Delusions of Grandeur: Alice
Delusions of Grandeur: Alice
Alice is held captive by her own mind. After being placed in Wonderland Psychiatric for her own safety, her mind takes over to protect her, altering her perception of reality. But when reality flickers in, will she remember her past and find her way out through the looking glass in time?
Alice is held captive by her own mind. After being placed in Wonderland Psychiatric for her own safety, her mind takes over to protect her, altering her perception of reality. But when reality flickers in, will she remember her past and find her way out through the looking glass in time?
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Story
About The Project
In the first season of the Delusions of Grandeur series, we follow Alice through her doubts and the conflictions between her memories and her current situation in a mental institution as her imagined world shatters to the stone cold truth of reality. See how the mind of a young girl is able to transform her everyday interactions into wondrous adventures in her world of make believe as she ages, allowing her to escape with other patients, orderlies, nurses, her uncle (the doctor), and even his whore.
Since Alice was very little, she has seen and heard things no one else could, her favorite imaginary friend being a little talking rabbit who occasionally leads her into trouble. Her uncle, Dr. Hatter of Wonderland Psychiatric, diagnosed her with a more severe form of the same madness his wife suffers from. In an effort to cure his wife, Dr. Hatter begins studying the young girl with the mindset that curing her would lead to curing his wife.
After Alice’s madness causes a tragic accident and puts Dr. Hatter’s daughter in a coma, Alice is placed in the care of her uncle at Wonderland Psychiatric for more aggressive treatments. It is in the mental ward that Alice’s madness consumes her to ultimately protect her from her own reality. As she ages, she no longer perceives her reality as it truly is, instead, she sees people from her daily life in her own fantastical version of Wonderland.
But over the years of searching for a cure, the doctor’s hope has diminished and with his daughter still in a coma, his wife’s madness leaving her mentally near comatose, and his marriage on the rocks, his eagerness has altered into deadly desperation. When he hears about a new experimental and highly illegal new treatment, Electro-Shock Therapy, he thinks it is his last hope for redemption, and begins the locked door treatments on Alice, praying her seizures won’t kill her before she is cured.
The more shocks Alice receives, the more her reality begins to slip through the cracks and at first, she thinks her reality is something of a nightmare. But as her body begins to breakdown from the constant barrage of unexpected electricity, her mind has trouble keeping her from the truth of her surroundings, leaving her conflicted and confused.
Will Alice realize the truth before it’s too late? Or will she crawl back through the looking glass forever?
Origins of Delusions of Grandeur
This project began over 5 years ago with the intention of it being a photography project only. Using a mixture of the original stories and folklore, I had planned to create still images of two different versions of characters from popular children’s stories showing both a reality and fantasy version of each. These reality versions would consist of truths, more based on the original folklores, and the fantasy versions based off of the more Disney-fied characters with their happily ever afters.
The plan was to create imagery that showed how our minds are able to alter our perceptions when faced with danger or in other bad situations to ultimately protect us. However, I have found that when our minds alter these situations, they may actually be doing more harm than good. For example, some domestic violence and abuse victims are often unable to see what is actually happening in front of them for what it is, because their mind alters their perceptions. What outsiders see as abuse, the victims see something completely different, like love.
I had hoped that by creating this imagery, I could show an exaggerated sense of both versions of someone’s possible perception of reality. The truth and the perception of truth, or fantasy. It is unimaginably difficult to fight your mind to see through the haze of it’s protection to see the truth, even when someone is blatantly pointing it out to you. We make excuses for other people’s behaviors and actions out of love, fear, and desperation, and we put ourselves in danger again and again because we can’t see what others can.
Over the last five years, I’ve developed this project into far more than I’d ever dreamt, and now I’m ready to create a web series to tell the story in the best way I can, but I need your help.
Here's Where YOU Come In!
The costs of creating an exceptional, original web series add up incredibly fast! From our amazing talent, the crew required to capture everything, the equipment the crew requires, our talented stylists and prop/wardrobe creators, to locations and permits, catering and craft services, post production, music, visual effects and more!
