Truths from a Corporate Sellout
New York City, New York | Film Short
Thriller, Satire
Ophelia, a Disastrous Dates columnist, has aspirations to be an author and wants her oppressive boss, Janice, to publish an excerpt from her book. When Ophelia meets Lewis, who encourages her to break the rules and stand up for herself, she loses her grip on reality and embraces chaos to break free.
Truths from a Corporate Sellout
New York City, New York | Film Short
Thriller, Satire
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $7,200 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
34 supporters | followers
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Ophelia, a Disastrous Dates columnist, has aspirations to be an author and wants her oppressive boss, Janice, to publish an excerpt from her book. When Ophelia meets Lewis, who encourages her to break the rules and stand up for herself, she loses her grip on reality and embraces chaos to break free.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
An emotionally repressed columnist, who is trapped in a cycle of disastrous dates and an oppressive job, meets a mysterious man who urges her to embrace chaos and break free.
Synopsis
Ophelia goes on a series of first dates in order to secretly record the conversations to provide content for her ‘Disastrous Dates’ column in New York's cutthroat magazine industry.
However, Ophelia has larger aspirations than her column: she wishes to become a published author, and she wants her oppressive boss - Janice - to publish an excerpt from her book in the magazine.
Janice has no intention of doing this, so she strings Ophelia along whilst pressuring her to go on more disastrous dates.
When Ophelia meets Lewis - a charming, mysterious and rebellious man - who encourages her to break the rules and stand up for herself, she loses her grip on reality and embraces chaos to break free.
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Truths From a Corporate Sellout follows a character's transformation via a psychological lens as it incorporates magical realism / surrealism by using familiar objects in displaced ways to reflect on the main character's internal struggle (inspired by the writer/director's minor at NYU in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies). Blending the genres of Psychological Thriller, Magical Realism, and Comedy, this NYU Thesis Film aims to inspire people to pursue their dreams and stand their ground whilst also showcasing the humorous side of online dating in New York City. It's inspired by films such as Fight Club, the Devil Wears Prada, and Adaptation.
The Characters
.jpg)
Ophelia is a columnist for a magazine. She uses an online dating app to go on a series of first dates where she secretly records the conversations to create content for her ‘Disastrous Dates’ column. Ophelia feels trapped in her profession and represses her true emotions by wearing a fake smile instead of speaking up when faced with objectionable behavior on her dates and pressure in the office.
.jpg)
Janice is Ophelia's oppressive boss, who berates Ophelia for the quality of her work and pressures her to go on more disastrous dates for the magazine.
To motivate Ophelia, Janice promises to publish in the magazine an excerpt from a book that Ophelia has written, on the condition that Ophelia continues producing Disastrous Dates content. In reality, Janice has no intention of publishing the excerpt from Ophelia’s book.
.jpg)
Lewis is a handsome, charismatic and mysterious man who has a mesmerizing and influential effect on Ophelia. He appears to want to help Ophelia free herself from her repressed emotional existence and her mundane life as low-level magazine contributor. However, Lewis has a darker side and takes delight in breaking the rules. He encourages Ophelia to break through conventional boundaries and explore deeper emotional connections, serving as a guiding force in her journey of self-discovery.
Cinematography
.jpg)
Truths From a Corporate Sellout embraces a cinematographic style that seamlessly intertwines surreal and naturalistic moments, crafting a visual narrative that blurs the boundaries between reality and imagination. Everyday scenes are intertwined with subtle dreamlike qualities, utilizing changes in focus, unusual color palettes, and unexpected camera angles to evoke a sense of wonder and introspection.
Production Design
.jpg)
The production design will often contrast two distinct color tones to highlight the essence of the characters. This deliberate choice will not only enhance the visual appeal but also underscore the absurdity of the characters’ behavior and amplify their personalities, allowing the audience to explore the complexities of the characters’ identities and the surreal nature of their experiences.
