Ace Date
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Comedy
My name is Kali and I'm making my first short film! I love a good Rom-Com but as an non-dating human, I do not relate! Help me tell the story of this people-pleasing ace and the date she does NOT want to be on.
Ace Date
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Comedy
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $4,720 for pre-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
58 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
My name is Kali and I'm making my first short film! I love a good Rom-Com but as an non-dating human, I do not relate! Help me tell the story of this people-pleasing ace and the date she does NOT want to be on.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Hi! My name is Kali Thomas and I'm making a short film! 
The journey of this film is not a typical one. I didn't set out knowing I wanted to make a film at all. I work as a behavior analyst but have recently been exploring career change opportunities. Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to work on some projects producing shorts and various social media content, so I started taking Yellowbrick's NYU Film and TV Industry Essentials certificate program to learn more about production.
.jfif)
Now, I can't tell you why, but I DID NOT think I would have to make a short film for this program!
At first, I was panicked. I didn't have a story to tell or even a topic I wanted to explore. Then a few weeks into my coursework Joseph Gordon-Levitt released a free writing class called Creating a Character Based on Yourself, and I decided to take it to see if it would spark any ideas.
This brings us to this short film. Although it is not based on a true story, the main character, Sydney (played by my dear friend and incredible actor Rodnesha Green), grew out of this character-creating exercise. Then the scriptwriting prompt was to put your character on a date. And Ace Date was born.
Sydney is an ace (asexual identifying individual) who goes on blind dates to appease her overbearing roommate and best friend, Rachel. She truly has no desire to date, but she's learned over the years that it's just easier to oblige her pushy friend, and at least sometimes she gets a good story out of it. Adam is a lonely writer eager to find "the one". How in the world did these two get matched?! This is the story of their blind date.
While the film isn't solely about asexuality, I titled it Ace Date because through developing the character of Sydney I realized I identify as asexual myself. This is a VERY newly found identity for me and the process of writing this script has taught me more about myself.
I love a good rom-com, but I don't always identify with them. It's my hope that through making this film, some confused soul out there will see my story and find themselves, even if just a little, just as I've found myself in Sydney. Or at the very least, I hope they can get a kick out of this familiar awkward situation. We aren't all on an eternal search for a life-long partner, and that's ok. #acerepresentation
I'm not 100% sure if this even makes sense but think the specific type of awkward in Clueless when Cher completely misreads Christian, combined with the general loveable akwardness of Awkward Black Girl meet Sideways....because adulting and wine?
Your contributions to this project will help finance the following.
- Cast and Crew Compensation: I know most people don't expect to get paid for a student film, but I've seen this team in action many times and man oh man do they work their butts off! I know they would volunteer their time out of the goodness of their hearts, but I'd love to pay them with more than just happy hour!
- Production Insurance: Any other baby filmmakers out their drastically underestimate the cost of liability insurance??? No, just me? I'M LEARNING
- Location Permit: See Production Insurance ;-)
- COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Supplies: I have already taken a COVID-19 Compliance Officer (CCO) Training and ideally would also get this training for the rest of the crew and get a dedicated CCO for shoot day.
- Craft Services: We gotta eat and with COVID-19, this gets a bit trickier. We'll need individual lunches and snacks for each member of the cast and crew (no charcuterie boards!)
- Props: The blind date is a picnic scene, and Adam does not skimp when it comes to setting the scene for romance! I'll be getting things like a classic picnic basket, the classic checkered picnic blanket, as well as food (fake and real), and all the other little details that go along with a fancy picnic.
- Camera and Sound Equipment: Surprisingly I already have a lot of what I need, but some of it is very old so I'm hoping to replace some broken rigs and a janky mic.
- Film Festival Fees: There are a TON of film festivals for tiny baby short films like mine and I'm excited to try to submit to as many of them as possible across the next year.
UPDATE 12/2/21:
STRETCH GOAL # 1 - $6000
The original plan was to film on a few phones with various mics and rigs and such. If we reach this goal, we will upgrade some of the equipment. Some pretty amazing things can be done with phones these days, but this upgrade will allow us to shoot a higher-quality film.
