Troutman Smash
New York City, New York | Film Short
Comedy, Drama
Troutman Smash uses puppets to tell its very human story about an art critic discovering that the scene has moved on without him. Set in the artist lofts and bars of Bushwick, its mix of humor and hurt delivers an audience gut punch with a foam-and-fleece fist.
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This campaign raised $4,054 for pre-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
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Troutman Smash uses puppets to tell its very human story about an art critic discovering that the scene has moved on without him. Set in the artist lofts and bars of Bushwick, its mix of humor and hurt delivers an audience gut punch with a foam-and-fleece fist.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
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Steve "Cobra" Duffy, once the hottest art critic in Bushwick, hasn't written anything new in ten years. On the cusp of middle age, he wanders through spaces he's unknowingly aged out of, all while avoiding repeated calls from the family farm in Nebraska.
The team behind this story are a mix of native New Yorkers, creative transplants, and folks who live completely across the country. The core team is trans, woman, queer, and POC lead, but most importantly, we're all dreamers.
Why now?
As we reach into the second year of the pandemic, we need a little joy. Our makers and puppeteers are itching to (safely) gather and bring a little more magic to these bleak winter months.
The project goes into principal photography THIS WINTER! With additional shoot days in the spring. Once post production has wrapped in May, we plan to submit the short to festivals.
The Covid of it all:
80% of the cast and crew are already certified as on set covid safety monitors. The director has worked professionally in covid compliance for productions for brands such as NBC, Complex Networks, and Disney, so not only is the team well-versed in industry-standard practices, they are committed to the meaning behind them: keeping everyone as safe and healthy as possible. The production will exceed minimum SAG return to work requirements for covid safety with enhanced testing, PPE, and zone requirements.
Our process:
There's something truly magical about puppets. We wanted a space where we could bring our creative passions and our impulse to play pretend into a serious, committed collaboration. Here's a taste of how we've worked over the past six months in preparation:
Every conversation, every walk, every stitch into fleece brings a new inspiration to the project. DP Katrina Montgomery and Writer/Director Dana M Osburn meet regularly for test shoots, experiments, and conversations about "what if."
Producer Clairesa Clay isn't afraid to walk into every bar in Bushwick to find just the right home for our production, seeing possibilities everywhere she goes, and Executive Producer Charlie Pigott rounds out the team with his expert knowledge of navigating the production challenges of Brooklyn's unique topography.
Dana sits in their studio mixing and matching fleece, fur, and foam into new creations, and tries them out with the help of puppeteers Sandy Frank and Marcelo Bottaro. Composer Tristan O'Shea records sounds of the J Train to conjur the musical persona of the film.
Co-creators, sibling duo Margaret and Dana M Osburn have the creative urge in their blood, and have been makers and storytellers for as long as they've been alive. But, without the energy and commitment of the expanded Troutman Smash team, the script would have gathered dust forever in the Osburns' google drive.
The story comes from a reflection on creativity, community, and the dreams that artists project onto the spaces they colonize. New generations of creative pilgrims re-colonize these spaces and the cycle continues. It's ultimately a story about someone who finds himself out of place and out of time, and it's his own fault.
It sure would help if you spread the word about our campaign! Help us bring these puppets to Bushwick, Brooklyn! Can't think of what to say? Copy paste this into your tweeter :
"Help Troutman Smash bring puppets to Brooklyn! It's an all new short you can learn about here: www.seedandspark.com/fund/troutman-smash "
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Feed our crew!
Costs $700
Cast and crew will be working long hours! Help us feed them safely with individually packaged meals!
Share this update!
About This Team
We're a bunch of overgrown kids, but don't be fooled! We can make stuff HAPPEN.
Co-creators and siblings Maggie and Dana M Osburn have been developing these characters for years. This makes Maggie an ideal partner in building the perfect cast.
Dana and Katrina met at Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema, where they are MFA candidates in the Directing track. This is their second collaboration as director and DP. Katrina, along with her 1st AC Tony DiMartino, bring a spirit of preparation and possibility to this ambitious project.
Producers Charlie Pigott and Clairesa Clay join the project from Feirstein's MFA producing track. They are producers with active imaginations and the tenacity to bring it to life.
Puppeteers Sandy Frank and Marcelo Bottaro have a passion for bringing inanimate objects to life, and are freakily skilled at doing it!
The post production team are all colleagues and MFA candidates at Feirstein! Andrew, the editor, has a killer comic instinct, but isn't afraid to twist the knife when it comes to drama.
Visual Effects team, Addy Afzali and Petter Lin expand our creative possibilities to even new heights, amplifying our ability to magical effects through a combination of practical and post work.
Composer, Tristan O'Shea, another Feirstein MFA candidate, brings an artist's and a storyteller's perspective to creating the sonic identity of Troutman smash.
