and chaotic, but his dreams are only distracted by one thing—his heart. He’s constantly looking to “feel” something, and through his life we get hilariously vulnerable.
Tri-County is a story that takes an intimate look into the lives and relationships of mis- and underrepresented queer, black and brown voices, set within South Florida’s tri-county area. As the narrative continues, we’ll not only look into Cameron’s life, but we’ll take a look into the lives of the characters around him, all throughout the picturesque locale of Broward, Miami Dade and Palm Beach Counties.
Behind the story of Tri-County is a dynamic and strong team of dedicated filmmakers, who come from various professional backgrounds, cultures and experiences. Our stories are a direct reflection of the very diversity that makes up our team, ensuring that authenticity is always a priority in our storytelling.
On this project, we call ourselves the Tri-Family, because that’s what we are—a tight knit group of friends and creators, challenging the art of filmmaking by using innovative and artistic expressions. And because this project is nothing but a product of love and friendship, we extend that welcome and encourage you to contribute to this incredible story, joining us as a part of our Tri-Fam.
Writer & Co-Director, Gerard Shaka, created Tri-County by pulling from his own life experiences, harping on those late-twenties years that teach you the last of what you need before the longer stretch of adulthood begins. Gerard’s mission, as a storyteller is to bring awareness to queer life and all its facets and complexities, sexual health, family life, human rights, equality, and the importance of mental health in today’s transforming world.
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Queer, BIPOC representation in the media is more important now than ever. With basic human liberties at risk and the right to harmless self-expression under constant fire, we can use our voices within the media to exemplify and share the stories of those silenced, underrepresented, and most of all—misrepresented.
As Queer and BIPOC stories make it to the screen, we often see tragic stories of flat gays who were only thrown in for shock value or a sprinkle of coming out drama. It’s not often we see complex gays, happy gays or even the gays who want better for themselves—just tools in a plot. That’s not representation at all. Genuine representation is not just peppering colorful characters into a script, it’s about understanding what feels authentic and being able to use diversity (or a lack thereof) to answer or comment on a norm or societal circumstance.
Art is power. Art mobilizes ideas, sparks conversation, fuels discussion, and can change thoughts and ideologies. With this in mind, we want to use Tri-County as a way to get real, be real and stay real.
.png)
The Tri-County team is composed of primarily Florida State University (FSU) Film School alumni. FSU Film offers a camera and equipment package at minimal costs to alumni creating work within the state of Florida. The budget of $40k consists of cast and crew salaries, travel, production design, and locations. We are utilizing the FSU Film School editing hall and post-production suites, and have secured 11 days of post-production. Through the school's Torchlight Studios, we will also receive assistance and mentorship throughout the post-production process.
Production is planned to start at the beginning of July 2023. We will shoot for 7 days with two 2 days contingent on the weather. We will have a limited crew, many sourced locally, along with local actors and a few filming locations to maximize the use of our budget.
.png)
Once we are lucky enough to surpass our goal we have a few stretch goals that would make the Tri-County experience better for everyone involved.
- Increased Production Value: Allocate additional funds to enhance the overall production quality, including a better camera and lighting equipment, and set design.
- Marketing and Promotion: Allocate additional funds for a comprehensive marketing and promotional campaign to generate buzz and attract a larger audience, including social media advertising, press releases, and participation in industry events. We can also hire a professional social media manager.
- Subtitle Localization: Provide subtitles in a second language (Spanish along with English) to make the show accessible to a broader international audience and increase its global appeal, especially for international film festival submissions.
- Professional Post-Production: Allocate funds for more advanced professional post-production services, including, sound design, color grading, and visual effects if necessary, to ensure a polished final product.
- Music Composition and Licensing: Raise funds to hire a professional composer to create an original score for your pilot TV show, or secure licenses for high-quality music tracks to enhance the emotional impact and overall atmosphere.
- Location Upgrades: Allocate additional funds to secure unique and visually stunning shooting locations that may be outside the scope of the original budget, adding production value and enhancing the visual appeal of the pilot.