STRETCH GOAL #2 - $10,000
We are currently a cast and crew of 4. If we meet this goal we will hire more crew and increase cast and crew compensation!
SUPER STRETCH GOAL - $15,000
If we meet this goal this will allow us to obtain a team for post-production (instead of me doing it all!) This includes editing, color grading, sound, and music.
ASEXUAL OUTREACH
50% of everything we raise past $10,000 will be donated to AcesandAros.org.
Aces & Aros was started by Asexual Outreach in 2016. This organization acts as a hub for the ace and aro community, enabling and encouraging ace and aro people to get involved in their community. By helping people connect to local communities and events, providing them with educational and support resources, and keeping them up to date on the latest happenings in our movement, Aces & Aros provides people with a vital link to their community.
MAKE A PLEDGE - No amount is too small to help us reach our goal.
SHARE THE CAMPAIGN - We have 45 days to reach our goal, so the more people who see our fundraising page, the better.
LIKE THE PITCH VIDEO ON YOUTUBE - Liking the youtube video will help it be seen by more people outside of our immediate circle of shares.
Here are some quick share messages you can copy and paste to share the campaign on your social media! (All are short enough for Twitter)
- I'm so excited to see Ace Date by Kali Thomas! Support her in completing this film at www.seedandspark.com/fund/ace-date-film on @seedandspark #representationmatters #acerepresentation
- I'm supporting Ace Date on @seedandspark ! Pledge to support this film here: www.seedandspark.com/fund/ace-date-film
- I'm supporting Ace Date on @seedandspark ! Pledge to support this film to promote ace voices in film here: www.seedandspark.com/fund/ace-date-film #representationmatters #acerepresentation
- Pledge to support new filmmaker Kali Thomas create Ace Date, a short about an ace on a blind date she just does not want to be on! www.seedandspark.com/fund/ace-date-film on @seedandspark #representationmatters #acerepresentation
Stay up to date with our progress and news! 
Follow and share this campaign, and follow us on instagram @acedate_film.
Also, the film will be available on OnWatchTV on Roku and Amazon Firestick after our supporters get first look access! So you don't want to miss that!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Location Permit
Costs $1,000
Film permits are wild. Thank goodness this is just a 1-day shoot!
Actor Pay
Costs $200
Although this is a student film I do want to pay my actors. If I raise more, they will get more!
Assistant
Costs $75
Planning to do this myself but if I raise enough I'll pay another friend to help!
Miscellaneous
Costs $450
Because this is my first time and I'm sure I'm missing something!
Share this update!
About This Team
Sydney - Rodnesha Green
Rodnesha Green is a multi-faceted artist currently pursuing an acting career in film and television. A proud Texas native, she is classically trained in the theater - with a specific focus in musical theater, which provided her a strong skill set in vocal performance, dance and choreography.
As a film actor, Rodnesha's work can be seen in a variety of short films including GROVE, Red Team, and Teacher's Lounge. She has had recurring roles on the hit TV show Station 19, as well as two Emmy Award Winning shows (HitRECord on TV and Create Together). Commercially, she has been featured in notable commercial campaigns for Walmart and LG Electronics, where she was able to showcase her improvisation and choreography skills respectively.
When not on stage or screen, Rodnesha is at her very core a creative and has thrown herself into many other artistic endeavors. She concurrently owns and runs her own photography business (INspired Photos). She has also written, self-produced and performed in a number of comedy sketches with the writing team Mixed Nuts, and over the course of the pandemic, she created and spear-headed a virtual table read group called Flip The Script! serving as both a creative space for out-of-work actors and a bi-weekly source of "live" entertainment.
Adam - Daniel Kohl
Daniel Kohl is an actor currently living and working in Los Angeles. Most recently he has been found on set with Team Rebelution Films working on a collection of short films and he was also able to showcase his stage combat training in a recent turn on stage in Shakespeare’s Henry IV Parts I and II.
Daniel received a BA in Theatre Studies from Missouri State University concentrating in various acting techniques. While pursuing his education, he is also certified as an actor-combatant at Fight Directors Canada. He found his truest passion for storytelling at the gaming table, writing and running original Dungeons and Dragons games.
A game master through and through, he is currently using his world-building skills as an actor and a dungeon master to develop his first pilot with his writing mentor.
