Music - "I Don't Like It Like This" - The Radio Dept.
How You Landed Here
A) You are a writer, artist, filmmaker or someone interested in mythology and the creation of stories. B) You are a family member, friend, classmate, acquaintance, or secret admirers of Elaine Poon or Josh Ary (The Co-Producers of the Film). Or option C) you're one of those people who think that this project is awesome and deserving of your attention!
A Bit About the Film
Amalgamations is a 15-minute short film being produced as a final-year thesis project at Ryerson University. It is a self-financed endeavour that needs the generous support of people like you!
Click the video above to watch a bit of teaser.
It is a modern-day parable of the muse story. In the most unlikely of places, within the decaying metal cylinders of a scrapyard, a struggling author meets a Belgian tourist through a serendipitous meeting. Immediately drawn to each other, their love affair inspires him to see the magic beneath the banality of life and to rediscover the joy of writing. Drawing from Greek, Egyptian and First Nations mythology, the story is interwoven between the collision of reality and the author's imagination, as their brief meeting sparks the fantastical images that fill his inner world.
The film has already appeared as a finalist for the Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival's
So You Think You Can Pitch? Contest, as well as a shortlist for the Kodak Grant from Ryerson University.
This film will be showcased at the TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto, as part of the
Ryerson University Film Festival (RUFF 2012) in June 2012, as well as submission to international film festivals.
What We Need & What You Get
Here's the fun part: We've already shot half of the film, but we still have half to shoot. The budget for this film is $15,000, and it all has to come out from our student pockets! However, we cannot finish the film without further financing. This is where YOU come in! All of our crew has agreed to work for free, so all funding goes directly to the film.
The trailer above shows what we have already accomplished as a team and what you can look forward to. We are all emerging filmmakers trying to make an engaging short film that will launch our careers as artists. If you liked our trailer, why not donate to help us finish our vision? In return is our unending gratitude and the sense of satisfaction that you will get for helping foster the talents of young filmmakers.
To give you an idea of the expenditures that we're facing:
- We are shooting on a professional-grade, highest quality HD, RED camera, which costs upward of $2000 for a week's rental. Equipment rentals cost upwards of $1000 per week.
- We are building a set in a film studio that reflects the author's imagination, that requires purchase of construction materials, furniture and prop rentals. (That's another $2000+)
- We have about 10 locations which require rental trucks to transport equipment and crew. ($2000+)
- Since all of our actors and crew are working FOR FREE, the least we can do is provide meals for them. (we have 20+ crew members x 2 meals per day x shooting days)
Any contribution would help us immensely, and bring us closer to telling this story.
****This is our thesis project and one that we feel very passionate about, but it can't happen without your support. This film is about re-igniting the imagination and believing in dreams again. Please believe in our dreams, and help make this film a reality.****
Other Ways You Can Help Out
Spread THE WORD: "Amalgamations"!
SHARE our link on Facebook
TWEET about us on Twitter
The more people that know about this campaign, the faster we can reach our goal!
A Bit about The Producers
ELAINE POON - Writer/Director and Production Designer
An award-winning filmmaker, Elaine has had her works showcased at festivals such as Scotiabank's Nuit Blanche, Toronto Youth Shorts, MaxEx Film Festival, and Function Magazine. Now in her fourth year, she has already garnered such accomplishments as the Best Screenplay and Audience's Choice Award at the Toronto Youth Shorts, receiving the Universal Studios Scholarship in filmmaking, the Errol Aspevig Undergraduate Award and is a Millennium Laureate Scholar. Having won the INIT Public Transportation Rocks! Contest and the RU Ryerson Video Contest, she's no stranger to excellent storytelling.
JOSH ARY - Co-Producer
He's had work featured at the Toronto Youth Shorts, York Region, Maximum Exposure, Flicks, and Hot Docs film festivals. He's received awards from both the Toronto Youth Shorts and York Region film festivals. Josh worked closely with the School of Fashion at Ryerson, producing video content for the opening of 2010 Mass Exodus video.
The Partnership
Elaine and Josh have collaborated closely throughout their careers at Ryerson - working on projects such as the opening video for the Blue and Gold ball at Ryerson. Together they won first place in the RU Ryerson Video? contest. They also co-founded and co-ran the Image Arts Student Union - an organization that advocates for the Image Arts student body, while creating a stronger sense of community through academic, social and extra-curricular activities.