- Increased Set and Costume Design: Raise funds to invest in more intricate and detailed set designs and costumes, creating a visually captivating world that immerses viewers into the show's universe.
- Distribution and Film Festival Submissions: Allocate funds to cover submission fees and distribution costs, enabling your pilot TV show to reach a wider audience by participating in film festivals and securing distribution deals.
.png)
Gerard Shaka is a gay, Bahamian-American filmmaker and actor who’s spent most of his life between Nassau, The Bahamas and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Driven by his desire to create stories that depict beautiful black and queer life, Shaka’s work centers on quirky characters with dark and tumultuous pasts, looking at how they push through to better futures, whilst questioning ideologies and structures. After teaching middle school for a few years, Gerard received his MFA in Screenwriting from Florida State University, where he also taught Documentary Filmmaking and Film Studies.
Brook Lee Karner is a transmasculine genderqueer filmmaker who expresses his worldview through themes of absurdity with comical contemplation on the paradox of the self. As a visual storyteller, Brook seeks complexities and idiosyncrasies of humans and their perceptions of self-image and belief systems. Brook was born and raised in the suburbia of Southwest Miami and studied Film Production at Florida State University. Since graduating with their MFA, Brook has moved to Los Angeles to work on narrative short and feature length films.
An Atlanta-based independent producer with a specialization in Location Management, Ayana has expertise in operational logistics, location scouting, budgeting and a mastery with leading teams. With a BA in Mass Communication and having worked as an assignment editor in broadcast news, Ayana then ventured into filmmaking and storytelling. She received her MFA in film production from Florida State University. Her works stands for itself with having worked on big budget productions such as The Color Purple and A Family Plan.
Ashley James is an independent film and theatre producer based in Atlanta. In 2015, she received the Princess Grace Theatre Honorarium Award to continue her work as an emerging director with Double Edge Theatre, where she also worked as a performer. Later, Ashley relocated to Atlanta where she worked on various theatre and film productions. Having graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor’s of Art in Theatre, she returned in 2018 to pursue her Master’s in Film Production. Since returning to Atlanta in the summer of 2020, Ashley has worked as a Production Coordinator on major studio projects, and is currently in post-production for a documentary she directed.
Cieara is an independent producer currently working out of Atlanta. She is a 2019 graduate of DePaul University, where she earned her Master’s in Fine Arts, focusing on Creative Producing. Cieara has goals to push artists as they develop projects, helping them shape their stories from the script straight to the screen. She’s attracted to stories that captivate powerful human emotion, push for social change and more than anything—make audiences laugh.
Shari Petti is a Trinidadian filmmaker who is immensely passionate about her culture and all things cinematography. For 7+yrs she has worked on numerous film productions in Trinidad, USA and the UAE. Her film “Sorf Hair,” which explores the natural hair experience in Trinidad and Tobago, has captured the eyes of audiences internationally. Exploring womanhood, culture and the complexities of Afro-Caribbean life, Shari’s short films have been selected at various film festivals, including two premieres at the Pan African Film Festival. Shari’s a Fulbright Scholar with an MFA in Film Production from Florida State University, where she focused on Cinematography and Directing.
Citraro is a multi-faceted Spanish-Venezuelan artist specialized in film based out of Miami, FL. During her time at Florida State College of Motion Picture Arts she was granted the NALIP Scholarship for Content Creators and Art Directed films such as FAIRY DUST, winner of the Directors Guild of America Award. Barbara later expanded her studies at the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Spain diving into sculpture, media tech, and visual art. Barbara believes that creation is nature and to know ones DNA is to begin understanding humans as a collective.
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Our last request from you is that you share our crowdfunding information with as many people in your network as possible! Let's keep the momentum going! We're going to make this vision come true, and it's only through your support that anything can happen!
The Tri-Fam thanks you from the bottom of our hearts! Making Tri-County means so much to us and we are excited to see this forward. We thank you for your support in trusting in our vision. Welcome to the Tri-Family!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Payroll
Costs $18,000
We need to pay our cast and crew for their time and amazing efforts!