Writer, Director, Producer, Rachel - Kali Thomas
Kali Thomas is a Behavior Analyst and painter currently living just south of Los Angeles. Aside from her main gig, she has been an avid participant in various productions on Hitrecord.org for nearly a decade and creates youtube content with her friends Rodnesha and Darcey under the name Mixed Nuts. Most recently she had the opportunity to act as a community producer on Hitrecord.org's joint project with the Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives called, The Virtual Monuments Project, for which she produced two short films, a book of photography and poetry, and co-produced a podcast.
Co-Producer - Esther Mira
Esther Mira is the CEO and Co-Founder of Team Rebelution Films, an award-winning Indie Film Production Company based in Los Angeles. She has produced eleven films with Team Rebelution, as well as a number of other films independently. Her writing and directorial debut Inn Communication won numerous awards in all major categories at film festivals across the globe and brought Esther herself awards as director, and as co-writer of the screenplay. Esther strives to create an environment of equality among all participants in her films both in front of and behind the camera.
Esther is also an accomplished performer. She was adopted from India, and grew up in Brookline, MA where she began acting at the age of four and dancing at the age of six. She received her MFA in Acting from East 15 Acting School, the theatre department of the University of Essex in the UK. She has performed internationally as well as in the U.S. including residencies at The Globe Theatre, The Royal Shakespeare Company, Berkshire Theatre Group, GITIS Moscow, and the Regatta Institute in Kerala, India. She can be seen on multiple episodes of Jimmy Kimmel Live! as well as Investigation Discovery's Breaking Point, and BlkBeau TV’s After Hours.
Assistant Director - Darcey Rhoads
Darcey Rhoads grew up slathered in sunscreen and yet somehow perpetually sunburned as a redhead in the great state of Texas. Her childhood was jam-packed with glorious adventures, laughing at her own jokes, and being an all-around dark-humored weirdo. She has worn many hats such as (deep breath folks): professional French horn player, rock musician, Texas Renaissance Festival cast member, roadie, contractor, personal assistant, production assistant, pet nanny, staff writer, producer, content creator, social media manager, and bartender. Her true love has always been acting but she also enjoys working behind the camera. When Darcey isn’t busy making her own content, in acting class, or on set, she’s hanging out with her crazy cat and her partner drinking a big cup of coffee.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Hi! My name is Kali Thomas and I'm making a short film!
The journey of this film is not a typical one. I didn't set out knowing I wanted to make a film at all. I work as a behavior analyst but have recently been exploring career change opportunities. Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to work on some projects producing shorts and various social media content, so I started taking Yellowbrick's NYU Film and TV Industry Essentials certificate program to learn more about production.
Now, I can't tell you why, but I DID NOT think I would have to make a short film for this program!
At first, I was panicked. I didn't have a story to tell or even a topic I wanted to explore. Then a few weeks into my coursework Joseph Gordon-Levitt released a free writing class called Creating a Character Based on Yourself, and I decided to take it to see if it would spark any ideas.
This brings us to this short film. Although it is not based on a true story, the main character, Sydney (played by my dear friend and incredible actor Rodnesha Green), grew out of this character-creating exercise. Then the scriptwriting prompt was to put your character on a date. And Ace Date was born.
Sydney is an ace (asexual identifying individual) who goes on blind dates to appease her overbearing roommate and best friend, Rachel. She truly has no desire to date, but she's learned over the years that it's just easier to oblige her pushy friend, and at least sometimes she gets a good story out of it. Adam is a lonely writer eager to find "the one". How in the world did these two get matched?! This is the story of their blind date.
While the film isn't solely about asexuality, I titled it Ace Date because through developing the character of Sydney I realized I identify as asexual myself. This is a VERY newly found identity for me and the process of writing this script has taught me more about myself.
I love a good rom-com, but I don't always identify with them. It's my hope that through making this film, some confused soul out there will see my story and find themselves, even if just a little, just as I've found myself in Sydney. Or at the very least, I hope they can get a kick out of this familiar awkward situation. We aren't all on an eternal search for a life-long partner, and that's ok. #acerepresentation
I'm not 100% sure if this even makes sense but think the specific type of awkward in Clueless when Cher completely misreads Christian, combined with the general loveable akwardness of Awkward Black Girl meet Sideways....because adulting and wine?
