First Time Buyers
Short Film
A young couple attends a house viewing for an affordable dream London home, but the house is haunted! Would you live with a vengeful spirit to live in your dream home?
We are currently raising money to make First Time Buyers a reality.
Explore below to find out more about the film and discover our juicy perks.
The story
When young couple Keira and Francis arrive to view number 32 Streetham way, E4, they expect to be disappointed. Nothing even close to the area they grew up in is in their measly price range. But the house is a total knockout, a dream come true, and miraculously in their budget! Francis discovers why: the place is haunted. Not just bump in the night haunted but HAUNTED. Is it worth living with a vengeful spirit or two to get on the London property ladder? Is it really that important to buy a home where you grew up or should you just stop complaining and rent forever?
Meet the team
Meet our Director:
Lauren Blackwell
Lauren Blackwell is originally from South Africa where she worked in a variety of roles across theatre, film and TV. With experience both in front of and behind the camera, she decided the pursue her passion for directing, and completed an MA in Screen Directing from Drama Centre London in 2019. She has a unique approach to projects as she is able to understand the process from multiple angles, and focuses on films that have strong socio-political themes. Her latest film, Métèque, is based on true events focusing on immigration and identity. Métèque has gone on to win awards at Independent Spirit Awards, Festigious Los Angeles, Florence Film awards, Independent Short Awards and London Independent Film Awards.
Meet our Writer:
Alex McCarthy
Alex is a published playwright, screenwriter, director and editor. He currently reads for Sonia Friedman Productions, All About Writing and Film Afrika. Having worked widely in South African theatre, Alex graduated from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama with an MA In Writing for Stage and Broadcast Media in 2019. He is currently the Creative Director for Crunchy Leaf Productions.
Meet our Producer:
Amelia Vernede
Amelia completed a BA in Theatre and Performance at the University of Cape Town, moving to London in 2015 to spread her creative wings. A history in theatre, film, dance, advertising, and immersive events has given her a plethora of useful storytelling tools. Through working with producers such as Sonia Friedman, Greenacre films & Dank Parish, she has gained the experience she needs to establish Crunchy Leaf Productions in 2020. Amelia's talents lie in finding the right stories with the right people and using her excessive positivity to make them a reality.
Watch our pitch video
How can you help?
If you would like to contribute to our fund consider buying one of our PERKS or contribute any amount by clicking the Paypal button below our perks.
We need £5000 to make this spooky kooky film a reality. We will be shooting in March 2021, so we need to raise the funds by mid-February 2021 (only 2.5 months away!). It has been a very tough year for everyone specifically the arts industry, so we know how much every penny counts. Don't worry, your money is safe with us. If for some reason we don't make the film, we will refund your contribution. We have worked hard to make our budget an achievable amount and considered every allocation to make sure it is absolutely needed. You can see how we have allocated funds to each category below.
Budget
We need a dream home to shoot in so that our characters and audience can fall in love with it. No one wants to live in a haunted tiny 1 bedroom flat...
We need to cover the expenses of our cast and crew (at least). No one should have to spend money to do their jobs.
We need a team of talented people to edit our film and add in the spoooooky details that will make all the difference. We need to make sure their expenses are covered.
We need a good camera, lenses, lights, microphones, and lots of other little things to make sure the quality of the footage matches the quality of the work.
We need to make sure our set is safe and happy with tea, coffee and food for the cast and crew.
We need to make sure everything is covered with good insurance and a propper contingency. If 2020 has taught us anything, it's be prepared for everything!
Perks
By contributing to our fund you agree to our Terms and Conditions
For £12 we will do a shout out just for you on @crunchyleafprod.
You will receive:
- One social media shout out
Estimated delivery:
within one week of purchase
For £50 you will get a copy of the original script signed by all our cast and crew!
You will receive:
- A hard copy of the working script signed by cast and crew.
Estimated delivery:
July 2021
(only 98 out of 100 available)
For £200 you will get an original print by artist Julia Sullivan!
You will receive:
An A5 limited edition print
Estimated delivery:
March 2021
(Only 14 out of 15 left!)
For £1000 you will officially join us as a Co-Producer! You will also get all the other juicy incentives yummy yummy!
You will receive:
A co-producer credit
A special mention in the credits
A limited-edition print
A downloadable link to FTB
A hard copy script signed by cast and crew
A personalised social media post on @crunchyleafprod
A shoutout on @crunchyleafprod
Estimated Delivery:
November 2021
(Only 1 out of 3 left!)
Contribute any amount here:
If you would like to contribute any amount big or small.
(contributions are not associated with perks)
For £30 you get to pick an activity for sad ghost to do! Want to see a sad ghost climb a tree? Or do a roly-poly? Donate £30 and add a note with the task you want sad ghost to do. We will post it on @crunchyleafprod intsa and facebook. To make sure you see it, add your tag to the note.
(Let's keep it legal folks)
You will receive:
- A custom social media post
Estimated delivery:
within one week of purchase
For £100 you will get a downloadable link to the film BEFORE the official release! oooh so special.
You will receive:
- A downloadable link to FTB once it is completed and before a public screening.
Estimated delivery:
November 2021
(only 34 out of 35 available)
For £500 you will get a special mention in our credits! Everyone who sees the film will see your beautiful name at the end.
You will receive:
A special mention in the credits of FTB
A downloadable link to the film
Estimated delivery:
November 2021
(only 5 available)
For £2000 and you will officially join us as an Executive Producer! You will also get all the other juicy incentives!
You will receive:
An executive producer credit
A special mention in the credits
A limited-edition print
A downloadable link to FTB
A hard copy script signed by cast and crew
A personalised social media post on @crunchyleafprod
A shoutout on @crunchyleafprod
Estimated Delivery:
November 2021
(Only 1 available)
If, for some super sad reason, the film doesn't get made we will refund your donation. By contributing to our fund or getting our Perks you agree to our Terms and Conditions.
Julia Sullivan's Original Print
Only 15 available!!
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Only 15 available!!
Help us another way
It's been a hard year...we know. If you can't afford to contribute to our fund we would hugely appreciate it if you could help with either of the below.
1) Share our fund on social:
2) Do you have a townhouse in east London (or thereabouts) that you wouldn't mind inviting a film crew into for a couple of days? The house takes up a huge portion of the money we need to raise and if you are willing to let us use your or your parent's place it could make all the difference! Contact us if you would like to discuss this further:
Thank You!
