A.

Project Abstract

¡Come! is a personal film that navigates the complex themes of identity, family, and the
cultural impact of food.

In collaboration with Florida Southern College, Indie Atlantic Films as well as local and
nationally recognized independent filmmakers, this project will be the professional
production of a short narrative film written by an outstanding student during her time
here at Florida Southern.

B. Project Methodology

I am formally requesting support from the Faculty and Student Creative Activity Program
to help fund a short film written by a recent Florida Southern College graduate, Pamela
Rodriguez (Fall 2018) during my course Storytelling for the Screen. The project
tentatively titled, ¡Come!, follows the story of Isabella, a young Puerto Rican girl who
struggles to come to terms with her identity growing up in central Florida.

The funding will help cover expenses involved in the production of a fictional narrative
film as well as providing incentive for student involvement. In addition to the funding
provided by Florida Southern College, we will collaborate with the local production
company, Indie Atlantic Films, who will provide equipment, crew, and some additional
funds.

We are proud to push the fact that we will bring in a professional crew made up of 50%
women and people of color. The most exciting addition to the project is the Director
Lizette Barrera, a Hispanic Filmmaker and Senior Lecturer in TV/Film from the
University of Texas – Arlington whose latest short film, Mocsa, was picked up and
distributed by HBO. Lizette will work hand in hand with Pamela as a filmmaking mentor,
guiding her through the entire process from start to finish.

This production will allow me to bring unique and diverse experience for students
directly involved with the grant as well as volunteers. My last film, My Florida Home, had
a crew with 15 volunteer Florida Southern students. These students will be able to
volunteer or be hired as crew and work hand and hand with veteran professionals and
gain essential field and networking experience.

After production, students will have the opportunity to be involved in the post-production
process of the film. They can learn what goes into editing, sound design, color
correction, and more. In addition, they will learn how to effectively market and compile
deliverables for film festival exhibition as well as possible distribution options.

The creation of the project will allow us to pitch to companies like HBO and others
through the connections with the director and Indie Atlantic Films. The support from the
grant as well as other funding sources guarantees the unlimited opportunities for a
successful project.
 C. Student Learning Outcomes

1. Illustrate knowledge of film production planning and execution.

2. Demonstrate day to day professional film set operations.
3. Develop collaboration and networking skills alongside industry professionals.
4. Learn the preparation, production, and post production process of being a part of
the camera crew on a professional set.
5. Disseminate and articulate the execution of their roles.
6. Present and demonstrate their experience at a public platform.

D. Role of Students

The students will both act as personal assistants to me in my role as Executive

Producer as well contribute as key crew roles like the 2nd Assistant Camera and Digital
Imaging Technician to me in my role as Director of Photography. In their producing
roles, both Reems and Alexis will learn and engage in the entire process of producing,
funding, organizing, and executing a film production. As a part of the camera team, both
students will learn and assist in the research, preparation, camera operation, and color
correction phases as an effective Cinematographer In addition, they will learn proper
technique and protocol in their roles as 2nd Assistant Camera and Digital Imaging
Technician.

E. Role of Faculty

As the faculty mentor, I will act as the Executive Producer and Director of Photography
(Camera operator/Lighting department head) on this short narrative film. My role will be
to include and distribute work for both students to get the highest impact learning
experience possible. In addition, I will collaborate with the local production company
Indie Atlantic Films as well as NFocus studios to build a professional and meaningful
team of individuals to surround the students of Florida Southern. Pre-production has
begun with Indie Atlantic Films and we are moving forward toward casting, location
scouting, and more.

F. Impact on Faculty

This project will have a major impact on myself as well as the college as a whole. I
believe the creation of this film will help continue the positive professional film
community connections with freelance filmmakers and production companies like Indie
Atlantic Films and NFocus studios. The film will also bring in a diverse group of
individuals from around the world so that I can assist in Florida Southern making a
global impact. Along the same lines, this project will enhance my personal portfolio as a
filmmaker/scholar/teacher so that I can bring these professional experiences back into
the classroom as well as increase publicity and exposure for Florida Southern and the
new BFA in Film that will be offered Fall 2019. Developing these community and global
connections are important in helping students succeed in their future career.
My creative and academic research will be enhanced by moving into different creative
roles than I have previously during my tenure at Florida Southern. I will act as an active
Executive Producer as well as Director of Photography in order to expand and diversify
my CV and overall creative impact. I hope to develop a new standard for creative
research during this project that can be used as an example for students who are
attempting to assimilate their creative work alongside traditional academic research.
Heavy visual, literary, artistic, poetic, research and documentation will be used in
addition to traditional qualitative and quantitative methods to measure overall impact.

