Story
5150 is a narrative short film starring Jovan Adepo (When They See Us, Watchmen) as Celeb— a world-famous but narcissistic celebrity whose erratic behavior leads him to be confined in a psychiatric institute under mysterious circumstances. Written and Directed by Denzel Whitaker and Executive Produced by David Oyelowo (Selma), the film explores mental health within the black community and the sometimes toxic power of celebrity.
We have already raised over 50% of our total budget and are raising the remaining funds here on Kickstarter to produce the film, submit to festivals, and eventually release it online. Our plan accounts for producing the film given current challenges related to the pandemic and we are committed to doing it safely.
We invite you to join our team at the ground level and take the next step to bring this timely story to life. Our incredible team is behind many award-winning short and feature films that have competed at top festivals (Sundance, Tribeca, SXSW) and successfully distributed to be seen by millions around the world. Despite our impressive team, we need your help to make this happen, 5150 is truly an independent film!
Influential, arrogant, a genius, and a nuisance— CELEB is a globally recognized star who is well known for his political statements and increasingly for his erratic behavior. At the height of his antics, Celeb awakes in a peculiar hospital room, confined for a reckless and violent outburst. During his stay, he is visited by three key women in his life: his publicist, his wife, and his mother. Despite the immense fame that Celeb commands, and his incessant need to challenge the system, these women admonish him of the dangerous repercussions he must now face. As pressure mounts, will Celeb come to terms with his own actions or push the boundaries of his own sanity in pursuit of a mysterious force that he calls THEY?
Now more than ever, young African American men and women are amassing first-generation wealth and finally have a shot at leaving a legacy for their families. Like many intangible privileges within life, said wealth doesn’t come with a guide book. There isn’t a manuscript for being a public figure either.
A celebrity lifestyle most certainly has its faults; sure it's highly desired yet it’s daunting and completely invasive. It’s a lifestyle that can quickly spiral out of hand without a loyal support system and/or a lack of ego. Now some may say this is simply an occupational hazard… “You knew what you signed up for.” But is it?? We praise false idols, place them on a pedestal with special privileges, and often encourage their radical behavior regardless if it’s legal or not. Are people even meant to be famous?
What do we really want/expect from our celebrities? Should we expect them to be perfect, role-model citizens despite their flaws? How should someone who obtains fame make good use of their platform? Is fame truly obtained? Or is it designed by gatekeepers who control what they want the world to see? For the rich and wealthy, is there such a thing as true love... even if all of their assets were to vanish tomorrow? When the masses label someone as crazy and cancel them, should we continue to dismiss their cries for help even if they’re telling the truth? And last but certainly not least, why are minority communities, especially black men, so unwilling to open up and acknowledge mental health? These are the many questions that I intend to explore within the short film, 5150.
- Denzel Whitaker (Writer/Director)
Similar to Hamlet and Yurik's skull, Celeb becomes fondly attached to a gold skull; an ostentatious yet mature acceptance of humanity's shared fate
The tone of 5150 will feel like a Black Mirror episode while incorporating eerie, conspiracy-steeped overtones of X-Files, Mulholland Drive, Eyes Wide Shut and The Night Of. We have sought inspiration from some of our favorite filmmakers including: David Fincher, Martin Scorsese, Stanley Kubrick, Christopher Nolan, Orson Welles and Quentin Tarantino.
Reference images from other films that help convey the vision for 5150
CELEB is his own best friend and worst enemy; he means well but he is often misunderstood for not spending enough time considering the consequences of his actions. Mid 30s and now with a family to provide for, Celeb feels an imperative need to fight back against the “system.” Unfortunately, the people around him care more about his access than his mental well-being; making it difficult for his fans and loved ones to believe he is not derailing into madness. Somedays Celeb is not so certain of his own sanity...
Because the majority of our story takes place in one cryptic, hospital room, we will be building the set from scratch to acheive the look we are aiming for. The good news is that we already have a studio located in Los Angeles to shoot in.