Your contributions to this project will help finance the following.
- Cast and Crew Compensation: I know most people don't expect to get paid for a student film, but I've seen this team in action many times and man oh man do they work their butts off! I know they would volunteer their time out of the goodness of their hearts, but I'd love to pay them with more than just happy hour!
- Production Insurance: Any other baby filmmakers out their drastically underestimate the cost of liability insurance??? No, just me? I'M LEARNING
- Location Permit: See Production Insurance ;-)
- COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Supplies: I have already taken a COVID-19 Compliance Officer (CCO) Training and ideally would also get this training for the rest of the crew and get a dedicated CCO for shoot day.
- Craft Services: We gotta eat and with COVID-19, this gets a bit trickier. We'll need individual lunches and snacks for each member of the cast and crew (no charcuterie boards!)
- Props: The blind date is a picnic scene, and Adam does not skimp when it comes to setting the scene for romance! I'll be getting things like a classic picnic basket, the classic checkered picnic blanket, as well as food (fake and real), and all the other little details that go along with a fancy picnic.
- Camera and Sound Equipment: Surprisingly I already have a lot of what I need, but some of it is very old so I'm hoping to replace some broken rigs and a janky mic.
- Film Festival Fees: There are a TON of film festivals for tiny baby short films like mine and I'm excited to try to submit to as many of them as possible across the next year.
UPDATE 12/2/21:
STRETCH GOAL # 1 - $6000
The original plan was to film on a few phones with various mics and rigs and such. If we reach this goal, we will upgrade some of the equipment. Some pretty amazing things can be done with phones these days, but this upgrade will allow us to shoot a higher-quality film.
STRETCH GOAL #2 - $10,000
We are currently a cast and crew of 4. If we meet this goal we will hire more crew and increase cast and crew compensation!
SUPER STRETCH GOAL - $15,000
If we meet this goal this will allow us to obtain a team for post-production (instead of me doing it all!) This includes editing, color grading, sound, and music.
ASEXUAL OUTREACH
50% of everything we raise past $10,000 will be donated to AcesandAros.org.
Aces & Aros was started by Asexual Outreach in 2016. This organization acts as a hub for the ace and aro community, enabling and encouraging ace and aro people to get involved in their community. By helping people connect to local communities and events, providing them with educational and support resources, and keeping them up to date on the latest happenings in our movement, Aces & Aros provides people with a vital link to their community.
MAKE A PLEDGE - No amount is too small to help us reach our goal.
SHARE THE CAMPAIGN - We have 45 days to reach our goal, so the more people who see our fundraising page, the better.
LIKE THE PITCH VIDEO ON YOUTUBE - Liking the youtube video will help it be seen by more people outside of our immediate circle of shares.
Here are some quick share messages you can copy and paste to share the campaign on your social media! (All are short enough for Twitter)
- I'm so excited to see Ace Date by Kali Thomas! Support her in completing this film at www.seedandspark.com/fund/ace-date-film on @seedandspark #representationmatters #acerepresentation
- I'm supporting Ace Date on @seedandspark ! Pledge to support this film here: www.seedandspark.com/fund/ace-date-film
- I'm supporting Ace Date on @seedandspark ! Pledge to support this film to promote ace voices in film here: www.seedandspark.com/fund/ace-date-film #representationmatters #acerepresentation
- Pledge to support new filmmaker Kali Thomas create Ace Date, a short about an ace on a blind date she just does not want to be on! www.seedandspark.com/fund/ace-date-film on @seedandspark #representationmatters #acerepresentation
Stay up to date with our progress and news! Follow and share this campaign, and follow us on instagram @acedate_film.
Also, the film will be available on OnWatchTV on Roku and Amazon Firestick after our supporters get first look access! So you don't want to miss that!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Location Permit
Costs $1,000
Film permits are wild. Thank goodness this is just a 1-day shoot!
Actor Pay
Costs $200
Although this is a student film I do want to pay my actors. If I raise more, they will get more!
Assistant
Costs $75
Planning to do this myself but if I raise enough I'll pay another friend to help!
