About this project
WELCOME TO THE BEST SUMMER EVER!
Hi there--I'm Brian Sloan, the writer/director of BEST SUMMER EVER and I'm very excited to tell you all about this unique project which will be my third feature film as a director. BUT this film will only happen if you donate and help make it happen. It is up to you! :) The money we are raising here on Kickstarter is so we can begin production of the film later this summer. And remember that on Kickstarter, if we don't reach our 25K goal, we don't get anything. So don't delay...donate TODAY!
THE STORY
BEST SUMMER EVER is an adaptation of my popular teen novel TALE OF TWO SUMMERS (Simon & Schuster). It is about two teen best friends who spend their first summer apart from each other and, to keep in touch, send videos back and forth. Chuck (the straight one) is going away to a summer theatre camp while his bestie Hal (the gay one) is staying at home and learning how to drive. It ends up being an unusually exciting summer when they both fall in love for the first time.
What makes this film unique is that it explores the intense, dynamic friendship between a gay teen and a straight one, something rarely depicted onscreen. Chuck and Hal have known each other for 10 years and, now as they both get involved in their first relationships, the question is whether their friendship will survive the changes that brings. And, as both of these characters fall in love (Chuck with his leading lady and Hal with a hot French teen), they'll be recording it all with intimate and personal videos, providing an intense glimpse into the exciting ups and downs of first love.
[BTW: Here's the cute cover of the original book on which the film is based. You can still buy it on Amazon. Or donate here on the right and get it for FREE!]
The Film
I started thinking about the script for BSE at the end of last summer. It had been 5 years since the book was released and it was still popular. I was getting emails from fans in the US and other countries (Italians love it!) about how much the book meant to them.That got me thinking about the continuing appeal of this tale of friendship and these two dueling love stories that still resonated with readers of all ages. Then, in October, the iPhone 4S was announced. While everyone was going nuts over Siri, I took note of the fact that the new iPhone could shoot HD1080 video, just like a digital movie camera. And that was my eureka moment: I realized I could translate the book to the screen by having the characters shoot their own stories (with iPhones, iSight, FaceTime) rather than writing them down, as they did in the novel.
I started work on the script last fall and, since then, BSE gone through a number of drafts. Now it's ready to go and we have been casting for our leads with the plan to start shooting later this summer. It's going to be a very low budget project, with a micro-crew to match the micro-budget. We are shooting the film doc-style to give it the feel of real life and truly capture the intense emotions of these two unique characters.
However, even the lowest budget is still a budget...meaning it requires $$$. Thus we're here on Kickstarter raising 25K to get us into production. This money will go towards buying and renting equipment to shoot the movie, paying a talented cast & crew who will work for peanuts, and, of course, buying said peanuts and other sundry items with which to feed them. Additionally, we are also looking for other investors and production companies to fund the balance of the film's projected 60K budget. If you are interested in helping out above the 1K level, send an email to bestsummereverthemovie@gmail.com with "BSE Investor" in the subject line for more details. We will get back to you fast...very FAST!!! :)
The Big Appeal
OK...to wrap this up, we need you to make this movie. It's that simple. No you--no movie. So please give what you can so we can make this the BEST SUMMER EVER...and you'll get some fabulous rewards too. But I can promise you that the real reward will be a year or so down the road when you get a chance to see this special movie when it gets released, hopefully to a theatre near you. It's going to be a modern take on summer romance as these two memorable characters tell their own love stories in a realistic and deeply personal way. It will be sexy and funny and emtional and musical....did I mention there are musical numbers?! Basically, it's going to be awesome!
Thanks...
So much for your support! And for making this the BEST SUMMER EVER!
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Funding period
- (34 days)