Reference images of our ideal hospital holding cell
JOVAN ADEPO - LEAD ROLE OF "CELEB" IMDB
Our star is Jovan Adepo, bringing depth and humanity to the role of Celeb. After going toe-to-toe with Denzel Washington and Viola Davis with his role in Fences, Jovan’s performances have quickly established him an actor to watch in Hollywood. He starred in Darren Aronofsky’s bible-based allegorical drama Mother! and the J.J. Abram’s World War II zombie gorefest Overlord.Jovan's recent performances Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us and HBO's Watchmen have secured his status as one of the most exciting young actors working and the perfect choice for the complex role of Celeb.
DOUGLAS WESTON - ROLE OF "DR. DAVIS" IMDB
Playing the role of Dr. Davis is a gifted actor who you know from his recurring role in NCIS: Los Angeles. With a list of extensive credits, Douglas brings complexity and gravitas to his role in the film. Dr. Davis is the epitome of a well-established physician; he’s practical and sticks to the script. Having tended a wide spectrum of mentally unstable patients, it’s no coincidence that Dr. Davis is specifically assigned to treat Celeb.
DENZEL WHITAKER - WRITER | DIRECTOR | PRODUCER IMDB
At age 10, Denzel Whitaker began his acting career as young Dimitri in the award-winning film Training Day. Since then, Denzel has continued to pursue the craft of acting with such titles including The Great Debaters, Marvel’s Black Panther, The Purge: TV series, RZA's Cut Throat City, and many more. In 2011, Denzel stepped behind the camera to try his hand at short films, spec commercials, music videos, and editing; he has been developing on both sides of the camera since.
JOHN TREFRY - WRITER | PRODUCER IMDB
As the founder of 4WT Media, John has extensive experience producing branded content for Fortune 500 companies like Netflix and Google. John is also active creating original content and has produced 8 short films, 2 feature documentaries and a narrative feature. John’s work has competed at prestigious film festivals including SXSW, Tribeca, Full Frame, Raindance and Mill Valley to name a few. John's films have generated millions of views across platforms like Vimeo Staff Pick, Short of the Week, ALTER, DUST, Omeleto and many others.
DAVID OYELOWO - EXECUTIVE PRODUCER IMDB
Most known for his brilliant award-winning role as Martin Luther King Jr. in Ava DuVernay's Selma, David Oyelowo is a classically trained stage actor who has quickly become one of Hollywood's most sought-after talents. His esteemed credits include Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, Disney’s Queen of Katwe, George Lucas’ Red Tails, and opposite Tom Cruise in Jack Reacher. David’s upcoming directorial debut The Water Man is being produced by his production company Yoruba Saxon Productions who we are honored to have as a partner for 5150.
LOWELL A. MEYER - CINEMATOGRAPHER Website
Lowell A. Meyer has quickly built an exceptional portfolio of award-winning short films, commercials, music videos, documentaries, and features. Lowell has won two Best Cinematography awards for his work on Greener Grass and Jim Cummings’ Thunder Road; the latter of which also won the Grand Jury Prize at both SXSW and Deauville. Lowell’s additional credits include films selected for Cannes (Caroline), Sundance (Lockdown), and SXSW (Krista).
4WT Media is an award-winning production company known for creating world-class branded and original content. 4WT has a proven track record producing short films that have competed at Tribeca, SXSW, HollyShorts, Raindance and dozens of other festivals. Their work includes narrative titles like Souls of Totality starring Tatiana Maslany which won 3 Oscar-qualifying film festivals, How To Be Alone starring Maika Monroe which premiered at SXSW, and Will ‘The Machine’ starring Denzel Whitaker which generated over 1.5 million views on Omeleto’s Youtube channel. In 2020, 4WT had films at both Tribeca and SXSW and they are the perfect partner to shepherd 5150 from script to screen. Website
In 2014, David and Jessica Oyelowo formed their independent production company, Yoruba Saxon Productions. As a talent-led production company, Yoruba/Saxon’s vision of VALUES BASED content, across all platforms and for all quadrants, aims to shift the culture of Hollywood and beyond. Their slate of co-produced films includes A United Kingdom (Fox Searchlight Pathe), Captive (Paramount), Nightingale (HBO) and Five Nights in Main (Filmrise). Yoruba/Saxon will be supporting 5150 throughout the entire process and offering leadership to navigate production through the complexities presented by the pandemic.
