OFFICIAL SELECTION
of the
Austin Gay and Lesbian International
Film Festival!
In the quest to be "Ordinary" you have to find the courage to be extraordinary.
This short film is the beginning of what we would like to become a TV series or a feature length film. This coming out story is inspired by the true events and adventures of co-creator Frances C. Nichols.
Fran went from being the traditional Louisiana girl who everyone thought was going to get married, to the alternative girl in Los Angeles who was denied by the gay community because she wasnt gay enough. This is a story about finding the courage to be who you are when everyone is telling you who you're supposed to be. It explores the universal experiences of not fitting in, finding your way and searching for love.
This film is the combined vision of Frances C. Nichols and Tammy Duffy who, between them, have 20 plus years of story telling as actors, writers and directors.
The greatest challenge, which also provided valuable learning experiences, was making this film within a limited shooting budget of $300 a day. Not having a full crew gave us the opportunity to wear many hats on set. We handled set design, make up, props, craft service, and costumes and filled in to do grip work whenever needed. We even got extra mileage out of our budget, by hiding all the price tags on our costumes and props so we could return them a week later to have the cash for other expenses. Needless to say, we learned first hand the value of having a full crew and adequate financing.
Like all productions, there were many bumps along the way, but we kept pushing through. And even when we couldnt see how things would work out, we found a way, and they did. The day we lost our office location initially felt like a huge blow, but we got creative and literally moved every piece of furniture out of our living room and transformed it into an office location for the next day's scene. While a nice office space with lots of extras would have been ideal, our re-vamped living room did the trick and we were able to keep going.
At the end of each day we would talk about what worked and what didnt work. Whatever didnt work for us, the crew or for the on-set energy, we did not carry forward to the next day. Therefore, each shooting day was its own experience and we were able to remain present throughout this very fun process.
One of our favorites, and definitely some of the funniest parts of each day for both of us were the actor takes. In these takes, we would stay within the intention of the scene but the actors had the freedom to improv whatever came to them in the moment. It was in an actor take that the line "I have stretch marks form my asshole to the nape of my neck!" was born. Thank you Sabrina Hill.
Almost a year later, when we had finished our final cut of the film, we experienced every producers nightmare-- the computer freaked out and suddenly, our files were gone! The entire film had vanished. It was then that we realized how important it is to us that this movie is made and for people share in the experience that we've created. Luckily we found the film before Fran had a heart attack. We now see this as the day we became initiated as filmmakers.
Ordinary Girl is a film that makes us laugh and we hope it makes you laugh too. We had so much fun making this and are thrilled to be able to share it with you. A very big thank you to all our supporters, our exceptionally talented actors and our dedicated crew, who really stepped up to the plate and made this film a project that we are very proud of. It was a blast and we are grateful.
Bio's
Tammy Duffy is a Los Angeles based writer director, originally from Maine, who holds an MFA in screenwriting from the University of California, Los Angeles. She is the recipient of numerous writing awards, including the Harmony Gold writing award for screenplay excellence and her feature Cricket was the first place winner of the Samuel Goldwyn Award.
Duffy began her career as an actress and then transitioned into writing and directing . Her comedy musical play The Unwritten Song was produced by the University of Southern Maine and was selected for a stage reading, which honored Maine Playwrights. Duffy has interest in both film and television and recently completed an original TV comedy pilot that she wrote, directed and produced called Ordinary Girl. Her other directing credits include, a staged reading at the WGA when her feature won the UCLA student showcase award and a one woman theatrical show that she wrote and directed called Should I Stay or Should I Go?
Duffy's previous TV credits include a writing assignment for a dramatic TV series called Crossroads, intended to air on MNBC, Arabic television.
At present Duffy's award winning feature Cricket is being produced by Cheyeene Enterprises and Duffy has been hired to write a feature based on a documentary and book about a women who escaped the abusive control of a polygamist community.
Frances Nichols is a Los Angeles based actress originally from Louisiana. Fran began her acting career with a children's theater company that toured New England and the Mid Atlantic states for a year. From there she moved to Columbus, Ohio and expanded her acting experience in joining an improv troupe and segueing into commercial and film work.
In Los Angeles, Fran has performed extensively with Bang Comedy theatre, as an improviser and sketch comedian. Fran performed in an original one-woman show inspired by her time as a cocktail waitress in a strip club in Downtown Los Angeles.
Along with her time on the stage, she has worked in numerous commercials and print work. Fran's television credits include roles on Passions, and Notes from the Underbelly.
She was a founding member of the online sketch group Token White People, and created a sketch comedy pilot Welcome to Frandieville. She has starred in numerous web series, most recently in an office -type series, Flextime.
