Uncontrol
Houston, Texas | Film Short
Horror, Thriller
Uncontrol is a creepy horror film, but also brings awareness to how movies have traditionally neglected portraying how mental health problems affect Black women and other WOC. While women are 3 times more likely to experience OCD than men, Black women are only half as likely to seek help.
Uncontrol
Houston, Texas | Film Short
Horror, Thriller
1 Campaigns | Texas, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $10,337 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
140 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
Uncontrol is a creepy horror film, but also brings awareness to how movies have traditionally neglected portraying how mental health problems affect Black women and other WOC. While women are 3 times more likely to experience OCD than men, Black women are only half as likely to seek help.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Charming Stranger has matched all contributions that came in between August 24-28! Thank you!
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Manon de Reeper: I came up with the idea for Uncontrol early 2019. I wanted to challenge myself to tell a horror story as efficiently as possible, while still packing in a lot of meaning. Horror is one of my favorite genres, and it's always seemed strange to me to see how few women, and especially Women of Color, are creating horror in the mainsteam. Uncontrol will be one more step towards rectifying that.
Uncontrol will be my directorial debut, and I am beyond excited about it! I hope you will join me and this amazing team on the journey of creating an all-new short film, by new and exciting voices.
Uncontrol will be shot locally in Houston, with an incredibly talented local cast and crew.
Manon de Reeper: I have a degree in clinical psychology, which informs most of my writing - I'm infinitely fascinated by human psychology. What I always found particularly interesting is that movies dealing with mental health seem to be mostly restricted to the stories of white men, and sometimes white women. However, no one is immune to mental illness.
Although Fight Club is a huge inspiration to me, as well as Darren Aronofsky's films (most of which deal with mental health), the lack of representation of People of Color in film about mental illness has always felt off to me; I always wanted to explore those narratives and stories that we do not often see and that deserve to be highlighted as much as other people's struggles. The poor representation of People of Color in films dealing with this subject almost makes it seem as if we are immune to mental health problems or experience them less - a dangerous myth to perpetuate through exclusion, especially considering the fact that in the American medical industry, People of Color, their symptoms, and complaints are taken less seriously by default.
This is exactly why I believe that we need more representation of People of Color and especially Women of Color in films that deal with the topic of mental health, as well as horror in general, because suffering and experiencing traumatic event are a part of the human condition. Especially the perspectives and experiences of minorities in the United States is so important; it needs to become a part of the mainstream so that people can learn to relate to people that may not look exactly like them, but their experiences may be more relatable than expected.
.jpg)
Our shoot date is in October, and of course, no one knows what the pandemic will be like around that time - there are many uncertainties. Regardless, we plan on dealing with things intelligently, head-one and with everyone's health in mind. We are carefully planning to create as safe a set as possible. We are limiting the amount of people on set to those who are absolutely essential, and will practice social distancing. Moreover, the film only stars one actor, and there will be no touching of other human beings required for our lead.
We are budgeting for PPE, and we will provide the lead actor and her stylist with additional PPE. A dedicated person will be tasked in taking temperatures in the morning, ensuring that everyone sanitizes their hands, wiping down hot spots througout the day, and much more.
Lastly, we are taking two days for the shoot whereas we would be able to shoot in one, to make sure everyone is rested. It's vital to us that everyone and their families stay healthy while we are creating new content.
.jpg)
We'll head straight into post-production phase after wrapping, and intend for the final cut to be delivered before the end of the year. Once Uncontrol is finished, our Sneak Peek (and up) backers will receive a link to the film before anyone else gets to see it.
We will be submitting the film to general film festivals and genre festivals, and pandemic willing, hope to be touring the country with the film next year. After it has screened at festivals, we are aiming to release on digital streaming on Youtube, or any of the horror streamers.
The film also serves as a proof of concept/precursor for a feature film written by Manon - the short and the feature are similar in vibe and are set in the same cinematic universe.
.jpg)
We are all beyond excited to embark on this journey! We hope you will join us, and pick one of the incentives to the right to support this cinematic endeavor.