G. Impact on Student

This project will have major lasting impact on each and every student involved. Reems
and Alexis will work alongside myself and other experienced industry professionals to
learn by doing in the realist sense. They will learn to collaborate, connect, and network
with professionals who might become life-long connections in an industry where “who
you know” is so vital. (For example, I hired Lizette through a connection I made at a
Film Festival)

The students will be using state-of-the-art and industry standard film equipment they
might not get the chance to use in the classroom. An experience that is truly
irreplaceable. This includes, but is not limited to: camera, lighting, sound, and editing
equipment.

My hope is that these students will take what they learn and bring it into the classroom.
The knowledge shared from their experience will create a culture of creativity, rigor, and
excitement. I can speak from experience that the students who were a part of my film
last summer wear a very impactful “badge of pride” as they engage inside the
classroom and on campus. So, when we talk about the impact on the students involved
in this grant, we should not dismiss the impact of all the current and future students at
Florida Southern College. I believe this project exemplifies our mission statement to
prepare students to make a positive and consequential impact on society.
 BUDGET

Faculty Stipend
Matthew Herbertz $0
Student Stipends
Reems Landreth 72/hrs at $8.46/hr: $609.12
Alexis Rosario 72/hrs at $8.46/hr: $609.12
Materials
Camera Rental, Lens 4 Day Rentals $3,000
Rental, Hard Drives,
Lights, Grip Truck
Other
Miscellaneous Expenses, $1,781.76
Travel for Crew, Food,
Etc.
TOTAL $6,000

HOUSING

One student will need housing:

Student: Alexis Rosario

Dates: May 28th – June 15th 2019

*SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL

Supplemental material for the project is attached at the end of the document including:

1. Student transcripts
2. Director biography
3. The latest draft of the screenplay.
4. A creative Look Book created by the screenwriter.
 Lizette Barrera
Director Reel: https://vimeo.com/188103817

Lizette Barrera is the winner of Texas Archive of the Moving Image Award (Cine las
Americas) and Filmmaker to Watch for (Women Texas Film Festival).

Her films have shown at Maryland Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, San Diego Latino
Festival, Oak Cliff Film Festival, Cine Las Americas Festival, Nalip Org finalist for the
Latino Lens Fest & Showcase Shorts Program, DallasVideoFest, AFS Showcase at
SXSW, Women Texas Film Festival, Flyway Film Festival, Semi-Finalist Miami Short
Film Festival, Semi-Finalist Frame of Mind, Asian Film Festival of Dallas, Longhorn
Showcase at SXSW, Hill Country Film Festival, and CineFestival.

Her film Mosca (Fly) is in distribution with HBO.

She has an MFA in Film Production at The University of Texas and is a Senior Lecturer
at The University of Texas at Arlington.
 ¡Come!

written by

Pam Rodriguez

Pam Rodriguez
111 Lake Hollingsworth Drive
Lakeland, FL 33801
863-899-3198
pamela.rodriguez1230@gmail.com
 
FADE IN:

EXT. DOWNTOWN LAKELAND, FL - MORNING

The water on the lakes in the city glisten as the sun rises.
Swans waddle along the banks. The streets are filled with
cars on their morning commute.

A coffee shop employee turns their "closed" sign to "open"

and unlocks the door.

A pedestrian walks their dog, coffee in hand.

EXT. MIDDLE SCHOOL - MORNING

A car line is at a standstill as parents drop their kids off

at the school.

INT. MIDDLE SCHOOL - CONTINUOUS

The hallways are packed with kids as they make their way to
class. Groups of students stand by their lockers.

The school bell RINGS and the students migrate together.

INT. CLASSROOM - CONTINUOUS

ISABELLA (12) enters the classroom carrying a disposable

aluminum tray and her backpack.
She wears a white polo, navy blue skirt and slip on shoes.
Her hair is pull back in a braid, and on her wrists are hand-
crafted bead bracelets. She wears a delicate cross necklace
and small stud earrings.

