Rape Culture in a Global Context

This is my contribution towards a small piece of work.

http://kck.st/1e6RYK7

We plan to create a short film that examines the prevalence of rape culture and the cultural factors that influence its perpetuation.

We are raising funds to cover the cost of equipment to begin shooting a short film about the perpetuation of rape culture in Amman, Jordan, several cities in India, the U.S, and Northern Spain. 

Our team is comprised of three people who will go to three separate locations and gather footage: Eric Holland (India), Mason Gersh (Amman, Jordan) and Mina Nayeri (Northern Spain). We are all second-semester freshmen at Northeastern University going on Study Abroad trips this summer. 

As a result, our food and housing is already paid for through the study abroad program. We have several interviews set up already to conduct during our stays abroad. However, we do not have the appropriate film equipment to carry out our vision for this project. 

We are asking for $900 to help purchase a GlideCam and tripod to create a professional level footage suitable for a short film and eliminate a Cloverfield-esque shakycam. . It will also pay for insurance on the equipment as well as sound equipment to augment our audio quality.

-Project Timeline-

April 15-17: Preliminary interviews with faculty members at Northeastern University 

May 4: Filming Begins in Spain, India, and Jordan 

June 4: Filming ends in Spain

June 7: Filming ends in India

June 17: Filming ends in Jordan

June 20-25: Interviews with tenured professors at Boston University, Boston College, Harvard University, and Northeastern University

June 26: Post-production begins (editing and any additional footage)

August 1: Halfway done with the short film!

September 1st: 75% done with the short film, and finished with the accompanying photo essay!

October 1st: 100% done with the short film! Assemble the finished product, schedule screenings and mail DVDs to supporters! Hooray!

Risks and challengesLearn about accountability on Kickstarter

There are a few risks that our team can encounter while filming. The biggest risk is that something would happen to the cameras. Luckily, we already have our cameras insured, and all of us have backup, lower-quality camcorders that can be used for footage.

Another risk is that our interviewees will not show up. We have hedged our bets by booking more interviews than we can feature in the documentary, a contingency plan that should enhance our final product by giving us choices about the content that we can include in the documentary.

All of our members have some experience with either editing, shooting, or acting, so we have a diverse set of skills that we can use to deal with any creative or technical problems we face after funding.

Overall, we are all deeply invested in the success of this project. We will NOT be making a shaky home video. Even with setbacks, we will make sure the final product is something that would be in the running for film festival awards.