"The Dinner Party" crowdfunding campaign.

My name is Vince Cosentino and I am a filmmaker in Fresno, California and I have been involved in film for more than twenty years.  I earned my B.A. in Communications with a concentration in TV/Film Production from CSU, Fullerton

This campaign, as short as it is, has been put in place to offset the costs of producing the short film "The Dinner Party."  The money raised will go towards offering the cast and crew more comforts and actually paying them for their services.  So often in Indie filmmaking, artists get involved with projects because they believe in them with no promise of monetary compensation.  It is easy to forget the time and effort it has taken them to get where they are in their craft, when they don't walk around with a resume pasted to their front.

Everyone's time is valuable.  So this campaign will assist me in offering these talented people some form of monetary compensation without hurtling myself further into debt for my love of filmmaking.

That being said, I am asking for your assistance in making this short film production run that much smoother.

The perks have been designed so that it doesn't require you to break the bank or put yourself in financial ruin to help out.  The breakdowns have been kept simple.  You can commit to a perk for the amount of $1!  What good does that do, you say?  Well, if this campaign reaches another 499 like minded folks, BOOM!  The goal has been met.  If you are capable and willing to offer more, I have set up $10, $25, and $50 levels with each offering a bit more than the previous in perks.

If for some reason I don't reach the goal, the monies raised will, like I stated earlier, go toward the comforts of the cast and crew, most likely in the form of food and gas money.  But I believe that even in a short amount of time that we can raise enough to help these artists to recognize that their time and effort is greatly appreciated.

This isn't my first rodeo.  I have made several short films and am in post on a feature film.  This particular project is being filmed so that we might contribute to an event called The Germ.  A local production company has put out the challenge and offered inspiration to get started on new, short film projects.  You can get more information at www.thegerm.org.

 

With each new project I like to try something new as either the writer, producer, director, or whatever hat I might be wearing.  I like to push the boundaries for myself and all of those involved in a project because sometimes what is out there is what it is all about.  So getting out of that comfort zone is almost essential.

 

My last short film really tested this idea, since I decided that we would adhere to the stipulations set forth by the Dogme 95.  It was both liberating and constrictive at the same time.  My latest projects have been inspired by the works of Lars von Trier, David Lynch, and others in some way or another.  So if you appreciate films with stories just slightly straying from the norm, this project is for you.

 

I don't set out to make movies for the masses.  I set out to movies that I would like to watch, therefore they are made with loads of passion.  This must be quite apparent because people tend to believe in my projects and continue to want to work with me, and that is all a filmmaker can ask for.

 

So I won't say that I "hope" you will contribute to this project because either you do or you don't.  There is no hoping.  That being said, please contribute to this campaign and if you can't, please spread the word.

 

Thank you for your time and for visiting this page.