If you aren't able to contribute during this time, we totally understand. We want everyone to be able to see the film eventually, whether or not you contributed to this campaign. So if you want, you can also support the film by:
- Hitting the "Follow" button here on Seed&Spark - you'll receive updates about the project! On top of that, it'll increase our chance of becoming a "featured" project here, which would be a great boost to our campaign.
- Following us on social media - find Manon and Anna on Twitter (@manondereeper and @annatranfilms), and find Anna and the Uncontrol film on Instagram (@an.na.tran and @uncontrolfilm). We look forward to hearing from you! Tell us: what's your favorite (and least favorite) horror trope?
- Sharing the campaign on social media using the #Uncontrol hashtag so we can reach more people! Feel free to retweet our tweets & posts on Instagram.
Thank you, stay safe and healthy out there, from dystopian virus outbreaks as well as ghosts and demons... Don't let 'em get you...
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Post-Production
Costs $2,400
Video editing, sound editing, color grading, score - the whole post-production shebang!
Share this update!
About This Team
Manon de Reeper
Writer, Director, Producer
Manon de Reeper is a Surinamese Dutch writer/director. She has academic degrees in Clinical Psychology and Global Criminology and is the founder and CEO of online film magazine Film Inquiry. Manon also serves as the Business Development Strategist for Women of Color Unite, and is a co-creator of the #Startwith8Hollywood diversity, equity & inclusion program that has taken Twitter and the entertainment industry by storm, introducing nearly 300 Women of Color to industry professionals in its first cycle. She's an actively working feature film screenwriter; in her writing, she finds inspiration in human behavior and social institutions, and loves to write horror and sci-fi especially.
Anna Tran
Producer
Anna Tran is a filmmaker based in Houston, TX. A devoted storyteller with an organized streak, she has over 10 years in marketing, operations and film experience combined. She is highly proficient in all forms of production – from creative development to budgets to post-production. She is an adjunct professor at Houston Community College and is co-founder of On and Up Productions, a production company who uplifts new voices and stories. Her short film, For My Monolidded Girls, has shown in festivals such as Austin Asian American Film Festival and Women Texas Film Festival. Recently, she produced Perfume Genius’ “Without You” music video. She loves to tell stories about people with conflicting ideals and how their core beings are be challenged.
Tené Carter
Lead Actor
Tené A. Carter is an Actress, Educator, Producer and emerging Writer who won the NAACP Theater Award for Best Supporting Actress in August Wilson’s “Gem of the Ocean.” She had been seen on many stages from Washington, D.C., Massachusetts, Los Angeles, CA, as well as Houston, TX. Tené has been seen in a number of films including the independent, The Last Kennedy, The Initiation, the Hollywood Black Film Festival/Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival film Homeless Destiny, A Better Place and The Ultimate Wingman. She also Co-Produced the Award-winning documentary, BOUND: Africans vs African Americans, which premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival and has been in festivals around the world. Tené is a proud member of Women of Color Unite, and holds a Master’s Degree in Education, teaching Theater to many a youth. She enjoys “A-ha” moments and making discoveries as they pertain to life and all of its many adventures. Tené thanks her Ancestors for all of the many Blessings and for this opportunity. Asé.
Kay Parker
Director of Photography
Kerianne (Kay) Parker was born and raised in New Jersey and now lives and works in Houston. She has been working in the Texas film industry for 9 years as a 1st AC/Focus Puller and Director of Photography. She has honed her craft as Cinematographer via production company Full Media Jacket, which she co-founded in 2016 with her husband George Parker. Kerianne has filmed a number of music videos and shorts, including award-winning short films Happy Endings (2016), directed by George Parker, and This Neighborhood (2013), directed by Jerry Ochoa. As part of FMJ, she has filmed and helped to create many narrative promotional works and micro-films for start-ups, non-profits, theaters, and corporate entities such as GRIT Grocery, StrangeBird Escape Room, The Catastrophic Theatre, The Ensemble Theatre, Francesca’s, LJA Engineering, Renovare, AARP, and more. In July of 2019, she worked as the Cinematographer on the feature film Acid Test, directed by Jenny Waldo. Kay is super excited to get dark and spooky for Manon de Reeper’s upcoming short film Uncontrol. To see some of Kay Parker’s work, please visit fullmediajacket.com
Amoré Monet
Hair & Make-up, SFX Make-up
Amoré Monét is a professional makeup artist with over 13 years of experience in the beauty industry.