In Los Angeles Fran also discovered her love of filmmaking. She was the DP and editor for the short film Bitch, which premiered at Outfest in 2009. She has also was the DP for two other short films and was one of the cinematographers for the music video U Can Dream by Apple De Ap of the Black Eyed Peas. She is a self-taught editor and now considers herself a techie, a title she never thought she'd wear.
Authenticity was my guide in directing this film. If I didnt feel it or if I didnt laugh, we kept going until it worked for me and the actors. My focus was always in finding the truth and sincerity of the moment. With all of the characters, the sincerity of their desires is funny and/or heartbreaking, depending on the degree of the desire behind the moment. This delicate navigation between comedy and drama is what most inspires me as a writer and a director. Because it is real, and that's life.
This story is about being true to who you are and not buying into the labels that other put on you. This story is for anyone who has ever felt different - which is to say, it is for everyone. We feel different, because we are. There is only one incarnation of each of us. If that is not unique, then I dont know what is. Trying to be like someone else or fit into some label that was created by the media is an impossible task and has been the cause of great suffering for many. I hope that our story will encourage everyone to question this, find their freedom and have a good laugh while they do.
Our main character articulates it best when she says, "No one fits in. But we're all pretending that we do. And if everyone would just stop trying to be something for someone else and be who they are, theyd be a lot happier. Even you."
It was a privilege to create this project and work with some many talented people. I am so very grateful to all of our supporters and our amazing actors who made this film what it is today. I look forward to the next evolution of this project - be it a feature film or a TV series- we are going to have fun!
"Fran"
"Ro"
"Mom"
Lunch Lady "Maggie"
Luch Lady "Joan"
Lunch Lady "Babs"
"Sydney"
Receptionist "Jimmy"
"Jason"
"Kat"
"Jenna"
"Melissa"
Party Friend "Suzy"
Party Friend "Tessa"
Party Friend "Becca"
Office Boy "Tony"
"Sunglasses Man"
Lisa King Erin Gnekow Jo Melissa Jackson Kelly Davenport Shannon Guiterrez Tanya Pa'aluhi
Hot Girl in Bar
Guy in wig
Written & Directed By
Tammy Duffy
Director of Photography
Jean Kim
Sound Mixer/Boom
Neal Doxsee
Executive Producers
Frances Nichols & Tammy Duffy
Associate Producers
Ro Delle Grazie
Elizabeth Gordon
Sabrina Hill
2nd Asst Directors
Megan Inglish
Hans-Martin Liebing
Production Assistants
Hunter Lee Hughes
Adrian Johnson
Dante Gordon
Beresford Bennett
Landon Warren
Parker Lane Kersberg
CLICK ON FILM REEL FOR MORE INFORMATION
What we need...
$25 OR MORE
You will have our most sincere appreciation and
a special thanks on the website.
$100 OR MORE
A special thanks on website, film credits and IMDB.
A Digital Copy of the film.
That warm Fuzzy feeling you get when you do something GREAT!
$250 OR MORE
The above perks.
2 DVD copies of finished Film.
An 11*14 poster (signed if you'd like).
And bragging rights.
$500 OR MORE
The above Perks.
Choice of Credit (Associate Producer or Sponsor)
Advertising on Website
Autographed copy of script.
HUGE bragging rights!
If you prefer to send a check, or want to donate
air miles or hotel points, please contact us at ordinarygirlfilm_gmail.com
Our fundraising goal is $3000.00
We just got in the Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival!
We need your help to get there!
Do you have airline miles or hotel points you can donate?
Or would you like to sponsor our meals for the weekend?
In order to keep moving forward with our project, we have other expenses we need to cover.
Film Festival Entries $500
One year of website hosting $150
Posters, Postcards and DVDs $350
Color Correction $400
Our intention with this film is for it to become a half hour sitcom or a feature film.
Fran Joseph & Jerry Poteet
Amy Sansone Anderson
Linda P Brown
Howard Nichols
Anonymous
Naked Blue
Song Title: Ordinary Girl
Writers: Jennifer Smith / Scott Smith
Publishing: Naked Blue Publishing / ASCAP
Wonder Bright
Dave Shalansky
Mark Low
Channing Work
Phil and Sabrina Connery
Wendy and Andre Carriere
Knightsbridge Theatre
DA Strawder
Judith Ann Gordon
Jenny Noa
Project Reel
and
Naked Blue Music
Go to www.nakedblue.comto order your copy of the album WISH for the Ordinary Girl song.
Please help support these amazing musicians!
![og_logo_web[1]](http://static.wix.com/media/5f6df26202794bda0781e451a547ba71.wix_mp_256)
