Hello, my name is Corey Lightner, and I am the writer, producer, and director of White Face Short Film.
White Face follows Darius, a Black Man in his late 20s, as he navigates a workplace dynamic that separates him from his counterparts. Darius is forced to confront his own identity and decide whether it’s in his best interest to conform or operate outside of the stigma surrounding his skin color.
THE CHARACTERS
DARIUS WHITAKER (D), BLACK: Darius is an athletically built, highly focused and driven individual. He’s worked 3x as hard as anyone else and is known to be a by-the-book person. Inside he’s a bit timid -- doesn’t fully express himself at work for fear of judgment and lack of connection to his co-workers…who look nothing like him.
MATTHEW P (Matt), WHITE: Matt is the living existence of White Privilege. Of course, you couldn’t tell him any different, as he feels so comfortable ingrained in a culture that isn’t his own. We all know a Matt; you’ve encountered at least one in your lifetime.
CHECK OUT SOME BTS FOOTAGE OF WHITE FACE SHORT FILM BELOW!
Your identity is what makes you stand out. Personally, stylistically, mentally, and physically. What if someone told you that everything that made you unique had to be masked or hidden? What if you had to fit into a box that was too small. What if it felt like suffocating?
I’m fascinated with how we are all the same yet different and have similar experiences with various interpretations of what they mean in our lives. That being said, how we speak to one another varies based on comfort and context. Think about it, when you talk to your friends of 10+ years vs. your co-workers, it’s bound to be different. That's the science of code-switching - something we all do so often that we forget it's a skill we’ve adopted. Once you add culture and race into the mix, the difference is very noticeable and uncomfortable. Because of that, I want to highlight it.
This film is the first I’ve ever actually written all the way through. In writing this, I put many of my experiences into the main character Darius. He feels trapped in between two worlds and doesn’t know where to fit in. As the child of someone who served in the Armed Forces, I was forced to relocate and recreate my identity many times. However, each time taught me something about conformity, code-switching, and how powerful the energy of a group amongst one is.
This film aims to educate people on the science of code-switching and social conformity and give perspective on its pros and cons. The goal of this film is also to show people that they aren’t alone; everyone goes through this. It’s bigger than race, and it’s bigger than you and I.
WE CAN'T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU!
We were fortunate enough to complete the production of our short film in April, and now we are currently in post-production - editing, sound design, color correction, and music supervision. Your contributions will help offset the costs incurred during production, which include but are not limited to:
Paying Cast and Crew: $1600
Locations: $670
Meals: $205
Film Festivals: $300
Any donation would be greatly appreciated and would help show the Black community's perspective as they navigate racial identity and code-switching through this film. To show our sincere appreciation, we’d like to offer something special for your generosity and support:
$25 - A Shoutout on White Face's social media pages! (@white.face.film)
$50 -A digital thank you card signed by cast and crew!
$100-A "Special Thanks" shoutout in the film's credits!
$250-A copy of the script signed by writers and director+ all previous incentives!
$500-Your name and logo in the film's closing credits + all previous incentives!
$1000- Executive Producer Credit + all previous incentives!
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HOW CAN YOU HELP?
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Investing in our film and supporting our fundraiser!
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Please share on social media and help us spread the word!
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Share any resources that you may have that could help us!
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Social Media Prompt: Feel free to copy and paste this example below to help spread the word:
Help filmmaker Corey Lightner by supporting his short film WHITE FACE, which follows Darius's journey to confront his own identity and decide whether it’s within his best interest to conform or operate outside of the stigma surrounding his skin color.
I am so grateful to everyone who has supported White Face thus far! I look forward to more of you being a part of the team that helps bring White Face to life. Thank you!
Thank you,
Corey Lightner