Kristin Massa
Script supervisor & videographer crowdfunding video
Kristin Massa is a filmmaker based in Houston, TX who has worked behind the scenes on a variety of national TV shows including HGTV's Brother Vs. Brother (Season 6), Animal Planet's The Vet Life (Season 1), and Netflix's Ugly Delicious (Season 1). She has developed and filmed more than 100 artist interviews, exhibition trailers, and social media promotional packages for the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, where she has been the in-house video producer since 2018. Always bringing a "DIY or Die" attitude to her own productions, she has honed her skills as a director, shooter, and editor on more than seven music videos. She recently directed the music video "Without You" for Perfume Genius, which was featured on Youtube Music. She is an adjunct film professor at her alma mater, Houston Community College, and is co-founder of On & Up Productions, which focuses on disrupting the status quo and aims to uplift new voices and stories in the lifestyle and narrative film genres.
Jacqui "Jax" Griffin
Sound editor & sound designer
Jacqui 'Jax' Griffin is a British-American sound editor and designer based in West Yorkshire, England. Her credits include projects for Disney XD (Team Smithereen), SyFy (Eureka) feature films (House of the Wolf-Man), short films (Back Yard), and video games (F.E.A.R. 3). Additionally, Jax founded and programs the Drunken Film Fest or DFFB (www.drunkenfilmfest.com) in Bradford which runs every August and has since branched out to include a yearly festival in Oakland, California (DFFO) run by Arlin Golden.
Anselme Pau
Composer
Born in 1958, Anselme Pau is a Luxembourgish composer and producer. He is best known for composing for film, television, radio and commercials. His work includes the sound identity of RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg, jingles, commercials and corporate films as well as scores for films and TV-Documentaries such as “The Golden Horse” (2014), “Athos” (Arte, 2016), “Murer“ (2018, by Christian Frosch), „Scars“ (2020 by award-winning director Agnieszka Zwiefka) or “Sehnsucht Segeln” (ZDF, 2020).
For the short film "Is It True What They Say About Luxembourg?", Pau received in 2010 the Best Sound award at the International Tourism Film Festival (ART&TUR) in Barcelos, Portugal. In 2015, he was nominated for a Silver Crane (Lithuanian Film Academy Awards) in the category "Best composer" for the film "The Golden Horse".
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Charming Stranger has matched all contributions that came in between August 24-28! Thank you!
Manon de Reeper: I came up with the idea for Uncontrol early 2019. I wanted to challenge myself to tell a horror story as efficiently as possible, while still packing in a lot of meaning. Horror is one of my favorite genres, and it's always seemed strange to me to see how few women, and especially Women of Color, are creating horror in the mainsteam. Uncontrol will be one more step towards rectifying that.
Uncontrol will be my directorial debut, and I am beyond excited about it! I hope you will join me and this amazing team on the journey of creating an all-new short film, by new and exciting voices.
Uncontrol will be shot locally in Houston, with an incredibly talented local cast and crew.
Manon de Reeper: I have a degree in clinical psychology, which informs most of my writing - I'm infinitely fascinated by human psychology. What I always found particularly interesting is that movies dealing with mental health seem to be mostly restricted to the stories of white men, and sometimes white women. However, no one is immune to mental illness.
Although Fight Club is a huge inspiration to me, as well as Darren Aronofsky's films (most of which deal with mental health), the lack of representation of People of Color in film about mental illness has always felt off to me; I always wanted to explore those narratives and stories that we do not often see and that deserve to be highlighted as much as other people's struggles. The poor representation of People of Color in films dealing with this subject almost makes it seem as if we are immune to mental health problems or experience them less - a dangerous myth to perpetuate through exclusion, especially considering the fact that in the American medical industry, People of Color, their symptoms, and complaints are taken less seriously by default.
This is exactly why I believe that we need more representation of People of Color and especially Women of Color in films that deal with the topic of mental health, as well as horror in general, because suffering and experiencing traumatic event are a part of the human condition. Especially the perspectives and experiences of minorities in the United States is so important; it needs to become a part of the mainstream so that people can learn to relate to people that may not look exactly like them, but their experiences may be more relatable than expected.