Lighting
.jpg)
The quality of the light will reflect Ophelia's emotions throughout her journey and the charismatic influence of Lewis. By manipulating the intensity and direction of light, contrasting moods will be created that resonate with Ophelia’s internal struggle in an almost surreal way as she navigates between reality and psychosis.
Sound Scape
The film will incorporate experimental and surreal sound choices that enhance the auditory experience during moments of Ophelia's mania. By muffling or amplifying certain ambient sounds and warping the dialogue to sound like Ophelia is underwater, the film will immerse the audience in Ophelia’s psychological turmoil.
Production
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- Development (Jul - Nov 2024): Crafting the story concept, scriptwriting, and initial planning.
- Pre-production (Nov 2024- Feb 2025): Casting, location scouting, and assembling the crew.
- Production (Feb-March 2025): 5 days of filming scenes and capturing the primary visuals.
- Post-production (March-May 2025): Editing footage, sound design, and adding visual effects.
- Distribution (May 2025- May 2026): Marketing the film and releasing it to audiences.
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By supporting this NYU Thesis Film, you can join the realm of filmmaking today with a no-risk investment. We need funds to secure equipment, feed the cast and crew, and provide transportation to and from set.
Join us on the road to Truths From a Corporate Sellout and support a student filmmaker today!
STRETCH GOALS
Our $7,000 goal is the minimum needed to get the film made at a production quality everyone involved can be proud of. It will give us the ability to pay location fees, secure equipment, provide transportation and feed our cast and crew everyday.
- If we raise $10,000, we'll be able to have full contingency funds in place should anything go wrong.
- If we raise $13,500, we'll be able to cover our festival, distribution, travel and promotional costs for completing and getting the film into the world and in front of a wider audience.
- If we raise $16,000, we'll be able to cover higher end post-production costs with sound, coloring, and music.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Camera Equipment
Costs $1,000
Rental equipment needed to shoot (focus puller, monitor, lenses, and more)
Production Design
Costs $500
This is going towards props and set design.
Cast Pay
Costs $2,000
We will be paying our lead actors for 5 days of shooting.
Locations
Costs $2,000
We need to pay for three locations: a restaurant, an art gallery, and office space.
Food
Costs $1,500
We need money to feed our cast and crew for 5 days of shooting!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Share this update!
About This Team
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Arabella Sharkey is a Senior at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, majoring in Film & TV Production. She was born in London and grew up in Hong Kong.
Arabella has interned at Full Picture, Warner Bros., and Partizan. She finds inspiration in the genre of magical realism and its ability to blend reality and fantasy.
Her films have been selected by and won awards at various film festivals, including the Beverly Hills Film Festival, NY Shorts International Film Festival, Big Apple Film Festival, and Tokyo International Short Film Festival. She also won the Bronze Award at the 2023 Hollywood Independent Filmmaker Awards & Festival. Additionally, two of her short films were screened at the NYC AMC Theater in Times Square.
.jpg)
Daehoon Peter Chung is a South Korean filmmaker at NYU Tisch Film & TV. He has written and produced a $1.5M stage musical for the Republic of Korea Army. As a director, his short film Daedalus won “Best Student Film” at The Big Apple Film Festival and music video Under The Crosswalk Lights won “Best Music Video” at the NY Shorts International Film Festival. Peter has also worked as a production coordinator for Loewe and Nike commercials and in the props department of the Amazon Prime TV series "Butterfly."
Hillfigure (Henry) Hwang is a film director, screenwriter, producer with background in South Korean commercial and independent film companies, and a musical director and writer of a $ 1,500,000 USD budget grand musical theater production ('Stand or Die, Nakdong River') that celebrated the 70th anniversary of the U.S. and South Korea Alliance, starring K-pop star Sunye and K-Drama star Elijah Lee. He wrote and directed a no budget feature film 'Dear Name', which screened at Catalina Film Festival and more, and films he directed and/or produced have been screened/nominated/awarded at various film festivals including New York Shorts International Film Festival, Vancouver Independent Film Festival, Madrid Indie Film Festival, and more.
