Help Wanted
Orange, California | Film Short
Drama, Family
When Hanna Su's mom kicks her out of the house after she drops out of college, Hanna moves into her car and in an act of defiance parks it on the public side of the street across from her family home. "Help Wanted" explores themes of family, shame, and resiliency in a modern Chinese-American family.
Help Wanted
Orange, California | Film Short
Drama, Family
2 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $3,300 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
33 supporters | followers
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When Hanna Su's mom kicks her out of the house after she drops out of college, Hanna moves into her car and in an act of defiance parks it on the public side of the street across from her family home. "Help Wanted" explores themes of family, shame, and resiliency in a modern Chinese-American family.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
THE STORY
Hanna Su has reached rock bottom.
When her mother, Dalia, kicks her out of the house after she drops out of college, Hanna moves into her car and in an act of defiance parks it on the public side of the street across from her family home. Hanna must navigate her way out of the limbo she’s lived in all her life before the world moves on without her.
Help Wanted was developed collaboratively between writer Stephanie McAdams and director Leah Sherman-Weiner. The two women have been joined at the hip since the first week of their Freshman year at Chapman when Stephanie’s family took Leah in under their wing. Despite coming from drastically different families and backgrounds, they immediately bonded over their similar emotional connection with the world around them. Leah reached out to Stephanie to co-develop and write Help Wanted because she trusted Stephanie to capture the way they've both related to Hanna's sense lostness and lack of self-confidence intermittently throughout each of their respective lives.
THE VIBE
We wanted to use very natural lighting and colors for the film because of how borderline-painfully realistic Hanna's situation is. This isn't some fantasy, or a dream, or really even a nightmare—it's just life, (deceptively) plain and simple.
A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR:
I chose to make Help Wanted because I love stories that make me think about my life. I used to (and still do) turn to movies to help me navigate through conflicts because seeing how characters respond to their situations on screen helped turn my own experiences into something more tangible that I could reflect on. I feel like so many children are pushed to make the “right” choice, but rarely are they invited into a dialogue with their parents or their role models about what may be right for them. Growing up with such a distant or unachievable expectation can be crippling and lead to anxiety or trepidation about wanting to please a seemingly un-pleasable parent. In my own life and in my observation of my friends’, this often left the child frozen—scared to move forward for fear of failure.
I wanted to tell a story about a young girl stuck in this state and how they moved through it by taking one small step in a direction (regardless of whether it was the “right” one or not). I wanted to show how even the smallest choice could stand between doing nothing and doing something. It was also very important to me to tell my story from an Asian-American perspective.
Until very recently with the release of Crazy Rich Asians, I had only ever seen movies featuring Asian characters in which they practiced some form of martial arts or were there for comedic effect, or the movie was making a point about Asians in relation to another race or culture (“us vs them”). I’d never seen a movie, especially from Hollywood, where Asians were just regular humans living human lives and making human mistakes, and while I could extract universal lessons from a character regardless of their identity, it still lacked a distinct, specific-to-my-culture nuance. And so, Help Wanted is not only a film from my heart that I want to show audiences but a story that I wish I could have shown my younger self.
If our story or our cause speaks to you, we would be so honored to gain your support in helping us to produce and share it with audiences in our community and beyond!
Thank you for believing in our vision,
Leah Sherman-Weiner
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Production Design
Costs $500
To achieve our theme, we need help funding the set dressing and design of this film.
Studio Teacher
Costs $200
We must comply with working minor laws and provide our lovely talented kid with a studio teacher!
Catering and Craft Services
Costs $600
We have a young and hungry cast and crew. Help us feed our team!
Camera, Grip & Electric
Costs $800
For all the lights, stands, and gels we need to bring the film to life!
Locations
Costs $600
Locations are expensive! We needs permits for two houses and a public street.
Sound
Costs $600
The best movies have the best sound, therefore we need the best sound equipment.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
MEET THE TEAM
LEAH SHERMAN-WEINER - Director
Leah Sherman-Weiner is a Chinese-American from Austin, Texas and is currently a Junior at Chapman University with a major in Film Production and a minor in Studio Art. She’s been directing film and animation for over 7 years and gravitates towards narratives revolving around family, identity, and self-reflection. Leah’s creative endeavors are driven by a desire to bring honest representations of mental health, varying ethnic backgrounds, and personal hardship to the big screen.
