When Life Gives You A Lawnmower
Chicago, Illinois | Film Short
Comedy, Horror
Enter Dick, a blatant misogynist with a superiority complex who just can't get his lawnmower started. Next, his wife Brenda, an innocent housewife who only wants her yard looking as best it can for company arriving soon. Then, a terrible accident ensues and Dick gets exactly what's coming to him.
When Life Gives You A Lawnmower
Chicago, Illinois | Film Short
Comedy, Horror
2 Campaigns | Illinois, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $6,100 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
54 supporters | followers
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Enter Dick, a blatant misogynist with a superiority complex who just can't get his lawnmower started. Next, his wife Brenda, an innocent housewife who only wants her yard looking as best it can for company arriving soon. Then, a terrible accident ensues and Dick gets exactly what's coming to him.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Please consider donating to Moon Abbott's upcoming short film When Life Gives You A Lawnmower! You'd be directly supporting queer artists and art that exposes patriarchal systems.
What exactly is When Life Gives You A Lawnmower?
When Life Gives You A Lawnmower is a short horror comedy with no dialogue. Written and Directed by Moon Abbott, whose previous award-wining works include Rebound and Closet Door, this film examines American marriage dynamics in terms of gender roles. Told through a mixture of comedy and horror/gore, When Life Gives You A Lawnmower aims to create a narrative that exposes, and satirizes, the misogynist past of America.
LOGLINE: Things go awry as 1950s couple Dick and Brenda prepare for company.
SYNOPSIS: Enter Dick, a blatant misogynist with a superiority complex who just can't get his lawnmower started. Next, his wife Brenda, an innocent housewife who only wants her yard looking as best it can for company arriving soon. Then, a terrible accident ensues and Dick gets exactly what's coming to him.
GENRES: Dark comedy, horror, thriller
THEMES: Misogyny, patriarchy, American family dynamics
AUDIENCE: Ages 18+, feminists, enthusiasts of horror/gore
Meet the characters of When Life Gives You A Lawnmower:
"DICK" - stereotypical 1950s husband, self-entitled, misogynistic
"BRENDA" - stereotypical 1950s housewife, meticulous, innocent
The Logistics:
When Life Gives You A Lawnmower is currently in pre-production. The film will be shooting in September 2024 and will be completed early 2025.
Our crew is partially based in Chicago and partially based in Detroit. We will be shooting in the Metro-Detroit area and completing the film in Chicago.
We are asking for a total of $7000 to meet our basic needs for this project. Should we exceed our goal, we plan on raising crew wages and/or hiring more crew to ensure the best execution of the film as possible, as well as submitting to more film festivals to increase our chances of screening our film in theaters!
Writer/Director statement:
As a non-binary person myself, my art often explores the concepts of gender and sexuality from various, authentic, and historical perspectives. When Life Gives You A Lawnmower exposes the patriarchal American dynamic of the 1950s and thus turns it on its head with the combination of comedy and gore. I believe it is important to acknowledge the misogynistic past of America, and When Life Gives You A Lawnmower does just that. At the same time, there is a comedic element, keeping the film from being uncomfortably heavy. Ultimately, When Life Gives You a Lawnmower brings to light a dark situation in a thrilling, entertaining way.
Want to read the script?
---
We hope you consider supporting our project! :)
Live, Laugh, Lawnmower. ❤️
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Crew Wages
Costs $3,000
Crew members usually work for free on shorts. Let's change that. Keep queer artists housed, fed, and employed!
Food + Craft Services
Costs $500
In order to function to the fullest on set, the cast+crew must be fed. Help us ensure this happens!
Props & Set
Costs $1,000
There are some essential props and set pieces needed to make this film. Please help us secure them!
Equipment
Costs $1,500
Please consider helping us rent some equipment in order to make this film visually striking.
SFX
Costs $500
Gore is an essential element in this film. Please consider helping us achieve our practical effects.
Distribution
Costs $500
In order to ensure the proper audiences see the film, we must submit to the most appropriate film festivals. Help us make this happen!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
When Life Gives You A Lawnmower will have a primarily queer crew. On typical short film shoots, most crew members and actors tend to work for free. By donating to our campaign, you could change that for our crew. Help keep queer artists housed and fed by directly contributing to the crew's compensation!
Meet some of our key cast and crew members below:
Writer/Director/Producer - Moon Abbott (they/them)
Moon Abbott is a non-binary creative with a focus in writing and filmmaking currently based in Chicago, IL but originally from the metro-Detroit area. Their creative work often examines the concepts of gender and sexuality from various, authentic, and historical perspectives. They have a Bachelor’s Degree in Cinema Art + Science with a Minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Columbia College Chicago. Their portfolio includes a plethora of award-winning short films, screenplays, stage plays, and published articles and analyses. They are also the founder of a Chicago-based film festival called New Generation Filmmakers Forum.
"Dick" - Chris Larson (he/him)
Chris Larson (he/him) is based in Chicago and hails from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Most often you’ll find him performing improv and sketch comedy. He loves chocolate and George Michael, and he is 5’11 on a good day. Chris looks up to Jim Carrey (the old stuff) and just recently watched The Mask for the first time this year as he has been told he is a Stanley Ipkiss type.
