Post Man
a story about the unsung heroes during the 2020 pandemic lockdown
Post Man is a story about the unsung heroes during the 2020 pandemic lockdown. It is inspired by three true stories that I have personal connections to.
The first is the story of my father, Kimball Phillips, a Vietnam Veteran and US Postal Service worker for over thirty years, and the demons of addiction and PTSD that he’s overcome in his life.
The second is the story of the brave mail-delivery persons who delivered mail around the clock at their own risk, when our health, safety, and democracy were in jeopardy in the summer of 2020.
The third story is the death of my aunt Christie Nash, who suddenly died in Feb 2020 of an illness that we didn’t know of yet, but a month later would shut down and isolate the world.
Visual & Thematic Tone
Post Man will incorporate a similar look and tone to Nomadland (Best Picture 2020), similar character journeys to Manchester by the Sea (Best Original Screenplay 2017), and will contain similar themes as Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri (Best Picture nominee 2018), but the film is completely unique in content, character, and timing.
A still from ‘Nomadland’
A still from ‘Manchester by the Sea’
A still from ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri’
Synopsis
A USPS worker and Vietnam Veteran decides to deliver mail around the clock during the pandemic to cope with the grief of losing his wife to Covid. In the wake of the loss of his wife, he fights to keep his decades long sobriety intact, and through delivering as much mail as he can for an isolated society, he encounters people from all walks of life who inspire him to keep going and reexamine what it means to be a true patriot.
When the Postmaster General announces that they will no longer be paid overtime for timely delivery, Kimball notices the life-saving packages of insulin, prescriptions, and other things that he knows people need during this crisis, and decides to risk his own health to deliver them anyway.
With no one to go home to and a daughter who is unable to visit him because of Covid, he clings to this purpose to cope with his grief and stay sober. He is forced to improve his relationship with technology and learns how to use it to help him; attending an AA meeting over zoom, downloading and playing favorite oldies via bluetooth in his mail delivery truck, and using his smartphone to help him navigate.
As he delivers as much mail as he can, he encounters people young and old, of various ethnicities and political ideologies. He and the people he comes in contact with are forced to reexamine their own ideologies all the way up to the final seconds of the film, where Kimball and the audience will see that the things that unite us as citizens and patriots far outweigh the things that divide us.
The Team
What We’re About
Our team is driven by excellence in (1) the highest possible standard of quality in our filmmaking, (2) the prioritization of the humanity of our entire team, and (3) the positive impact we can have on our communities through the stories we tell and the way we produce our work.
Eric Phillips
Writer / Director
Eric is currently a writer on Apple TV’s critically acclaimed TV show For All Mankind. His past credits include writing for and producing on Netflix’s hit The Umbrella Academy as well as Netflix’s drama Altered Carbon. He also wrote and directed the hit political comedy Fox News the Musical to a sold out run at the Secret Rose Theater in Los Angeles. Born and raised in Utah, Eric is an alumni of Utah Valley University’s Theater and Cinema Production programs. He loves being a dad and splits time between Utah and Los Angeles.
Bob DeLaurentis
Executive Producer
One of the most seasoned Writers and Executive Producers in the industry, Bob’s credits include Writing and Executive Producing FX’s Emmy award winning series Fargo (Seasons 1,2,3,4,5), Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy, FX’s Alien, Fox’s The O.C, and Showtime’s The Unusuals, just to name a few. Bob brings an expertise with both storytelling and navigating the industry and will be consulting on both the creation of the film, production and finding distribution.
Lizzy Bean
Producer
Lizzy has been the face of and principal designer for Stitch People for the last ten years as well as a producer on the horror short Night Moves, dramatic short Violet & Mary and most notably, the award-winning feature film Re-Opening. With her partner, she has built an international crafting community of over half a million followers. Most recently, she produced, wrote and directed the pilot for the TV series Dig Dirt, and the reality series pilot for Handmade, which she also hosts.
Spencer Bean
Producer
In addition to producing live classes and events online for Stitch People, in partnership with DMC and Michael’s Crafts, Spencer’s producorial credits include multiple full-length stage productions for The Syd Riggs Foundation, the pilot for TV series Dig Dirt, the unscripted TV series concept, Handmade, a full-cast dramatic retelling of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (available wherever you listen to podcasts), as well as the production of multiple audiobooks and most recently, “The Stitch People Podcast.”
Trevor Macdonald
Director of Photography
Trevor’s experience as a cinematographer stretches all over the world, from shooting TV series for Discovery Plus (The Piecemaker, Legends Talk Legends), to top Utah TV series for BYU TV (Family Rules and Hello Sunday!), as well as documentary and commercial work for Food Network and CNN. Most recently, he worked as Director of Photography on the short film Cubscout that went on to play at the Tampere Film Festival as well as the Manchester Film Festival.
Brandon Yost
Sound Mixer / Sound Editor
Brandon has been a professional musician since his early teens, recording and touring both nationally and internationally since age 16. Developing a broader application of audio skills as a result of touring and regular recording, Brandon has been working in the television and film industry as an audio engineer since early 2019. His credits and work can be seen on Netflix, Paramount, Sony, Lifetime, and many others.
