Members of the IU Student Cinema Guild are creating a feature film for the “Hometown Heroes” rally on Seed&Spark, a crowdfunding website for upcoming filmmakers.
For the contest, filmmakers submit their idea for a project and create a crowdfunding campaign through Seed&Spark.
This is the second year of this specific competition from Seed&Spark, and senior Dakota Taylor and sophomore Caleb Wallace want their film to make it to the top.
“Probie” is a fictional film focused on a rookie firefighter who faces a pivotal decision when he realizes just what the job entails.
“While working as a firefighter, my dad was told to hide his emotions while picking dead kids up off the ground,” said Taylor, President of the Student Cinema Guild and the executive producer, co-writer and director of this film.
Taylor came up with the idea based on his dad, a firefighter in his hometown. He said he believed firefighters had stereotypes and masculinity issues that need to be addressed.
One theme that “Probie” focuses on is mental illness, and how firefighters can have illnesses like PTSD and not receive treatment for them.
Taylor and Wallace want their film to show the real side of firefighting, which is not at all like “Chicago Fire” and other dramas. The harsh reality of being a firefighter is they don’t just fight fires; they are thrust into traumatic situations like car accidents and other medical emergencies, Taylor said.
Being a firefighter affects relationships with family and friends because firefighters are on call for 24 hours at a time, Taylor said. The filmmakers hope their movie will show firefighting in an accurate light, instead of showing Hollywood’s vision of it.
“I’m looking forward to shooting the film, approaching investors to lock down money and just live out the process of making our own movie,” said Wallace, executive producer, co-writer and first assistant director.
The idea for the film needs to embody the “hometown heroes” concept that Seed&Spark has put into place. Then, crowdfunders must reach 80 percent of their goal and reach 1,000 followers to qualify for winning prizes. The finalists then post a video telling the executive producers what they would do with the prize and why the film should be produced.
Five winners will be announced in early November to win a grand prize, which is their film being produced by Duplass Brothers Productions, Salem Street Entertainment and UnLTD Productions.
Most members of the IU Student Cinema Guild will participate in some way with the process of creating the movie, Taylor said. Their main goal now is to raise awareness and get followers once the crowdfunding page goes live Sept. 17 on Seed&Spark.
For those who have interest and experience in film and would like to help out, contact Taylor through Cul-de-Sac Film Company or the IU Cinema Guild.