ALASTAIR MECKE - Producer
Alastair Mecke is an energetic and driven Creative Producing major. She is also majoring in French. She was born and raised in Paris and moved to Manhattan at the age of 14. This will be her fifth movie she’s produced in college. She recently interned at DEF Media in Berlin and Tribeca Productions for the empowering producer, Jane Rosenthal. Alastair is proud to be trilingual, wants to involve Entertainment Law in her future, and hopes to create her own production company someday.
STEPHANIE MCADAMS - Writer
Stephanie McAdams is a writer from the Bay Area and is enrolled at Chapman University as a Screenwriting major and English minor. She enjoys creating energetic scripts that allow audiences and readers alike to witness the protagonist’s coming of age from terrible to slightly better. Stephanie is always searching for a story to tell and people to help bring that story to screen, manifesting her love of words into film through authentic portrayals of human hardships.
ALLI GOOCH - Director of Photography
Alli Gooch is a director of photography and photographer currently pursuing Film Production at Chapman University with an emphasis in cinematography. Growing up in Arizona, Alli found her passion for film at a young age and has since been recognized at multiple film festivals and video competitions. Alli takes inspiration from architecture, classical art, and comic books to drive stories from script to screen.
EMMA BEEMAN - Production Designer
Emma Beeman is a 19-year-old production designer and art director from San Francisco, California. Currently a sophomore at Chapman University, she is a Film Production major with an emphasis in production design. She loves designing visually dynamic sets that help create a comprehensive world, and believes that everything you see onscreen should be put there for a reason. In addition to making films, Emma is a dedicated illustrator and is minoring in studio arts.
LINDSEY ELLIS - Sound Designer
Lindsey Ellis is a sophomore Film Production major with a minor in Political Science. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, she first fell in love with storytelling in the theatre, where she became interested in sound design. The ability to create a world through sound and the endless creative ways to get to the final product are some of the many reasons why Lindsey loves sound.
SKYLER BRIGMANN - Casting Director, 1st AD, Music Composer
Skyler Brigmann is a Film Production Major with a minor in Film Music originally from St. Louis, Missouri. His interest in filmmaking stems from his family moving to Los Angeles in 2007. He began acting and eventually realized that he wanted to pursue storytelling behind the camera as well. He’s driven by the everchanging collaborative, creative process that filmmaking demands.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
THE STORY
Hanna Su has reached rock bottom.
When her mother, Dalia, kicks her out of the house after she drops out of college, Hanna moves into her car and in an act of defiance parks it on the public side of the street across from her family home. Hanna must navigate her way out of the limbo she’s lived in all her life before the world moves on without her.
Help Wanted was developed collaboratively between writer Stephanie McAdams and director Leah Sherman-Weiner. The two women have been joined at the hip since the first week of their Freshman year at Chapman when Stephanie’s family took Leah in under their wing. Despite coming from drastically different families and backgrounds, they immediately bonded over their similar emotional connection with the world around them. Leah reached out to Stephanie to co-develop and write Help Wanted because she trusted Stephanie to capture the way they've both related to Hanna's sense lostness and lack of self-confidence intermittently throughout each of their respective lives.
THE VIBE
We wanted to use very natural lighting and colors for the film because of how borderline-painfully realistic Hanna's situation is. This isn't some fantasy, or a dream, or really even a nightmare—it's just life, (deceptively) plain and simple.
A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR:
I chose to make Help Wanted because I love stories that make me think about my life. I used to (and still do) turn to movies to help me navigate through conflicts because seeing how characters respond to their situations on screen helped turn my own experiences into something more tangible that I could reflect on. I feel like so many children are pushed to make the “right” choice, but rarely are they invited into a dialogue with their parents or their role models about what may be right for them. Growing up with such a distant or unachievable expectation can be crippling and lead to anxiety or trepidation about wanting to please a seemingly un-pleasable parent. In my own life and in my observation of my friends’, this often left the child frozen—scared to move forward for fear of failure.
I wanted to tell a story about a young girl stuck in this state and how they moved through it by taking one small step in a direction (regardless of whether it was the “right” one or not). I wanted to show how even the smallest choice could stand between doing nothing and doing something. It was also very important to me to tell my story from an Asian-American perspective.
