WAKING UP
New York City, New York | Film Short
Comedy, LGBTQ
Our award-winning team brings you this innovative story about inter-generational LGBT struggle, all in one shot. When Jasper visits his uncle in the hospital, he launches into a hilarious ramble about sexual fantasies, that turns into a deeply vulnerable confession about love and forgiveness.
WAKING UP
New York City, New York | Film Short
Comedy, LGBTQ
3 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $15,936 for post-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
159 supporters | followers
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Our award-winning team brings you this innovative story about inter-generational LGBT struggle, all in one shot. When Jasper visits his uncle in the hospital, he launches into a hilarious ramble about sexual fantasies, that turns into a deeply vulnerable confession about love and forgiveness.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Last fall, an incredible community of people came together to support the LGBT short film "Waking Up," an irreverent and heartfelt personal story striving to paint a complex, nuanced portrait of intergenerational queer experiences in a single shot!
Bolstered by your enthusiasm, your generosity, and your faith, my team and I went into production!
At a wonderful location, with an incredible camera team, art director, sound operator, production assistant, make-up artist, and cast mate, this story came to life in a single day!
THE STORY
When Uncle Louis was taken away to the hospital in an ambulance, his phone fell out of his pocket. When his nephew Jasper picked it up, he saw graphic bear daddy porn! Struggling with his own sexuality, Jasper never suspected that his uncle was also gay, but he's thrilled to have someone in the family to talk to.
Eager to make a connection, Jasper goes to his uncle's bedside and talks about all the hilarious and painful challenges of the LGBT experience. It starts off awkward and absurb, talking about porn fantasies, gay bars, and hook-up culture. But it gradually turns into a surprisingly vulnerable confession about the responsibility of privilege, and the struggle to build a community and to find love in a digital age.
THE MOMENT
The LGBT community has made enormous progress in the last several years - progress that an older generation might never have imagined possible.
And so, in spite of our progress, how do we face the persistent challenges of life? How do we build community, without the bonds of oppression? How do we find love, in a world where everyone is buried in their phone? How do we honor the older generation, who fought so hard for our civil rights? And how do we pick ourselves up, when we fall down again and again?
THE INSPIRATION
Taking it's inspiration from the groundbreaking tragicomic short film "Thunder Road" by actor/writer/director Jim Cummings, "Waking Up" is a one-shot film, moving slowly from a wide shot to a close-up. This sustained unedited portrait will challenge the audience to sit in their discomfort and look past their stereotypes and reckon with a character full of condractions.
I spent a year with the legendary Broadway actor/director Brian Murray, co-authoring his autobiography "Speak What We Feel". Listening to his stories about being closeted in the 1950's and 60's, I realized how fortunate I am to be living in a time when queer people have so much more agency, resources, and equality. And yet, Brian talked about his romantic history with a sense of adventure I still struggle to find for myself. This was the inspiration for "Waking Up," a story about a younger gay man sitting with an older gay man, reckoning with all the disparity of their experiences.
THE NEXT STEP
Now, that we've shot the film, we need to go into post-production!
First and foremost, we need to crop in the resolution from 6K to 4K, tightening the medium shot into a close-up.
We also need to do some color correction, sound mixing, and laying in a music track.
The film will feature a beautiful guitar orchestration by a remarkable young musician Kevin Sherwin. Check out more of his music here: kevinsherwin.com
And once post-production is complete, we look forward to sending the movie to festivals around the world!!!
THE GOAL
"Waking Up" strives to bring a new voice to LGBT cinema. While representation has increased considerably, queer characters on film still conform to various heteronormative stereotypes, and the most visible work still features mostly heterosexual actors.
We need more queer stories by queer people. As an out and proud gay man, I want to tell an LGBT story that is unfiltered and uncompromising, with all the authority of my own personal experience.
THE CAMPAIGN
This community made it possible for "Waking Up" to go into production. Now I'm asking you to bring us over the finish line.