Our shoot date is in October, and of course, no one knows what the pandemic will be like around that time - there are many uncertainties. Regardless, we plan on dealing with things intelligently, head-one and with everyone's health in mind. We are carefully planning to create as safe a set as possible. We are limiting the amount of people on set to those who are absolutely essential, and will practice social distancing. Moreover, the film only stars one actor, and there will be no touching of other human beings required for our lead.
We are budgeting for PPE, and we will provide the lead actor and her stylist with additional PPE. A dedicated person will be tasked in taking temperatures in the morning, ensuring that everyone sanitizes their hands, wiping down hot spots througout the day, and much more.
Lastly, we are taking two days for the shoot whereas we would be able to shoot in one, to make sure everyone is rested. It's vital to us that everyone and their families stay healthy while we are creating new content.
We'll head straight into post-production phase after wrapping, and intend for the final cut to be delivered before the end of the year. Once Uncontrol is finished, our Sneak Peek (and up) backers will receive a link to the film before anyone else gets to see it.
We will be submitting the film to general film festivals and genre festivals, and pandemic willing, hope to be touring the country with the film next year. After it has screened at festivals, we are aiming to release on digital streaming on Youtube, or any of the horror streamers.
The film also serves as a proof of concept/precursor for a feature film written by Manon - the short and the feature are similar in vibe and are set in the same cinematic universe.
We are all beyond excited to embark on this journey! We hope you will join us, and pick one of the incentives to the right to support this cinematic endeavor.
If you aren't able to contribute during this time, we totally understand. We want everyone to be able to see the film eventually, whether or not you contributed to this campaign. So if you want, you can also support the film by:
- Hitting the "Follow" button here on Seed&Spark - you'll receive updates about the project! On top of that, it'll increase our chance of becoming a "featured" project here, which would be a great boost to our campaign.
- Following us on social media - find Manon and Anna on Twitter (@manondereeper and @annatranfilms), and find Anna and the Uncontrol film on Instagram (@an.na.tran and @uncontrolfilm). We look forward to hearing from you! Tell us: what's your favorite (and least favorite) horror trope?
- Sharing the campaign on social media using the #Uncontrol hashtag so we can reach more people! Feel free to retweet our tweets & posts on Instagram.
Thank you, stay safe and healthy out there, from dystopian virus outbreaks as well as ghosts and demons... Don't let 'em get you...
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Post-Production
Costs $2,400
Video editing, sound editing, color grading, score - the whole post-production shebang!
Share this update!
About This Team
Manon de Reeper
Writer, Director, Producer
Manon de Reeper is a Surinamese Dutch writer/director. She has academic degrees in Clinical Psychology and Global Criminology and is the founder and CEO of online film magazine Film Inquiry. Manon also serves as the Business Development Strategist for Women of Color Unite, and is a co-creator of the #Startwith8Hollywood diversity, equity & inclusion program that has taken Twitter and the entertainment industry by storm, introducing nearly 300 Women of Color to industry professionals in its first cycle. She's an actively working feature film screenwriter; in her writing, she finds inspiration in human behavior and social institutions, and loves to write horror and sci-fi especially.
Anna Tran
Producer
Anna Tran is a filmmaker based in Houston, TX. A devoted storyteller with an organized streak, she has over 10 years in marketing, operations and film experience combined. She is highly proficient in all forms of production – from creative development to budgets to post-production. She is an adjunct professor at Houston Community College and is co-founder of On and Up Productions, a production company who uplifts new voices and stories. Her short film, For My Monolidded Girls, has shown in festivals such as Austin Asian American Film Festival and Women Texas Film Festival. Recently, she produced Perfume Genius’ “Without You” music video. She loves to tell stories about people with conflicting ideals and how their core beings are be challenged.