The Plan
Mail Man will be shot in Utah in the Spring of 2023, using primarily Utah crew and talent, qualifying for several state and federal tax incentives. We will produce a top quality short film both in content and execution. It will play at selected film festivals and will be shown to major executives, production companies, and distributors. We will find a partner to buy and produce it as a feature film, as well as distribute the short film.
With our collective contacts, skills, and experience, we are confident in our ability to make a beautiful short film with a timely and powerful message that will cut through the noise and competition. We know we have a story that can be expanded to a feature length film, and are confident that we will find an investor to give us the professional financing we know this team and this story deserves, providing a short term and long term ROI for our investors at this phase.
The Invitation
We are looking for investors who want to be a part of our team and help us tell this story. A good film told the right way requires professionals with professional backing. Help us produce this story by investing in it and in us. Those who contribute will have access to the creative team, are welcome on set and to other sections of the creative process, and are encouraged to join the team at screenings, film festivals, and promotional events. Producer and Executive Producer credits on the film are also available depending on investor amount.
To discuss options for producing opportunities on the film, please email Lizzy (at) DabCoProductions (dot) com
Ways to Give
Please Contact Me if you’re interested in investing at a Producer level on this film or email Lizzy (at) DabCoProductions (dot) com.
Tip Jar
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Production Updates
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Premiere Invite
You'll receive regular updates about the production and film.
You'll receive an invitation to the film's first showing.
Post Office Associate
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Previous Tier Perks
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Bring a Guest
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Production Diary
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Digital Film Access
You'll receive every benefit from the 'Tip Jar' tier.
Bring a guest along to the premiere!
Interested in what happens behind-the-scenes? Receive regular updates from the production team; before, during, and after shooting.
You'll receive exclusive digital access to the film once it has been distributed.
Mail Carrier
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Previous Tier Perks
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PDF of Script
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Attend a Production Meeting
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Wrap Party Invite
You'll receive all benefits of the 'Tip Jar' and 'Post Office Associate' tiers.
On the day of the movie's release, you'll be sent a PDF of the shooting script.
Join the production team via Zoom for a production meeting during the pre-production process and see what goes on behind the scenes!
You and a guest will be invited to attend our wrap party! Hang out with our cast and crew.
Postmaster
Relief
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Previous Tier Perks
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Bring More Guests
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Attend Table Read
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Attend Filming
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Name in Credits
You'll receive all benefits of the 'Tip Jar,' 'Post Office Associate,' and 'Mail Carrier' tiers.
Invite up to 5 guests to the film's premiere and wrap party.
Join the cast and crew via Zoom for the table read (or watch the recording if the donation is made after the event).
Join us on set during a day of filming, and observe how the magic is made!
Your name will appear in the credits in the "Special Thanks To" portion.
Postmaster
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Previous Tier Perks
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Associate Producer Credit
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Be an Extra
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Invited to Festivals
You'll receive all benefits of the 'Tip Jar,' 'Post Office Associate,' 'Mail Carrier,' and 'Postmaster Relief' tiers.
Receive credit as an associate producer in the film's credits and on IMDb.
Spend the day on our set, and if you'd like - be a background actor!
We’ll keep you in the loop about what festivals we’re accepted to, and you’re more than welcome to attend as an associate producer on the film! (Travel & attendance fees not included.)
Postmaster General
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Previous Tier Perks
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Bring More Guests
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Be an Actor
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Co-Producer Credit
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Join us at Festivals
You'll receive all benefits of the 'Tip Jar,' 'Post Office Associate,' 'Mail Carrier,' 'Postmaster Relief,' and 'Postmaster' tiers.
Invite up to 10 additional guests to the film's premiere and wrap party.
Join us for a day on set and, if you'd like, participate as an actor with a line or two in the film!
Receive Co-Producer Credit both at the end of the film and on IMDb.
We’ll keep you in the loop about what festivals we’re accepted to, and we would love for you to join us as a co-producer of the film. Travel fees will not be covered, but attendance fees will be covered by the production.
Contribution FAQ
The perks of each giving tier are outlined above. Hover over each list item to read more about it. If you have further questions, please contact me or email Lizzy (at) DabCoProductions (dot) com. Note each tier includes all perks of all lower-priced tiers.
Currently, all contributions to the project are just that. If you’d like to discuss investment opportunities, or a producer-level investment in the film, please contact me directly or email Lizzy (at) DabCoProductions (dot) com.
Contributions are not refundable. Filmmaking is an expensive business and we will be utilizing every last penny we receive. The only scenario in which your contribution will be refunded is if, for an unforeseen emergency circumstance, the production does not move forward into filming. In that event, you would be notified and a refund would be arranged.
We believe in our project, and we are so grateful that you believe in our project, too. As such, we want to fully utilize and respect every dollar that comes our way. Fundraising services like those listed above take their own fees, on top of credit card processing fees, to run their websites and services. We’d rather use those funds for the creation of our film.
Absolutely. We welcome any and every form of support. Please contact me or email Lizzy (at) DabCoProductions (dot) com with questions, or feel free to donate via Venmo. **Please add a private note about “Mailman Donation” and provide your email address so we can contact you in regards to perks!**
Venmo contributions that meet corresponding thresholds listed above will be eligible for the associated perks of the respective tier(s).
It certainly can be. Please note it is typically not worth arranging this for contributions under $500. If you’d like to discuss tax-deductible options, please contact me or contact Lizzy (at) DabCoProductions (dot) com.