About this project

(scroll to bottom for links!)

DIRECTED BY LIZ LEWIS, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY DANIEL KLOCKENKEMPER, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR NOAH HALE

STARRING JACK WELLS and ERIC VAN NGUYEN

(preview music by CURTIS ZINN AND CHAINSAW DARWIN, still photography by LAUREL DEGUTIS)

A 20 MIN. SHORT FILM about LOVE AND A CHOICE.

Life is not always black and white and the choices we make are not always simple. Joanne and Allan are one couple, and they'll make their choice.

SUMMARY:
If we are lucky we find someone. Life is happening and then this person enters the scene, makes us happy, smiles happen, fights happen, but there is love. There is good and bad in every relationship, and there are choices to be made. Joanne is a painter who has dreams of becoming a working artist. Allan is a barista who has dreams of family in his future. When there is an unexpected pregnancy for Joanne, a choice must be made. And like everything in life, it's not straight forward.

WHY THIS STORY?:
I was inspired to write this story and create this film because I wanted to watch a film where choosing to have an abortion is not a crime or a choice that condemns a person to a life of regrets and grief. When I began this project there was a series of films about pregnancy, but none of them ended with a woman getting an abortion. And if they did, it was a miserably catastrophic experience. This film is simply about a woman who chooses to have an abortion and how it affects her relationship, without the "will she, won't she" discussion of abortion.

IT'S SHOT, WHAT NOW?
We've now shot over 6000ft. of Fuji Eterna Vivid 500T Super 16mm film. In other words, we've shot nearly three hours of beautiful film. Now we move into "post". Post-production is where the film comes together. The different takes, the dialog, the foley, the music, all of this is cut together to create the flow of the film that will tell the story as it deserves to be told. Before that happens the film must be transferred to a digital (in this case, HD) format, and beyond this long and detailed process of editing, there is also music composition, sound sweetening, color correction, titles to be created, credits to be written, and an animation sequence to be created. Beyond just the completion of the film are the promotional materials, festival submissions, other types of distribution and lots more to do! All parts of this are fun and exciting, however they're not free.

MONEY:
That's why we're here on kickstarter, isn't it? I was lucky enough to be able to fund the first 2/3rds of this process, i.e. pre-production and the actual production, with my own savings (plus some catering help from my mom. Thanks, Mom!). However, this last section--the post-production--is waiting to be completed and yet the funds are gone. That's where you come in! We need this last push of money to get the Super 16mm film processed and transfered to digital HD, production stills (shot on 35mm, and 120mm) processed, artists to be payed, distribution costs, festivals fees (cause those babies aren't free), and other stuff too. To make this best of this project I need your help and will be happy and excited to offer you the rewards that are listed to the right. Tell your friends, your family, help make this film a finished polished product!

LINKS:

a few experimental shorts by liz lewis: http://vimeo.com/user750701

films by the D.P., daniel klockenkemper: http://vimeo.com/danielk

films by the assn. cameraman, michael poulin-roberson: http://vimeo.com/poulinroberson

films by the key grip, mario garza: http://vimeo.com/robotplague

films by the still photographer, laurel degutis: http://vimeo.com/oscarordinary

liz lewis' personal blog: http://rizu-desu.blogspot.com/

production stills: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rizu-desu/tags/finalproject/