.jpg)
Kevin Feng is a New York-based Director of Photography and the winner of the 2024 NYU New Vision + Voices Cinematography Award. His narrative work has been showcased at the New York Shorts International Film Festival and the Seattle Film Festival. In the commercial world, his projects have been featured in Harper's Bazaar, and he has worked with brands such as Ford, Lincoln, Hyundai, and Genesis.
Jimmy Chey is a writer-director originally from Seoul, Korea. Currently based in New York City, he is an independent filmmaker and a third-year student at the School of Visual Arts. Jimmy has extensive experience as a gaffer and key grip, having worked on numerous short films and commercials. In 2023, he wrote and directed a scene from his ambitious feature script, The Clown/Jester’s Privilege. The following year, he wrote and directed The Bug, a narrative comedy short, and Flu Game, another narrative short. He is now working on his thesis film, Valley of the Shadow, a detective noir set in a steampunk version of New York City at the turn of the century.
.jpg)
Raised in Beijing and now thriving in New York, Alicia is a Film & TV student at NYU with a passion for crafting worlds through production design. She’s tackled everything from narrative films to fashion commercials and music videos, working between real locations and soundstage sets. Alicia is on a mission to dive headfirst into bold, production-design-driven films that push creative and narrative boundaries.
Raised in Europe and South-east Asia, Renata is a Junior in Film & TV at NYU with a love for writing dramas and comedies. During her time at NYU, she has written and co-written 4 screenplays which have made it into production, including her current intermediate narrative project “Would You?”. She enjoys working with new people across all production departments which is what drew her to the role of assistant directing in the recent year. Growing up speaking in 4 tongues, she also has a passion for languages.
Victoria Mezquita is an Argentinian director and production designer based in NYC. She was a finalist at the 2024 NYU Fusion Film Festival and the NYU New Visions and Voices Film Festival for her short films Venus and Not My Type. Beyond film, Victoria has made an impact as a social media influencer, collaborating on content for major brands such as Netflix, HBO, L’Oréal, YSL, La Roche-Posay, and MAC Cosmetics, among others. Her work seamlessly blends storytelling, aesthetics, and brand innovation, making her a dynamic force in both film and digital media.
Christine Yu is a Junior majoring in Film & TV and minoring in BEMT at NYU. She has explored various aspects of the entertainment industry from working on an animated feature as a production coordinator to creating campaigns for clients like Google Play Korea and Amorepacific as an art director. While her primary focus is producing, she has recently found a passion for production design and art direction.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
An emotionally repressed columnist, who is trapped in a cycle of disastrous dates and an oppressive job, meets a mysterious man who urges her to embrace chaos and break free.
Synopsis
Ophelia goes on a series of first dates in order to secretly record the conversations to provide content for her ‘Disastrous Dates’ column in New York's cutthroat magazine industry.
However, Ophelia has larger aspirations than her column: she wishes to become a published author, and she wants her oppressive boss - Janice - to publish an excerpt from her book in the magazine.
Janice has no intention of doing this, so she strings Ophelia along whilst pressuring her to go on more disastrous dates.
When Ophelia meets Lewis - a charming, mysterious and rebellious man - who encourages her to break the rules and stand up for herself, she loses her grip on reality and embraces chaos to break free.
Truths From a Corporate Sellout follows a character's transformation via a psychological lens as it incorporates magical realism / surrealism by using familiar objects in displaced ways to reflect on the main character's internal struggle (inspired by the writer/director's minor at NYU in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies). Blending the genres of Psychological Thriller, Magical Realism, and Comedy, this NYU Thesis Film aims to inspire people to pursue their dreams and stand their ground whilst also showcasing the humorous side of online dating in New York City. It's inspired by films such as Fight Club, the Devil Wears Prada, and Adaptation.
The Characters
Ophelia is a columnist for a magazine. She uses an online dating app to go on a series of first dates where she secretly records the conversations to create content for her ‘Disastrous Dates’ column. Ophelia feels trapped in her profession and represses her true emotions by wearing a fake smile instead of speaking up when faced with objectionable behavior on her dates and pressure in the office.