She sets her backpack down at a desk and carries the tray
over to a table where several other treats sit.
Isabella sets down her dish and pulls back the aluminum foil.
Inside we see arroz con dulce, an popular Puerto Rican
dessert that looks like a lumpy mixture of oatmeal and rice.
Isabella glances at the other treats on the table.

First brownies.
Then cookies.

She takes another look at the arroz con dulce. In the

background, the teacher makes an announcement.
 2.

TEACHER
Okay, this group can go up first.
Students crowd around Isabella to grab their treats. Isabella
reaches for her share, taking a square from the arroz con
dulce and putting it on her plate.
CUT TO:

INT. CLASSROOM - LATER

The bell rings and students make their way out of the
classroom. In the background, "have a happy thanksgiving" is
heard by the teacher.
Isabella makes her way to the treat table to collect her
tray. It has been barely touched.

She glances around the room. She looks back down at the tray
and covers it with the leftover aluminum foil.

EXT. OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL BUILDING - AFTERNOON

Isabella rounds a secluded building corner and approaches a
dumpster.
She looks down at her hands, holding the tray. Making sure no
one is around, she lifts the lid to the dumpster and lets the
tray fall in.

She adjusts her backpack and runs back around the corner to
the car line.

INT./EXT. MOM'S CAR AND TOWN - LATER

Isabella sits in the backseat of the car. She stares out the
window observing the streets.
BACHATA music plays softly in the car.
They drive past an outdoor mall.
She sees the names of big name brand stores (Target, Old
Navy, Starbucks).
The crowds surrounding these are are predominantly white --
tween girls of similar age walk along the sidewalks, coffee
in hand.
The car takes a turn and Isabella zeros in on smaller
storefronts.
 3.

They are noticeably run down, small and covered in bright ads
with Spanish words sprinkled every other sentence.

The streets aren't as clean. Groups of men and women co-

mingle on the sidewalks.
Kids run around and play basketball in a nearby park.
The car turns into a yard. Isabella's mom, MARITZA (32) cuts
the engine.

All dialogue in italics is in Spanish.

MARITZA
Let's go.

INT. LIVING ROOM - EVENING

Isabella lies on the living room floor, head in her hands as
she stares at the television.
On the screen plays a dinner scene of the show, Full House.
Isabella stares at the TV, mesmerized.
The family on the screen gathers around the dinner table.
They joke around and laugh. The scene is relaxed.

Plates of traditional American food line the table. The

family passes along a bowl of mashed potatoes and a casserole
dish full of green beans.
CUT TO:

INT. KITCHEN TABLE - LATER

Isabella sits at the dining room table with her mom Maritza,
dad JOSE (33) and brother GABRIEL (11).
Maritza talks a thousands words a minute on the phone to her
mom, ABUELA (57).
MARITZA
Okay mom, I'm gonna let you go now,
we're eating dinner. Kids, say bye
to your grandma.
ISABELLA AND GABRIEL
Bye grandma!
ABUELA
God bless you, my loves.
 4.

Maritza hangs up and looks to Isabella.

MARITZA
How was the little party, mama? Did
your friends like the arroz con
dulce?
Avoiding eye contact, Isabella nods, taking another bite of
her food.
MARITZA (CONT’D)
That's good.
Isabella looks down at the table.
Yellow rice, beans, and plantains fill her plate. At the
middle of the table, a bowl of pale pink sauce sits by the
fried plantains.
Ketchup and mayonnaise sit on the counter side by side.

ISABELLA
Mami?
MARITZA
What, my child?
ISABELLA
Can you make mashed potatoes
tomorrow?
Maritza looks at Isabella, and then at Jose, who responds
with a shrug.
She smirks and chuckles, shaking her head and taking another
bite of food from her plate.

MARITZA
Sure, mama.
Isabella takes a second of silence.
ISABELLA
What about green beans? And
cornbread?

Maritza looks over at Isabella, eyes narrowing.

MARITZA
(baffled)
Look, you want to ask for all of
this food, are you buying it and
making yourself or what? My God.
(MORE)
 5.
MARITZA (CONT’D)
And what the hell is "cornbread",
huh?

Maritza goes on about making dinner in the kitchen, her voice

slowly fading with the scene.
Isabella continues to eat her food, head hanging low.

