Raising Funds to Film the Sequel to My Queer Comedy "YUP"
Taking the Plunge Into a Big Creative Project
It has been almost two years since I developed and filmed one of my cinematic projects. That huge slab of creativity was the music video for my song Vampire. Before that, I filmed over 50 short films for my YouTube channel. I knew I was feeling burned out and needed to take a sizable break from my film practice. As you all know, my music and live performances have taken a front seat for a while now and show no signs of slowing down.
Nonetheless, I feel ready to make another film again, but I have the wisdom of hindsight to guide me in making the labor-intensive experience of filming a movie more manageable and fun.
With that said, today, I officially launch a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for my next film project. What I have decided to do is make the sequel to a short film I made during my last year of film school in 2019. That spring semester (I graduated later that year in December), each person in my class was assigned to film a simple conversation. It could have been a short conversation between two people, two inanimate objects, or anything really. Instead, I filmed YUP, which happened to have a conversation in it.
Thinking back, I must have been possessed by some certifiable, masochistic queer spirit. I over-delivered on the assignment and dreamed up this oddball, comedic sequence of events. For this assignment, I asked myself, “What if I filmed something that was fueled exclusively by my instincts?” Each creative decision stayed close to a theme but was not marred by self-censorship and second-guessing.
The project was filmed quickly in a day and a half, so I did not have time to obsess over every little detail. My wonderful and dedicated cast and crew worked fast and did every bewildering thing I asked. I also drove up to Indianapolis where I worked with my friend Rob for a few days to record and produce music for it. I went all out. Sigh.
Part of my motivation was having access to my school’s expensive filming equipment and software. I really wanted to capitalize on all those resources.
For those of you who have not seen it, here is the full 12 minutes (including the goofy end credits) of YUP. Have a look at where my creative mind led me:
For the sequel, I plan to expand the world I have introduced. The story continues on as a mad caper full of unusual hijinks and bizarre characters with lots of physical comedy, vibrant costuming, and dance.
Speaking of dance, I plan to write and produce at least a couple of new pop songs for this project in a similar vein to “WAWA,” which is the song that opens the first one. That song, as nonsensical as it is, is a paean to individuality and self-acceptance (because nothing rhymes with Chihuahua). The new songs would embody the mood and culture of this sequel just as much.
Lastly, I see this film as a collaborative project with numerous queer artists including Middle Tennessee-based actors, dancers, costume designers, audio engineers, builders, and fellow filmmakers. Queer art is being censored, and funding sources are diminishing all across the country due to several anti-DEI initiatives. I want to support other artists with an opportunity to express themselves in this film and to offer some compensation for their work.
I am raising a low-budget amount of $12,000 for this film. Here is a breakdown of where this money will go:
Stipends for cast and crew members
Food for each day of shooting for cast and crew
Several unique and colorful costume pieces
Production of new original music for the soundtrack and score
Props and set pieces
Masks and testing kits for COVID safety
Equipment rentals for filming
Filming is slated to begin in January of 2026 and will extend well into summer. (By design, the film will be made in multiple small chunks and vignettes over time to help with my sanity and to accommodate several people’s schedules.)
I understand that these are precarious times. Many people in the United States and around the world need funds for personal and medical support. I only ask that you give what you can, in any amount whatsoever.
If, by some sweet miracle, the amount raised exceeds my goal, the additional funds will further enhance the quality of the production. In the filmmaking world, even short films have budgets of hundreds of thousands of dollars. I am aiming to create a multiverse of queer splendor, and every cent will help this project go further.
If you would like to donate, you can do so at this link below:
If you know anyone who would like to support queer independent films, please send over this link. Otherwise, please share as far and wide as possible.
Also, please let me know if you have an idea for a fundraiser or would like to host one.
This is my first time fundraising for a film project, and as such, this film will be done on a larger scale than I have ever done before. It will fully utilize my skills as a director, visual artist, designer, choreographer, film editor, and musician.
You never know what will happen unless you try, and you never grow if you do not take risks in your life.
I am ready to try and ready to grow.
UPCOMING SHOWS
Garden Party Fundraiser
DRKMTTR in Nashville, TN
Friday, September 12
Roqué’s Concert for One
Liberty, TN
Tuesday, September 23
Queer Asian and Pacific Islander Songwriter Showcase (Solo in the Round)
Chinkapin Craftstead in Woodbury, TN
Saturday, September 27
BoroPride
Murfreesboro, TN
Saturday, October 4
The French House
Nashville, TN
Sunday, December 6
Last week, as the final celebration for my birthday, my dear husband MaxZine and I embarked on a day trip to Chattanooga in East Tennessee, which is a scenic hour-and-a-half drive from our house in the woods.
We love visiting botanical gardens and the one in Chattanooga, which was free to enter, did not disappoint. Unlike other botanical gardens, the Reflection Riding Botanical Gardens focus exclusively on native plants. Its acreage includes nature trails, ponds, and meadows drenched in flowers. All of this is flanked on all sides by gorgeous Appalachian ridgetops. We plan on going back to see more of this place.
Project Updates
New Music:
Discussed scheduling studio time with the band
Schedule more time to look at software with an audio engineer
New Film Project:Created GoFundMe campaign
Talked to more potential performers and collaborators
You marvelousy prolific artist, you! Always great to see what you are creating out there! Love from Bavaria.