Kickstarter

"What's the solution to more accurate representations of women in media today? Well more and more women need to get behind the cameras, write the scripts and make the women we see match the women we are."

WHO

We're two women in our mid-20s who look at mainstream entertainment today and wonder: where are the women like us?

The characters we see are painfully one dimensional, small snippets of the glorious female life that could and should be celebrated with all its complexities and without unnecessary value judgments.

Imagine what it's like growing up watching the unnatural stereotypes that pose as complete women. Imagine how the stereotypes seep into your own understanding of gender and relationships, of identity, of purpose. Imagine what it's like growing up female when all the ads in every magazine are so perfectly photoshopped and many of the (largely voiceless, unimportant) women on TV have a body weight so low that they can't even menstruate - yeah, it's serious, it's insulting and it's adversely affecting not only our generation but also the next generation of kids who have had an even heavier dose of “reality” TV.

How do we know? Well...

WHAT

(We know lots of people don't want to listen to the messages everyone receives from the media and we know equal numbers of people think that everything is "just fine" - all we can say to that is, no, things are not fine and that's very well understood in the study of media literacy, culture and gender.)

Things aren't "fine," in fact:

-      At age seven young girls and boys equally say they want to be President of the United States. However, just eight years later, at the age of 15, those same girls claim to no longer "care."

-      At least 92% of girls admit to being dissatisfied with their bodies; in fact girls first start dieting at age seven in overwhelming numbers.

-      And finally one in five women in the US has been sexually assaulted and in college the odds are one in three - however, by overwhelming numbers, girls and women do not report rape.

Why? Perhaps in our society we victimize the female, assuming she must have "asked for it" in some way; perhaps our society teaches, yes teaches, body dissatisfaction and the tools of the dieting trade; perhaps our society pokes fun of women in power, delegitimizes them, and in turn says that the female intellectual does not matter. 

And perhaps the mainstream entertainment is the root of the problem.

WHERE

Over the past few months we began an online media campaign called "Brain Versus Body" to encourage media consumers to recognize that, as women, we don't have to chose between our brains and our bodies; in fact we can have both. In addition, we shot a series of five shorts, "The Damsel Collections," that frame the five major stereotypes of women in mass media: virgin versus whore, home-maker versus home-wrecker, women full of emotion versus women without emotion, type-A versus drop out, cheerleader versus nerd. 

Why did we make these shorts? Well, there are awesome nonprofits and media literacy thinkers throughout the country addressing lots of the issues above; however, as filmmakers, we felt a responsibility to look at the most basic storytelling conventions and stereotypes and find our part in the mess. When we did, we not only found the five stereotypes but also found an overwhelming generalization of women within media. We also saw an opportunity to expose this stereotype.

That's what "And So I Close My Eyes" is for. It's a feature length film that explores the after-effects of a young woman, Jamie, who experiences a traumatic event and, in the process of recovery, learns that she is "expected" to face her healing in one of three ways: to fight, to survive or to become the victim. To decide whom she is supposed to live up to in terms of her recovery, Jamie sinks into a film-noir, dreamy exposé where she literally puts the femme fatale in a room with the "female victim" and the "acting like the boys" female survivor. Who is Jamie supposed to be? The film is an exploration of female stereotypes and the societal expectations of who we are supposed to be “when we grow up.” Lots of attention has gone into making sure that there are no negative messages within the script however *spoiler* some female stereotypes are used thoughtfully to convey our larger message: stereotypes do not work.

WHY

It's a simple question: how much is the female voice framed in the male-dominated culture we live in? And how do we fix it? We can start with making new stories from a truly female perspective, from women versed in media literacy whose top priority is to have authentic female voices be heard. We can start with us.

HOW

On our team is LAURA VOGELS, the producer for "And So I Close My Eyes" and one-part of the "Brain Versus Body" campaign. By her side is JORDAN LEE KNAPE, the writer/director for "And So I Close My Eyes" and the other part of the "Brain Versus Body" campaign. By her side is SELIM BENHABIB the Director of Photography for "And So I Close My Eyes (yes: he's a guy... we didn't say we wanted women to take over the world, we just want women to be heard as relevant and authentic equals!!!). By his side is ALI WEDEWER, the film editor for "And So I Close My Eyes." And by her side is ELI BRANDWEIN, the sound mastermind for "And So I Close My Eyes." We're expanding our team on the daily and will be sure to update this as the list grows longer.

Finally, our total budget required is $51,000; however, we decided to break the feature down into production and post-production. $25,000 covers everything we need for production. As scheduled now, "And So I Close My Eyes" will be shot over the course of April and May in both New York City and Dallas.

NOW

How to Pledge?

Just click on the green "Back This Project" button in the upper right-hand corner.  You'll be asked to input your pledge amount and select your reward! From there, you'll go through an Amazon checkout process.  You must finish this process to successfully pledge to this project!

What if we don't reach our goal?

The project isn't funded unless we meet our goal by April 2nd.  If we don't reach our goal, no one is charged a penny.  It's all or nothing!  (Eeeks!)

Can we exceed our goal?

Yes, we can!  Our goal of $25,000 is actually half the amount we need to fully finish the project so any more will go towards post-production. Trust us, every penny counts and as smart, resourceful women, those pennies are being used wisely. To look over the budget check out the image in the video or just shoot us an email for an in-depth look. It goes without saying: we are not paying ourselves with these funds (thanks Selim, Ali and Eli for taking this on with us for the cause!!!). Every penny earned on Kickstarter will go towards the feature, something that we plan on giving back to you in terms of raising even more awareness within the "Brain Versus Body" campaign and providing a new alternative to the same-old hurtful stereotypes and storytelling conventions.

Can I pledge if I don't live in the United States?

Yes, you can still support this project if you live outside of the United States.

What will be done with the feature?

The film is intended for the film festival circuit. Once post-production is completed all film festivals will be hit hard by "And So I Close My Eyes."

What if the feature is not accepted into any big festivals?

All is not lost! Distribution is a possibility whether that be in hard copy form or online. We are dedicated to exposing the stereotypes, the futile "Brain Versus Body" fake-choice and the need for authentic female voices both behind and in front of the camera (let's not forget "progressive" can be entertaining too!). That being said, we will make sure that your money is used to directly affect change both within the industry and amongst audience expectations and demands.

Other Questions?

Please e-mail us at talk@tallgirlproductions with any questions or comments. To talk directly with the producer please email Laura at laura@tallgirlproductions.com and to talk with the writer/director Jordan please email jordan@tallgirlproductions.com.

Want to help more?

Join the conversation on our facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tall-Girl-Productions, talk with us on twitter at: @TallGirlProds; visit our website: tallgirlproductions.com and spread the word to your friends and family.

Real change can't happen in this media world if we don't all start standing up for it one real voice at a time.

And don't forget: WALK TALL.

Much Love,

Jordan and Laura

 

        

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