Twenty Million People

The Story

There are TWENTY MILLION PEOPLE in the greater New York City area.  So why is it so hard to find someone you like?

Brian doesn't believe in soulmates.  Brian's best friend Edward, however, has the perfect girlfriend.  But after showing a cliche romantic comedy for "film night" at the Jersey City coffee shop where Brian works, everything gets turned upside down.  Brian meets a girl, Ashley, who also doesn't believe in soulmates.  A match made in cynical heaven.  Edward's perfect girlfriend dumps him and moves back to St. Louis.  As Edward tries to cope, with a steady diet of "whiskey and porn," Brian falls harder and harder for Ashley, despite keeping it casual.  But when Ashley suddenly disappears without a trace, Brian realizes that if he wants something badly enough, he might have to actually put forth some effort to get it.  With the help of the imaginary characters from the cliche romantic comedy that Brian hated so much, Brian enlists Edward and they search far and wide for Ashley, only to find out her relationship status may be more complicated than it seemed.

How We Will Do It

TWENTY MILLION PEOPLE was written specifically to be shot in the neighborhood of downtown Jersey City, NJ.  We are planning to shoot at a couple of our favorite local spots, The Warehouse Cafe and Brightside Tavern, along with our apartments and along the Hudson river.  The cast is small and there are no car chases, explosions, or effects (except a couple of broken hearts).

With your collaboration, we will be able to afford food for the cast and crew, tapes and equipment for a professional look, insurance to keep everything on the up-an-up, and as everyone knows, there are plenty of unforeseen expenses that will no doubt bite us in the butt.

The most immediate thing you can do to make this film with us is become a backer and choose your favorite perk on the right.  But you can also...

 

Share this indiegogo page and video with your network; facebook, twitter, email, the people at your office, etc.  People are out there sharing cat videos and inspirational quotes out the wazoo, why not put a little plug about our film on your facebook page?

 

Who We Are

Michael Ferrell    •    Producer, Writer, Director, Actor

Michael wrote the play Jersey Shore House, produced most recently in L.A. starring Don Stark from That 70's Show and previously in NYC starring Tony Award winner Beth Leavel.  Other plays: The Blue Martini (Off-Broadway, NYFringe Festival '06), Life is Short (CenterStageNY), Spring and Jake (Firework Theater), and Delayed Exposition (published: Eldridge Publishing). Michael wrote, co-created, and starred in the web series Stoop Sale, selected for the Independent Television Festival in L.A. and Hard Times, picked up for distribution on the online networks koldcast.tv and mypodstudios.com respectively.  Michael trained at I.O. (Chicago), The Barrow Group (NYC), and The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Chris Prine    •    Producer, Actor

Chris is a writer, director, editor, actor, and composer who took home "Best Web Series" and "Best Comedy" at the Independent Television Festival in L.A. for Octane Pistols of Fury, also selected for the New York Television Festival. Previous work as a filmmaker: Man-Man (New York Television Festival), The Stryker Files, Sandwich of Terror, Scissor Cop.  He also appeared in Wunderkrafthaus (New York Television Festival).  A veteran of the popular video screening series Channel 101, Chris also heads up his own production company, Escape Pod Films.

Devin Sanchez    •    Producer, Actor

Devin is an actress and comedian recently seen in the web series Michael Stahl-David: Behind the Star (Sony Pictures) and Stoop Sale (co-creator), which was selected for the Independent Television Festival and distributed by koldcast.tv.  As a comedian she has performed at The Comedy Store (L.A./with Kevin Nealon), Caroline's (NYC), and Comix (NYC).  As an actress she appeared off-Broadway in The Audience (Transport Group), on Law & Order (NBC), Disney's Enchanted, and the TV pilot Temps (New York Television Festival).  She trained at The PIT (NYC), The Barrow Group (NYC), The Atlantic Theatre (NYC), and The University of Wyoming.

 

Unique Perks!

For $25 you can be the main character of your very own virtual romcom!  Who doesn't love that?!  Writer Michael Ferrell will personally write and update a story that stars YOU, our collaborator, that you can follow as our campaign progresses.  It's Choose-Your-Adventure style, so as your story is updated you will be given choices of how to proceed, leading you (hopefully) to the person of your dreams!

For $100 you can join Michael on a walking tour of the history of off-off-Broadway in downtown Manhattan.  Much like the nature of indie film today, back in the 60's and 70's writers, actors, and directors were filling their own spaces with riveting stories and performances while the establishment looked on.  Relive that moment in contemporary theatre history while getting a good healthy walk in!

For $500 we are featuring our boldest perks and perhaps some of the boldest perks around.  You can either BE IN THE FILM or get a FULL SCREEN AD for your business in our end credits.  We have a limited number of "under 5" parts to be shot on location in Jersey City and we need actors to fill them - buy it as a gift to the special actor in your life!  We are also offering exposure to film festival audiences and NYC area audiences to see your business in a full screen ad on the big screen!