Luisa Madrid, a photographer, DP, and all around creative, brings her eye to the project to help us tell the story within the story. In addition to being our key grip, she's embedded into every stage of the production as a documentary eye to capture the unique spirit of this production.
Writer, director, artist, influencer Sheherzad Preisler joins the team as the Gen Z artist who brings Steve "Cobra" into her bizarre and chaotic world.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Steve "Cobra" Duffy, once the hottest art critic in Bushwick, hasn't written anything new in ten years. On the cusp of middle age, he wanders through spaces he's unknowingly aged out of, all while avoiding repeated calls from the family farm in Nebraska.
The team behind this story are a mix of native New Yorkers, creative transplants, and folks who live completely across the country. The core team is trans, woman, queer, and POC lead, but most importantly, we're all dreamers.
Why now?
As we reach into the second year of the pandemic, we need a little joy. Our makers and puppeteers are itching to (safely) gather and bring a little more magic to these bleak winter months.
The project goes into principal photography THIS WINTER! With additional shoot days in the spring. Once post production has wrapped in May, we plan to submit the short to festivals.
The Covid of it all:
80% of the cast and crew are already certified as on set covid safety monitors. The director has worked professionally in covid compliance for productions for brands such as NBC, Complex Networks, and Disney, so not only is the team well-versed in industry-standard practices, they are committed to the meaning behind them: keeping everyone as safe and healthy as possible. The production will exceed minimum SAG return to work requirements for covid safety with enhanced testing, PPE, and zone requirements.
Our process:
There's something truly magical about puppets. We wanted a space where we could bring our creative passions and our impulse to play pretend into a serious, committed collaboration. Here's a taste of how we've worked over the past six months in preparation:
Every conversation, every walk, every stitch into fleece brings a new inspiration to the project. DP Katrina Montgomery and Writer/Director Dana M Osburn meet regularly for test shoots, experiments, and conversations about "what if."
Producer Clairesa Clay isn't afraid to walk into every bar in Bushwick to find just the right home for our production, seeing possibilities everywhere she goes, and Executive Producer Charlie Pigott rounds out the team with his expert knowledge of navigating the production challenges of Brooklyn's unique topography.
Dana sits in their studio mixing and matching fleece, fur, and foam into new creations, and tries them out with the help of puppeteers Sandy Frank and Marcelo Bottaro. Composer Tristan O'Shea records sounds of the J Train to conjur the musical persona of the film.
Co-creators, sibling duo Margaret and Dana M Osburn have the creative urge in their blood, and have been makers and storytellers for as long as they've been alive. But, without the energy and commitment of the expanded Troutman Smash team, the script would have gathered dust forever in the Osburns' google drive.
The story comes from a reflection on creativity, community, and the dreams that artists project onto the spaces they colonize. New generations of creative pilgrims re-colonize these spaces and the cycle continues. It's ultimately a story about someone who finds himself out of place and out of time, and it's his own fault.
It sure would help if you spread the word about our campaign! Help us bring these puppets to Bushwick, Brooklyn! Can't think of what to say? Copy paste this into your tweeter :
"Help Troutman Smash bring puppets to Brooklyn! It's an all new short you can learn about here: www.seedandspark.com/fund/troutman-smash "
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Feed our crew!
Costs $700
Cast and crew will be working long hours! Help us feed them safely with individually packaged meals!
Share this update!
About This Team
We're a bunch of overgrown kids, but don't be fooled! We can make stuff HAPPEN.
Co-creators and siblings Maggie and Dana M Osburn have been developing these characters for years. This makes Maggie an ideal partner in building the perfect cast.
Dana and Katrina met at Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema, where they are MFA candidates in the Directing track. This is their second collaboration as director and DP. Katrina, along with her 1st AC Tony DiMartino, bring a spirit of preparation and possibility to this ambitious project.
Producers Charlie Pigott and Clairesa Clay join the project from Feirstein's MFA producing track. They are producers with active imaginations and the tenacity to bring it to life.
Puppeteers Sandy Frank and Marcelo Bottaro have a passion for bringing inanimate objects to life, and are freakily skilled at doing it!
The post production team are all colleagues and MFA candidates at Feirstein! Andrew, the editor, has a killer comic instinct, but isn't afraid to twist the knife when it comes to drama.
Visual Effects team, Addy Afzali and Petter Lin expand our creative possibilities to even new heights, amplifying our ability to magical effects through a combination of practical and post work.
Composer, Tristan O'Shea, another Feirstein MFA candidate, brings an artist's and a storyteller's perspective to creating the sonic identity of Troutman smash.
Luisa Madrid, a photographer, DP, and all around creative, brings her eye to the project to help us tell the story within the story. In addition to being our key grip, she's embedded into every stage of the production as a documentary eye to capture the unique spirit of this production.
Writer, director, artist, influencer Sheherzad Preisler joins the team as the Gen Z artist who brings Steve "Cobra" into her bizarre and chaotic world.