Your generous contributions will fund our post-production work and our festival submissions, so we can make the best movie we can make, and share it with as many people as possible.
I am so thankful to have you on my team!
- James Patrick Nelson
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Editing
Costs $500
To emphasize the intimacy of the story, we need to crop in the resolution - to tighten the close-up.
Sound Mix
Costs $500
To create a naturalistic world, we need a sound mix, with ambient noise, cues, music, and room tone.
Color Correction
Costs $300
We need to do some color correction, to really make that rainbow pop!
Festival Submissions
Costs $600
We'll submit the movie to festivals around the country, to share it with a massive audience.
Travel
Costs $1,000
We'll travel to film festivals to build our community and engage with our audience.
Contingency
Costs $600
Production taught us to anticipate additional costs, essential to realize our vision.
Marketing and Staff
Costs $1,000
We need to pay the creative team, and marketing department to promote the film.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
James Patrick Nelson is an actor/screenwriter based in NYC. He has appeared in numerous Off-Broadway plays including The Three Sisters with Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard, A Midsummer Night's Dream with Bebe Neuwirth and Christina Ricci, and Ivanov with Ethan Hawke and Joely Richardson, among many others. He won a Helen Hayes Award for Bedlam's Sense and Sensibility at the Folger Theater, reprised at the American Repertory Theatre, and he starred in Bedlam's sold-out hit Pygmalion. He just recently starred in the world premiere of Immortal Longings by Tony-winner Terrence McNally. He wrote the screenplay for "The Second Sun," which played in NY and LA and streams on Amazon. He wrote/stars in the thriller "Adam," and he stars in the sci-fi feature "Being" with Lance Henriksen and Robert Burke, and the comedy feature "Love in Kilnerry," which premiered at the SoHo International Film Festival. He recently performed the solo show Speak What We Feel, adapted from the novel he co-authored with/about the great Broadway legend Brian Murray. Visit www.james-patrick-nelson.com and follow @jamespatricknelson
Adam Khan is a Director/Director of Photography. His work strives to bend the rules within the medium. Khan’s portfolio comprises of everything from short films to music videos, to commercials, to fashion. Throughout his career he has won several awards. One of his latest music videos “Stairwell My Love” received 1st place at “Silver Sound Showdown”. Khan is excited to push the boundaries of story telling and camera movement in “Waking Up”. Visit www.khan-flix.com and follow @khan_flix
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Last fall, an incredible community of people came together to support the LGBT short film "Waking Up," an irreverent and heartfelt personal story striving to paint a complex, nuanced portrait of intergenerational queer experiences in a single shot!
Bolstered by your enthusiasm, your generosity, and your faith, my team and I went into production!
At a wonderful location, with an incredible camera team, art director, sound operator, production assistant, make-up artist, and cast mate, this story came to life in a single day!
THE STORY
When Uncle Louis was taken away to the hospital in an ambulance, his phone fell out of his pocket. When his nephew Jasper picked it up, he saw graphic bear daddy porn! Struggling with his own sexuality, Jasper never suspected that his uncle was also gay, but he's thrilled to have someone in the family to talk to.
Eager to make a connection, Jasper goes to his uncle's bedside and talks about all the hilarious and painful challenges of the LGBT experience. It starts off awkward and absurb, talking about porn fantasies, gay bars, and hook-up culture. But it gradually turns into a surprisingly vulnerable confession about the responsibility of privilege, and the struggle to build a community and to find love in a digital age.
THE MOMENT
The LGBT community has made enormous progress in the last several years - progress that an older generation might never have imagined possible.
And so, in spite of our progress, how do we face the persistent challenges of life? How do we build community, without the bonds of oppression? How do we find love, in a world where everyone is buried in their phone? How do we honor the older generation, who fought so hard for our civil rights? And how do we pick ourselves up, when we fall down again and again?
THE INSPIRATION
Taking it's inspiration from the groundbreaking tragicomic short film "Thunder Road" by actor/writer/director Jim Cummings, "Waking Up" is a one-shot film, moving slowly from a wide shot to a close-up. This sustained unedited portrait will challenge the audience to sit in their discomfort and look past their stereotypes and reckon with a character full of condractions.