See more crew bios below!
Some more info on the film!
Cast
John Fleming as Damian Hurst
Leah Doz as Clio
Lisa Waines as Annabelle Hurst
John Illingworth as Jupiter
Matthew Parris as Anubis
Sara Miller as Hera
Ryan Anning as Cupid
Emily Cayuga as Nymph
Richard Davis as Young Damian
Crew
Director/Production Designer/Co-Producer: Elaine Poon
Co-Producer: Josh Ary
DOP: Andrew Jeffrey
1st AC/Gaffer: Mike Suta
Editor: David Planche
Sound Designer: Lukas Sluzar
Props: Paula Ng
Set: Tracy Lam
Costumes: Bronwyn Renison
Milliner: Heather Jacobsen
Milliner Asst: Robyn Woytiuk
MUA: Marissa Clemence
1st AD: Ryan Jakubek
Casting: Aaron Yeung
Key Grip: James Zindros, Sean Singh
PA: Emily Langridge, Khavy Tran
Stills!
Selected Crew Bios
Andrew Jeffrey - DOP
Andrew Jeffrey is a cinematographer who has acquired his formal training and practice attending the Film Studies program at Ryerson University. Now entering fourth year, Andrew has shot over 20 student films on both film and digital formats, ranging from documentaries of a few minutes in length to ten minute narrative shorts. Andrew filmed the documentary, From Where I'm Sitting (2010), which was featured in the IMA exhibition Pattern of Stories in 2011, worked as a B-cam operator for BRAVO's Yonge Street Toronto Rock & Roll Stories (2011), worked as a grip and 2nd Assistant Camera on the 2011 TIFF Student Showcase Winner, Blink (2011), and directed the short film, Hostage (2011), which won Best Cinematography in the 2011 Max Ex festival.
David Planche - Editor
David Planche has had a love of being both in front and behind the camera from an early age. Acting in theater productions since the age of 7, David has continued to pursue a professional acting career appearing in shorts and features including Terry Southern's Plum and Prunes and The Four Horsemen. He has directed numerous short films including Duality, Pains and Karma as well as directing and co-producing the nature documentary Apparitions. He has also pursued an interest in editing working on projects such as Hierarchy, the feature Bend and Break and the French documentary Cocktail, Receipt Cancel.
Lukas Sluzar - Sound Designer
Lukas Sluzar is a fourth year Ryerson Film student. When working on a film his focus tends to be in the sound department. He tends to work in films that have a fantasy element to them. He work similarly to a visual editor by constantly adjusting sounds to create a believable piece that will uphold the illusion that the spectators are experiencing. Some titles that he has worked on are: Little Queen of the Clouds (2011), V.S (2011), Dream Graffit (2011)i, and Merry Christmas Bob (2011).
Mike Suta - Gaffer/1st AC
Mike first took an interest in
photography in high school. He soon began shooting personal projects exploring
the city streets and its architecture. At the same time, he had the opportunity
to work on a wide range of theatrical shows and instantly developed a passion
for lighting and storytelling. He is a graduate of Ryerson's Radio and
Television program where he was DOP and gaffer for his practicum project. The
documentary titled Life in Colour explored colours from a social and cultural perspective.
Currently Mike works as a freelance still photographer while maintaining close
ties with the world of film.
Paula Ng - Props/Set Designer
Paula
Ng will be acting as art director. Her attention to detail is evident in all
her production credits. Her credits include the editing of the award-winning
film Uprooted (2010), and We are the World (2010). Her production
credits as an art director include Grimley
Phriem (2011), Tats (2009) and Liam’s
Closet (2009), which won Best Second Year Film at MaxEx Film Festival at
Ryerson University.
Bronwyn Renison - Costume Designer
Bronwyn Renison graduated in 2009 from Ryerson University with a
Bachelor of Fashion Design. Creativity and curiosity have been a driving force
in her life, pushing her into wider areas of design, art and the need to
explore the world first hand. Over the years she has gained valuable experience
as a Visual Merchandiser and Stylist allowing her to understand the value of
portraying a cohesive idea and story through clothing.
