Short Film: Pink Elephant
When a young couple rushes to the altar in pursuit of an impromptu wedding, the night of their dreams soon becomes a chaotic trial of love.
Project Description
"Pink Elephant": The Story
As of three hours ago, Macy is eighteen years old, officially
an adult. She can do anything. Vote. Win the lottery. And
now she stands at the altar facing her adoring boyfriend
who she may or may not want to spend the rest of
eternity with, in sickness or in health. Cold feet? More like
frostbite.
Follow Macy and her friends as they embark on a quest to
forge the perfect wedding-ceremony-birthday-party
hybrid, accidentally chalking up a few life-lessons along
the way. It will not be graceful. Plans fail. Learn to embrace
it. (Yes, that’s one of the life-lessons. Sorry for the spoiler.)
The Call to Action
This is a story about teenagers made by teenagers. What
better way to celebrate the coming-of-age genre than by
breaking the fourth wall and literally coming-of-age
ourselves in the process? With a cast and crew of
filmmakers nineteen and younger, it will be messy, but I’ve
heard that the best way to learn is to dive right into the
deep end of the pool, despite the fact it's full of sharks and
the water is actually lava.
These obstacles will be appreciated in their own time.
There is so much to gain from the collaboration, stamina,
and problem-solving skills required to produce a film. It will
also give us an opportunity to support a community of
young filmmakers and enthusiasts alike, as we plan to
take “Pink Elephant” to festivals.
The girl writing this spiel is also a massive proponent of
women in film. As the creator, director, and lead actor,
using “Pink Elephant” to back the need for female
empowerment in this industry is my goal. My crew and I
readily depend on the project and the life poured into it to
promote this cause.
The Budget
If you are looking to support young artists, women in film,
or fictional elephants, contributing to our campaign is a
surefire way to do it. Here you can find a general
breakdown of our budget for your convenience:
-
Actors — $2,500
-
Camera Equipment — $2,000
-
Travel — $1,000
-
Set Design — $300
-
Props — $300
-
Wardrobe — $300
-
Insurance — $300
-
Craft Services — $300
Any monetary contribution is immensely helpful and
greatly appreciated. This production would be an
impossible task without the support of each and every
one of you. Thank you from the very bottom of our hearts
for reading and considering this pitch. Art is cool!
Updates
The Campaign FAQs
Cast & Crew
Madeleine Murden (Writer, Director)
Madeleine (Maddy) Murden, the writer, co-director, and star of "Pink Elephant", has been working professionally in the industry since the age of twelve, and has since adopted an incurable devotion to film. She is a proud recipient of a National YoungArts Foundation award in Cinematic Arts and is currently cycling her short films through a number of festivals, including the Poppy Jasper International Film Festival and the Clean Shorts Film Festival. Maddy enjoys shooting music videos for local artists, collaborating on new productions with her friends, and hanging out with her cat, Oliver.
Madison De La Garza (Director)
Madison De La Garza spent early childhood among passionate Tejano culture before moving to Los Angeles. From a young age she expressed her passion for social awareness through film, writing her first film "The Imbalancing Act" at 14. Inspired by hours of binge watching Sci-Fi television shows such as The Twilight Zone and Black Mirror, she then wrote and produced her short film "Subject 16” the following year. Madison was recently accepted to Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, and will attend as a Screenwriting Major this fall so she’s only a short drive away from her dog.
Sam Gilbert (Director of Photography)
Sam Gilbert is a 17 year old cinematographer from Los Angeles, California. He is currently a junior in high school. Sam is the youngest ARRI certified in their ALEXA and AMIRA camera systems and a student member of the Society of Camera Operators. After being an actor for almost 10 years, he had decided to move behind the camera to become a director of photography.
