Reese Harvey

COMEDY - INTRO

I’ve had some of the biggest laughs inside nightclub bathrooms with my friends. And by friends... I mean women I’ve known for about ten minutes. It doesn’t matter if we’ve known each other for a night or a lifetime, when we’re doing our touch-ups and holding up the line, we spit our deepest darkest sh-t. The setting is important. My girls can’t hit me with brutally hilarious honesty in the cold light of day... I need mood lighting, drinks flowing, and the natural comedic instincts of ladies from all walks of life.

I want this film to capture the hilarity and beauty of this crowded sacred space. How every raunchy joke you tell lands like you’re Mo’Nique, and the advice you give feels ripped from an episode of Iyanla, Fix My Life. Using Pattern, our girls will get the confidence they need to own the night. Their bond formed in that iconic bathroom “I may never accept your Instagram request but I love you, girl” kind of way. The night is young, so let’s get it.

AUTOMOTIVE - VISUAL LANGUAGE

There’s some attitude to the way we’ll shoot this. Disruptive in the best way. A tight low introduces our hero car as sand bounces off its wheels, the ground reverberating at the power and sound of the vehicle. We’ll capture glimpses of the action reflected on the lens of a bystander’s glasses. Then, we’ll pan the Tacoma as we wipe past people in the foreground.

Sticking with our immersive theme, we’ll cut in some humanity with shots of diverse observers. The camera will house the comfort and familiarity of the Toyota brand. We’ll push deep into the Tacoma’s purpose-built interior and go tight on newly captured angles that reveal features the audience hasn’t seen before. Quick flashes of the XtraCab unfolding, the power moonroof smoothly gliding and the neatly stocked rear seat storage. We’ll take the audience on an inclusive journey, capturing a blend of high-performance rugged energy with sleek functionality for everyday use.

DRAMA FEATURE - WHY NOW?

This film is urgent on two fronts. Firstly, wildfires dramatically affect many communities each year, and as we know, climate change is the direct cause. This destructive problem is only worsening, yet no film has tackled the topic. As the threat grows, we need an artistic perspective that changes people’s actions via their emotions.

Secondly, at a time when queer people are under relentless attack by lawmakers, educators, and neighbors, it's crucial to depict the universally relatable struggles and joys of domestic queer families. While LGBTQIA+ stories have increased, they often fixate on sex, violence, and being in the closet. Plus, they tend to be very serious. As they did so groundbreakingly with THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT, we want to normalize queer families through an urgent, comedic, yet thoughtful family portrait for the modern age.

TEEN COMEDY - CASTING

Janet is a boy-crazy feminist set on getting closer to her roots and bagging her “Black Bill Gates.” She and her brother Dax grew up filthy rich, so any man she dates has a financial standard to uphold. With a tendency to change everything about herself to please a man, and her desire to be Blacker, Janet struggles with remaining honest about her privileged upbringing and goes to great lengths to hide who she is. Even going so far as pretending she’s dirt poor.

Dax is a gay man who finds other men repulsive. He’s one of Chloe’s oldest friends and grew up in a black Christian household that had a “don’t ask, don’t tell” kind of attitude about his sexuality. Given his inexperience, Dax has a lot of buildup and anticipation towards his first sexual encounter. His dreams are crushed when he finally makes it out on the dating scene and realizes his many hang-ups could be a problem.

MUSIC VIDEO - OVERVIEW

This triptych highlights the restorative nature of love and sex. It explores the comfort a relationship brings when one partner is experiencing hardship. We tell the story of Yara, a model, Sydney, a gay court stenographer, and Anwar, a Yemeni bodega worker, three New Yorkers each having a tough day. The action takes place on a screen split three ways. Like a softer version of the work of Wong Kar Wai, each panel uses expressive lighting and moody urban landscapes without being gritty.

We intercut performance shots of The Artist outside in a tranquil area of Sag Harbor. Here, the image is clearer and more vivid. We continue this back and forth, then close with the three-panel split. The Artist and Yara drive off in a convertible through the idyllic backdrop of the Hamptons. A close-up shows Sydney's badge then we pull out to reveal it's lying on the floor while she sits in bed holding her lover. Anwar laughs hysterically, smashing various items in his store and holding a picture of his deceased wife.

COMEDY - OUR MISSION

As diversity and political correctness have dominated the conversation, we’ve seen our fair share of Black heroes, loveable Mexican parents, and quirky White allies. But, there’s an underwhelming amount of representation for f--d up minority characters on TV. Our show explores what happens when you take an otherwise marginalized group of students and make them the majority of their own institution. Suddenly, they’re forced to face the hypocritical reality that they too hold certain prejudices when a presumptuous non-minority enters the scene. To shatter the narrative of the monolithic minority, we’re encouraging people to laugh at these diverse characters who are just as flawed and complex as everyone else.