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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.

$5,879
pledged of$7,000 goal
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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.

Zaria Robinson
07/14/2019
Instagram Shout Out
$25
07/14/2019
Monetary Contribution
$100
Kristina Horton
07/14/2019
"Thank You" in the Credits
$25
Wasik Family
07/13/2019
"Pink Elephant" T-Shirt
$100
IFundWomen Pay-It-Forward
07/11/2019
Monetary Contribution
$450
Murphy Penn
07/10/2019
Instagram Shout Out
$10
Laura van Grootel
07/09/2019
"Thank You" in the Credits
$25
Elizabeth Shirey
07/08/2019
"Thank You" in the Credits
$25
Lilly
07/07/2019
On-Set Autographed Scripts
$75
Marie
07/02/2019
"Thank You" in the Credits
$25
10.00 USD
Instagram Shout Out

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.

6 Supporters
Select this reward
25.00 USD
"Thank You" in the Credits

For a $25 contribution, we'll put your name in the end credits!

22 Supporters
Select this reward
50.00 USD
"Pink Elephant" T-Shirt

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.

6 Supporters
Select this reward
75.00 USD
On-Set Autographed Scripts

We will send you one of our very own scripts used on set, signed by our very own actors.

2 Left
4 Supporters
Select this reward
100.00 USD
"The Lawnmowers" CD

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)

18 Supporters
Select this reward
300.00 USD
Camera Digitals

One of our characters documents the night via his film camera. We will send you the actual digitals as seen in the film!

0 Supporters
Select this reward
400.00 USD
Props & Costumes

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!

0 Supporters
Select this reward
500.00 USD
Autographed Poster

A beautiful print of the "Pink Elephant" poster, signed by the whole cast!

1 Supporter
Select this reward
600.00 USD
Bloopers & Behind the Scenes

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.

0 Supporters
Select this reward
800.00 USD
Digital Copy & DVD

Own your own copies of the film, so you can watch it over, over, and over again! (Includes Bloopers & Behind the Scenes)

0 Supporters
Select this reward
1,000.00 USD
Be Our Executive Producer?

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)!

1 Supporter
Select this reward

About the Entrepreneur

Studio city, CA
Created 2 Campaigns

Rewards

10.00 USD
Instagram Shout Out

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.

6 Supporters
Select this reward
25.00 USD
"Thank You" in the Credits

For a $25 contribution, we'll put your name in the end credits!

22 Supporters
Select this reward
50.00 USD
"Pink Elephant" T-Shirt

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.

6 Supporters
Select this reward
75.00 USD
On-Set Autographed Scripts

We will send you one of our very own scripts used on set, signed by our very own actors.

2 Left
4 Supporters
Select this reward
100.00 USD
"The Lawnmowers" CD

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)

18 Supporters
Select this reward
300.00 USD
Camera Digitals

One of our characters documents the night via his film camera. We will send you the actual digitals as seen in the film!

0 Supporters
Select this reward
400.00 USD
Props & Costumes

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!

0 Supporters
Select this reward
500.00 USD
Autographed Poster

A beautiful print of the "Pink Elephant" poster, signed by the whole cast!

1 Supporter
Select this reward
600.00 USD
Bloopers & Behind the Scenes

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.

0 Supporters
Select this reward
800.00 USD
Digital Copy & DVD

Own your own copies of the film, so you can watch it over, over, and over again! (Includes Bloopers & Behind the Scenes)

0 Supporters
Select this reward
1,000.00 USD
Be Our Executive Producer?

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)!

1 Supporter
Select this reward