We are aspiring to create the most impressive quality product ever to hit the web series industry, on the tightest budget possible and we need your help to do this! Delusions of Grandeur: Alice has been a five year long running project in pre-production and we're ready to get in gear and push this into full blown production mode. The storyline is set, the scripts are in production, our cast is almost set, and our crew is chomping at the bit.
With your support and generosity, we will be able to film this first season of Delusions of Grandeur! To appreciate our supporters, and get you excited - we have created many incentives and fun rewards for all!! From mailing lists to stay updated on our behind the scenes, special shoots, private sneak peeks, and autographed posters to Meet and Greets with the cast, walk on roles in the series, our wrap party and more!
We are excited to be able to use Seed and Spark to crowdfund for our web series project and hope to be able to use this platform to build our supporters and followers and offer them first exclusive viewing of the series when it is completed! From the bottom of my heart, and the hearts of all those involved, we thank you for your support and generosity!
Risks and Challenges
We know that creating a web series with the highest quality standards on such a tight budget will be an incredibly difficult task, but we are willing to bleed, sweat, and cry our way through it to make something amazing, for you.
Between my assistant director, Zach, myself and a few amazing friends, we have been able to create our trailer and get everything nailed down so far, but from here on out, everything costs money, and a lot of it. For cameras, stabilizers, camera operators, audio equipment, boom operators, insurance, locations, permits, talent, stylists, food, wardrobe, post-production, special effects, music licensing, etc.
With your contributions, we will be able to ensure that everything we've imagined and dreamt of for Delusions of Grandeur is done legally, professionally, and to our highest standards. This is a passion project, one that I have been wanting to create for many years, so much that I've annoyed many of my friends into helping as well as getting on my case when I pushed back and waited for just the right time to launch this project. Seed and Spark has a contest called New Voice, which is specifically aimed at new voices for today's web series and, with your contributions and the dedication of my team, we hope to be one of them! Help us turn this passion project into a reality! Thank you for believing in us, our team, and our project!
Incentives
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Current Team
About This Team
Meet the Cast and Crew!
Amanda Umberger: Director, Photographer, Videographer and Creator
Amanda is a photographer and videographer focused on creating imagery that evokes emotional connection between her art and the viewer. It is her idea that sparked this project and her determination that has gotten it this far. Amanda enjoys photographing people when they least expect it, making funny faces, and going on long car rides with her friends in jeeps to destinations that look like she hiked up there making her mother then think that Amanda hikes all the time and prompting a ten mile hike in Alaska while on vacation. As you can see, she's still kinda annoyed about that one.
instagram: @asuphotography | @asuphotomotion | @delusions_of_grandeur_alice
Zach Bennett: Assistant Director, Producer, Dr. Hatter / Mad Hatter
Zach is a quirky, germaphobic guy who enjoys long silent staring contests and jumping on tables. He was chosen for his role as the Mad Hatter many years ago because of his silky smooth hair, which he forced everyone to touch. Having the most experience in the world of film, working on many successful TV shows such as Twin Peaks and Grimm, as well as volunteering several years prior, he is perfect as the assistant director.
Jamie Keene (Azeez): Lighting Assistant, Producer
Jamie, better known as AZEEZ, is our wonderful lighting grunt -er- assistant. Always at the ready with her trusty reflector, only occasionally falling asleep on top of it and requiring our shouting, she valiantly triumphs over our incredulous needs. Jamie enjoys watching Amanda climb on top of cars, the movie Fifth Element, and trying to figure out how a camera works.
Matt Coté: Jewelry Designer
Matt is our wonderful jewelry designer, responsible for creating the pocket watch of our dreams! If only it would work. Having just run off to obtain his masters in metalsmith design, we see very little of Matt on set, sadly. Having also been a member of the Delusions of Grandeur group since day one, Matt enjoys annoying Amanda at every chance, occasionally being a lighting grunt -er- assistant, getting into many accidents to and from Seattle, and laughing when models don’t know how to put out a fire properly.
