I'm making my first feature (it's called Cramming)

We need some help, though

I used to work as a tutor. One kid I tutored is named Alex Chavez, who was then a middle schooler. I tutored Alex for a year. From the time I began working with him, Alex was incredibly engaging, bright, reserved, and thoughtful, and carried this interior world within him. We developed a close bond in our tutoring sessions. One week, Alex told me about a test he’d just taken. As he entered the classroom, he asked two kids from the previous class who had just finished the same test, if the test was hard.

That anecdote sparked such visceral memories. The moments before a test at that age are so tense, so indicative of character. The kid who acted like they’d fail when they always got A’s; the kid who pretended they didn’t study when you know they did; the kid who didn’t even know there was a test. How each kid performs confidence, insecurity, care versus indifference, calm versus panic, how loudly they verbalize their feelings — if they verbalize them at all. The moment struck me as a funny, revealing intersection of academic burdens and these social performative pressures. I wrote that as a scene and it sat on my desktop for a few months before I expanded it into a short film script.

I met Yan Bo, then 11 years old, at a temp job I had for three days, selling mattresses at Costco. His mom asked if I would mind watching him for a minute - which became a half-hour. He told me his dream of becoming a comedy star “like Chris Pratt” and asked how long I’d been a pro mattress salesman. “Two hours,” I said. “I actually do comedy also.” He asked my name. “Dan Perlman,” I told him. “Never heard of you,” Yan Bo replied. “That’s fair,” I said.

These two kids had such different energies, but I had a strong sense that they’d blend well together. Alex was so contained, gently expressing himself, while Yan Bo was so loud and boldly excitable. As a kid, I acted like Alex, but was always drawn to the Yan Bos. I sat down with both Alex and Yan Bo together and made sure the dialogue settled into their voices. I wanted to be as true as possible to these two distinct kids from different backgrounds. I didn’t want to put them in any box, but I wanted them to exist as the unique people they already are, to bring the film’s plot to life. In 2020, we released the award-winning short film, Cramming.

Now, we’re turning that story into a feature film. We need money for it. We want to make it outside of the industry, where we can own the story and deliver it to the people we're making it for. We want to make it as affordably and efficiently as we can, by and for those represented in the movie, who care about helping make something good. I’m proud that I’ve been able to make a lot from limited resources. Flatbush Misdemeanors started as a zero-budget web series. Cramming started as a short film made out-of-pocket with first-time actors on borrowed time. I’m proud of the script and the pieces we have in place, from great producers to a great cinematographer to a great casting director, which has helped us land some great cast attachments. It’s just that dumb money part.

Check the Kickstarter for complete info, but I’m just gonna keep writing for you Substack friends.

The two original actors have aged out of the primary roles, but the core and specificity of the characters remain.

A Formal-y Thing

“Cramming is a coming-of-age comedy film from Dan Perlman, the co-creator/writer/star of Showtime’s critically-acclaimed comedy series, Flatbush Misdemeanors. The film features award-winning actors Tony Hale (Veep, Arrested Development), Aya Cash (The Boys, You’re The Worst), and Ziwe (ZIWE, Succession).

Inspired by real New York City teens & based on the award-winning short, Cramming is a hilarious and heartfelt story; both distinctly New York and universal.

The Plot

The pressure is on when best friends Alex and Yan Bo, two eighth graders & first-generation Americans, cram for a test at their prestigious New York City prep school.

Amidst institutional pressures, illicit parties, and inane science experiments, the boys face a cheating accusation that threatens their friendship. With heart and humor, Cramming shows how the boys try to put out these fires - any of which could explode.”

And here’s me talking…

I'm drawn to explore late adolescence, because it's a unique time when you’re balancing so many different voices & opinions from parents to peers to teachers. You're overwhelmed, not knowing what paths to take. It's a time when some independence is required before any of it can be handled. It’s a shitshow, which is funny.

The title “Cramming” reflects not just how the kids are prepping for the test, but also the claustrophobic nature of their worlds and of NYC in general. Cramming addresses the challenges of male friendship—the seeming-impossibility of emotional intimacy between adolescent boys afraid to be vulnerable. In the feature, we’re living in that absurd, comic tension of middle school — awkward bus trips to sweaty basement parties. We’re following these kids' steps and missteps as they try to tread water, but can’t tread water that well, since they're kids and all.

One of my best childhood friends read the script and said, "It's great, but some moments definitely triggered me, so -- nice work." Took that as a compliment and wish him the best in therapy.

Anyway, if you’re a fan of my work, I hope you can donate. If you know of others who might be drawn to the story we’re trying to tell, please share with them. If you have any questions, I doubt I can answer them, but I’ll give it a whirl. Thank you.

Help us make Cramming here.