Perfect Love
Narrative Short Film / Drama, LGBTQ+ / Set in Coney Island, NY
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Logline
At the brink of giving up on all human connection, a painfully inhibited young woman meets a self-loving stranger at New York's Coney Island, inspiring her to ride a rollercoaster - for real and in her own bedroom... The StoryPerfect Love is a short fiction film following Evelyn, a young New York woman who finds herself frequenting Coney Island. Some would say she's obsessed. She’s both repulsed and drawn to the lurid and colorful skin parade of the boardwalk; her brain a complicated jungle of intrusive thoughts, sex, judgment, and longing. We see the world through Evelyn's eyes and it is overwhelming.
We see Evelyn at home and how she feels stuck, her childhood bedroom still seeping with formative memories and unintentional life-lessons from her mother. However, with the encouragement of a bikini loving Aquarius and the attraction of a morbid borderline punk-conspiracy-theorist, Evelyn's notions of self-love begin to shift. The film asks: How does a radical internal change affect our view of the world? And what if the most perfect love is just... self-love? |
Screenwriting Accolades
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Writer/Director Note
In the 1972 BBC series Ways of Seeing, John Berger commented: “The surveyor of woman in herself is male: the surveyed female. Thus, she turns herself into an object — and most particularly an object of vision: a sight.” This really struck me, and caused me to write an article on Medium titled The Males Gaze and the Women See.
But I wasn't finished. One night (with a very large pot of coffee), I sat down and wrote Perfect Love almost in its entirety. It poured out of my brain as a complete thought: wanting to explore shame and longing, as well as internalized male gaze and female gaze. Cinematically, film could uniquely show audiences how intrusive thoughts and the male/female gaze dichotomy make it extremely difficult to know and love yourself.
Most people intellectually understand what male gaze is, internalized or otherwise. This is because this is how most of us see the world, making it almost impossible to know where our own impulses and desires truly come from. And to second guess what you like, your identity, and your sexuality, is quite a universal experience. That kind of doubt and shame is so pervasive, it takes a really radical shift in your worldview to live fully and as yourself.
I’m sure 90% of fundraising pages claim to be “deeply personal projects,” but I’ve truly never felt as vulnerable as I do trying to get this film made. And, especially with the intimate sequences we’re filming, I want to make this carefully and with the right group of people. That comes from being fully funded and attracting the most talented group of artists. So please, however you can, help make Perfect Love a reality.
In the 1972 BBC series Ways of Seeing, John Berger commented: “The surveyor of woman in herself is male: the surveyed female. Thus, she turns herself into an object — and most particularly an object of vision: a sight.” This really struck me, and caused me to write an article on Medium titled The Males Gaze and the Women See.
But I wasn't finished. One night (with a very large pot of coffee), I sat down and wrote Perfect Love almost in its entirety. It poured out of my brain as a complete thought: wanting to explore shame and longing, as well as internalized male gaze and female gaze. Cinematically, film could uniquely show audiences how intrusive thoughts and the male/female gaze dichotomy make it extremely difficult to know and love yourself.
Most people intellectually understand what male gaze is, internalized or otherwise. This is because this is how most of us see the world, making it almost impossible to know where our own impulses and desires truly come from. And to second guess what you like, your identity, and your sexuality, is quite a universal experience. That kind of doubt and shame is so pervasive, it takes a really radical shift in your worldview to live fully and as yourself.
I’m sure 90% of fundraising pages claim to be “deeply personal projects,” but I’ve truly never felt as vulnerable as I do trying to get this film made. And, especially with the intimate sequences we’re filming, I want to make this carefully and with the right group of people. That comes from being fully funded and attracting the most talented group of artists. So please, however you can, help make Perfect Love a reality.
Look & Feel
The film has three distinctive cinematic languages to it, which reflect Evelyn’s “lens” of the world.
The first, the internalized male gaze, is characterized by a sticky, sexy, gross, colorful, slow-motion and vibrant commercial feel. Think of it like a Carl’s Junior Ad that you’d be uncomfortable sitting next to your parents throughout. Then, we have a softer, more luxurious fuzzy and cool-to-the-touch feel. And then, once Evelyn is able to get a glimpse of the world without her intrusive thoughts, we’re able to see things for how they really are.
Throughout the film, regardless of lens or feel, this film feels special because of how visceral it is. It’s a playground for a talented cinematographer and production designer. And it’s imperative that the budget reflect their value and vision.
We’ll be shooting in challenging environments. The boardwalk, and Coney Island in particular, have difficult parameters to work within. However, this location is essential to the film. We'll also be shooting a flashback sequence that shows Evelyn at a formative moment in her life. This requires a deft touch from our cinematographer and art team to show time, place, and significance to the character. Again, we need the funds to do all of this lovingly.