"Brenda" - Bethany Schmieder (any/all)
Based in Chicago but originally from Iowa, Bethany Schmieder (any/all) is a performer within the Chicago comedy scene. Bethany is also stage manager and special education classroom assistant. They love bees and flowers and their favorite dinosaur is the quetzalcoatlus. When Life Gives You A Lawnmower will be Bethany’s first short film in which they are not covered entirely in peanut butter.
Producer - Alyssa Rae Thomas (she/they)
Alyssa Rae Thomas (she/they) is a filmmaker and choreographer from Southgate, Michigan. She holds a double BA in Film, TV, & Media and Art History from the University of Michigan, where she was a recipient of the 2022-23 John H. and Patricia W. Mitchell Scholarship. She has written and directed several short films as well as choreographed for both the screen and the stage, and her work often focuses around issues of body image, mental health, and gender nonconformity.
Director of Photography - Sam Tudor-Hidy (he/him)
Sam Tudor-Hidy is a professional Steadicam and Jib operator mostly for live television. He moved to Chicago from Seattle in order to attend Columbia College. After graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Cinema Arts and Sciences he began working at a studio for Stadium in the United Center and has recently begun operating at the Big 10 Network. On the side Sam has produced some short films including Rebound with Moon Abbott. In the future Sam hopes to take his camera operating abilities further into the world of sports television as well as feature films.
Production Designer - Judas Gray (they/them)
Judas Gray (they/them) has done makeup for multiple short films in the past including I Wish I Had Her Body and Makeup Tips For The Aging Ghost. They also have 4 years of experience in doing makeup for haunted houses and have experience as a costume designer for the stage. When Life Gives You A Lawnmower will be their first film in which they take on the role of Production Designer. They are based in Ypsilanti, MI.
Editor/Script Supervisor - Nadeen Alwan (they/them)
Nadeen Alwan is a video editor, videographer, and documentary filmmaker based in Chicago. They're most interested in stories that focus around the intersection of class, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality, primarily within the Arab world in an effort to push the boundaries of the kinds of representation we see on screen. They have worked on the short film Rebound (2023) as editor and colorist, as well as the short documentary House Of Ubae (2022) as colorist. Additionally, they work as a freelance videographer and editor for On The Real Films. They are currently a Technical Operations Specialist at Stadium.
Assistant Director - Kaitlyn Cross (she/her)
Kaitlyn Cross (she/her) is a theater performer and kindergarten teacher based in Southeast Michigan. She has acted in award winning short films by both Moon Abbott, Nadeen Alwan, and Alyssa Rae Thomas. She has worked as an actor, director, and assistant director in multiple theatrical productions. Kaitlyn loves sharks and is a Virgo. Gay rights!
Music Composer - Desmond Inglis
Graphic Designer - Nathan Abbott (he/him)
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Please consider donating to Moon Abbott's upcoming short film When Life Gives You A Lawnmower! You'd be directly supporting queer artists and art that exposes patriarchal systems.
What exactly is When Life Gives You A Lawnmower?
When Life Gives You A Lawnmower is a short horror comedy with no dialogue. Written and Directed by Moon Abbott, whose previous award-wining works include Rebound and Closet Door, this film examines American marriage dynamics in terms of gender roles. Told through a mixture of comedy and horror/gore, When Life Gives You A Lawnmower aims to create a narrative that exposes, and satirizes, the misogynist past of America.
LOGLINE: Things go awry as 1950s couple Dick and Brenda prepare for company.
SYNOPSIS: Enter Dick, a blatant misogynist with a superiority complex who just can't get his lawnmower started. Next, his wife Brenda, an innocent housewife who only wants her yard looking as best it can for company arriving soon. Then, a terrible accident ensues and Dick gets exactly what's coming to him.
GENRES: Dark comedy, horror, thriller
THEMES: Misogyny, patriarchy, American family dynamics
AUDIENCE: Ages 18+, feminists, enthusiasts of horror/gore
Meet the characters of When Life Gives You A Lawnmower:
"DICK" - stereotypical 1950s husband, self-entitled, misogynistic
"BRENDA" - stereotypical 1950s housewife, meticulous, innocent
The Logistics:
When Life Gives You A Lawnmower is currently in pre-production. The film will be shooting in September 2024 and will be completed early 2025.
Our crew is partially based in Chicago and partially based in Detroit. We will be shooting in the Metro-Detroit area and completing the film in Chicago.
We are asking for a total of $7000 to meet our basic needs for this project. Should we exceed our goal, we plan on raising crew wages and/or hiring more crew to ensure the best execution of the film as possible, as well as submitting to more film festivals to increase our chances of screening our film in theaters!
Writer/Director statement:
As a non-binary person myself, my art often explores the concepts of gender and sexuality from various, authentic, and historical perspectives. When Life Gives You A Lawnmower exposes the patriarchal American dynamic of the 1950s and thus turns it on its head with the combination of comedy and gore. I believe it is important to acknowledge the misogynistic past of America, and When Life Gives You A Lawnmower does just that. At the same time, there is a comedic element, keeping the film from being uncomfortably heavy. Ultimately, When Life Gives You a Lawnmower brings to light a dark situation in a thrilling, entertaining way.
