Gutterpunks: A Senior Film Student's Thesis

Introduction:

Hi everyone! My name is Ben Van der Meer, and I am a Senior in California State University Long Beach's Narrative Production program. Recently, my pitch for a 10 minute short film, Gutterpunks, was selected for production by a group of my professors and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). I was overjoyed by this news, as I had spent the better part of my summer writing the script, however early budget estimates told us that we would need more money than the preliminary budget provided by HFPA. This means that if we are not able to raise $2500 by the end of the month, we will be unable to produce and distribute our student film.

What's the movie about?

Gutterpunks is a 10 minute, student-made short film about Yasmine, a booksmart college student who feels trapped in her parent's plan for her. Looking for something to do over the summer, she reconnects with her old friends, Lester and Schmidt, and gets introduced to GUTTR, the world's first On-Demand gig app for enterprising young petty crooks. However, when the trio gets in over their heads, Yasmine will be forced to make a tough choice between her friends and her future.

Who Do We Have On Our Team?

Here on Gutterpunks, we are lucky enough to have some of CSULB's best and brightest film students working around the clock to make this dream a reality. Here are a few of the key roles...

Director: Ben Van der Meer

Ben Van der Meer is an independent writer/director/producer/editor with a lifelong interest in making movies and telling stories. He's a fourth-year Narrative Production major at CSU Long Beach. He has written and directed over 20 short films over the last ten years, including his most recent work, Bring Me The Head of Bixby Knolls, which was chosen to be shown at Full Spectrum, the 2022 CSULB student film showcase.

Ben's dream is to make things he likes with people he loves. Whether that means driving 3 hours north to film a B&W Christmas Special or spending two months in a garage handmaking props for an homage to the Japanese 'Tokusatsu' genre, Ben knows there is nothing quite like sharing the creative process with people you care about. 

Cinematographer: Monét Cooper,

Monét Cooper is a black Los Angeles-based cinematographer in her final year in the California State University Long Beach Narrative Film Program. Since the start of her college years, she has shot a handful of music videos for Bay Area-based artists, including August Lee Stevens, Abbii Grace, and Big Bad Brond. As far as her narrative works, Monét enjoys capturing compelling dramas as well as coming-of-age comedies, including her upcoming project, Gutterpunks.

Producer: Paige Chew

Paige Chew is currently a senior studying directing and producing at Cal State Long Beach. She has been passionate about writing and directing films from a young age and has helped produce several films and directed her own short film in her time at CSULB. She loves the process of filmmaking and the collaborative nature that comes along with it. She is so excited to be producing GUTTERPUNKS and looks forward to everyone being able to see it!

1st Assistant Director: Joshua Payne

2nd Assistant Director: Andrew Cardoso

Key Grip: Shannon S. Simpson

Production Designer: Ava Gergovich

Costume Designer: Citlally Valdez

Where Would Your Money Go?