Catering
Costs $4,500
We can't film on an empty stomach, now can we? ;)
Locations
Costs $2,000
Locations on locations on locations!
Production Design
Costs $3,000
Things have to look good, right?
Hair, Makeup, Wardrobe
Costs $2,000
Help us look pretty!
Cast & Crew Travel & Accommodations
Costs $4,500
Some economy flights and an AirBnb never hurt nobody!
Music Rights
Costs $1,500
Sound is half the film!
Production Expenses
Costs $1,500
Rental fees & production expendables ain't cheap!
Insurance
Costs $1,000
Insurance is required! Gotta keep our people SAFE!
Contingency
Costs $2,000
Everyone needs a backup!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
.png)
We call ourselves the Tri-Fam, a strong, dynamic, and collaborative unit creating films that take audiences on a journey through exploring the lives of characters underrepresented in cinema. This team consists of individuals from various professional backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. We are telling a story created by queer filmmakers and together our voices are heard.
Gerard Shaka is a gay, Bahamian-American filmmaker and actor who's spent most of his life between Nassau, The Bahamas and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Driven by his desire to create stories that depict beautiful black and queer life, Shaka’s work centers on quirky characters with dark and tumultuous pasts, looking at how they push through to better futures, whilst questioning ideologies and structures.
Brook Lee Karner is a transmasculine genderqueer filmmaker who expresses his worldview through themes of absurdity with comical contemplation on the paradox of the self. Brook was born and raised in the suburbia of Southwest Miami and studied Film Production at Florida State University.
An Atlanta-based independent producer with a specialization in Location Management, Ayana has expertise in operational logistics, location scouting, budgeting and a mastery with leading teams. With a BA in Mass Communication and having worked as an assignment editor in broadcast news, Ayana then ventured into filmmaking and storytelling.
Ashley James is an independent film and theatre producer based in Atlanta. Having graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor’s of Art in Theatre, she returned in 2018 to pursue her Master’s in Film Production. Since returning to Atlanta in the summer of 2020, Ashley has worked as a Production Coordinator on major studio projects, and is currently in post-production for a documentary she directed.
Cieara is an independent producer currently working out of Atlanta. She is a 2019 graduate of DePaul University, where she earned her Master’s in Fine Arts, focusing on Creative Producing. Cieara has goals to push artists as they develop projects, helping them shape their stories from the script straight to the screen.
Shari Petti is a Trinidadian filmmaker who is immensely passionate about her culture and all things cinematography. For 7+yrs she has worked on numerous film productions in Trinidad, USA and the UAE. Her film “Sorf Hair,” which explores the natural hair experience in Trinidad and Tobago, has captured the eyes of audiences internationally.
Citraro is a multi-faceted Spanish-Venezuelan artist specialized in film based out of Miami, FL. During her time at Florida State College of Motion Picture Arts she was granted the NALIP Scholarship for Content Creators and Art Directed films such as FAIRY DUST, winner of the Directors Guild of America Award. Barbara later expanded her studies at the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Spain diving into sculpture, media tech, and visual art. Barbara believes that creation is nature and to know ones DNA is to begin understanding humans as a collective.
Senaite Murray is an Atlanta based writer, director and photographer. She is passionate about creating work that connects and explores the multitude of perspectives of the black Africandiaspora. Senaite’s films have been selected for multiple festivals including the High Museum’sReel Riot Film Festival and the Georgia State Student Film Festival in 2018.
Dai’jah is a filmmaker interested in languages, movies and all things Black. After graduating from Grand Valley State University in 2018 with a BA in Film and African American Studies, she moved from Detroit, MI to Atlanta, GA to pursue her dreams of making movies. It was here that she was able to create more films geared towards her passions as well as make the connections to get her foot in the Indie door as well as the major Hollywood door. She’s worked with directors such as Bobby Huntley to Regina King. Her goal is to help curate stories that aren’t commonly told, as well as create her own.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Cameron Frazier, 28, is ambitious and chaotic, but his dreams are only distracted by one thing—his heart. He’s constantly looking to “feel” something, and through his life we get hilariously vulnerable.