Want to read the script?
---
We hope you consider supporting our project! :)
Live, Laugh, Lawnmower. ❤️
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Crew Wages
Costs $3,000
Crew members usually work for free on shorts. Let's change that. Keep queer artists housed, fed, and employed!
Food + Craft Services
Costs $500
In order to function to the fullest on set, the cast+crew must be fed. Help us ensure this happens!
Props & Set
Costs $1,000
There are some essential props and set pieces needed to make this film. Please help us secure them!
Equipment
Costs $1,500
Please consider helping us rent some equipment in order to make this film visually striking.
SFX
Costs $500
Gore is an essential element in this film. Please consider helping us achieve our practical effects.
Distribution
Costs $500
In order to ensure the proper audiences see the film, we must submit to the most appropriate film festivals. Help us make this happen!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
When Life Gives You A Lawnmower will have a primarily queer crew. On typical short film shoots, most crew members and actors tend to work for free. By donating to our campaign, you could change that for our crew. Help keep queer artists housed and fed by directly contributing to the crew's compensation!
Meet some of our key cast and crew members below:
Writer/Director/Producer - Moon Abbott (they/them)
Moon Abbott is a non-binary creative with a focus in writing and filmmaking currently based in Chicago, IL but originally from the metro-Detroit area. Their creative work often examines the concepts of gender and sexuality from various, authentic, and historical perspectives. They have a Bachelor’s Degree in Cinema Art + Science with a Minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Columbia College Chicago. Their portfolio includes a plethora of award-winning short films, screenplays, stage plays, and published articles and analyses. They are also the founder of a Chicago-based film festival called New Generation Filmmakers Forum.
"Dick" - Chris Larson (he/him)
Chris Larson (he/him) is based in Chicago and hails from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Most often you’ll find him performing improv and sketch comedy. He loves chocolate and George Michael, and he is 5’11 on a good day. Chris looks up to Jim Carrey (the old stuff) and just recently watched The Mask for the first time this year as he has been told he is a Stanley Ipkiss type.
"Brenda" - Bethany Schmieder (any/all)
Based in Chicago but originally from Iowa, Bethany Schmieder (any/all) is a performer within the Chicago comedy scene. Bethany is also stage manager and special education classroom assistant. They love bees and flowers and their favorite dinosaur is the quetzalcoatlus. When Life Gives You A Lawnmower will be Bethany’s first short film in which they are not covered entirely in peanut butter.
Producer - Alyssa Rae Thomas (she/they)
Alyssa Rae Thomas (she/they) is a filmmaker and choreographer from Southgate, Michigan. She holds a double BA in Film, TV, & Media and Art History from the University of Michigan, where she was a recipient of the 2022-23 John H. and Patricia W. Mitchell Scholarship. She has written and directed several short films as well as choreographed for both the screen and the stage, and her work often focuses around issues of body image, mental health, and gender nonconformity.
Director of Photography - Sam Tudor-Hidy (he/him)
Sam Tudor-Hidy is a professional Steadicam and Jib operator mostly for live television. He moved to Chicago from Seattle in order to attend Columbia College. After graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Cinema Arts and Sciences he began working at a studio for Stadium in the United Center and has recently begun operating at the Big 10 Network. On the side Sam has produced some short films including Rebound with Moon Abbott. In the future Sam hopes to take his camera operating abilities further into the world of sports television as well as feature films.
Production Designer - Judas Gray (they/them)
Judas Gray (they/them) has done makeup for multiple short films in the past including I Wish I Had Her Body and Makeup Tips For The Aging Ghost. They also have 4 years of experience in doing makeup for haunted houses and have experience as a costume designer for the stage. When Life Gives You A Lawnmower will be their first film in which they take on the role of Production Designer. They are based in Ypsilanti, MI.
Editor/Script Supervisor - Nadeen Alwan (they/them)
Nadeen Alwan is a video editor, videographer, and documentary filmmaker based in Chicago. They're most interested in stories that focus around the intersection of class, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality, primarily within the Arab world in an effort to push the boundaries of the kinds of representation we see on screen. They have worked on the short film Rebound (2023) as editor and colorist, as well as the short documentary House Of Ubae (2022) as colorist. Additionally, they work as a freelance videographer and editor for On The Real Films. They are currently a Technical Operations Specialist at Stadium.
Assistant Director - Kaitlyn Cross (she/her)
Kaitlyn Cross (she/her) is a theater performer and kindergarten teacher based in Southeast Michigan. She has acted in award winning short films by both Moon Abbott, Nadeen Alwan, and Alyssa Rae Thomas. She has worked as an actor, director, and assistant director in multiple theatrical productions. Kaitlyn loves sharks and is a Virgo. Gay rights!
Music Composer - Desmond Inglis
Graphic Designer - Nathan Abbott (he/him)