Humor Me

Logline

A middle-aged, recently unemployed father is faced with the opportunity to shift his career path after spending the last 27 years at the same job, ever since the unexpected death of his wife. His filmmaker daughter challenges him to take a stab at a career in comedy, as a means of exploring his passions and using art as a tool to process his daunting past.

Humor Me explores the bounds of artistic expression. It will discuss what is at stake when one opens themselves up for the sake of their art, but further than that, it will divulge in the rewards of sharing your arts and talents with the world and the release of being able to process your life through your work. Comedy is unique in that it allows the comedian to process their experiences through humor and laughter.

Comedy has been known to have a great deal of short term and long-term effects on the psyche of those who participate. Laughter reportedly relieves stress and tension, releases endorphins, and can even improve one’s immune system. Many comedians have written and performed sets surrounding grief and other difficult life experiences and have reported to have found a sort of refuge in searching for laughter amidst such painful topics. In a father- daughter story, an artist daughter offers her father this method of processing his grief.

MEET OUR CHARACTERS

Mike Calta

Bobby Kelly

Gary Cannon

Kaitlyn Calta

John Calta

MEET THE CREW

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

Kaitlyn Calta began her creative journey at the age of seven, when her parents first grew tired of her long-winded stories, and presented her with a pen and paper. With this pen and paper, she scribbled out a short story– a fabrication of real events and people, told through the seven-year-old absurdities of talking animals. The nature of this story reflected that of the relationships in Kaitlyn’s young life, and now, as a grown artist, Kaitlyn has come to learn that very little has changed about her storytelling style since this short story was written.

Either through the fictionalization of real people, or the raw documentation of the folks around her, Kaitlyn strives, as a filmmaker, to create content that centers around relatable human connection (and sometimes, lack thereof), inspired by the relationships in her own life. Growing up in a large, Italian family, Kaitlyn’s familial values far surpass most things in her life, which is bluntly translated through her work.

Kaitlyn received her Bachelors of Arts in Creative Writing with a minor in Film Studies from Florida State University in 2021 and promptly moved to Los Angeles, where she is currently pursuing a Masters of Fine Arts in Film and Television Production at The University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. Though Kaitlyn’s first love was writing, she has spent her time at USC specializing in directing, and dipping her toe into a number of different roles– including but not limited to; producing, assistant directing, casting, and editing– giving her a strong grasp of the necessities that her fellow team members require. In 2022, Kaitlyn edited a short, USC-produced documentary entitled Mission to Resettle, in which she learned the ins and outs of story structure, visual storytelling, and collaborative workflow within documentary films– knowledge she intends to carry with her throughout the production of her new film, Humor Me.

ABOUT THE PRODUCERS

Matthew Berger is an aspiring filmmaker who graduated from The University of Alabama in 2021 Summa Cum Laude with a double major in Anthropology and Geology and a minor in criminal justice. He has a passion for documentary filmmaking, having directed, produced, and edited multiple documentaries with YUGO BAFTA’s nominations and recognition at some of the world’s most prestigious film festivals. He has worked alongside companies like National Geographic and hopes to pursue a career promoting science and education through film.

Jonathan “Jonny” Cuesta is a film producer/director from New York City, who is currently pursuing his Master of Fine Arts in Film and Television Production at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. Jonny began his work in the industry in his high school TV Production program, coordinating productions at The Kennedy Center. Jonny Graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Arts in Media Arts. During his time at BYU, Jonny produced multiple student film projects, as well as worked with film festivals such as Sundance and Tribeca under the Marriott School of Business. He also earned his Master of Arts in Public Relations and Mass Communication from the University of Florida. Outside of USC, Jonny works at the Walt Disney Studios as a Tour and Event Specialist under the Walt Disney Archives. Jonny is absolutely thrilled to be part of a fantastic team of talented filmmakers for “Humor Me,” as this story brings both comedy and drama to life.