Tené Carter
Lead Actor
Tené A. Carter is an Actress, Educator, Producer and emerging Writer who won the NAACP Theater Award for Best Supporting Actress in August Wilson’s “Gem of the Ocean.” She had been seen on many stages from Washington, D.C., Massachusetts, Los Angeles, CA, as well as Houston, TX. Tené has been seen in a number of films including the independent, The Last Kennedy, The Initiation, the Hollywood Black Film Festival/Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival film Homeless Destiny, A Better Place and The Ultimate Wingman. She also Co-Produced the Award-winning documentary, BOUND: Africans vs African Americans, which premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival and has been in festivals around the world. Tené is a proud member of Women of Color Unite, and holds a Master’s Degree in Education, teaching Theater to many a youth. She enjoys “A-ha” moments and making discoveries as they pertain to life and all of its many adventures. Tené thanks her Ancestors for all of the many Blessings and for this opportunity. Asé.
Kay Parker
Director of Photography
Kerianne (Kay) Parker was born and raised in New Jersey and now lives and works in Houston. She has been working in the Texas film industry for 9 years as a 1st AC/Focus Puller and Director of Photography. She has honed her craft as Cinematographer via production company Full Media Jacket, which she co-founded in 2016 with her husband George Parker. Kerianne has filmed a number of music videos and shorts, including award-winning short films Happy Endings (2016), directed by George Parker, and This Neighborhood (2013), directed by Jerry Ochoa. As part of FMJ, she has filmed and helped to create many narrative promotional works and micro-films for start-ups, non-profits, theaters, and corporate entities such as GRIT Grocery, StrangeBird Escape Room, The Catastrophic Theatre, The Ensemble Theatre, Francesca’s, LJA Engineering, Renovare, AARP, and more. In July of 2019, she worked as the Cinematographer on the feature film Acid Test, directed by Jenny Waldo. Kay is super excited to get dark and spooky for Manon de Reeper’s upcoming short film Uncontrol. To see some of Kay Parker’s work, please visit fullmediajacket.com
Amoré Monet
Hair & Make-up, SFX Make-up
Amoré Monét is a professional makeup artist with over 13 years of experience in the beauty industry.
Kristin Massa
Script supervisor & videographer crowdfunding video
Kristin Massa is a filmmaker based in Houston, TX who has worked behind the scenes on a variety of national TV shows including HGTV's Brother Vs. Brother (Season 6), Animal Planet's The Vet Life (Season 1), and Netflix's Ugly Delicious (Season 1). She has developed and filmed more than 100 artist interviews, exhibition trailers, and social media promotional packages for the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, where she has been the in-house video producer since 2018. Always bringing a "DIY or Die" attitude to her own productions, she has honed her skills as a director, shooter, and editor on more than seven music videos. She recently directed the music video "Without You" for Perfume Genius, which was featured on Youtube Music. She is an adjunct film professor at her alma mater, Houston Community College, and is co-founder of On & Up Productions, which focuses on disrupting the status quo and aims to uplift new voices and stories in the lifestyle and narrative film genres.
Jacqui "Jax" Griffin
Sound editor & sound designer
Jacqui 'Jax' Griffin is a British-American sound editor and designer based in West Yorkshire, England. Her credits include projects for Disney XD (Team Smithereen), SyFy (Eureka) feature films (House of the Wolf-Man), short films (Back Yard), and video games (F.E.A.R. 3). Additionally, Jax founded and programs the Drunken Film Fest or DFFB (www.drunkenfilmfest.com) in Bradford which runs every August and has since branched out to include a yearly festival in Oakland, California (DFFO) run by Arlin Golden.
Anselme Pau
Composer
Born in 1958, Anselme Pau is a Luxembourgish composer and producer. He is best known for composing for film, television, radio and commercials. His work includes the sound identity of RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg, jingles, commercials and corporate films as well as scores for films and TV-Documentaries such as “The Golden Horse” (2014), “Athos” (Arte, 2016), “Murer“ (2018, by Christian Frosch), „Scars“ (2020 by award-winning director Agnieszka Zwiefka) or “Sehnsucht Segeln” (ZDF, 2020).
For the short film "Is It True What They Say About Luxembourg?", Pau received in 2010 the Best Sound award at the International Tourism Film Festival (ART&TUR) in Barcelos, Portugal. In 2015, he was nominated for a Silver Crane (Lithuanian Film Academy Awards) in the category "Best composer" for the film "The Golden Horse".