Youth Chapter
Los Angeles, California | Music Video
Drama, Romance
A daydreamer obsessed with K-dramas risks it all for her first crush, only to discover that real love doesn’t follow a script.
Youth Chapter
Los Angeles, California | Music Video
Drama, Romance
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $6,779 for pre-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
46 supporters | followers
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A daydreamer obsessed with K-dramas risks it all for her first crush, only to discover that real love doesn’t follow a script.
Participating In
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
A hopeless romantic daydreams about a perfect K-drama romance with her first crush. When her grand confession crashes into reality, she's forced to choose: cling to fantasy, or risk her heart on something real.
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Set in the 1990s, Youth Chapter: First Encounter follows Mina, a day-dreaming high school girl who views love through the lens of K-dramas and romance manga. When she confesses to her first crush, Jay, and gets rejected, it sends her spiraling. The glossy fairytale she envisioned collapses, but from the wreckage, a new chapter quietly begins when Tim enters the picture and the cycle starts again. It’s a coming-of-age tale about growing through heartbreak, reclaiming identity, and the power of magical stories.
Writer's Statement
This story is for the hopeless romantics—the ones who grew up writing diary entries about crushes that lasted a week, the ones who believed every love story had to be dramatic to be real. I was one of those girls. With Youth Chapter, I wanted to explore the line between romantic fantasy and reality, especially through the eyes of a teenage girl raised on stories that promised magic, only to find real emotions are messier—and much more powerful.
This is also a love letter to the 90s: the music, the handheld cameras, the emotional vulnerability of mixtapes and scribbled letters. I hope it makes people laugh, cry, and remember the first time they thought they were in love.
Actor's Statement
I just finished my most recent broadway contract and have finally come back home to California. I left for New York straight out of highschool and made my Broadway debut at 18 years old with the show Kpop Broadway. I was the youngest and the least experienced. Everyone I was working with had either done this before, or have been in the industry of entertainment way longer than me. Sadly, our show closed after 2 weeks of being open to the public. Our story was not able to be shared and there is no way to bring it back. This was the first ever Korean story to be put on broadway, and because we were small, we were not seen. I want to make our stories seen. Now it’s my turn to write the story, and I want to make sure everyone sees and hears it.
Director's Statement
As an Asian-American kid in the ’90s, I rarely saw myself in mainstream stories. So I disappeared into K-pop, K-dramas, manga, and anime, where emotions were bigger, love was fiercer, and heartbreak felt like the end of the world. This story is an ode to that time: to the awkward dreamers who loved too hard, the quiet romantics who hid behind sketchbooks, and the resilience it takes to piece yourself back together when fantasy crashes into reality. Youth Chapter is for anyone who’s ever wished life was more like the stories that saved them.
At its core, our film explores how we navigate the gap between fantasy and reality. Mina lives in two worlds:
The K-Drama Dream: Where every glance feels magical, sunlight always hits perfectly, and love follows a script. Visually, this world glows with soft lighting, smooth camera movements, and nostalgic pastels.
The Beautiful Mess of Reality: Where confessions go awkwardly wrong, makeup runs with tears, and the right person might have been there all along. These moments feel raw and authentic, captured with handheld retro camerawork and raw textures.
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OUR GOAL: $6500
This covers the core costs of bringing Mina's story to life:
• Equipment rentals
• Fair wages for our talented cast and crew
• Two shoot days
• Meals/craft services to keep everyone well fed
OUR K-DRAMA DREAM STRETCH GOAL: $10000
With additional funds, we'll be able to make the full out K-Drama of our dreams:
• Professional period-accurate '90s production design (make our locations truly look straight from the 90s!)
• Upgraded cameras for that true glossy, dreamy K-drama look
• VFX for Mina's surreal romantic day dream sequences
• A companion epilogue film catching up with our characters in the present day!
We're bringing this story to life during a two day shoot in SUMMER 2025. Every dollar raised goes directly toward creating something special. From 90s production details to making sure our hard-working crew gets proper meals. We believe in ambitious storytelling paired with ethical production values.
This isn't just about making a film. It's about creating a positive experience that shows in every frame. With your help, we can tell Mina's story the way it deserves to be told.
Contribute
Every dollar helps bring this story to life. Choose from our rewards or pledge any amount. Whether it's $5 or $500, your support makes a difference.
Share
Help us reach more hopeless romantics! Share this campaign with friends who still remember their first heartbreak.
Follow
For updates, please follow our campaign on Seed&Spark. You can also follow us individually on Instagram for special behind the scenes posts:
Kate @kateminalin
Gino @ginobot
We appreciate your time and support!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Location, Transportation, & Meals
Costs $700
Fuel our team and get them to set as we film in classrooms and hallways that make Mina's daydreams feel tangible.
