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Short Summary
Welcome to the IndieGogo fundraising campaign for "The Homecoming Queen", the second independent feature film coming out of Milwaukee from the makers of "Will and Testament". Produced by Peter Howland Hermansader and written and directed by Eric Strelitzer, "Will and Testament", or "W&T", was fully funded by online fundriainsg, including some from IndieGogo! A full-length trailer for "Will and Testament" is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUnebXRrDCo
With "Will and Testament" currently in post-production, we have moved onto "The Homecoming Queen", or "THQ", with the roles being reversed: Eric is producing while Peter has written the screenplay and will be directing his first feature! This film is near and dear to Pete's heart and is a culmination of everything he's gathered in life, film school, and work on "Will and Testament" and other independent film projects. It will be shooting in late July/early August of this year and will ready for distribution sometime in 2013.
The synopsis for "The Homecoming Queen" is:
After two tragedies - a high school boy is killed in a drive-by shooting and the homecoming queen overdoses at a party - the lives of 10 people in the suburbs are turned upside down as a stranger arrives into town.
Like "W&T" was a unique take on the hostage thriller, "THQ" is an equally unique take on the horror genre. While most horror films these days fall into the slasher or torture porn categories, "THQ" is a satrical look at the instant gratification of today's society while keeping a lot of the standard horror elements but also throwing in a little heart and soul into it, too. The film is dark and there are definitely some disturbing elements for the horror fans out there, but it will all be done in an intelligent, tasteful, and eloquent manner. "Fight Club" and "Requiem for a Dream" were two big influences on the script, but there is still a personal yet universal aspect to the film that will gravitate fans of any film genre to it.
Right now, "THQ" has a lot of things in place (director, producer, director of photography, other crew members, and the majority of the main cast), but the next big item we need is the one all films need: a budget. And that's where the continued generosity of the online community comes in!
What We Need & What You Get
"Will and Testament" was done in a very raw, guerilla-style filmmaking fashion that works well with an extremely low budget of $10,000: a small cast, one main location with a few minor locations, minimal special effects, props, and costumes, basic catering, and the cast and crew accepting profit percentages instead of upfront monetary compensation. We have learned and grown from this experience and feel we have graduated on to a more traditional style of filmmaking.
This is why we are asking for a budget of $200,000. Not only do we plan to pay our cast and crew upfront this time around, we also have more ambitious ideas in store for "The Homecoming Queen" than "Will and Testament": a larger main cast, more locations, and advanced special effects and stunt work. When creating a film on a bigger scale like this, a greater budget is needed. In comparison to Hollywood films and even other indepedent films, $200,000 is still considered a low budget, but that doesn't mean we don't appreciate every cent you donate to our art! And not only do you get to support an art project that will help the film scene grow in Milwaukee, create jobs for actors and crew, and allow the creators of the film to express themselves artistically, you will also get some pretty excellent rewards! The more you donate, the better the reward! Please see our list of rewards to see what can be in store for you!
Our campaign is set up so even if we don't reach our goal of $200,000, we still get whatever we've raised, but a larger percentage is taken out for fundraising fees. If we do reach our goal, however, less of a percentage is taken out, thus, "The Homecoming Queen" will end up with a larger budget!
The Impact
"The Homecoming Queen" is the next step in our team's filmmaking careers. We have "Will and Testament" and a couple of short films under our belts, and with "The Homecoming Queen", we will have a nice arsenal of films, all very different yet sharing that same passionate process of creating them. Filmmaking doesn't need to be limited to LA, New York, Chicago, or even Austin. We want to show the world that quality films, ranging in size, style, and genre, can be created in Wisconsin. It will open up a whole new world for actors, crew members, and people who love movies and support the arts. Your hard-earned money will go toward this, and we can't tell you enough how much we appreciate it.
Other Ways You Can Help
In addition to contributing to the film, spreading the word will help immensely! Word-of-mouth is the best way for these kind of online fundriasing campaigns to work, so tell your friends and family about it and post away on Facebook, Twitter, and any other social networks you're on. The Facebook page for "The Homecoming Queen" is here:
www.facebook.com/thehomecomingqueen
From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you and hope to make you a part of "The Homecoming Queen" because of your generosity!