Beyond telling a great story that entertains audiences, we are also passionate about the film's social impact. The primary issues 5150 aims to shine a light on are mental health and the power of modern celebrity— especially within the black community.
People of color face obstacles stemming from systemic racism that have repercussions when it comes to mental health. African American adults are 20% more likely to experience mental health issues than the rest of the population. Sadly, African Americans are also less likely to seek treatment for mental health issues.
The modern obsession with celebrity is complex and pervasive, affecting nearly every person on the planet. The role of the celebrity is constantly changing and evolving but we don't often step back to consider the implications, especially for young people of color.
These interrelated issues of mental health and celebrity provide the opportunity to go deeper with 5150 and have a social impact. To achieve that goal, we have developed an impact campaign for 5150. Our plan includes guided discussions about the film and the themes of race in pop culture with organizations including Creative Visions Foundation - our official fiscal sponsor of 5150.
Our impact campaign will distribute the film at no cost, with materials to facilitate conversation during hosted screenings, to unpack the complex relationship communities of color have with their celebrities. Our plan also includes curating public conversation between David Oyelowo, Jovan Adepo, and Denzel Whitaker to unpack the complexities of mental health and celebrity for the black community and the importance of positive role models and mentorship.
While we may have an accomplished team, this project is truly independent. The team has assembled to collaborate on this film because we believe in the power of storytelling and how it can have a positive effect on the world around us.
While technology has made filmmaking more accessible, making a movie is still expensive which is why we need your help. Long before we created this Kickstarter campaign, we worked to bring allies together, calling in all our favors to secure amazing partnerships and sponsorships, resulting in an overall value of 5150 that is many times more than the amount of the budget.
The good news is that we have already raised $35K of our $55K total production budget. The total value of our $55K hard dollar budget amount is valued at $100K-$125k which is a direct result of our entire above-the-line team working for free, our below-the-line crew working at heavily discounted rates, and our generous sponsors and vendors either giving us discounts or donating. This is all because our team and partners strongly believe in this story and we want to deliver the absolute best possible version of this film.
When our production budget is met, and we exceed our target number, we have set up a dream milestone of $45,000 to raise here on Kickstarter. If we are able to achieve that goal, the extra monies will be applied directly to increasing our crew rates to standard market rates, enhancing production design and building the world of 5150. Once again, every dollar earned will end up on screen to help tell this story.
Kickstarter Ends | End of May 2020
Pre-Production | June 2020
Production I 3.5 shoot days late June - early July 2020 in Los Angeles
Post-Production I Jul - Aug 2020
Festival Outreach I (Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, Etc) End of Summer 2020
Festival Premiere I Fall 2020
Distribution/Limited Series Development I Fall 2020
It's worth noting that as part of our production, we are accounting for changes in the schedule due to local shelter-in-place regulations and are committed to ensuring the safety of our cast and crew. Our producers are working diligently to follow industry best practices to maintain a safe production, so no matter what changes happen as a result of COVID-19, we are confident we can adjust accordingly. The entire team is committed to ensuring 5150 is completed and goes on to be widely seen by audiences.