Cast & Crew
Costs $3,000
Pays the talented people who’ll turn these school corridors and sun-dappled courtyards into a visual love letter to the 90s.
Equipment Rentals
Costs $2,000
Covers the gear to bring our 90's high school K-drama to life.
Production Design
Costs $800
Set dressing to transform our location into a high school straight from a 90's K-drama.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
KATE MINA LIN, Producer, Writer, Actor
Kate is a Broadway alum and an active, working actress based in LA. She is most known for originating her role Miyeon (a member of the girl group RTMIS) in the new Broadway production, KPOP, written by Jason Kim, which unfortunately closed early in November 2022. She quickly joined the Broadway production of &Juliet till the end of 2024. Kate has been featured on Amazon Prime’s “Forever,” Nickelodeon’s “Nicky, Ricky, Dicky, and Dawn,” Netflix’s “Dirty John,” “Meet the Washingtons” and Disney’s “Coop and Cami Ask the World.” She made her film debut playing the role of Ava Flynn in “Deadly Inn” (Lifetime Network). She recently just released her debut single "WILD" with Gino Click as Director, and will be releasing more music in the future. When she is not working, she takes dance classes, plays with photography, or goes out to eat good food.
GINO CLICK, Director
Gino is an Emmy-nominated Creative Director and Filmmaker based in Brooklyn NY. He has written award-winning commercials and campaigns for dozens of brands including Budweiser, Converse, Expedia, Puma, and The Asian American Foundation. As a filmmaker, his focus on telling bright colorful stories that center underrepresented people. His recent directing projects include commercial work for Olipop, independent short films HYPEBOYS and MIDNIGHT FICTION as well as the music video for WILD by Kate Mina Lin. When he's not writing or directing, you can find him making TikToks with his cat Gary.
FRANK SUN, Director of Photography
Frank began his career shaping story on EMMY WINNING CBS’s Survivor. From there, he transitioned into directing and shooting commercial and branded work, with clients including Peloton, Ralph Lauren, Lexus, NYFW, etc. His visual style balances raw intimacy with cinematic polish, rooted in a deep curiosity for people and place. He has shot feature films acquired by Amazon and Netflix. His music video work has been exhibited at SFMOMA, Zaha Hadid Gallery, and the Cooper Hewitt. Frank is focused on developing original narrative work as a director and lensing commercial work as a cinematographer. His current slate of shorts and a debut feature explores ambition, abandonment, and cultural tension through drama and comedy. WE ARE KINGS, a short film which Frank wrote and directed, will premier in the 2025 Tribeca festival. When Frank is not working, he volunteers as a Wikipedia photographer, chef, and spinning an occasional DJ set at your local midsized non-ticketed party.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
A hopeless romantic daydreams about a perfect K-drama romance with her first crush. When her grand confession crashes into reality, she's forced to choose: cling to fantasy, or risk her heart on something real.
Set in the 1990s, Youth Chapter: First Encounter follows Mina, a day-dreaming high school girl who views love through the lens of K-dramas and romance manga. When she confesses to her first crush, Jay, and gets rejected, it sends her spiraling. The glossy fairytale she envisioned collapses, but from the wreckage, a new chapter quietly begins when Tim enters the picture and the cycle starts again. It’s a coming-of-age tale about growing through heartbreak, reclaiming identity, and the power of magical stories.
Writer's Statement
This story is for the hopeless romantics—the ones who grew up writing diary entries about crushes that lasted a week, the ones who believed every love story had to be dramatic to be real. I was one of those girls. With Youth Chapter, I wanted to explore the line between romantic fantasy and reality, especially through the eyes of a teenage girl raised on stories that promised magic, only to find real emotions are messier—and much more powerful.
This is also a love letter to the 90s: the music, the handheld cameras, the emotional vulnerability of mixtapes and scribbled letters. I hope it makes people laugh, cry, and remember the first time they thought they were in love.
Actor's Statement
I just finished my most recent broadway contract and have finally come back home to California. I left for New York straight out of highschool and made my Broadway debut at 18 years old with the show Kpop Broadway. I was the youngest and the least experienced. Everyone I was working with had either done this before, or have been in the industry of entertainment way longer than me. Sadly, our show closed after 2 weeks of being open to the public. Our story was not able to be shared and there is no way to bring it back. This was the first ever Korean story to be put on broadway, and because we were small, we were not seen. I want to make our stories seen. Now it’s my turn to write the story, and I want to make sure everyone sees and hears it.
Director's Statement
As an Asian-American kid in the ’90s, I rarely saw myself in mainstream stories. So I disappeared into K-pop, K-dramas, manga, and anime, where emotions were bigger, love was fiercer, and heartbreak felt like the end of the world. This story is an ode to that time: to the awkward dreamers who loved too hard, the quiet romantics who hid behind sketchbooks, and the resilience it takes to piece yourself back together when fantasy crashes into reality. Youth Chapter is for anyone who’s ever wished life was more like the stories that saved them.