Will Murden (Assistant Director)
Will has teamed up with his sister Maddy as a 1st AD on a number of productions, from short films to music videos. Much of his creative work can be seen on the YouTube channel “MadsWill”, a project run by both siblings. Will has also gained experience on film sets as a professional actor. He can be seen in episodic works such as “Manhunt: Unabomber”, “This Close”, and the short film “Everything I Am”. Will is a musician, songwriter, and lead singer of the band "The Saltines". He is looking forward to collaborating with the band on the making of the film's song.
Rio Mangini (Composer)
Rio Mangini is a 16-year-old classical pianist, film composer and actor. He performed twice at Carnegie Hall when he was 9 years old. Working steadily for the past 8 years, Rio is most well-known for his role on the Netflix original series "Everything Sucks". While filming "Everything Sucks" in 2017, he was concurrently scoring his first independent feature film "Reach". He went on to star in and score another indie feature "Relish", directed by Justin Ward. Fun fact: Rio began his composing career by creating 8-bit video-game themes and sounds to accompany his character, Max, on the Spectrevision feature film "BITCH", which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. He is based in Los Angeles, California.
We are grateful for any and all contributions! If you are interested in perks and want a bang for your buck, check out some of the fun rewards below.
Let us show you some love on our social media page @pinkelephantshortfilm ! Don't forget to leave your Instagram handle in the messages when purchasing this reward.
For a $25 contribution, we'll put your name in the end credits!
Get some merch! We will ship you an original Pink Elephant tee with graphic art by the one and only Mason Wasik! Please specify your preferred size and color in the messages when purchasing this reward.
We will send you one of our very own scripts used on set, signed by our very own actors.
Get a decorated CD featuring the hit song performed by "The Lawnmowers", as seen in the film. (Sung by my very own brother, Will Murden)
One of our characters documents the night via his film camera. We will send you the actual digitals as seen in the film!
If you've ever wanted a full-body, bubblegum-pink elephant mascot costume, now is your chance. (Great for business-casual events!) If that's not your thing, take your pick from all the novelty props and costumes in the film and we'll ship it right to you. First come first serve!
A beautiful print of the "Pink Elephant" poster, signed by the whole cast!
Honestly, with all of us crammed into a garage shooting a film at two in the morning, this one should be priceless. I guarantee you will laugh at this exclusive cut, and maybe learn a thing or two about what it's really like on a film set.
Own your own copies of the film, so you can watch it over, over, and over again! (Includes Bloopers & Behind the Scenes)
For a contribution of $1,000 you will be credited as an executive producer of "Pink Elephant" (and I will practically owe you my life)!
Rewards
We are grateful for any and all contributions! If you are interested in perks and want a bang for your buck, check out some of the fun rewards below.
Let us show you some love on our social media page @pinkelephantshortfilm ! Don't forget to leave your Instagram handle in the messages when purchasing this reward.
For a $25 contribution, we'll put your name in the end credits!
Get some merch! We will ship you an original Pink Elephant tee with graphic art by the one and only Mason Wasik! Please specify your preferred size and color in the messages when purchasing this reward.
We will send you one of our very own scripts used on set, signed by our very own actors.
Get a decorated CD featuring the hit song performed by "The Lawnmowers", as seen in the film. (Sung by my very own brother, Will Murden)
One of our characters documents the night via his film camera. We will send you the actual digitals as seen in the film!
If you've ever wanted a full-body, bubblegum-pink elephant mascot costume, now is your chance. (Great for business-casual events!) If that's not your thing, take your pick from all the novelty props and costumes in the film and we'll ship it right to you. First come first serve!
A beautiful print of the "Pink Elephant" poster, signed by the whole cast!
Honestly, with all of us crammed into a garage shooting a film at two in the morning, this one should be priceless. I guarantee you will laugh at this exclusive cut, and maybe learn a thing or two about what it's really like on a film set.
Own your own copies of the film, so you can watch it over, over, and over again! (Includes Bloopers & Behind the Scenes)
For a contribution of $1,000 you will be credited as an executive producer of "Pink Elephant" (and I will practically owe you my life)!