Tri-County is a story that takes an intimate look into the lives and relationships of mis- and underrepresented queer, black and brown voices, set within South Florida’s tri-county area. As the narrative continues, we’ll not only look into Cameron’s life, but we’ll take a look into the lives of the characters around him, all throughout the picturesque locale of Broward, Miami Dade and Palm Beach Counties.
Behind the story of Tri-County is a dynamic and strong team of dedicated filmmakers, who come from various professional backgrounds, cultures and experiences. Our stories are a direct reflection of the very diversity that makes up our team, ensuring that authenticity is always a priority in our storytelling.
On this project, we call ourselves the Tri-Family, because that’s what we are—a tight knit group of friends and creators, challenging the art of filmmaking by using innovative and artistic expressions. And because this project is nothing but a product of love and friendship, we extend that welcome and encourage you to contribute to this incredible story, joining us as a part of our Tri-Fam.
Writer & Co-Director, Gerard Shaka, created Tri-County by pulling from his own life experiences, harping on those late-twenties years that teach you the last of what you need before the longer stretch of adulthood begins. Gerard’s mission, as a storyteller is to bring awareness to queer life and all its facets and complexities, sexual health, family life, human rights, equality, and the importance of mental health in today’s transforming world.
Queer, BIPOC representation in the media is more important now than ever. With basic human liberties at risk and the right to harmless self-expression under constant fire, we can use our voices within the media to exemplify and share the stories of those silenced, underrepresented, and most of all—misrepresented.
As Queer and BIPOC stories make it to the screen, we often see tragic stories of flat gays who were only thrown in for shock value or a sprinkle of coming out drama. It’s not often we see complex gays, happy gays or even the gays who want better for themselves—just tools in a plot. That’s not representation at all. Genuine representation is not just peppering colorful characters into a script, it’s about understanding what feels authentic and being able to use diversity (or a lack thereof) to answer or comment on a norm or societal circumstance.
Art is power. Art mobilizes ideas, sparks conversation, fuels discussion, and can change thoughts and ideologies. With this in mind, we want to use Tri-County as a way to get real, be real and stay real.
The Tri-County team is composed of primarily Florida State University (FSU) Film School alumni. FSU Film offers a camera and equipment package at minimal costs to alumni creating work within the state of Florida. The budget of $40k consists of cast and crew salaries, travel, production design, and locations. We are utilizing the FSU Film School editing hall and post-production suites, and have secured 11 days of post-production. Through the school's Torchlight Studios, we will also receive assistance and mentorship throughout the post-production process.
Production is planned to start at the beginning of July 2023. We will shoot for 7 days with two 2 days contingent on the weather. We will have a limited crew, many sourced locally, along with local actors and a few filming locations to maximize the use of our budget.
Once we are lucky enough to surpass our goal we have a few stretch goals that would make the Tri-County experience better for everyone involved.
- Increased Production Value: Allocate additional funds to enhance the overall production quality, including a better camera and lighting equipment, and set design.
- Marketing and Promotion: Allocate additional funds for a comprehensive marketing and promotional campaign to generate buzz and attract a larger audience, including social media advertising, press releases, and participation in industry events. We can also hire a professional social media manager.
- Subtitle Localization: Provide subtitles in a second language (Spanish along with English) to make the show accessible to a broader international audience and increase its global appeal, especially for international film festival submissions.
- Professional Post-Production: Allocate funds for more advanced professional post-production services, including, sound design, color grading, and visual effects if necessary, to ensure a polished final product.
- Music Composition and Licensing: Raise funds to hire a professional composer to create an original score for your pilot TV show, or secure licenses for high-quality music tracks to enhance the emotional impact and overall atmosphere.
- Location Upgrades: Allocate additional funds to secure unique and visually stunning shooting locations that may be outside the scope of the original budget, adding production value and enhancing the visual appeal of the pilot.
