Our Crowdfunding Groups
Donate and help CSUN students raise funds for our CTVA TV Thesis project titled, "Knights of Cydonia".
The objective of the CTVA TV Thesis project is to write, produce, and execute a captivating television pilot. This is to be seen as a standalone episode of a television series that serves as the precursor to a larger production and will often gauge audience captivation.
OUR STORY
In the winter of 2017 in East LA, rumors of ICE Raids in a tight-knit community worry its inhabitants, and among those, Joel Kettering, an eighteen-year-old immigrant from Guatemala, Coban. After Joel's best friend Eddie Guerrero gets arrested, Joel fears the worst. But his friends Daniel 'Dan' Mandarin and Toby Garcia see it as an opportunity to protect their self-created comfort, like their heroes, the Knights of Cydonia. As the three boys endure a week of hiding from immigration enforcement they decide to celebrate with a big game night, only for it to end with ICE agents knocking on the door in search of Joel.
WHO ARE THE KNIGHTS OF CYDONIA
"First off, I'd like to thank those who have come before me in the preservation, knowledge and communication of television, film and media studies. Without them we would not have the world today or the art form we all love and enjoy. And to those who crossed hundreds of thousands of miles for a better life, thank you. Your efforts were never in vain. I was fortunate enough to grow up in a safe environment in the suburban town of Commerce, CA. I didn't always live there but a majority of my time was spent there, running around town with my friends and slowly discovering the beauty of East LA as the years passed by. We fell in love with the idea of adventure, hopping from bus to bus, walking miles upon miles to see one another and share our stories of characters we had come up with. One day, in highschool, I had shared with my friends a script titled Death is My Friend, a story about a young man named Mac who took up the mantle of helping Death's daughter become the rightful heir. We set out to actually do it but never got farther than a principal meeting. After some time it evolved into two different things, The Misadventure of Joey Kettering & Kacey Mandarin and The Ultimate Playlist. They centered themselves around the same group of friends. From two friends trying to hangout with the rest of their crew on a holiday to teens realizing growing up means accepting change shared together through hour long playlists for the bus ride home. These characters from the original grew and grew so I split them up, thinking I could do something with it but could never seem to make it work. I wanted them to connect but only through their friends or possible references. I don't know why but I always felt like people intersect more than they think, and wanted to show that through these stories. I bit off more than I could chew and left it alone after realizing I had no idea how to tell this story. I wish I got to tell it, rejection is a scary thing, so I regret not doing so. Then when I was 20 the LA I.C.E raids happened. Neighbors and loved ones got worried while others were more brave than I care to admit. When it was over I hoped none of my old high school friends got raided, sadly I didn't hear back from some of them. My mind spiraled, what if my own dad was forced back? What if it was a friend I met recently instead? Would we never have met? Would my life be all different if I didn't have papers? Would I have been sent back? What would happen to my family? My friends? As I pondered this I wrote a story about a potential, "what if", to quell any anxiety I had. I never let it see the light of day. Years later, trial and error, made me realize the story I buried wanted to be told. So I typed up a pitch named Hermanos. It didn't get far and I knew it needed work, so I promised myself that for the thesis I would do just that. A lot of it became a melting pot of ideas, but ultimately it boiled down to feeling like a witness with no power to help out their heroes. An awful feeling really but one many of us know too well. After some time, lots of pop punk and Louise Lamour. I came up with Knights of Cydonia." - Paulo De Paz
OUR GOAL
Our goal for this project is to show the societal struggles of Latinos in low-income neighborhoods and the challenges that come with it. We don't want to focus on telling a stereotypical story about being Latino and rather shift the narrative to be more about why it's so hard to be Latino. This story will take us through an uncomfortable conversation about what separates and brings us together.
Collectively, our team is excited to showcase our efforts from our four years of hard work and studies in one jam-packed episode.
YOUR DONATION & SUPPORT
Our cast and crew aim to create an authentic film depicting the year 2017 and Latino culture in East LA but we cannot do it without your help.
Our goal of $15,000 will be put towards the following:
- Camera & Lighting Department: Camera and lighting packages, lenses, grip equipment, media storage, and electric equipment.
- Sound Department: This goes towards sound equipment rentals, original score composition, and additional music rights.
- Costume Department: Wardrobe to sell the world of Cydonia
- Production & Locations: This goes towards permitting, insurance, travel, and transportation.
-Casting: Hiring and providing wages for our actors and additional crew
- Catering & Craft Services: Help feed our cast and crew during production!
- Post Production: Think processing, color grading, and editing.
**ALL CONTRIBUTIONS TO KNIGHTS OF CYDONIA ARE 100% TAX DEDUCTIBLE. THE CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE FOUNDATION IS A CHARITABLE, NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION 501(C)(3) PUBLIC BENEFIT CALIFORNIA CORPORATION.**
SUPPORT THE PROJECT
We understand not everyone can provide a monetary donation, but if you still help there are other ways of doing so! Spread the word by sharing our Donation Website with others who may be able to help us out or even following along with our Instagram page @knightsctva
CREW
Producer - Paulo De Paz
Line Producer - Sergio Ramirez
Director - Juan Madrigal
1st AD - Erick Roque
Director of Photography - Michael Shuheiber
Editor - Jordan Wright
Editor - Brandon Torres
Sound - Miguel Pimentel
Sound - Marc Smith
Production Design - Jian Placencia
Wardrobe - Jorge Padilla
THANK YOU!
All of us from the cast and crew of Knights of Cydonia, thank you for supporting our project. Given we are a student production, every single donation counts toward making this story a reality for us. We are excited to bring this story to life and hope to make something we are all proud of!
For inquires, please reach out to the director or one of our producers:
Writer/Producer: Paulo De Paz, jose.depaz.250@my.csun.edu
Producer: Sergio Ramirez, sergio.ramirez.728@my.csun.edu
Director: Juan Madrigal, juan.madrigal.251@my.csun.edu
