Casa- TV Senior Thesis

The Story

Our film Casa follows the story of Brigham, the son of a Mormon bishop who is on the run after an encounter with his best friend went wrong. He finds refuge at “Casa Virginia”, where he meets Virginia, a transexual burlesque performer. As Brigham slowly learns about Virginia's true identity, he must decide what’s most valuable — his heart or his religion. As Virginia’s walls begin to fall, he starts to see a sensitive and misunderstood soul. This all begins to fall apart as the Bishop finds his son, with plans of his own.

Our goals

Our goal is to raise $25,000 in order to adequately produce the project from start to finish. 

Just as CSUN alumni have done in the past, we intend on submitting this film to a wide array of festivals across the country. As proud filmmakers from CSUN we aim to give our school and this film the recognition it deserves.  

Where Your Money's Going

All donations will go towards the following:

- Location (permits, insurance, transportation, etc.)

- Casting (casting director, talent, studio teacher, etc.)

- Rentals (audio, lighting, grip & electric, camera gear, etc.)

- Catering (to feed our crew and cast!)

- Hotels (for cast and crew to sleep since the location is a far drive)

... and more!

Meet the Crew!

Jonathan Tirado (he/him), Director. 

Hello, my name is JT and this project is very personal to me because it is an homage to my life. My directing debut was The Rocky Horror Tribute Show which ran for three consecutive years on Hollywood Blvd. I am thrilled to be working with such an amazing cast and crew to show you my personal story and that you can be whoever you want to be. 

Vinny Garcia (he/his/him), Line Producer.

I am excited to work on Casa because it is a fantastic story about acceptance and finding yourself, two things near and dear to my heart. I have produced multiple projects including SeeThrough, Superstars, Real Love, and Touché Attache.

Lizi Escobar (she/her/they), Creative Producer.

Lizi is a valley girl who's been glued to her TV screen for as long as they can remember. She's the Creative Producer of Casa and could not be more excited to help bring this compelling story to the screen! As someone who's apart of the LGBTQ+ community, she believes in the importance of telling honest stories about identity, acceptance, equality, and the freedom to love. Lizi has experience working on previous CSUN TV productions and student films alike, some of which she's directed, wrote, produced, and edited. She also has professional work experience as a background actor.

Niko Cisternas (they/them) 

Hello, my name is Niko (they/them) and I'm the Assistant Director for Casa. As a trans person, I'm excited to see more representation on screen, as well as seeing more queer stories being developed and told!

Thomas Brau, Director of Photography

My name is Thomas Brau, I have been learning and studying light for a few years now and have honed in on my skills. I am looking forward to telling a story that relates to everyone and shares the two sides of understanding and accepting. I plan to use my learning in color and lighting to make this shoot come to life! 

Piankhi Iknaton, Camera Operator

He started shooting college sports and eventually made his way to shooting pro sports. The past four years have began to migrate over to the narrative space. Looking to create more compelling stories that reflect our present societal makeup. 

Maddie Nelson, Production Designer

Hi! My name is Maddie and I'm the Production Designer for Casa! I have been production designer for a year and an on-site event coordinator. I adore dressing sets and making a vision come to life. Our director JT is one of my closest friends and I am thrilled to be apart of this masterpiece and create a captivating story to show that you can love whoever you want! XO

Edwin Ruano, Sound Mixer/Sound Editor

Hey everyone I'm Edwin Ruano, I'm a Sound Mixer/Editor. I've been sound focused for three years working on projects such as 'Danny Jones' and 'Superstar'! I'm excited to work on 'Casa' that is meaningful to my closest friend and bring the world of Casa Virginia to life. 

Eduardo Puebla (He/Him), Editor

He has worked on other CSUN Student projects such as 'The One and Only Danny Jones' and 'The Healing'. Extremely honored to get to work on a meaningful project such as this one. Continue to spread the message about acceptance and understanding towards the LGBTQIA+ community is one that, I believe, is worth while. Can't wait to work with everyone to get this done! 

Can't Donate, But Still Want To Help?

Even if you can't donate at this time, it would be a huge help to us if you would get the word out by sharing our donation and social media pages! Please feel free to email, share on pages such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. 

Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/csuncasa/

Donations: 

Contributions to Casa are 100% tax deductible. CSUN is a 501(c)(3) Charitable Organization.