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PEOPLE NOT HUMANS ON FACEBOOK
PEOPLE NOT HUMANS ON VIMEO
Thanks for checking out our feature film project PEOPLE NOT HUMANS. Head over to the GALLERY for more videos and pics after you're done with the pitch.
UPDATES:
*Uploaded "People Not Humans VLOG | Thank You From the Director"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wrQJo4LP2Y
*CHANGED "GENETICALLY ENHANCED" PERK
*NEW ADD-ON TO PERKS
*UPLOADED A NEW PITCH VIDEO
*NEW GIVEAWAY
*Added 2 new videos to the Gallery - 2AM and MEATBOX (preview clips from 2 of Matthew's short films)
Check the "UPDATES" tab for more info
THE PROJECT
Just imagine life without depression. No pills, no psychiatrists. Now, you have the technology to simply get rid of it.
PEOPLE NOT HUMANS is a psychological thriller inspired by an actual experiment where researchers claimed to have eliminated depression in mice.
I wanted to take the concept of removing or silencing depression through gene therapy and put it in human terms, so I took a character, Jack Logan, and explored what would happen to him when he could no longer feel depression. The story begins several months after he's already had the "gene therapy" procedure. Initially, Jack is happy, life is good, he likes the job he hated before. After a short period of complacently going through the same routine day after day, he starts having nightmares, suffers short-term memory loss, and becomes psychotic because other negative emotions - anger, rage, paranoia - start to take over in the absence of depression.
PEOPLE NOT HUMANS takes a hard and thoughtful look at the potential dark side of removing part of what makes us human through science and technology.
THE PRODUCTION
The cast and crew are a small, intimate group of local/regional artists, and most of us have worked together on indie film projects before. We're shooting on location in our home town of Columbia, SC. My goal, aside from expressing an artistic vision and telling a story that I find fascinating about characters I care about, is to bring the local film community together and showcase the talents of "unknowns."
In no way are we viewing or approaching this project as a small film, but as Producer and Director, it's my aim to get back to basics with the shoot and work with a tight-knit crew on a smaller scale, which means not wasting time or money, using creativity and ingenuity to make an indie film with production value, and getting support from our community.
[UPDATED]
We're shooting on a hi-def DSLR. We have pro sound and light gear lined up (we just need the funds) and we already have some talented and skilled cast and crew on board.
Our actual budget is closer to $5500, which includes post-production, but we're hoping to be able to at least raise $3000, or slightly more, to get it shot. We're not cheap and we're not making a B movie, but that's practically nothing for a feature film.
CHECK OUT THE PEOPLE NOT HUMANS TRAILER ON VIMEO
THE FUNDS
-SOUND & LIGHTING EQUIPMENT RENTAL
-PAY FOR KEY CAST & CREW
-MEALS
-LOCATION FEES
Those are the key things we need funding for, and we're actually only trying to raise around $3k through IndieGoGo to cover the shoot. I'm passionate about this project and believe in the story and characters, so I'll find a way to get it made. If we meet the goal or manage to raise more than what we're looking for, fantastic. But if I have to, I'll finance part of it out-of-pocket.
WHY YOU SHOULD BE A PART OF IT
I think just about everybody knows what it means to feel depression and could relate to the protagonist. Aside from that, and hopefully finding the concept intriguing, we're indie artists and don't have, nor are we seeking, studio-backing in our fundraising efforts. This is so we can stay true to the vision I have for this film, and to the characters and the story. Going the independent route will also allow us creative control throughout the shoot and during post-production, and we'll be able to express ourselves as artists and tell it in our own voices.
Being an indie artist can be challenging, and shooting an independently-produced feature film can be just as, if not more, challenging. It takes time and a lot of resources. We wouldn't be able to do it without your support, so even if you can only do 5 or 10 bucks, everything helps and we will be greatly appreciative.
MORE DETAILS
Strapped for cash but you still want to be a part of getting the film made? Help us spread the word by emailing your family/friends, tweeting about the project, becoming a fan on Facebook and letting your friends know, posting some info on your site or blog, or whatever you can do to let people know this project exists. We're grateful for any help we can get.
ABOUT THE WRITER/PRODUCER/DIRECTOR
I took up filmmaking in '95 and made close to 30 short films over the course of 7-8 years. I graduated from Seattle Film Institute in 2005, freelanced as a videographer/indie filmmaker for 5+ years, & currently run "The Magic Studio," an indie film/video production company in SC, with my wife. I've shot a bunch of short films and recently completed MEATBOX, a psychological horror that was shot in a single 24-minute take (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1664690/).
Check out some work on YOUTUBE
More at VIMEO (features making-of footage and preview clips from the short film 2AM, written, produced, directed, shot and edited by me)
PEOPLE NOT HUMANS ON VIMEO
Thanks for checking out our feature film project PEOPLE NOT HUMANS. Head over to the GALLERY for more videos and pics after you're done with the pitch.
