Happy Holidays Film

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As you can all see, we are putting enormous effort into this website and most of us are volunteering our time and energy to make this film a success! We have managed to keep the site ad free and completely focused. We love your support, and just having you here makes all the difference :)

So tell your friends about the film, show off the podcasts, write us an email, make a comment on one of these articles, pitch in and donate buck or two if you've got it! Most importantly, keep visiting us as we create Happy Holidays!

Hello World! These are all of the new aCore Happy Holidays visitors after just one week going live with the new website...

Full story transcoded below images

Student film needs funding – Junior film student Sassy Mohen needs $15,000 for her film “Happy Holidays” By Erica Mobraaten Panther Staff Writer

Independent student film “Happy Holidays” has proven to be anything from happy for its crew. Under the direction of junior film production major Sassy Mohen, the feature began its filming Tuesday after more than a year of stress, equipment troubles and lack of funding.

The feature-length film was initially rejected by Joe Slowensky, the undergraduate chair of the film school, as being too ambitious – most senior thesis films are under half and hour in length, according to Mohen. Because of the need for adequate equipment to film the project, Mohen and her crew appealed Slowenski’s decision. After countless e-mails and a formal appeal, they finally received approval the last week of October.

“I can understand why they would be skeptical about giving us equipment. Every film student wants to make a feature,” Mohen said. “But we are not just a bunch of film kids just having fun. This is our career. We are serious about this.”

Written by Mohen, the film is about a young woman who grapples with limitations that she faces during college. Mohen first started writing the script in July 2005.

Many obstacles have prevented “Happy Holidays” from being produced, money being one of the problems, according to Mohen. The feature will need $20,000 and Mohen currently has only $5,000. The cost of a film can run between $5,000 and $35,000 depending on the specifics, according to Mohen and other film students. Despite financial troubles, she is determined to make this project happen.

“My crew and I are college students; we are used to taken the little we have and making the most, “Mohen said. “I don’t have a problem taking a risk because I am confident my crew can handle any obstacle thrown at them.”

Some students praise her ambition. Sophomore Dillon Morris, the director of photography as well as advertising coordinator for the film, believes that “Happy Holidays” has promise with online promotional advertising and more than $5,000 in donations from private corporations.

“We haven’t gotten direct negative feedback, but some people don’t show support for it, “ he said.

However, Morris believes that the reason behind that is because people who initially expressed interest in the film don’t want to get their hopes up too high.

“Sassy has definitely poured her heart and soul into this and she definitely wants to make it happen,” Morris said.

However, senior Alex Rodd feels that her efforts and certainty of the film’s success are unfeasible and unrealistic.

“[She’s] asking people to devote a huge amount of time [to filming the movie] and these students are too inexperienced to know what they’re doing for a project that is too big at a student level, especially for people that haven’t previously done a bunch of short films,” Rodd said.

Members are expected to put about 30 hours of work a week into the production process. Mohen estimated that she puts in about 36 to 48 hours a week.

Sophomore Wesley Thayer, the assistant director, feels that the rumors against the film are unfair and judgmental.

“Regardless of whether or not these judgments are valid, these people speak negatively with authority, but don’t know what they’re talking about because they are not involved,” Thayer said.

Production Manager Michele Kennedy, who oversees pre-production processes for student films, acknowledged that since the project is not class related, Mohen would need approval but Chapman would support the project.

“Chapman’s extremely supportive of the ambitions of its students and we do have a system in place for students who wish to pursue this type of project,” she said.

Mohen is aware of the controversy of the film, but has high hopes that it will benefit Chapman in the future. The film’s release date is set for Thanksgiving 2007.

“I like the challenge. It’s like, why do you have to follow the rules if they’re meant to be broken?” she said. “I think that if you have the drive, anyone can do something like this.”

This amazing shot came out of production a week ago and we knew it would be perfect for a poster. This is just a preliminary image but it really captures the essense of the film, the sotry and time of year, the actors who are giving everything they've got to make this a success.

Happy Holidays Film Kissing Poster

Happy Holidays began in May 2006 and was slated as the first feature length presentation by Sassy Mohen (Junior, Chapman University). From the very beginning it was an ambitious proposition, not only is Sassy and the rest of the Happy Holiday's crew and cast full time students, none of them have pulled something like this off before. In fact, part of what makes Happy Holidays special is the "stop at nothing" approach that has kept it alive for the past seven months. A project like this is hard enough for a studio with infrastructure and experience, but students without money and limited resources have never come so far on their own. Happy Holidays continues to struggle forward and has no intention of giving up. While some podcast episodes have been cut and resources have been squeezed the core project marches forward. The show must go on and your support, interest, word of mouth, and monetary contributions are keeping us alive.

Thanks for your continued support, from Happy Holidays, ABSTRACTcore, the entire aM network and everyone working on the project.