- Increased Set and Costume Design: Raise funds to invest in more intricate and detailed set designs and costumes, creating a visually captivating world that immerses viewers into the show's universe.
- Distribution and Film Festival Submissions: Allocate funds to cover submission fees and distribution costs, enabling your pilot TV show to reach a wider audience by participating in film festivals and securing distribution deals.
Gerard Shaka is a gay, Bahamian-American filmmaker and actor who’s spent most of his life between Nassau, The Bahamas and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Driven by his desire to create stories that depict beautiful black and queer life, Shaka’s work centers on quirky characters with dark and tumultuous pasts, looking at how they push through to better futures, whilst questioning ideologies and structures. After teaching middle school for a few years, Gerard received his MFA in Screenwriting from Florida State University, where he also taught Documentary Filmmaking and Film Studies.
Brook Lee Karner is a transmasculine genderqueer filmmaker who expresses his worldview through themes of absurdity with comical contemplation on the paradox of the self. As a visual storyteller, Brook seeks complexities and idiosyncrasies of humans and their perceptions of self-image and belief systems. Brook was born and raised in the suburbia of Southwest Miami and studied Film Production at Florida State University. Since graduating with their MFA, Brook has moved to Los Angeles to work on narrative short and feature length films.
An Atlanta-based independent producer with a specialization in Location Management, Ayana has expertise in operational logistics, location scouting, budgeting and a mastery with leading teams. With a BA in Mass Communication and having worked as an assignment editor in broadcast news, Ayana then ventured into filmmaking and storytelling. She received her MFA in film production from Florida State University. Her works stands for itself with having worked on big budget productions such as The Color Purple and A Family Plan.
Ashley James is an independent film and theatre producer based in Atlanta. In 2015, she received the Princess Grace Theatre Honorarium Award to continue her work as an emerging director with Double Edge Theatre, where she also worked as a performer. Later, Ashley relocated to Atlanta where she worked on various theatre and film productions. Having graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor’s of Art in Theatre, she returned in 2018 to pursue her Master’s in Film Production. Since returning to Atlanta in the summer of 2020, Ashley has worked as a Production Coordinator on major studio projects, and is currently in post-production for a documentary she directed.
Cieara is an independent producer currently working out of Atlanta. She is a 2019 graduate of DePaul University, where she earned her Master’s in Fine Arts, focusing on Creative Producing. Cieara has goals to push artists as they develop projects, helping them shape their stories from the script straight to the screen. She’s attracted to stories that captivate powerful human emotion, push for social change and more than anything—make audiences laugh.
Shari Petti is a Trinidadian filmmaker who is immensely passionate about her culture and all things cinematography. For 7+yrs she has worked on numerous film productions in Trinidad, USA and the UAE. Her film “Sorf Hair,” which explores the natural hair experience in Trinidad and Tobago, has captured the eyes of audiences internationally. Exploring womanhood, culture and the complexities of Afro-Caribbean life, Shari’s short films have been selected at various film festivals, including two premieres at the Pan African Film Festival. Shari’s a Fulbright Scholar with an MFA in Film Production from Florida State University, where she focused on Cinematography and Directing.
Citraro is a multi-faceted Spanish-Venezuelan artist specialized in film based out of Miami, FL. During her time at Florida State College of Motion Picture Arts she was granted the NALIP Scholarship for Content Creators and Art Directed films such as FAIRY DUST, winner of the Directors Guild of America Award. Barbara later expanded her studies at the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Spain diving into sculpture, media tech, and visual art. Barbara believes that creation is nature and to know ones DNA is to begin understanding humans as a collective.
Our last request from you is that you share our crowdfunding information with as many people in your network as possible! Let's keep the momentum going! We're going to make this vision come true, and it's only through your support that anything can happen!
The Tri-Fam thanks you from the bottom of our hearts! Making Tri-County means so much to us and we are excited to see this forward. We thank you for your support in trusting in our vision. Welcome to the Tri-Family!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Payroll
Costs $18,000
We need to pay our cast and crew for their time and amazing efforts!