Jada Ganim is a writer, director, and producer who graduated from Cal State LA with a BA in Television, Film and Media Studies and she is currently studying at Emerson College pursuing an MFA in screenwriting for Film and Television.

She recently wrapped post-production on a proof of concept short film that she wrote, directed and produced in April of 2023. Jada also recently completed two back-to-back internships at Delirio Films (production company) and Media.Monks (Ad Agency) where she learned an extensive amount about documentary and commercial productions.

ABOUT THE CINEMATOGRAPHER

Caileigh Gold is a filmmaker from Virginia Beach Virginia, who is currently pursuing her Master of Fine Arts in Film and Television Production at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. Prior to USC, Caileigh attended Old Dominion University, where she was the Secretary of the ODU Film Club. The ODU Film club gave Caileigh the opportunity to attend the Cannes Film Festival in 2018 and 2019 with short films created in conjunction with the club. While at USC, Caileigh received the Annenberg Fellowship for her final year of school. She also currently serves as the President of the Trojan Society of Cinematographers, USC’s first cinematography club. Caileigh is extremely passionate about cinematography, and is looking forward to being the cinematographer on several advanced projects at USC this year.

ABOUT THE EDITORS

Madi Price is a seasoned video editor, whose passion for crafting visual narratives ignited at the age of 10. Specializing in college sports filming and editing, her skills have evolved into a seasoned expertise. Beyond the editing suite, Madi's heart beats for exploration, with a love for travel that fuels her creative spirit. Documentaries, horror movies, and the dynamic world of college sports collectively shape her eclectic taste in storytelling.

Yifeng focuses on editing and directing. She has a passion for documentary and pursue genuine storytelling. She explores the subtle moments living inside people’s memories , tells story about vulnerability and human connections in ordinary life.

ABOUT THE SOUND DESIGNERS

Kyle Heard is a 5th semester MFA candidate at the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California. Kyle is from Northern Virginia and attended Morehouse College for undergrad. His interest in sound was piqued when learning from Oscar winning sound designer, Stephen Flick, his second semester. Since then, Kyle has used his knowledge to assist sound on other projects both in and outside of SC including ads, music videos, and, most recently, the upcoming USC thesis film, Negro League Nights.

Lenti Liang is a Chinese woman, a hedonist, an adventurer, and an emerging filmmaker.

She earned her BA in Visual Arts Media at UC San Diego. She is currently pursuing her MFA in Film Production at the USC’s School of Cinematic Arts as a recipient of the Annenberg Fellowship.

Many of her films tackle critical social issues affecting underrepresented communities, particularly Asian, women, and marginalized groups. Her work is marked by a deep respect for the traditions and histories of these communities and a strong commitment to cultural preservation and social justice.

Dec. - Jan.

Scheduling, Budgeting, and Pre Production

March - April

Post Producttion

May

Final Screening

Jan. - March

Principal Photography in the Los Angeles Area

March

Launch Festival Submission Fundraiser

May-August

Submit to Festivals

The intended audience of this film are among the grievers and the broken-hearted who are searching for an outlet or a bearable way to process. As the young generation takes on a wave of therapy and self-improvement, many of the members of our older generations feel a particular hesitation against it. Art is a viable alternative that the film offers, thus providing a sort of relief or glimmer of hope for those in mourning. It encourages one to unpack traumas and heal through a method that is not only rewarding, but has been scientifically proven to improve mental health.

Further, this film is made for the vast majority of people who are still exploring their life’s calling. John’s wife, Amanda, has made it a constant point to encourage John to find a passion now that he’s been given a second chance, because even she, at 47 years old, “doesn’t know what she wants to be when she grows up.” As a collective, it’s a quite common experience to struggle with this feeling—lacking a true purpose or passion and feeling like it’s too late to find one. To offer a scenario in which 50-year-old John explores a new hobby would be encouraging this same demographic to get on their feet and explore new passions themselves. Humor Me pushes the narrative that it’s never too late and that art and creativity is a great place to start.

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