Doughboy - A UNM Capstone Short Film

Hello! My name is Dominic Valdez, and I am the writer and director of the short film Doughboy, my fourteen-minute senior Capstone project! Every year, BFA students of the Film and Digital Arts department at the University of New Mexico are given the chance to make a short film. It's an opportunity to push our skills, our creative minds, and our passion for film to the boundaries of what is possible in our limitations.

My dream is to become a director and I am confident that all dreams are capable of happening so long as we try our best to be that dream, one small step at a time. This is one of those moments and I am excited to bring you along with me on this long journey!

Doughboy is a dark comedy following two college burnouts Zeb and Rayne who work at a local pizza joint, Giovanni’s. Zeb hates his job and spends his paychecks on shoes, weed, and fast food. Rayne also dislikes her job but desperately needs the money to pay for her college expenses. Tommy is a severely incompetent manager who is unfit for his position. He doesn't know how to manage people, let alone an entire pizza joint. The three don’t work well together. When Rayne starts a side hustle selling psychedelic mushrooms through the restaurant, a magic pizza accidentally gets handed to a mom and her two small children. Now, the terrible trio must retrieve the pizza before it’s too late, or their dignity and the restaurant's reputation will be ruined for good.

Although quite a romp, this film is personal to me. It’s a light-hearted satire that critiques the way service workers are often viewed. I worked in the food industry and learned that some people find pleasure in abusing you because of your age, gender, financial status, and job title.

I knew one employee who would come in after hours and beg for free food because he was starving at home. Others dropped out of high school so they could financially assist their parents while also facing the threat of deportation. Others worked to pay for medical testing and procedures that were not covered by their insurance. Others worked so they had a reason worth living for, or at least a distraction from their constant thoughts of suicide. Other employees were groomed and molested by their managers but couldn’t say anything or it meant being fired.

I developed an eating disorder, became underweight, and faced some threatening heart complications because the combination of school and work was pushing my stress levels to the maximum. To some people, none of this mattered because their pizza was cold, or they were waiting in line for an extra twenty minutes because we were severely understaffed during a dinner rush. I want to make a show for the people who are abused along the way while teaching the world about something called respect. The people who endure the worst and receive no gratification, no fair pay, and no thanks in return are the same ones who

So, what will happen with your donation? Your funding will go directly to the necessities of producing this film. Your money will be used for catering so we can feed the cast and crew on our 8+ hour workdays. We will also use your funding to purchase props and set decorations. Ideally, I would like to hire a professional Union-affiliated sound operator and pay them their rate. In addition, your funding will be used for advertising the short film and paying for entrance fees at local and domestic film festivals! My goal is to have this short film function as a sizzle reel, or a concept that may one day turn into a multi-season TV show!

I want to thank you for your time and interest along with a sincere thanks to those who donate. As an upcoming human in the world, your generosity means the entire world to me. You will be given full credit for your contribution, and I thank you especially for believing in me!

Sincerely,

- Dominic (Writer & Director)