Until very recently with the release of Crazy Rich Asians, I had only ever seen movies featuring Asian characters in which they practiced some form of martial arts or were there for comedic effect, or the movie was making a point about Asians in relation to another race or culture (“us vs them”). I’d never seen a movie, especially from Hollywood, where Asians were just regular humans living human lives and making human mistakes, and while I could extract universal lessons from a character regardless of their identity, it still lacked a distinct, specific-to-my-culture nuance. And so, Help Wanted is not only a film from my heart that I want to show audiences but a story that I wish I could have shown my younger self.
If our story or our cause speaks to you, we would be so honored to gain your support in helping us to produce and share it with audiences in our community and beyond!
Thank you for believing in our vision,
Leah Sherman-Weiner
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Production Design
Costs $500
To achieve our theme, we need help funding the set dressing and design of this film.
Studio Teacher
Costs $200
We must comply with working minor laws and provide our lovely talented kid with a studio teacher!
Catering and Craft Services
Costs $600
We have a young and hungry cast and crew. Help us feed our team!
Camera, Grip & Electric
Costs $800
For all the lights, stands, and gels we need to bring the film to life!
Locations
Costs $600
Locations are expensive! We needs permits for two houses and a public street.
Sound
Costs $600
The best movies have the best sound, therefore we need the best sound equipment.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
MEET THE TEAM
LEAH SHERMAN-WEINER - Director
Leah Sherman-Weiner is a Chinese-American from Austin, Texas and is currently a Junior at Chapman University with a major in Film Production and a minor in Studio Art. She’s been directing film and animation for over 7 years and gravitates towards narratives revolving around family, identity, and self-reflection. Leah’s creative endeavors are driven by a desire to bring honest representations of mental health, varying ethnic backgrounds, and personal hardship to the big screen.
ALASTAIR MECKE - Producer
Alastair Mecke is an energetic and driven Creative Producing major. She is also majoring in French. She was born and raised in Paris and moved to Manhattan at the age of 14. This will be her fifth movie she’s produced in college. She recently interned at DEF Media in Berlin and Tribeca Productions for the empowering producer, Jane Rosenthal. Alastair is proud to be trilingual, wants to involve Entertainment Law in her future, and hopes to create her own production company someday.
STEPHANIE MCADAMS - Writer
Stephanie McAdams is a writer from the Bay Area and is enrolled at Chapman University as a Screenwriting major and English minor. She enjoys creating energetic scripts that allow audiences and readers alike to witness the protagonist’s coming of age from terrible to slightly better. Stephanie is always searching for a story to tell and people to help bring that story to screen, manifesting her love of words into film through authentic portrayals of human hardships.
ALLI GOOCH - Director of Photography
Alli Gooch is a director of photography and photographer currently pursuing Film Production at Chapman University with an emphasis in cinematography. Growing up in Arizona, Alli found her passion for film at a young age and has since been recognized at multiple film festivals and video competitions. Alli takes inspiration from architecture, classical art, and comic books to drive stories from script to screen.
EMMA BEEMAN - Production Designer
Emma Beeman is a 19-year-old production designer and art director from San Francisco, California. Currently a sophomore at Chapman University, she is a Film Production major with an emphasis in production design. She loves designing visually dynamic sets that help create a comprehensive world, and believes that everything you see onscreen should be put there for a reason. In addition to making films, Emma is a dedicated illustrator and is minoring in studio arts.
LINDSEY ELLIS - Sound Designer
Lindsey Ellis is a sophomore Film Production major with a minor in Political Science. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, she first fell in love with storytelling in the theatre, where she became interested in sound design. The ability to create a world through sound and the endless creative ways to get to the final product are some of the many reasons why Lindsey loves sound.
SKYLER BRIGMANN - Casting Director, 1st AD, Music Composer
Skyler Brigmann is a Film Production Major with a minor in Film Music originally from St. Louis, Missouri. His interest in filmmaking stems from his family moving to Los Angeles in 2007. He began acting and eventually realized that he wanted to pursue storytelling behind the camera as well. He’s driven by the everchanging collaborative, creative process that filmmaking demands.