When an elderly man is forced to move out of the home he grew up in, his daughter accidentally sells his beloved childhood bicycle to a lifelong rival. Determined to get it back, he embarks on a quest to recover the bicycle before he leaves the neighborhood forever.
Banana Seat Dreams follows Harry, an elderly man who has spent his entire life in the same neighborhood he grew up in. Nothing brings Harry more joy than racing his bicycle through the streets of the neighborhood, an activity that takes him back to beloved memories of the summer days of his youth. But in the modern day, Harry is being forced to move out of his childhood home by his daughter, Linda. Their relationship becomes even more strained as Harry watches Linda sell off his things in a moving sale. The final straw comes when Linda accidentally sells off Harry’s beloved bicycle to Baxter, a rival from Harry’s childhood. Harry embarks on a crusade to break into Baxter’s home and recover the bicycle before he leaves the neighborhood forever.
Harry’s quest to retrieve his bike and resist his forced move-out leads him through a series of comical events, as he engages in child-like squabbles, petty fights, and a heist he is physically unqualified for. As he struggles to retrieve this object of great sentimental value, Harry will be forced to question why he needs it so badly. At its core, Banana Seat Dreams is a story about how our memories live within us, not within our things. It explores the relationship between a father and daughter who have become increasingly distant, but find their love for one another in the memories they share and what it means to give to a new generation. Through Harry’s journey, he will eventually learn what truly matters to him, setting things right with his childhood rival and showing his daughter how he truly loves her.
The team behind Banana Seat Dreams includes a unique team of artists with diverse backgrounds of experience in the film industry. Among us are alumni from the USC School of Cinematic Arts as well as film festival award winners and participants from such events as the LA Shorts International Film Festival and the Phoenix Film Festival. After making films under other production companies and/or with the support of school programs, our crew is coming together to create our first narrative short film made entirely independently. Banana Seat Dreams continues the themes we have set in place in all of our previous films while setting the tone for the stories we want to create in the future. Films about family and human faults told with humor, love, and a sprinkle of whimsy, developed by storytellers with fresh voices and a new perspective on our world.
The idea for Banana Seat Dreams sparked from my main influence, my family. Namely, my grandpa, who has both a love for yard sales and has spent 83 years of his life living no more than a five-mile radius from the California suburb where he was born. I wrote the script while studying for my MFA at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where I realized how personal this story truly was to me. Since then, it has become a passion project I have taken on, uniting many of the brilliant collaborators I have met with along the way. This film is my love-letter to the suburbs of Southern California, a place my family has called home for three generations. In turn, I hope it will serve as a love-letter to the places we all grew up and the family and strangers we grew up with. Therefore, I humbly seek your support to make our Banana Seat Dreams a reality.
Thank you,
Joey Coalter
The easiest way to support this project is FREE! We understand that not everyone has the means to support monetarily. But worry not, a quick follow on our Facebook, Instagram, and Seed & Spark pages will go a long way to spread the word about the project.
So please SHARE SHARE SHARE!
Talk about the film with your friends, family, and grandparents. Send them a link and follow our Facebook page and Instagram @bananaseatfilm, where we'll be posting more updates and behind the scenes about our journey!
As for the financial stuff, everything looks better in a pie chart, right? Below is a breakdown of the areas of production these funds will go to support. We want to make this the best film possible which means renting top of the line equipment, shooting in picture-perfect locations, and hiring an expert crew.
The budget of our project is $55,000!
That sounds like a lot, we broke it down into our milestones below:
Milestone 1 at $17,600:
This is our “Green Light” goal! Meaning when we hit this milestone we will officially be able to start production and prepare for filming! Your contributions will help us pay for critical components of production, including gear, production design, editing, insurance, and meals for the team!
Milestone 2 at $19,400:
Hitting our second milestone will allow us to have the proper funds to pay our talented cast members for their roles in our film.
Milestone 3 at $22,200:
At our third milestone, we will be able to rent post-production spaces such as a mixing stage and we will be able to hire a composer to score our film.
Milestone 4 - $25,000:
Another layer to the project is that we will be working with kids! To ensure that they are protected and in a safe working environment, we need to have airtight insurance as well as a studio teacher on set.
Milestone 5 at $40,000:
As we near the peak of our financing goals, we will be able to pay our crew for their time on set. At this goal, we will be able to pay our department heads for production.
Milestone 6 - $55,000:
We have several people in our crew who are donating their time and skills to bring Banana Seat Dreams to life. When we hit our target goal, we will be able to pay even more of our crew members for the time they’ve invested into the film!
And what happens if we reach beyond the limits of our goals? Any additional funding we raise will go directly into the production of our film, to hire even more crew, and to help with our distribution plans.
To make contributing as simple as possible we broke it down in two easy ways!
We have partnered with From the Heart Productions, a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Fiscal Sponsor that allows films like ours to receive tax deductible donations from generous folks like you.
How does this help us?
- Any donations made through this method go to us directly to us to help make the film!
- We can receive donations at any time during the making of the film!
- Donations made through this method may be eligible for corporate matching! Meaning if you own or work for a company that matches charitable donations to a 501(c)3 Non-Profit. Your donation to our project could be doubled!
How does this benefit you?
- Any contributions made through this method will be TAX DEDUCTIBLE!
- Depending on the size of your contribution, it will be eligible for one of our incentives including:
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A Social Media Shoutout
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A Digital Copy of the Film
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A Special Thanks Credit, Signed Poster,
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Film Crew T-Shirt
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Invitation to Private Premiere Screening
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An Executive Producer Credit
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And More!
How to contribute this way:
Write a check!
If you choose to contribute this way please email us at bananaseatdreams@gmail.com
We will provide you with the Letter of Approval from our Fiscal Sponsor, From the Heart Productions, Inc. which will include the instructions for writing a check for the film as well as the IRS number you will need for your tax deduction.
On August 26th we launched a Seed and Spark crowdfunding campaign! This campaign lasts 45 days and ends on October 10th!
See our Campaign Here!
How does this help us?
- The goal of this crowdfunding campaign is to hit our "Green Light" goal of $17,600 and officially allow us to kick off production!
How does this benefit you?
- Seed and Spark campaign rewards your contribution with a number of incentives, including:
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A Social Media Shoutout
-
A Digital Copy of the Film
-
A Special Thanks Credit, Signed Poster,
-
Film Crew T-Shirt
-
Invitation to Private Premiere Screening
How to contribute this way:
Visit our Seed & Spark page
Click “Make a Pledge” and enter the amount you are interested in donating, or navigate to our “Wishlist” and select one of the options listed to donate.
See our Campaign Here!
Other Ways to Help!
There are still other ways to help us make this project including in-kind donations, for those who would like to send us money directly through check or Zelle and/or are willing to donate things like food, locations or equipment, as well as opportunities for corporate sponsorships! For more information about others ways to support the film or if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us at:
bananaseatdreams@gmail.com
In terms of where we are at in the production process, we have our crew booked, casting is underway, and our shoot is officially locked for November! This campaign will help us spread the word about our film, get our community excited, and hopefully reach future collaborators. If you'd like to learn more about the film, remember to follow us on social media at our Facebook page and Instagram @bananaseatfilm