INT. ISABELLA'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Isabella flips through a teen magazine. Inside, the pages

show popular celebrities - mostly fair skinned and thin.
She focuses on a particular female celebrity, shown posing
with an hot fudge sundae.
CUT TO:

EXT. BACKYARD - MIDDAY

Isabella sits criss-cross on the grass in the backyard,
eating a limber (a frozen fruit juice style treat, usually
made and frozen in a disposable plastic cup).
A breezy and sunny day, the weather has everyone outside for
a BBQ. More BACHATA music plays in the background.

A group of men sit huddled around a small table, playing

dominos.
Jose stands by the grill, having a conversation with a couple
of men.
Gabriel runs around with a few of the neighborhood boys,
playing tag.

INT. KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS

Maritza is seen with women in the kitchen, taking a flan out
of the oven and sticking it in the fridge.
Pasteles sit in a deep pot of boiling water.
Beside the pot, another pot full of yellow rice sits,
cooking.

EXT. BACKYARD - CONTINUOUS

Isabella looks around her surroundings.
 6.

FLASH INSERT: ISABELLA AND A FRIEND (12) AT THE FRIEND'S

LAVISH HOME.
THERE'S A STARK CONTRAST IN AMBIANCE BETWEEN THE FRIEND'S
HOME AND ISABELLA'S.
THE FRIEND'S FAMILY, A WHITE FAMILY WITH THICK SOUTHERN
ACCENTS, SET UP THE TABLE AS THE GIRLS TAKE A SEAT AT A
BEAUTIFULLY SET TABLE.
CORN ON THE COB, MASHED POTATOES, BREAD ROLLS, FRIED CHICKEN
AND OTHER TRADITIONAL SOUTHERN FOODS TAKE SPACE ON THE TABLE.
A DELICIOUS PIE SITS ON A TABLE IN THE CORNER.
ISABELLA DOESN'T KNOW WHERE TO START.
Isabella looks around at her backyard. A frown appears on her
face. She gets up and walks inside the house.

INT. ISABELLA'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Isabella lays in her room in the dark, watching TV with the
volume at the lowest setting.

Another episode of Full House plays on the screen.

The girls in the show sit around a table at school, eating
peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, smiling.
She glances over at her alarm clock. It's 11:05 PM. She looks
at her bedroom door.
She turns off the television.
Quietly, she steps out of her bed and tiptoes out of her
bedroom to the kitchen.

INT. KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS

Isabella opens the pantry, slowly, grabbing a loaf of bread,

peanut butter, and jelly.
In the dark, she fumbles her way through making a peanut
butter and jelly sandwich. She reaches for a plastic sandwich
bag and seals the sandwich inside.
She cleans her mess and grabs an apple on her way back,
carrying her sandwich.
Before getting back into bed, she places the sandwich and her
apple in her backpack and zips it closed.
 7.

INT. KITCHEN - MORNING

Isabella enters the kitchen, backpack in hand. She avoids eye
contact with her mom, staring at her backpack.
MARITZA
Hi, honey. Sit down and eat your
oatmeal. Your lunch is on the
counter, don't forget to grab it.
Isabella sits, reluctantly, and eats her oatmeal.
On her way out of the house, she walks past her lunchbox
before hesitating and turning around to grab it.

INT. SCHOOL CAFETERIA - MIDDAY

Isabella sits at a table with her friends.
She moves her lunch box to the side and reaches down to her
backpack. She pulls out her sandwich and apple.
Isabella looks around, smiling. No one notices she has a
peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

She grabs the sandwich and takes a bite.

Chewing, her face distorts into a look of disgust as she
stares at the sandwich.
She puts the sandwich back in the bag, her body hunched over
in defeat.
As she places the bag back into her backpack, her eyes land
on her lunchbox sitting on the ground.
She pulls her lunchbox up to the table. Inside sits a bowl
containing yellow rice, beans and pork.
She pulls the container out and gets up from the table,
walking towards the microwave in the corner of the cafeteria.

Standing at the microwave, she sees her TEACHER (27) removing

her container of food from the inside.
She stares at her food -- a bowl of white rice topped with a
soupy orange mixture.
There are chunks of meat and vegetables. She inhales deeply,
taking in the smell of food.
The teacher notices her ogling and chuckles. Isabella
blushes, embarrassed she's been caught.
 8.

TEACHER
Smells good, right?
ISABELLA
(nodding)
What is it?

