LAWRENCEVILLE, Georgia — March 21, 2015 — A new short film project from independent filmmakers Jordan Smith and Kendra Ness has hit Kickstarter in an attempt to gain funding. Called The Balcony, the film centers on a discouraged violinist who thinks he’s practicing in an empty room, but he ends up bringing hope to a girl flutist who planned to jump from the balcony. Uniquely, the story is told through music instead of dialogue, using a duet between the characters to bring out the emotion.
“I like the way silent films can tell a thoughtful story without anyone saying a word.” said Ness, the director of the film. “On a personal level, I really connected to the idea of music lifting someone’s spirit out of a dark place.”
The Balcony will delicately explore the theme of suicide prevention, using artistic visuals and beautiful music to tell its story. Aubrey Hansen, the screenwriter on the project, explains, “Suicide became an issue very close to my heart, first through my friends and then through my own struggles. In May of 2014 a text message from a friend prevented me from committing suicide on the highway. Since then I’ve found victory, so I’m very excited that this film is reaching out on the subject of suicide prevention.”
Smith, the film’s producer, explained that the main reason the team is using Kickstarter is to secure funds to hire a top-notch composer for the film: “The story calls for an original piece of music that the actors will perform, which is expensive. The quote our composer gave us is pretty much what we spent on our entire last project. To make this film a reality, we’re turning to Kickstarter.”
The project’s Kickstarter campaign runs through the end of March, with a goal of raising $3,000 to fund the project. Rewards for backers include an mp3 download of the original music, a DVD of the final film, a handwritten thank-you note on a postcard featuing the film’s concept art, and executive producer credit with an IMDb listing once the film is released. Kickstarter funding campaigns work on an all-or-nothing funding model, so if the film doesn’t reach its goal, it won’t receive any of the money pledged. “Even a small pledge of $5 goes a long way toward making this project happen.” said Smith.
Visit www.kickstarter.com
About the Filmmakers
Producer Jordan Smith and director Kendra Ness are no newcomers to filmmaking: Each has over ten years of experience. Smith has directed or produced over two dozen film projects, and he also heads the video production team at a small publisher, where he’s produced ten DVD projects and over a dozen web videos. Ness has writter, directed, and produced over twenty film projects, several of which have won awards at the Silver Spoon Film Festival including Best Music Video, Best Action Adventure Film, and Third Place in Best Overall Film.
Georgia filmmaker Jordan Smith and award-winning independent director Kendra Ness have launched a Kickstarter campaign for their latest film project, a short film with suicide prevention themes.