Happy Holidays - independent film by Sassy Mohen is continuing on track and looking to grow it's fan base! If you have a website please include our banner by copying the code below and spread the word <<<

the aM network, including ABSTRACTmall and ABSTRACTcore and undergoing a web 2.0 facelift and may be down in the coming week starting Friday March 2nd.

Thanks for your understanding! Visit MySpace or the Facebook for updates.

This film is the age old story of a young girl struggling to take charge of her future. Talented painter, Clarissa Ryder (Mary Fae Smith), has dreamed of becoming a successful artist her entire life. Encouraged by her two good friends Margaret Lloiend (Brigitte Ashley), and John Maher (Mike Sasso), she plans, upon graduating high school to move across country to pursue her dream.

However, close to departure, she falls in love with Thomas Levy (Jeff Whitlatch)an aspiring musician who becomes her muse. During her confusion at college of how to reconcile her passion for art and her love for Thomas, she meets Charles Edmund (Robert Walters), a strong unartistic pillar of support.

“Happy Holidays” chronicles the tumultuous and confusing relationships these five characters are faced with. Going through affairs, engagements, promises and heartbreak; Thomas, Charles, Margaret, John, and most of all, Clarissa must learn how to deal with the dreams of their past along with the realities of their future.

Happy Holidays has officially launched its new press campaign! Starting off is the new HH Poster which will be turned into buttons, posters, stickers, etc. Please put this poster on your myspace, website, or whatever other internet site you choose!

Nikki Davis, Twiner Managing Editor


"I've always wanted to act so I wanted a school with a good theater program. If you're serious about acting you have to go to New York or L.A. I didn't really want to do the musical thing, so I was leaning more towards L.A. I researched it. Then I found out it was affiliated with my church. The school was founded by the Disciples of Christ. I took it as a sign," hopeful, up-and-coming actress and Woodbine native Mary Smith said.

A sign it was and all seems to be going well for the aspiring actress who, in her last year of college, landed a lead role in an on-campus, student directed, donation-funded film dubbed "Happy Holidays."

Auditions for the film were held in September of 2006 and Mary has no idea how many other actresses auditioned for the role.

"I just know I had two or three auditions. They wanted to see me read with other people," she said.

After she received the good news of landing the lead, the work began.

The cast and crew began filming in November of 2006 and filmed through Dec. 23. During the majority of the time, filming was limited to weekends as both cast and crew had college courses to attend. Weekend filming consumed about 10 hours of Mary's Saturdays and Sundays until Dec. 16.

Dec. 16 -23 became crunch time when college students left for winter break - except for many of the "Happy Holidays" cast and crew.

"That week before Christmas we had eight days of eight to 14 hours. I had to be there every day," Mary said.

Mary portrayed the character Clarissa Ryder - a talented, high school painter who dreamed of becoming a successful artist. Mary's character plans to move cross-country to pursue her dream when she falls for an aspiring musician. While enrolled at college, she meets another man that becomes part of her life and a pillar of support.

According to the "Happy Holidays" Web site, www.happyholidaysfilm.com, "'Happy Holidays' chronicles the tumultuous and confusing relationships five characters are faced with. Going through affairs, engagements, promises and heartbreak; Thomas, Charles, Margaret, John, and most of all, Clarissa must learn how to deal with the dream of their past along with the realities of their future."

After the pressured, long-houred work week in December, cast and crew were given six weeks off.

"The film spans four or five years. We had to take time off to change. I've dyed my hair so many times in the past few months because of the character changes," Mary said.

Filming began again at the beginning of March 2007 and finished by the end of the month.

In April the editing process began. The feature-length film is scheduled to be complete in June or July.

"They can start submitting applications to film festivals then because it's an independent film," Mary said.

The hope is that a distributor will pick up "Happy Holidays" and sell it to theatres across the nation.

Mary is determined to not let "Happy Holidays" be her end - but her beginning. She graduated from Chapman University May 19 with a Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Theater Performance and had an interview scheduled with an agency May 29 to enter the work force as a paid actress - even though some tell her she can't.

"I've come to this about everything - (I do it) because people think I can't. Because I am from a small town in Iowa. It seems like a dream or goal a little girl would have and grow out of. I'm going to prove it. I can work that hard and be that successful person. I'm always pushing my boundaries and if things are getting too easy, I need to take the next step. The challenge motivates me," Mary said.

Hopefully, the challenging steps she has taken so far will pay off. If anyone is interested in supporting Mary's film debut in "Happy Holidays", buttons and other "Happy Holidays" paraphernalia are available for purchase on the "Happy Holidays" Web site at www.happyholidaysfilm.com.

"The money will go to the film and it's a way of promoting the film - so anyone who purchases a button or anything can be a part of letting people know about it," she said.