RECONSOLIDATION - a short film

*UPDATE*

•Reconsolidation is now on THE RED LIST, ranking in the top 10% of all projects in the Coverfly.com database, the WORLD'S LARGEST DATABASE of screenplay contest entries and script coverage evaluations.

•Our script for Reconsolidation was named an Official Selection and Semi-Finalist at the 2019 Hollyshorts Film Festival.

RECONSOLIDATION

noun | re•con•sol•i•da•tion |

Memory Reconsolidation: A process by which old information is called to mind, modified with the help of drugs or behavioral intervention, and then rewritten with new information incorporated -- like a piece of metal that has been melted down, remolded, and left to harden into a different shape.

What is this?

We're making a short film. After over a year of writing, brainstorming, and culling together some top-notch talent, we are finally ready to launch the fundraising portion of our process. Hopefully, you've had a chance to watch the above video to get a sense of what we're doing. Here's a little more information:

What's it about?

Reconsolidation therapy is an actual treatment used for PTSD and other disorders associated with traumatic memories. This is an actual thing. It sounds futuristic and sci-fi, but it may be closer to reality than you think.

The story is about two close friends, Blake and Brandon. When one of them is killed in a tragic accident, the other resorts to memory reconsolidation therapy to help cope with the loss. However, memory and the subconsious can be dangerous things to tamper with, and the past cannot ever truly be undone.

Who are we?

The film is written by Blake Ellis, Brandon Weis, and Michael Oldham. Longtime friends, who decided it was time to take the spark of an idea, and see if it can be stoked into a blazing hot short film.

Award-winning, London-based director Abbie Lucas has agreed to helm the film, with Fresno legend Justin McAleece as director of photography. Here's a little bit about the team:

•Blake Ellis is best known for the Netflix limited series UNBELIEVABLE, with Toni Collette, Merritt Wever, and Kaitlyn Dever. He is a professional actor/writer/producer living in Los Angeles. Many of his acting credits have been from regional theatres across the US (Berkeley Rep, San Jose Rep, Cal Shakes, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Laguna Playhouse, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Rep Theatre of St. Louis), off-Broadway in NYC (59E59),and in the UK (RSC). In film, he has worked with such directors as Gary McKendry, Sam Mendes, George Lucas, Michael Dinner, Lisa Cholodenko, and Susannah Grant.

As a screenwriter, he currently has two feature films in development, as well as a graphic novel.

•Brandon Weis grew up with a passion for the stage, and graduated from CSU, Fresno with a BA in Theatre Arts. While at Fresno State, he was a 4-time finalist in the Irene Ryan Acting Competition. He was also the co-founder of the Woodward Shakespeare Festival in Fresno, CA, which is currently celebrating its 14th season of free Shakespeare in the Park. Brandon toured for 15 months with the internationally renowned Missoula Children's Theatre, and has also worked professionally with the Pacific Conservatory for the Performing Arts (PCPA). He made his film debut in Matt Sconce's FIREFALL in 2012, and has also appeared in and done the VO work for numerous regional/national commercials. Most recently, he wrapped production on a feature film called THE ZODIAC KILLER TRAP.



•Michael Oldham holds a Masters in Psychology from Purdue University. He began his writing career over 15 years ago, and has achieved a variety accolades, including his second play, REACH, being nominated for the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Comedy Award. Michael has worked with Warner Bros. on a spec script for their property GREEN LANTERN and with Amazon Studios, where his screenplay WIZARD'S QUEST was optioned by the company after being a semi-finalist for their inaugural Best Screenplay contest, and winning Best Dialogue. In addition to RECONSOLIDATION, Michael has several other projects in the works, including the series JOBBERS, which was named a Notable Project by Amazon Studios.

•Abbie Lucas is a director working in film, TV, theatre, and commercials. Her recent credits include the short films TESTING GRETA (Winner of the special prize for "Greeks of the World" at the 40th Annual Drama Short Film Festival in Greece and Nominated for Best Actress, Billie Vee, at the 12th Annual Hamilton Film Festival in Canada.) and DEAD TIRED, and she has been approached to direct two more short films and two television pilots. Among her other credits are A QUICK FORTUNE, which was officially selected for worldwide festivals, along with London’s prestigious Raindance Festival. Her acclaimed short WRONG DIRECTION was selected for the London Independent Film Festival and the BAFTA qualifications. Her infomercial BOOBIES IN A BOX went viral with over eight million views, having been picked up by several major online publications such as the Huffington Post. Abbie is currently writing a pilot for American television.

•Justin McAleece is an award-winning director and cinematographer from Fresno, CA. He has been a filmmaker for over 15 years, and graduated from CSU, Fresno with a BA in Broadcast Production. He co-owns BLARE Media, a video production company that shoots everything from commercials to feature films to music videos to corporate marketing videos. He aspires to make smart, biting comedy and beautiful, thoughtful images. He has been a RED owner/operator since 2009 and is extremely well-versed in digital cinematography. In 2017 he completed his independent feature film BRICK MADNESS which he had been working on since 2009. It will be distributed in 2019.

Pre-production:

Storyboards by Elisa Ortiz





Concept art by Elisa Ortiz

Why do we need help?

As many of you may know, filmmaking is not cheap. Some funds have already been donated, and we have been able to cross some items off our list on our own. But we need you to help get us across the finish line. We still need funding for several things, such as:

•A professional crew (you get what you pay for)

•Camera/lens packages/equipment rentals/purchases

•Sound engineer/equipment

•Lighting gear/personnel

•Craft Services for everyone on set

•Air travel and accommodation for our UK-based director

•Festival entry fees

•Unforeseen expenses (better safe than sorry)

And that's just to name a few.

Why a short film?

In case you were wondering, we're currently working on the feature-length script, and we hope this short film will get some traction on the festival circuit and help us get the feature film made. This is a very effective method with an increasingly high success rate in recent years, and we're excited to get moving. So...

What's the deadline?

The last few years have been tough on everyone. The Pandemic (not the movie lol) threw off our timeline by a significant amount, but we’re back in the game and ready to rock and roll.

Our latest scheduling update has put the filming of this project in early 2024! That gives us a little more time to come up with enough money to make something truly incredible. Because, let's face it... if you're not attempting something outrageous, what's the point?

It’s time to make this thing, and we look forward to your help. Ultimately, it's about producing the best possible product, and we know you feel the same.

• • No raffles, sweepstakes, giveaways, or promotions are offered in exchange for any donations made to my GoFundMe. • •

Let's make something great!

Thanks for taking an interest in our project. With the feature-length script already in the works, we're very excited to bring this thing to life, and we'd love to have your support. Literally, ever dollar helps. If you, or anyone you know might be excited about this project, we welcome all contributions to help make this a reality. So please, don't hesitate to reach out for more information. As we continue the fundraising process, we will be keeping you posted via Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Reconsolidation-Film-761959020618771/

and Instagram @ReconsolidationFilm. Stay tuned, and again, thank you!