Janice is Ophelia's oppressive boss, who berates Ophelia for the quality of her work and pressures her to go on more disastrous dates for the magazine.
To motivate Ophelia, Janice promises to publish in the magazine an excerpt from a book that Ophelia has written, on the condition that Ophelia continues producing Disastrous Dates content. In reality, Janice has no intention of publishing the excerpt from Ophelia’s book.
Lewis is a handsome, charismatic and mysterious man who has a mesmerizing and influential effect on Ophelia. He appears to want to help Ophelia free herself from her repressed emotional existence and her mundane life as low-level magazine contributor. However, Lewis has a darker side and takes delight in breaking the rules. He encourages Ophelia to break through conventional boundaries and explore deeper emotional connections, serving as a guiding force in her journey of self-discovery.
Cinematography
Truths From a Corporate Sellout embraces a cinematographic style that seamlessly intertwines surreal and naturalistic moments, crafting a visual narrative that blurs the boundaries between reality and imagination. Everyday scenes are intertwined with subtle dreamlike qualities, utilizing changes in focus, unusual color palettes, and unexpected camera angles to evoke a sense of wonder and introspection.
Production Design
The production design will often contrast two distinct color tones to highlight the essence of the characters. This deliberate choice will not only enhance the visual appeal but also underscore the absurdity of the characters’ behavior and amplify their personalities, allowing the audience to explore the complexities of the characters’ identities and the surreal nature of their experiences.
Lighting
The quality of the light will reflect Ophelia's emotions throughout her journey and the charismatic influence of Lewis. By manipulating the intensity and direction of light, contrasting moods will be created that resonate with Ophelia’s internal struggle in an almost surreal way as she navigates between reality and psychosis.
Sound Scape
The film will incorporate experimental and surreal sound choices that enhance the auditory experience during moments of Ophelia's mania. By muffling or amplifying certain ambient sounds and warping the dialogue to sound like Ophelia is underwater, the film will immerse the audience in Ophelia’s psychological turmoil.
Production
- Development (Jul - Nov 2024): Crafting the story concept, scriptwriting, and initial planning.
- Pre-production (Nov 2024- Feb 2025): Casting, location scouting, and assembling the crew.
- Production (Feb-March 2025): 5 days of filming scenes and capturing the primary visuals.
- Post-production (March-May 2025): Editing footage, sound design, and adding visual effects.
- Distribution (May 2025- May 2026): Marketing the film and releasing it to audiences.
By supporting this NYU Thesis Film, you can join the realm of filmmaking today with a no-risk investment. We need funds to secure equipment, feed the cast and crew, and provide transportation to and from set.
Join us on the road to Truths From a Corporate Sellout and support a student filmmaker today!
STRETCH GOALS
Our $7,000 goal is the minimum needed to get the film made at a production quality everyone involved can be proud of. It will give us the ability to pay location fees, secure equipment, provide transportation and feed our cast and crew everyday.
- If we raise $10,000, we'll be able to have full contingency funds in place should anything go wrong.
- If we raise $13,500, we'll be able to cover our festival, distribution, travel and promotional costs for completing and getting the film into the world and in front of a wider audience.
- If we raise $16,000, we'll be able to cover higher end post-production costs with sound, coloring, and music.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Camera Equipment
Costs $1,000
Rental equipment needed to shoot (focus puller, monitor, lenses, and more)
Production Design
Costs $500
This is going towards props and set design.
Cast Pay
Costs $2,000
We will be paying our lead actors for 5 days of shooting.
Locations
Costs $2,000
We need to pay for three locations: a restaurant, an art gallery, and office space.
Food
Costs $1,500
We need money to feed our cast and crew for 5 days of shooting!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Share this update!
About This Team
Arabella Sharkey is a Senior at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, majoring in Film & TV Production. She was born in London and grew up in Hong Kong.
Arabella has interned at Full Picture, Warner Bros., and Partizan. She finds inspiration in the genre of magical realism and its ability to blend reality and fantasy.