UPDATES:
*Uploaded "People Not Humans VLOG | Thank You From the Director"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wrQJo4LP2Y
*CHANGED "GENETICALLY ENHANCED" PERK
*NEW ADD-ON TO PERKS
*UPLOADED A NEW PITCH VIDEO
*NEW GIVEAWAY
*Added 2 new videos to the Gallery - 2AM and MEATBOX (preview clips from 2 of Matthew's short films)
Check the "UPDATES" tab for more info
THE PROJECT
Just imagine life without depression. No pills, no psychiatrists. Now, you have the technology to simply get rid of it.
PEOPLE NOT HUMANS is a psychological thriller inspired by an actual experiment where researchers claimed to have eliminated depression in mice.
I wanted to take the concept of removing or silencing depression through gene therapy and put it in human terms, so I took a character, Jack Logan, and explored what would happen to him when he could no longer feel depression. The story begins several months after he's already had the "gene therapy" procedure. Initially, Jack is happy, life is good, he likes the job he hated before. After a short period of complacently going through the same routine day after day, he starts having nightmares, suffers short-term memory loss, and becomes psychotic because other negative emotions - anger, rage, paranoia - start to take over in the absence of depression.
PEOPLE NOT HUMANS takes a hard and thoughtful look at the potential dark side of removing part of what makes us human through science and technology.
THE PRODUCTION
The cast and crew are a small, intimate group of local/regional artists, and most of us have worked together on indie film projects before. We're shooting on location in our home town of Columbia, SC. My goal, aside from expressing an artistic vision and telling a story that I find fascinating about characters I care about, is to bring the local film community together and showcase the talents of "unknowns."
In no way are we viewing or approaching this project as a small film, but as Producer and Director, it's my aim to get back to basics with the shoot and work with a tight-knit crew on a smaller scale, which means not wasting time or money, using creativity and ingenuity to make an indie film with production value, and getting support from our community.
[UPDATED]
We're shooting on a hi-def DSLR. We have pro sound and light gear lined up (we just need the funds) and we already have some talented and skilled cast and crew on board.
Our actual budget is closer to $5500, which includes post-production, but we're hoping to be able to at least raise $3000, or slightly more, to get it shot. We're not cheap and we're not making a B movie, but that's practically nothing for a feature film.
CHECK OUT THE PEOPLE NOT HUMANS TRAILER ON VIMEO
THE FUNDS
-SOUND & LIGHTING EQUIPMENT RENTAL
-PAY FOR KEY CAST & CREW
-MEALS
-LOCATION FEES
Those are the key things we need funding for, and we're actually only trying to raise around $3k through IndieGoGo to cover the shoot. I'm passionate about this project and believe in the story and characters, so I'll find a way to get it made. If we meet the goal or manage to raise more than what we're looking for, fantastic. But if I have to, I'll finance part of it out-of-pocket.
WHY YOU SHOULD BE A PART OF IT
I think just about everybody knows what it means to feel depression and could relate to the protagonist. Aside from that, and hopefully finding the concept intriguing, we're indie artists and don't have, nor are we seeking, studio-backing in our fundraising efforts. This is so we can stay true to the vision I have for this film, and to the characters and the story. Going the independent route will also allow us creative control throughout the shoot and during post-production, and we'll be able to express ourselves as artists and tell it in our own voices.
Being an indie artist can be challenging, and shooting an independently-produced feature film can be just as, if not more, challenging. It takes time and a lot of resources. We wouldn't be able to do it without your support, so even if you can only do 5 or 10 bucks, everything helps and we will be greatly appreciative.
MORE DETAILS
Strapped for cash but you still want to be a part of getting the film made? Help us spread the word by emailing your family/friends, tweeting about the project, becoming a fan on Facebook and letting your friends know, posting some info on your site or blog, or whatever you can do to let people know this project exists. We're grateful for any help we can get.
ABOUT THE WRITER/PRODUCER/DIRECTOR
I took up filmmaking in '95 and made close to 30 short films over the course of 7-8 years. I graduated from Seattle Film Institute in 2005, freelanced as a videographer/indie filmmaker for 5+ years, & currently run "The Magic Studio," an indie film/video production company in SC, with my wife. I've shot a bunch of short films and recently completed MEATBOX, a psychological horror that was shot in a single 24-minute take (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1664690/).
Check out some work on YOUTUBE
More at VIMEO (features making-of footage and preview clips from the short film 2AM, written, produced, directed, shot and edited by me)
Team on This Campaign:
-
Matthew MercierWriter/Producer/Director
-
We Connected Production LLCCo-Producer