ABOUT THIS PROJECT
Sola, is about the adventures of a young girl who discovers she's a magician in a world where it's not safe to be one.
On her quest to find the truth, she is tracked down by magician hunters. Sola has to learn to use her magic or she won't survive this dangerous and deadly world.
THE BACKGROUND
Thandiwe Mlauli is the Founder & CEO of Studio Yezi.
A graduate of New York Film Academy (in Producing for Film & TV), Thandiwe founded Studio Yezi with the intention to illuminate and capture hearts at home and around the world. Studio Yezi is a development and animation studio that is dedicated to creating and telling stories made for people of colour, and black people in particular.
Black people are extremely underrepresented in the global animation space, and Studio Yezi intends to equalize the playing field, and create economic opportunity for artists and animators on the continent.
THE PLAN
KEY CREATIVES:
Cast:
- Sola: Karabo Ntshweng
- Daniat: Mixo Mathebula
- Dulani: Rifumo Mdaka
- Kimacho: Kari Faux
- Lucresse: AJ Pitre
- Nuha: Luthando Makwange
Producing Team:
- Producer: Thandiwe Mlauli
- Development Producer: AJ Pitre
- Line Producer: Lebohang Mathata
Visual Development Team:
- Character Designer:
- Bolaji Olaloye
- Thandiwe Mlauli
Directors:
- Thandiwe Mlauli
- Chaz Bottoms
- Justin M Johnson
Music Composition:
- Nana Kwabena
WHAT WE'VE DONE
- A pitch show bible with an extensive outline of the first season, and the following three seasons (four seasons total).
- this includes the format, ideal distribution platforms, story breakdown, character breakdowns, world descriptions, magical elements etc.
- A pilot script.
- A script for the short film that we're currently working on.
- A recorded soundtrack of the short film.
WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON
- The sound design of the short film
- The music composition for the short film
- The character designs of the show
- Putting together a writing team to write the entire first season.
WHY WE NEED YOU
To help us finish the animated portion of the film. This includes animation, background layouts, background art, visual effects, compositing, lighting, and editing, etc.
To expand our music composition to make sure the sound of the film is lush & captivating.
To be able to hire more talented production staff to help us cross the finish line.
YOUR REWARDS
- Pledge R150 = Reward #1! Personal Thank You Shoutout!
- YOU get a Personal Thank You Shoutout from Thandiwe (@heythandi), producer of Sola - on Twitter!
- We truly appreciate all donations!
- Pledge R500 = Reward #2! Digital Download of Film Poster!
- Digital Download of Film Poster - You'll get a digital poster of the animated short!
- YOU get a Personal Thank You Shoutout from Thandiwe (@heythandi), producer of Sola - on Twitter!
- Pledge R800 = Reward #3! Digital Download of Film!
- Digital Download of Film - You'll get a digital copy of the film!
- Digital Download of Film Poster - You'll get a digital poster of the animated short!
- YOU get a Personal Thank You Shoutout from Thandiwe (@heythandi), producer of Sola - on Twitter!
- Pledge R2500 = Reward #4! Become a Digital Producer!
- See YOUR NAME in the credits! With this donation, YOU get to be a Digital Producer!
- Along with that, YOU also get a Digital Download of the film, along with the Official Poster & a Personal Thank You from @heythandi, Thandiwe - producer of Sola.
- We thank you in advance!
- Pledge R5000 = Reward #5! Become an Associate Producer!
- Receive the Associate Producer credit on the film!
- With that, you also get a Digital Download of the film, a merch pack with a Sola cap & hoodie, access to exclusive behind-the-scenes of the making of Sola, along with the Official Poster & a Personal Thank You from @heythandi, Thandiwe - producer of Sola!
- Pledge R7,000 = Reward #6! Become a Co-Producer!
- Receive the Co-Producer credit on the film.
- With that, you also get a Digital Download of the film, a merch pack with a Sola cap & hoodie, access to exclusive behind-the-scenes of the making of Sola, along with the Official Poster & a Personal Thank You from @heythandi, Thandiwe - producer of Sola!
- As a Co-Producer, YOU have access to other aspects of our production (provided you sign an NDA), like the budget, the script, and exclusive first glance of the short film!
- Pledge R25,000 = Reward #7! Become a Co-Executive Producer!
- Receive the Co-Executive Producer credit on the film.
- With that, you also get a Digital Download of the film, a merch pack with a Sola cap & hoodie, access to exclusive behind-the-scenes of the making of Sola, along with the Official Poster & a Personal Thank You from @heythandi, Thandiwe - producer of Sola!
- As a Co-Executive Producer, YOU have access to other aspects of our production (provided you sign an NDA), like the budget, the script and exclusive first glance of the short film!
- Pledge R70,000 = Reward #8! Become an Executive Producer!
- Receive the Executive Producer credit on the film!
- With that, you also get a Digital Download of the film, a merch pack with a Sola cap & hoodie, access to exclusive behind-the-scenes of the making of Sola, along with the Official Poster & a Personal Thank You from @heythandi, Thandiwe - producer of Sola!
- As Executive Producer, you have access to other aspects of our production (provided you sign an NDA), like the budget, the script, and exclusive first glance of the short film.
We thank you in advance!
Updates
We need YOUR help to #MakeSOLAHappen and here’s how!
1. Donate to our Jumpstarter campaign!
2. Share this graphic & the hashtag #MakeSOLAHappen
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Project FAQ
Who are we?
- Thandiwe Mlauli is the Founder & CEO of Studio Yezi. A graduate of New York Film Academy (in Producing for Film & TV).
- Thandiwe founded Studio Yezi with the intention to illuminate and capture hearts at home and around the world.
- Studio Yezi is a development and animation studio that is dedicated to creating and telling stories made for people of colour, and black people in particular. Black people are extremely underrepresented in the global animation space, and Studio Yezi intends to equalize the playing field, and create economic opportunity for artists and animators on the continent.
Where are we based?
- We are based in South Africa. But we serve the world.
- Our company works with predominantly local talent, but has a network of artists on the continent and in the world.
Why Crowdfunding?
- We wanted to use crowdfunding because we are an independent production and wanted to remain this way for as long as possible.
- We wanted to have the right to tell or stories the way we see them.
- Crowdfunding allows us creative control.
What is the plan once 100% funding is received?
- Once we have received the funding, we begin the animation process. We already have wonderful creatives on board, some on the continent, and others in the diaspora.
- This money will go to animators, background artists, layout artists, compositors, visual effects, lighting and editing. It will also go towards composing the full score of the film.
- The money will also go towards preparing rewards for the donors.