Pre-Production | June 2020
Production I 3.5 shoot days late June - early July 2020 in Los Angeles
Post-Production I Jul - Aug 2020
Festival Outreach I (Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, Etc) End of Summer 2020
Festival Premiere I Fall 2020
Distribution/Limited Series Development I Fall 2020
It's worth noting that as part of our production, we are accounting for changes in the schedule due to local shelter-in-place regulations and are committed to ensuring the safety of our cast and crew. Our producers are working diligently to follow industry best practices to maintain a safe production, so no matter what changes happen as a result of COVID-19, we are confident we can adjust accordingly. The entire team is committed to ensuring 5150 is completed and goes on to be widely seen by audiences.
Like our previous short films, our goal is to premiere 5150 at a top-tier film festival teeing up a strategic rollout across other festivals. We will be submitting to festivals including Sundance, SXSW, Cannes, Tribeca and many more. We have strong relationships with many key programmers and know that 5150 will hit the notes festivals often look for - strong director perspective, accomplished actors, high production value, unique story, focus on important social issues - which will lead to opportunities for distribution. In tandem with our festival rollout, 5150 will be widely released online in partnership with Short of the Week, Gunpowder & Sky’s ALTER OTT Network, Vimeo Staff Pick, Omeleto and other distribution outlets — all of which we have existing relationships with from our previous films.
It is important to consider the team behind any project you are backing. We are proud to say that we have proven track record of producing short films that have played at prestigious festivals and that our films can also be seen worldwide on many sought-after platforms.
Souls of Totality - Short Film, Drama/Sci-Fi
This ambitious short film stars Tatiana Maslany (Emmy-winning lead of Orphan Black) and Tom Cullen (Downton Abbey) as members of a mysterious cult preparing for the solar eclipse. The film features a stunning 5-minute scene captured during the actual eclipse. Souls has been an official selection over 20 prestigious film festivals, won 3 Oscar-Qualifying film festival awards and selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick.
How To Be Alone - Short Film, Horror
This dark and wickedly fun short film stars Maika Monroe as a woman who’s deepest fears seem to manifest physically when her husband, played by Joe Keery, leaves for the night shift. How To Be Alone is the first film from writer/director Kate Trefry who writes on Stranger Things. The film had its World Premiere at SXSW in 2019 and was released on Indiewire.
Will The Machine - Short Film, Drama
This dramatic short film stars Chris Fornataro (Bad is Bad) and Denzel Whitaker (Black Panther) in a brooding character portrait of an elite high school football star consumed by ambition. When Will faces defeat to an outsider in a series of races, the demons keeping “The Machine” running finally surface. Set in the unique backdrop of wintertime Richmond, Virginia, the former capital of the Confederacy, the title character embodies the city’s conflicted, tumultuous history. The film made a splash upon wide release and garnered over 1 million views on Omeleto’s Youtube channel in just a month.
We feel deep within our hearts that this short has the potential to ruffle industry feathers. We know this short can and will spark much-needed conversation about the adverse effects of modern celebrity, the rapidly rising sub-culture known as “cancel culture," and the lack of mental health awareness within minority communities.
We sincerely appreciate you checking out 5150! We thank you in advance for placing your trust in us as filmmakers and we hope that you consider donating to help us bring this incredible story to life! After this campaign is successful and you see the film and your rewards, we truly believe you will be proud to have backed this film!
For any questions that you may have, feel free to reach us at:
Producer Email - info@4wtmedia.com
Denzel’s Instagram - @Blackmouf
Websites - www.4wtmedia.com , www.blackmouf.com
Risks and challenges
Bringing any film to life poses numerous challenges, but our team has a proven track record of overcoming those challenges and creating impactful pieces of work. We expect this film to be no different. Aside from the obvious, we are going to stretch the value of your dollar further than most can. The money will be spent wisely and creatively. The most significant risk we genuinely have is raising the money on Kickstarter as it's an all or nothing platform. But we believe we have a thought-provoking, impactful project that will resonate with people and galvanize support. Thank you for your consideration of this project, and we are beyond excited to welcome those of you who join our team. From the entire 5150 team, THANK YOU!
This project is at 96% of its goal
Help bring it to life.
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