Lauren Sutherland: Jewelry Designer
Lauren is creating our magnificent Queen’s crowns! She enjoys modeling the crowns she’s made on beautifully sunny days on her yacht with her newlywed husband every chance she gets, that is, when she’s not playing with the lion and tiger cubs at the Tacoma Zoo. When she’s not creating crowns, she is creating necklaces and bracelets for charity.
instagram: @laurensutherlanddesigns
Rexington Funk: Costume Designer, Cherry / Red Queen
Rex is an insatiable woman, obsessed with burning man and her sewing machine. She is a force to be reckoned with, her 500 words per minute conversations are matched only by Amanda’s allowing them to hold a record of 45 different conversations at once in a 5 minute period while clothes shopping for costumes at a second hand store in Ballard, WA. With her abundant willingness to take on the role of the Mad Hatter’s whore at the drop of a pin, Rex is a fantastic fit for our Cherry / Red Queen.
instagram: @trainrexington
Roxane Elise: Lead Makeup Artist
Roxane appeared out of thin air, like a fairy godmother, just in time for our biggest and best filming set to date. Her ability to make magic happen with her pencils, powders, and brushes is phenomenal and just what we needed! Having accepted the role as our Lead Makeup Artist, Roxane enjoys making Zach wear eyeliner and fake lashes as often as she can, because we all know how much he hates it, and oh does he!
instagram: @roxaneelisemakeup
Alex Hewitt: Hair Stylist, Camera Operator, Assistant
Alex seems quiet and shy when you meet her, but as soon as she warms up, it’s questions for days! Her fingers work magic through braids for our Queen’s hair and assists on set like nobody’s business. She enjoys long car rides with silence-loving Zach, asking him question after question and filling any quiet moment with an oddball fact or notion.
Ariana Buck: Assistant, BTS photographer, (Stand in lil Alice)
Ariana is quick witted and quirky, and small enough to pull off an awful wig and children’s clothing for test shoots leading up to our trailer’s release, but she’s really hoping we can find an actual child to fill her shoes for the real web series. Apparently, banding is not a very comfortable clothing choice when trying to play a child’s character, and wigs are itchy.
instagram: @buckariana
Vycktoryja Selves: Assistant, BTS Photographer
Vycky enjoys snapchatting the most random faces to her friends and family and MMA fights. She is quick on the cell phone draw and ready to take a behind the scenes photo at any given moment.
instagram: @toryja
Ashley Kromm: Adult Alice
Ashley was also chosen for her luscious locks as well as her beautiful smile. Though as the character Alice, she doesn’t smile very often, her behind the scenes action is all laughs and smiles and warm personality. Her favorite scenes so far have been while in the straight jacket with a snapchat inspired makeup session…. Shhhhh.
instagram: @kelloniemia
Jessica Braun: Ms. White / White Queen
“What is my inspiration!?” Jessica was eager to oblige when asked to join the team as Ms. White / White Queen. On set she was asked to be blissfully unaware of the actions of Dr. Hatter and others around her, which she found to be ever so easy, even when he was jumping on tables and smashing everything around her. Off camera, Jessica is just as mad as her character, often running around and spinning for no reason or other random acts of incredible energy.
instagram: @mathesje
Aaron Braggs: Orderly / Cheshire
Aaron was a dark and silent brooding man when he originally met Amanda, blending in with his surroundings. Of course, after a year being trapped in the same domicile, Aaron became loud and boisterous, surprising everyone except Amanda. Now focusing on his physique and advocare, Aaron takes daily selfies and posts them online with tags such as #legdaybro and #kiiiiiisssesss. He is a fantastic pairing for the Cheshire Character in Delusions of Grandeur.
instagram: @braggs_aj
Danny Bryan: Tweedle Dee
Danny was chosen for the role of Tweedle Dee due to his ability to struggle while being covered in dirt. His twisted sense of humor and ability to show real pain on cue made him the ultimate favorite for a Tweedle character. In his non-acting time, Danny enjoys practicing strange and twisted facial expressions in front of the mirror and other cameras as often as possible to perfect his ultimate death scene.
instagram: @the.danny.bryan
Brian Gunn: Tweedle Dum
Brian is an awesome dude who somewhat resembles another awesome dude, not nearly enough to be a twin, but enough to be a brother, kinda. It was his shrug during a test shoot for the trailer that sold him as our Tweedle Dum. His implied cowardice and small stature will do him well as this seedy character in the project. In his spare time, Brian enjoys playing Pokemon Go and crashing cars only to find new ones for better deals than the last.
instagram: @commanderthrustcarp
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