Catering
Costs $4,500
We can't film on an empty stomach, now can we? ;)
Locations
Costs $2,000
Locations on locations on locations!
Production Design
Costs $3,000
Things have to look good, right?
Hair, Makeup, Wardrobe
Costs $2,000
Help us look pretty!
Cast & Crew Travel & Accommodations
Costs $4,500
Some economy flights and an AirBnb never hurt nobody!
Music Rights
Costs $1,500
Sound is half the film!
Production Expenses
Costs $1,500
Rental fees & production expendables ain't cheap!
Insurance
Costs $1,000
Insurance is required! Gotta keep our people SAFE!
Contingency
Costs $2,000
Everyone needs a backup!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
We call ourselves the Tri-Fam, a strong, dynamic, and collaborative unit creating films that take audiences on a journey through exploring the lives of characters underrepresented in cinema. This team consists of individuals from various professional backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. We are telling a story created by queer filmmakers and together our voices are heard.
Gerard Shaka is a gay, Bahamian-American filmmaker and actor who's spent most of his life between Nassau, The Bahamas and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Driven by his desire to create stories that depict beautiful black and queer life, Shaka’s work centers on quirky characters with dark and tumultuous pasts, looking at how they push through to better futures, whilst questioning ideologies and structures.
Brook Lee Karner is a transmasculine genderqueer filmmaker who expresses his worldview through themes of absurdity with comical contemplation on the paradox of the self. Brook was born and raised in the suburbia of Southwest Miami and studied Film Production at Florida State University.
An Atlanta-based independent producer with a specialization in Location Management, Ayana has expertise in operational logistics, location scouting, budgeting and a mastery with leading teams. With a BA in Mass Communication and having worked as an assignment editor in broadcast news, Ayana then ventured into filmmaking and storytelling.
Ashley James is an independent film and theatre producer based in Atlanta. Having graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor’s of Art in Theatre, she returned in 2018 to pursue her Master’s in Film Production. Since returning to Atlanta in the summer of 2020, Ashley has worked as a Production Coordinator on major studio projects, and is currently in post-production for a documentary she directed.
Cieara is an independent producer currently working out of Atlanta. She is a 2019 graduate of DePaul University, where she earned her Master’s in Fine Arts, focusing on Creative Producing. Cieara has goals to push artists as they develop projects, helping them shape their stories from the script straight to the screen.
Shari Petti is a Trinidadian filmmaker who is immensely passionate about her culture and all things cinematography. For 7+yrs she has worked on numerous film productions in Trinidad, USA and the UAE. Her film “Sorf Hair,” which explores the natural hair experience in Trinidad and Tobago, has captured the eyes of audiences internationally.
Citraro is a multi-faceted Spanish-Venezuelan artist specialized in film based out of Miami, FL. During her time at Florida State College of Motion Picture Arts she was granted the NALIP Scholarship for Content Creators and Art Directed films such as FAIRY DUST, winner of the Directors Guild of America Award. Barbara later expanded her studies at the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Spain diving into sculpture, media tech, and visual art. Barbara believes that creation is nature and to know ones DNA is to begin understanding humans as a collective.
Senaite Murray is an Atlanta based writer, director and photographer. She is passionate about creating work that connects and explores the multitude of perspectives of the black Africandiaspora. Senaite’s films have been selected for multiple festivals including the High Museum’sReel Riot Film Festival and the Georgia State Student Film Festival in 2018.
Dai’jah is a filmmaker interested in languages, movies and all things Black. After graduating from Grand Valley State University in 2018 with a BA in Film and African American Studies, she moved from Detroit, MI to Atlanta, GA to pursue her dreams of making movies. It was here that she was able to create more films geared towards her passions as well as make the connections to get her foot in the Indie door as well as the major Hollywood door. She’s worked with directors such as Bobby Huntley to Regina King. Her goal is to help curate stories that aren’t commonly told, as well as create her own.