Her films have been selected by and won awards at various film festivals, including the Beverly Hills Film Festival, NY Shorts International Film Festival, Big Apple Film Festival, and Tokyo International Short Film Festival. She also won the Bronze Award at the 2023 Hollywood Independent Filmmaker Awards & Festival. Additionally, two of her short films were screened at the NYC AMC Theater in Times Square.
Daehoon Peter Chung is a South Korean filmmaker at NYU Tisch Film & TV. He has written and produced a $1.5M stage musical for the Republic of Korea Army. As a director, his short film Daedalus won “Best Student Film” at The Big Apple Film Festival and music video Under The Crosswalk Lights won “Best Music Video” at the NY Shorts International Film Festival. Peter has also worked as a production coordinator for Loewe and Nike commercials and in the props department of the Amazon Prime TV series "Butterfly."
Hillfigure (Henry) Hwang is a film director, screenwriter, producer with background in South Korean commercial and independent film companies, and a musical director and writer of a $ 1,500,000 USD budget grand musical theater production ('Stand or Die, Nakdong River') that celebrated the 70th anniversary of the U.S. and South Korea Alliance, starring K-pop star Sunye and K-Drama star Elijah Lee. He wrote and directed a no budget feature film 'Dear Name', which screened at Catalina Film Festival and more, and films he directed and/or produced have been screened/nominated/awarded at various film festivals including New York Shorts International Film Festival, Vancouver Independent Film Festival, Madrid Indie Film Festival, and more.
Kevin Feng is a New York-based Director of Photography and the winner of the 2024 NYU New Vision + Voices Cinematography Award. His narrative work has been showcased at the New York Shorts International Film Festival and the Seattle Film Festival. In the commercial world, his projects have been featured in Harper's Bazaar, and he has worked with brands such as Ford, Lincoln, Hyundai, and Genesis.
Jimmy Chey is a writer-director originally from Seoul, Korea. Currently based in New York City, he is an independent filmmaker and a third-year student at the School of Visual Arts. Jimmy has extensive experience as a gaffer and key grip, having worked on numerous short films and commercials. In 2023, he wrote and directed a scene from his ambitious feature script, The Clown/Jester’s Privilege. The following year, he wrote and directed The Bug, a narrative comedy short, and Flu Game, another narrative short. He is now working on his thesis film, Valley of the Shadow, a detective noir set in a steampunk version of New York City at the turn of the century.
Raised in Beijing and now thriving in New York, Alicia is a Film & TV student at NYU with a passion for crafting worlds through production design. She’s tackled everything from narrative films to fashion commercials and music videos, working between real locations and soundstage sets. Alicia is on a mission to dive headfirst into bold, production-design-driven films that push creative and narrative boundaries.
Raised in Europe and South-east Asia, Renata is a Junior in Film & TV at NYU with a love for writing dramas and comedies. During her time at NYU, she has written and co-written 4 screenplays which have made it into production, including her current intermediate narrative project “Would You?”. She enjoys working with new people across all production departments which is what drew her to the role of assistant directing in the recent year. Growing up speaking in 4 tongues, she also has a passion for languages.
Victoria Mezquita is an Argentinian director and production designer based in NYC. She was a finalist at the 2024 NYU Fusion Film Festival and the NYU New Visions and Voices Film Festival for her short films Venus and Not My Type. Beyond film, Victoria has made an impact as a social media influencer, collaborating on content for major brands such as Netflix, HBO, L’Oréal, YSL, La Roche-Posay, and MAC Cosmetics, among others. Her work seamlessly blends storytelling, aesthetics, and brand innovation, making her a dynamic force in both film and digital media.
Christine Yu is a Junior majoring in Film & TV and minoring in BEMT at NYU. She has explored various aspects of the entertainment industry from working on an animated feature as a production coordinator to creating campaigns for clients like Google Play Korea and Amorepacific as an art director. While her primary focus is producing, she has recently found a passion for production design and art direction.