I spent a year with the legendary Broadway actor/director Brian Murray, co-authoring his autobiography "Speak What We Feel". Listening to his stories about being closeted in the 1950's and 60's, I realized how fortunate I am to be living in a time when queer people have so much more agency, resources, and equality. And yet, Brian talked about his romantic history with a sense of adventure I still struggle to find for myself. This was the inspiration for "Waking Up," a story about a younger gay man sitting with an older gay man, reckoning with all the disparity of their experiences.
THE NEXT STEP
Now, that we've shot the film, we need to go into post-production!
First and foremost, we need to crop in the resolution from 6K to 4K, tightening the medium shot into a close-up.
We also need to do some color correction, sound mixing, and laying in a music track.
The film will feature a beautiful guitar orchestration by a remarkable young musician Kevin Sherwin. Check out more of his music here: kevinsherwin.com
And once post-production is complete, we look forward to sending the movie to festivals around the world!!!
THE GOAL
"Waking Up" strives to bring a new voice to LGBT cinema. While representation has increased considerably, queer characters on film still conform to various heteronormative stereotypes, and the most visible work still features mostly heterosexual actors.
We need more queer stories by queer people. As an out and proud gay man, I want to tell an LGBT story that is unfiltered and uncompromising, with all the authority of my own personal experience.
THE CAMPAIGN
This community made it possible for "Waking Up" to go into production. Now I'm asking you to bring us over the finish line.
Your generous contributions will fund our post-production work and our festival submissions, so we can make the best movie we can make, and share it with as many people as possible.
I am so thankful to have you on my team!
- James Patrick Nelson
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Editing
Costs $500
To emphasize the intimacy of the story, we need to crop in the resolution - to tighten the close-up.
Sound Mix
Costs $500
To create a naturalistic world, we need a sound mix, with ambient noise, cues, music, and room tone.
Color Correction
Costs $300
We need to do some color correction, to really make that rainbow pop!
Festival Submissions
Costs $600
We'll submit the movie to festivals around the country, to share it with a massive audience.
Travel
Costs $1,000
We'll travel to film festivals to build our community and engage with our audience.
Contingency
Costs $600
Production taught us to anticipate additional costs, essential to realize our vision.
Marketing and Staff
Costs $1,000
We need to pay the creative team, and marketing department to promote the film.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
James Patrick Nelson is an actor/screenwriter based in NYC. He has appeared in numerous Off-Broadway plays including The Three Sisters with Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard, A Midsummer Night's Dream with Bebe Neuwirth and Christina Ricci, and Ivanov with Ethan Hawke and Joely Richardson, among many others. He won a Helen Hayes Award for Bedlam's Sense and Sensibility at the Folger Theater, reprised at the American Repertory Theatre, and he starred in Bedlam's sold-out hit Pygmalion. He just recently starred in the world premiere of Immortal Longings by Tony-winner Terrence McNally. He wrote the screenplay for "The Second Sun," which played in NY and LA and streams on Amazon. He wrote/stars in the thriller "Adam," and he stars in the sci-fi feature "Being" with Lance Henriksen and Robert Burke, and the comedy feature "Love in Kilnerry," which premiered at the SoHo International Film Festival. He recently performed the solo show Speak What We Feel, adapted from the novel he co-authored with/about the great Broadway legend Brian Murray. Visit www.james-patrick-nelson.com and follow @jamespatricknelson
Adam Khan is a Director/Director of Photography. His work strives to bend the rules within the medium. Khan’s portfolio comprises of everything from short films to music videos, to commercials, to fashion. Throughout his career he has won several awards. One of his latest music videos “Stairwell My Love” received 1st place at “Silver Sound Showdown”. Khan is excited to push the boundaries of story telling and camera movement in “Waking Up”. Visit www.khan-flix.com and follow @khan_flix