How Will the Funds Be Distributed?
We are filming with a small, but extremely experienced and talented, cast and crew over 5 days in Brooklyn. Our shoot dates are set for May 2024. The timeline is further out to ensure that all of the best talent is available and that funding is complete before we start production. Our current budget is just shy of $20,000. If you're new to short-film fundraising, that may surprise you. But making movies is expensive, even when you're being scrappy and resourceful.
Paying people what they’re worth is very important to me. The best women and queer crew members are, rightly so, generally a little more expensive. And, considering the intimate content of the film and the critique of the internalized male gaze, their presence is non-negotiable. In addition to the usual crew positions, we are also making sure we have an intimacy coordinator on set. Alice Camarota is a wonderful IC I’ve worked with before, and she needs to be paid her worth. Alice sets a tone on set of psychological safety that allows everyone to do their absolute best and sharpest creative work.
Funds will be distributed in approximately the following way:
The film has three distinctive cinematic languages to it, which reflect Evelyn’s “lens” of the world.
The first, the internalized male gaze, is characterized by a sticky, sexy, gross, colorful, slow-motion and vibrant commercial feel. Think of it like a Carl’s Junior Ad that you’d be uncomfortable sitting next to your parents throughout. Then, we have a softer, more luxurious fuzzy and cool-to-the-touch feel. And then, once Evelyn is able to get a glimpse of the world without her intrusive thoughts, we’re able to see things for how they really are.
Throughout the film, regardless of lens or feel, this film feels special because of how visceral it is. It’s a playground for a talented cinematographer and production designer. And it’s imperative that the budget reflect their value and vision.
We’ll be shooting in challenging environments. The boardwalk, and Coney Island in particular, have difficult parameters to work within. However, this location is essential to the film. We'll also be shooting a flashback sequence that shows Evelyn at a formative moment in her life. This requires a deft touch from our cinematographer and art team to show time, place, and significance to the character. Again, we need the funds to do all of this lovingly.
How Will the Funds Be Distributed?
We are filming with a small, but extremely experienced and talented, cast and crew over 5 days in Brooklyn. Our shoot dates are set for May 2024. The timeline is further out to ensure that all of the best talent is available and that funding is complete before we start production. Our current budget is just shy of $20,000. If you're new to short-film fundraising, that may surprise you. But making movies is expensive, even when you're being scrappy and resourceful.
Paying people what they’re worth is very important to me. The best women and queer crew members are, rightly so, generally a little more expensive. And, considering the intimate content of the film and the critique of the internalized male gaze, their presence is non-negotiable. In addition to the usual crew positions, we are also making sure we have an intimacy coordinator on set. Alice Camarota is a wonderful IC I’ve worked with before, and she needs to be paid her worth. Alice sets a tone on set of psychological safety that allows everyone to do their absolute best and sharpest creative work.
Funds will be distributed in approximately the following way:
Spread The Word
Please share our campaign via your social media, email, word-of-mouth, however you want. We can't do this without you! Here’s an example of what you could share (ready to copy/paste):
Help @kellyraemac and @burninghousecompany by supporting the short film PERFECT LOVE! Perfect Love is about Evelyn, a young woman struggling to connect with the world around her, who meets two vibrant and unique personalities on the boardwalk of Coney Island. Will Evelyn shed years of shame and self-doubt, or further recede into herself? A film about internalized male gaze and radical self-love.
We also have an online list of supplies we’re looking for, and also featured extra roles if you want to be with us on set and be part of the world building. Please go HERE and HERE to access these lists. Or contact kellymccreadynyc@gmail.com if you have an idea of a good/service you can offer for an incentive as part of our fundraising campaign. If you want to help, but are not financially able to donate, there are other ways to get involved. It might take a little creativity, but there's always a way to help.
Thank you. BURNING HOUSE COMPANY is excited for the coming months.
Please share our campaign via your social media, email, word-of-mouth, however you want. We can't do this without you! Here’s an example of what you could share (ready to copy/paste):
Help @kellyraemac and @burninghousecompany by supporting the short film PERFECT LOVE! Perfect Love is about Evelyn, a young woman struggling to connect with the world around her, who meets two vibrant and unique personalities on the boardwalk of Coney Island. Will Evelyn shed years of shame and self-doubt, or further recede into herself? A film about internalized male gaze and radical self-love.
We also have an online list of supplies we’re looking for, and also featured extra roles if you want to be with us on set and be part of the world building. Please go HERE and HERE to access these lists. Or contact kellymccreadynyc@gmail.com if you have an idea of a good/service you can offer for an incentive as part of our fundraising campaign. If you want to help, but are not financially able to donate, there are other ways to get involved. It might take a little creativity, but there's always a way to help.
Thank you. BURNING HOUSE COMPANY is excited for the coming months.