Florida Southern College

Faculty Summer Stipend

ALL ARE WELCOME

A short narrative film with filmmaker Ross Morin

Proposed by:
Matthew Herbertz
Assistant Professor of Film
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Table of Contents

I. Purpose of Summer Stipend 3

II. Relevance to Field/Teaching 3

III. Methodology 4

IV. Outcome 4

V. Budget 5

Appendices

1. CV
2. Bios
3. Links to previous work
4. Draft of script
5. Pitch deck
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I. Purpose of Summer Stipend

I am requesting a Faculty Summer Stipend to help fund a short film for a current work-in-progress,
All Are Welcome. This film represents the struggles and triumphs of being queer in a society afraid of
otherness. It follows the journey of a young man who rebels against the forces of his oppressive
community when he openly asks another man on a date. All Are Welcome is an attempt to inspire
hope in anyone who is too frightened to let others see who they truly are. For those fortunate
enough to feel safe to be openly queer - this film is a reminder of the daily struggles of so many.
Although the film does not shy from the darkness of a fearful society, All Are Welcome’s message is
optimistic as it argues that love between two people, and love for oneself, is the ultimate form of
resilience in the face of oppression.

This stipend will cover major expenses that are involved in the production of this expensive fictional
narrative film. Some of these expenses will include hiring industry professionals, hiring professional
acting talent, renting professional equipment, food for meals, and production insurance. This stipend
is also being requested due to the fact I am going into production for two separate films this summer.
The other project being the faculty student collaboration that will take place in New Mexico.

My field of creative research requires a high financial overhead in order for there to be a successful
return on investment. The summer stipend will allow me to bring a level of professionalism found on
short film productions around the world. Interested Students at Florida Southern College will be able
to volunteer or even get paid as crew and work with professionals from across the country, network,
and gain practical field experience. The stipend will bring the embodiment of experiential learning in
my field to Florida Southern and emulate my previous faculty and student collaboration projects.

The creation of this film will help continue to build the growing professional film community here
in Lakeland, Fl. The absolutely necessary support from the summer stipend as well as other funding
sources will solidify that this film will get made. Without this funding we may not be able to move
forward on this project and I will not be able to offer a local creative film opportunity this year.

This summer stipend will also allow me to develop and improve my abilities as a faculty expert and
working director. It has been over a year since I last directed a film and I’m eager to act within the
role where I most feel comfortable. I hope that my leadership and direction on set will set an example
for aspiring students within the BFA film major. Through this creative research endeavor, I will be
able to bring my practical experience from the field into the classroom and bring the classroom to the
field. A truly unique and amazing opportunity for students form all backgrounds and academic
disciplines. One thing that has amazed me with both My Florida Home and ¡Come! is the willingness of
students from outside the film discipline to get involved on set. Over half the crew on both of those
productions were made up of Florida Southern students, staff, and faculty.

II. Relevance to Field/Teaching

As a filmmaker and educator, I teach that good filmmaking is creative, original, and compelling
visual storytelling that engages an audience emotionally, intellectually, and viscerally, and explores
themes and ideas in an ethically-conscious manner. I teach that filmmakers have the ability not only
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to represent the world but also the responsibility that comes with shaping it. All Are Welcome puts my
teaching into practice I hope that this film makes a difference to anyone who is scared about others
seeing who they really are. My goal is that the students on this set will understand how filmmaking
can impact the world and see it as a unique learning opportunity. I hope it inspires frightened and
isolated people to feel hope, and I hope it inspires them (and their allies) to act.

The execution of this short film is directly relevant to what I teach in the classroom. My classes are all
centered around the process of ideation, organization, production, exhibition, and dissemination of
creative or scholarly work. For example, Motion Picture Productions, students are tasked with the
challenge of collaborating to create an original short narrative video/film to be screened for a public
audience. In my class, Film and American Culture, we explore historical and contemporary issues of
race, gender, sexuality, class, politics, and more within the context of American film. The combination
of theory and practice is an active process that I believe all filmmakers need to engage in to create
successful and meaningful work. All Are Welcome, will give students practical professional experience
they might not get otherwise as well as understand the importance of diversity behind the camera and
in front of the camera.

III. Methodology
To achieve specific goals and outcomes to be outlined below, I will employ an industry standard and
cost-effective approach toward the production of this film. I am confident these methods will yield a
successful outcome due to my past achievements in my field. In addition, I am bringing the talent of
writer and Assistant Director, Ross Morin (bio in appendix) and Emmy Award Winning
Cinematographer, Judy Phu, (bio in appendix) who worked on my film My Florida Home.

