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March of a Butterfly

$19,500
55%
Raised toward our $35,000 Goal
60 Donors
Project has ended
Project ended on June 01, at 12:42 PM PDT
Project Owners

March of a Butterfly - A CSUN Film Production Senior Thesis

Welcome to the fundraiser page for our CSUN Senior Thesis Short Film – March of a Butterfly


THE STORY

        March of a Butterfly follows Zack, a teenager with a rare skin condition (Epidermolysis Bullosa) which renders his skin excruciatingly fragile. Desperate to experience life beyond the confines of his home, he embarks on a daring journey across L.A. to replace his sister/caregiver's precious snowglobe after unintentionally shattering it. Despite the unexpected connections which arise, and his newfound sense of freedom, can the socially recluse teen emerge from his perilous night victorious? Or is he destined to stay in his cocoon forever?

        Zack's story serves as an exercise in self-acceptance and growth despite the compromising circumstances one is put in. The holiday setting compliments Zack's metamorphosis, as our story largely revolves around the sacrifices we make for our loved ones, and the act of gift-giving out of gratitude. Combining our characters, setting, and subject matter, March of a Butterfly lovingly delves into themes of strength, compassion, and human perseverance.



WHAT IS EPIDERMOLYSIS BULLOSA?

        Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) is a rare, genetic condition characterized by extremely fragile skin prone to blistering and tearing, even with the slightest friction or touch. It affects individuals from their birth throughout their lives, often causing severe pain, chronic wounds, scarring, and disabilities which significantly impact their mobility and quality of life.

        We invite the audience to intimately understand the daily physical, emotional, and psychological challenges a person with EB faces. Due to the rarity of this disease, most people in the world don’t know it exists. That means countless butterfly children have gone through life feeling unseen, and we want to change that. We want to let people with this disease know that we see them, we hear them, and we embrace them.



OUR GOAL

        As our capstone senior film, March of a Butterfly serves as our final demonstration of the knowledge and abilities we’ve acquired during our time in CSU Northridge’s film production option.

        After our film is finished, we hope to theatrically share March of a Butterfly with a film festival run and engage in student filmmaker competitions. In doing so, we can both showcase our capabilities as filmmakers, and bring awareness to EB. 



WHERE WILL YOUR MONEY GO?

Your contribution will be used for:

Locations: permits and additional costs

Camera and Lighting: grip truck, lights, monitors

Art Department: props, set dressing, special effects makeup, graphic design

Sound Equipment: tape, straps, batteries

Actors and Casting: we work with SAG-AFTRA to cast great actors to accurately portray our characters

Catering & Craft Services: food will be provided to our cast and crew like a traditional film set

Post Production: hard drives and processing

Distribution: film festival application fees

And More!


**ALL CONTRIBUTIONS TO MARCH OF A BUTTERFLY ARE 100% TAX DEDUCTIBLE. THE CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE FOUNDATION IS A CHARITABLE, NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION 501(C)(3) PUBLIC BENEFIT CALIFORNIA CORPORATION.


OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT

For updates on pre-production and behind the scenes content, please follow our Instagram page!

Instagram: @marchofabutterflyfilm

YouTube: @MarchofaButterfly

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/marchofabutterfly


MEET OUR CREW!

Writer and Director | Daniel Valentine

Producer | Matthew X Kadach

Producer | Jojo Staromana

Producer | Lance Walton

1st Assistant Director | Maddie Cabrera

2nd Assistant Director | Michael Ekeinde

Script Supervisor | Dean D'Annibale


Director of Photography | Byron Morse

1st Assistant Camera | Trenton Hess

2nd Assistant Camera | Michaela Boniti

Camera Operator | Logan Serrano

DIT | Alex Lobitz


Gaffer | Andrew Suarez

Key Grip | Will McDonald

Best Boy Electric | Andrew Kowalski


Production Sound Mixer | Samantha Zan

Boom Operator | Julia Amstutz

Sound Utility | Jimmy Ward / Maritza Ramirez

Post Sound Editor | Maritza Ramirez / Samantha Zan


Editor | Carter Nicklaus

Editor | Alex Lobitz


Production Designer | Daria Noonan-Wehmeyer

Art Director | Andre Hurtado

Set Decorator | Trent X. Powell


BTS Videographer | Meillin Liu

Casting Director | Kerry Barker



THANK YOU FOR READING :)

If you have any questions, or would like to reach out:


Writer/Director: Daniel Valentine - daniel.arutyunyan.287@my.csun.edu

Producer: Matthew X Kadach - matthew.kadach.569@my.csun.edu

Producer: Jojo Staromana - jose-maria.staromana.833@my.csun.edu

Producer: Lance Walton - tyrome.walton.919@my.csun.edu 


If you reside outside of the United States, and you would like to support our project, please donate using this link: 

 https://engage.csun.edu/march_of_a_butterfly_intl

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