Juniors Grant Harris and Joseph Picozzi started with a concept film created for a class in the University of Miami’s School of Communication. They quickly realized that their class project would become a web series about their experiences as film students.
“We wanted to do a project that showcased our ability to write television rather than focusing completely on a short film,” Picozzi said.
The web series “Rough Cut” is a mockumentary that follows a group of film students as they work together to create a short film. The film crew launched a fundraising campaign on Kickstarter to garner support and interest.
The film crew reached its $3,000 goal and has fundraised $3,155 with 45 supporters as of Wednesday afternoon. Supporters can pledge until Sunday.
The six-part web series follows in the fashion of Netflix original programming. The crew will release all the segments at once instead of releasing the episodes on different dates.
“Rough Cut” delves behind the scenes of collegiate film production from the viewpoint of UM film students.
“We really wanted to create something through collaboration with our peers,” Harris said.
Picozzi found that a film about college students would make it more realistic.
“We thought it’d be a good idea to set it in film school, considering that we know it, live it, and could capture the authenticity,” he said.
Harris and Picozzi expect to shoot the film throughout the fall and complete the project this January. Their crew consists of Laura Falcone, the series’ executive producer, and a cast of six actors.
The Kickstarter page includes the estimated breakdown for the film’s budget. Forty percent will be allocated for supplies and food for the cast and crew; 18 percent for equipment, and the other 42 percent will go toward permits, insurance, props and the film’s release. Each episode will cost about $500.
Picozzi and Harris chose to capitalize on a major benefit of college, the opportunity to network and connect with peers.
“This is a massive project that would be impossible to do alone,” Harris said. “It’s been great to work with a lot of other really talented people, all with different strengths, and who each bring their own unique ideas to the table. That’s what filmmaking is all about.”
To support “Rough Cut,” visit the Kickstarter page at kck.st/14Vq05i.