At its core, our film explores how we navigate the gap between fantasy and reality. Mina lives in two worlds:
The K-Drama Dream: Where every glance feels magical, sunlight always hits perfectly, and love follows a script. Visually, this world glows with soft lighting, smooth camera movements, and nostalgic pastels.
The Beautiful Mess of Reality: Where confessions go awkwardly wrong, makeup runs with tears, and the right person might have been there all along. These moments feel raw and authentic, captured with handheld retro camerawork and raw textures.
OUR GOAL: $6500
This covers the core costs of bringing Mina's story to life:
• Equipment rentals
• Fair wages for our talented cast and crew
• Two shoot days
• Meals/craft services to keep everyone well fed
OUR K-DRAMA DREAM STRETCH GOAL: $10000
With additional funds, we'll be able to make the full out K-Drama of our dreams:
• Professional period-accurate '90s production design (make our locations truly look straight from the 90s!)
• Upgraded cameras for that true glossy, dreamy K-drama look
• VFX for Mina's surreal romantic day dream sequences
• A companion epilogue film catching up with our characters in the present day!
We're bringing this story to life during a two day shoot in SUMMER 2025. Every dollar raised goes directly toward creating something special. From 90s production details to making sure our hard-working crew gets proper meals. We believe in ambitious storytelling paired with ethical production values.
This isn't just about making a film. It's about creating a positive experience that shows in every frame. With your help, we can tell Mina's story the way it deserves to be told.
Contribute
Every dollar helps bring this story to life. Choose from our rewards or pledge any amount. Whether it's $5 or $500, your support makes a difference.
Share
Help us reach more hopeless romantics! Share this campaign with friends who still remember their first heartbreak.
Follow
For updates, please follow our campaign on Seed&Spark. You can also follow us individually on Instagram for special behind the scenes posts:
Kate @kateminalin
Gino @ginobot
We appreciate your time and support!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Location, Transportation, & Meals
Costs $700
Fuel our team and get them to set as we film in classrooms and hallways that make Mina's daydreams feel tangible.
Cast & Crew
Costs $3,000
Pays the talented people who’ll turn these school corridors and sun-dappled courtyards into a visual love letter to the 90s.
Equipment Rentals
Costs $2,000
Covers the gear to bring our 90's high school K-drama to life.
Production Design
Costs $800
Set dressing to transform our location into a high school straight from a 90's K-drama.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
KATE MINA LIN, Producer, Writer, Actor
Kate is a Broadway alum and an active, working actress based in LA. She is most known for originating her role Miyeon (a member of the girl group RTMIS) in the new Broadway production, KPOP, written by Jason Kim, which unfortunately closed early in November 2022. She quickly joined the Broadway production of &Juliet till the end of 2024. Kate has been featured on Amazon Prime’s “Forever,” Nickelodeon’s “Nicky, Ricky, Dicky, and Dawn,” Netflix’s “Dirty John,” “Meet the Washingtons” and Disney’s “Coop and Cami Ask the World.” She made her film debut playing the role of Ava Flynn in “Deadly Inn” (Lifetime Network). She recently just released her debut single "WILD" with Gino Click as Director, and will be releasing more music in the future. When she is not working, she takes dance classes, plays with photography, or goes out to eat good food.
GINO CLICK, Director
Gino is an Emmy-nominated Creative Director and Filmmaker based in Brooklyn NY. He has written award-winning commercials and campaigns for dozens of brands including Budweiser, Converse, Expedia, Puma, and The Asian American Foundation. As a filmmaker, his focus on telling bright colorful stories that center underrepresented people. His recent directing projects include commercial work for Olipop, independent short films HYPEBOYS and MIDNIGHT FICTION as well as the music video for WILD by Kate Mina Lin. When he's not writing or directing, you can find him making TikToks with his cat Gary.
FRANK SUN, Director of Photography
Frank began his career shaping story on EMMY WINNING CBS’s Survivor. From there, he transitioned into directing and shooting commercial and branded work, with clients including Peloton, Ralph Lauren, Lexus, NYFW, etc. His visual style balances raw intimacy with cinematic polish, rooted in a deep curiosity for people and place. He has shot feature films acquired by Amazon and Netflix. His music video work has been exhibited at SFMOMA, Zaha Hadid Gallery, and the Cooper Hewitt. Frank is focused on developing original narrative work as a director and lensing commercial work as a cinematographer. His current slate of shorts and a debut feature explores ambition, abandonment, and cultural tension through drama and comedy. WE ARE KINGS, a short film which Frank wrote and directed, will premier in the 2025 Tribeca festival. When Frank is not working, he volunteers as a Wikipedia photographer, chef, and spinning an occasional DJ set at your local midsized non-ticketed party.