Methods

1. Hire industry professionals to lead specific departments on the production. These

professionals would include a Director of Photography, Assistant Director, Gaffer, Sound
Mixer, etc.
2. Involve as many Florida Southern College students as possible to serve as crew members in
departments they may be interested in.
3. Rent industry standard equipment from local and national connections who will discount the
prices to bring costs down.
4. Hire professional actors to increase production quality and output of final product.
5. Follow a rigorous timeline to ensure the completion of the production and post-production
process.
6. Submit to conferences, film festivals, and short film distribution outlets to exhibit the work
on a national and international scale.

IV. Outcomes
The desired goals and outcomes of the project are to distribute and exhibit the work at conferences,
film festivals, and online distribution outlets. In addition, my goal is to provide a rigorous, yet
constructive, experiential learning environment for students, and peak interest and engage the
community at Florida Southern College and Lakeland, FL.
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1. Exhibition: Screen and present the work at regional, national, and international
festivals/conferences.
2. Effective Student Learning: Students will engage with industry professionals, get hands on
experience, and learn the process of executing a professional creative film work.
3. Engage the Community: Create excitement and garner community involvement in the
project through digital marketing, press, interviews, and a screening of the final project.

V. Budget
Outline of the proposed TOTAL budget.
In red I have included my request for the summer stipend.

In addition, I will seek additional external funding with amounts TBD.

ITEM FOR FUNDING DETAILS COST

CREW
Professional Crew Professional crew. $6,000

TRAVEL
Plane Tickets For Crew $1,200
Rental Van $30/day plus mileage $300
FOOD
Meals $10/head x 3 days for a crew $900
of 30
LODGING
Hotel $150 a night for a potential 3 $1,350
cast members
EQUIPMENT RENTAL
Camera Arri Alexa Mini Camera for 3 $3,000
days
Lenses Cooke Lenses for 3 days $1,000
Grip Truck 1 ton Grip Truck for 3 days $1,500
and mileage
Sound Package Professional Sound Package $500
for 3 days
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Costumes Allowances $500
Set Design Allowances $500
Props Allowances $250

TOTAL FILM BUDGET $17,000

STIPEND $6,000
REQUEST
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Bios
Kiltered Productions
Kiltered Productions is a small independent film production company founded by award-winning
filmmakers and educators, Ross Morin and Matthew Herbertz. We collaborate in various key
creative roles throughout our productions as writers, directors, editors, cinematographers,
producers, assistant directors, and actors. We are committed to socially and ethically-conscious
filmmaking practice and increasing the visibility of underrepresented groups both onscreen and
behind the camera. Our films have been recognized internationally with awards like Best Horror at
the Coney Island Film Festival, Best Feature Film at the Macabre Faire Film Festival, Best Horror at
the Southeast New England Film, Music and Art Festival.

Ross Morin (Writer and Assistant Director)

Ross Morin is an award-winning filmmaker, screenwriter, cinematographer, and editor. He is

Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Film Studies at Connecticut College where he
teaches filmmaking. He is the recipient of the University Film and Video Association's Award of
Teaching Excellence for Senior Faculty, Connecticut College's highest teaching honor, the John S.
King Memorial Teaching Award, Ohio University's Graduate Associate Outstanding Teaching
Award, and the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Faculty Mentor Award. In 2019, he
mentored the project that won Connecticut College's Oakes and Louise Ames Prize for Outstanding
Honors Study.

His 2015 feature film, A Wheel out of Kilter, won the Indie Spirit Award at the Princeton
Independent Film Festival and Best Feature Film at the Macabre Faire Film Festival. His most
recent film, A Peculiar Thud, was the official selection of over 30 film festivals around the world and
won the Best Horror award at the Coney Island Film Festival and the Best Horror Short at the
Southeast New England Film, Music and Art Festival. He once called Tommy Wiseau's The Room,
"The Citizen Kane of bad movies."

Judy Phu (Cinematographer)

Judy Phu a professional cinematographer based in Los Angeles. Her family's journeys as Vietnamese
war survivors sparks her curiosity and imagination. Her heart is set on nuanced, bold ideas and their
creators. The projects she has photographed have won awards including a 2018 Emmy Nomination
+ screened at Sundance, Tribeca, Toronto, Cannes + on HBO, IFC, PBS and more. Judy is a
member of the ICG 600 as a DP.