Miscellaneous
Costs $450
Because this is my first time and I'm sure I'm missing something!
Share this update!
About This Team
Sydney - Rodnesha Green
Rodnesha Green is a multi-faceted artist currently pursuing an acting career in film and television. A proud Texas native, she is classically trained in the theater - with a specific focus in musical theater, which provided her a strong skill set in vocal performance, dance and choreography.
As a film actor, Rodnesha's work can be seen in a variety of short films including GROVE, Red Team, and Teacher's Lounge. She has had recurring roles on the hit TV show Station 19, as well as two Emmy Award Winning shows (HitRECord on TV and Create Together). Commercially, she has been featured in notable commercial campaigns for Walmart and LG Electronics, where she was able to showcase her improvisation and choreography skills respectively.
When not on stage or screen, Rodnesha is at her very core a creative and has thrown herself into many other artistic endeavors. She concurrently owns and runs her own photography business (INspired Photos). She has also written, self-produced and performed in a number of comedy sketches with the writing team Mixed Nuts, and over the course of the pandemic, she created and spear-headed a virtual table read group called Flip The Script! serving as both a creative space for out-of-work actors and a bi-weekly source of "live" entertainment.
Adam - Daniel Kohl
Daniel Kohl is an actor currently living and working in Los Angeles. Most recently he has been found on set with Team Rebelution Films working on a collection of short films and he was also able to showcase his stage combat training in a recent turn on stage in Shakespeare’s Henry IV Parts I and II.
Daniel received a BA in Theatre Studies from Missouri State University concentrating in various acting techniques. While pursuing his education, he is also certified as an actor-combatant at Fight Directors Canada. He found his truest passion for storytelling at the gaming table, writing and running original Dungeons and Dragons games.
A game master through and through, he is currently using his world-building skills as an actor and a dungeon master to develop his first pilot with his writing mentor.
Writer, Director, Producer, Rachel - Kali Thomas
Kali Thomas is a Behavior Analyst and painter currently living just south of Los Angeles. Aside from her main gig, she has been an avid participant in various productions on Hitrecord.org for nearly a decade and creates youtube content with her friends Rodnesha and Darcey under the name Mixed Nuts. Most recently she had the opportunity to act as a community producer on Hitrecord.org's joint project with the Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives called, The Virtual Monuments Project, for which she produced two short films, a book of photography and poetry, and co-produced a podcast.
Co-Producer - Esther Mira
Esther Mira is the CEO and Co-Founder of Team Rebelution Films, an award-winning Indie Film Production Company based in Los Angeles. She has produced eleven films with Team Rebelution, as well as a number of other films independently. Her writing and directorial debut Inn Communication won numerous awards in all major categories at film festivals across the globe and brought Esther herself awards as director, and as co-writer of the screenplay. Esther strives to create an environment of equality among all participants in her films both in front of and behind the camera.
Esther is also an accomplished performer. She was adopted from India, and grew up in Brookline, MA where she began acting at the age of four and dancing at the age of six. She received her MFA in Acting from East 15 Acting School, the theatre department of the University of Essex in the UK. She has performed internationally as well as in the U.S. including residencies at The Globe Theatre, The Royal Shakespeare Company, Berkshire Theatre Group, GITIS Moscow, and the Regatta Institute in Kerala, India. She can be seen on multiple episodes of Jimmy Kimmel Live! as well as Investigation Discovery's Breaking Point, and BlkBeau TV’s After Hours.
Assistant Director - Darcey Rhoads
Darcey Rhoads grew up slathered in sunscreen and yet somehow perpetually sunburned as a redhead in the great state of Texas. Her childhood was jam-packed with glorious adventures, laughing at her own jokes, and being an all-around dark-humored weirdo. She has worn many hats such as (deep breath folks): professional French horn player, rock musician, Texas Renaissance Festival cast member, roadie, contractor, personal assistant, production assistant, pet nanny, staff writer, producer, content creator, social media manager, and bartender. Her true love has always been acting but she also enjoys working behind the camera. When Darcey isn’t busy making her own content, in acting class, or on set, she’s hanging out with her crazy cat and her partner drinking a big cup of coffee.