TEACHER
It's called curry. It's like
soup...but thicker, and a little on
the spicier side. Have you ever
tried it?
ISABELLA
(shaking her head)
No...did you grow up eating it?
The teacher smiles, and looks down at her food.
TEACHER
Mhm. My mother made it, and she
learned from her mother, who
learned from her mother... It's a
common dish in India.

Isabella nods, lost in thought.

ISABELLA
(hesitantly)
Are you from India?
TEACHER
Yes...and no. I was born in the
United States. But my mother was
born in the captial, New Dehli, and
she and my father moved here when
they were young. I make this food
because it reminds me of home --
and it reminds me of my roots. It's
unique.
Isabella looks down at her container, once again quiet and
lost in thought.
TEACHER (CONT’D)
What do you have there? I
see...chicken and rice...and
plantains. Amarillos?
Isabella looks up at the teacher's kind eyes, with a look of
disbelief on her face.
ISABELLA
How do you know what that is?
 9.

The teacher smiles.

TEACHER
My best friend growing up came from
a Cuban family. I used to go to her
house all of the time and we'd
fight over the last plantain.

She winks at Isabella, both of them giggling.

Isabella places the dish in the microwave.
She and the teacher begin a conversation about the food,
though we don't hear what they say.
CUT TO:

INT. SCHOOL CAFETERIA - CONTINUOUS

From a few tables away, we see the teacher sit together at a
table in the cafeteria, each of them enjoying their meals
together.
CUT TO:

INT./EXT. ISABELLA'S FRONT YARD AND KITCHEN - AFTERNOON

Isabella gets out of the car and walks into the house. In the
kitchen is her abuela, making pasteles.
Isabella walks up to her abuela, kissing her cheek. She walks
over to the sink and washes her hands, returning to her
abuela once she's done.
BACHATA music plays in the background.
Together, they assemble pasteles.
Abuela grabs string and parchment paper, laying it down on
the counter in a specific way.

Isabella takes a banana leaf and lays it on top of the

parchment paper. She then takes a spoon and distributes
achiote oil onto the leaf.
Abuela takes a spoonful of the masa dough and plops it onto
the leaf. She makes an indentation in the dough with the same
spoon.
She then takes a spoonful of meat and places it into the
indentation.
 10.

From the corner of the room, Maritza is seen walking into the
kitchen before abruptly stopping. She looks at Isabella and
Abuela making pasteles and smiles.
Together, Abuela guides Isabella's hands in properly wrapping
and tying the pasteles. Abuela's face beams with pride.

Maritza walks up behind Abuela and, wiping her wet hands with
a towel before rolling up her sleeves to help assemble the
pasteles.
Together they place a couple of pasteles in a pot of boiling
water to cook.
CUT TO:

INT. KITCHEN - LATER

BACHATA music continues.
Isabella and her family sit at the kitchen table, eating
dinner.
She grabs the salad bowl and trades it with Maritza for a
plate of tostones.
Isabella smiles, dipping her tostone in ketchup and taking a
bite.
FADE OUT
 ¡Come!
Written by Pamela Rodriguez
 Writer’s Statement

¡Come! tells the story of Isabella, a young Puerto Rican girl

struggling to come to terms with her identity in a community
much unlike the space she calls home. Identifying the
importance of food in culture, this story navigates the
differences Isabella notices and an interaction that alters her
perspective on “ fitting in.”

2
Story Informatio n
Logline + Characters + Themes
 Logline :

Isabella longs to fit in, even if it’s just in the food her family
prepares. An interaction with a teacher unlike herself helps her
see the beauty in being different.

4
 Main Characters:

Isabella (12) Abuela (57) Maritza (32) Teacher (27)

5
 Themes:

o Search for identity – Isabella spends most of the story

looking for a way to fit in to her surroundings, often feeling
negative emotions towards her own culture
o Family – Isabella’s relationship with her abuela and mom
play a huge role in her search for identity
o Food – Food is a massive part of culture and plays a huge role
in Isabella’s search in identity

6
 Visual Components
Visual Style + Locations + Lighting
 Visual Styles
o At school – Isabella’s world is stark, bland.
o At home – Vibrant, lively. When Isabella is with her family,
the world is bathed in bright colors, and saturated in sunlight
and warmth.

8
Locations

9
Lighting

10