A micro-budget short film. A first-time writing-directing duo. A 3-day production that demanded everything.Likeness — A LuvTure ProductionRead the Case StudyThe script was extraordinary — a magical realist story about a boy who can draw people back to life, told across a lifetime, with a wake, a resurrection, and a quiet ending in an overgrown house. Where It StartedThe challenge was giving first-time directors the space to discover what they truly wanted from it, while keeping production on schedule.The script was extraordinary
a magical realist story about a boy
who can draw people back to life.
told across a lifetime, with
a wake, a resurrection, and a quiet ending
in an overgrown house. Likeness is a short film written and directed by Rachel Mangan and Gerard George, produced by LuvTure's Ethan Cyr. Mangan and George came from animation backgrounds — their storytelling instincts were sharp, their vision specific, but the grammar of a live-action set was new territory.They needed a production company that could hold structure without holding them back.
South Carolina to New York
With our writer-directors based in South Carolina, Producer Ethan Cyr built the New York production. He cast our leads and 20 background actors, all local hires. Scouted locations and negotiated cast & EQ staging areas, including exterior lighting setups. His Art Department background made him the right fit for a story where the artwork drives the plot. Alongside Ivy Blackshire, Ethan was hands-on, fabricating the letters and drawings woven throughout the script, dressing locations, and building set pieces that included a mountain of boxes, an ambulance stretcher, and a full-size decorative wooden coffin.With our writer-directors based in South Carolina, Producer Ethan Cyr built the New York production. He cast our leads and 20 background actors, all local hires. Scouted locations and negotiated cast & EQ staging areas, including exterior lighting setups.
His Art Department background made him the right fit for a story where the artwork drives the plot. Alongside Ivy Blackshire, Ethan was hands-on, fabricating the letters and drawings woven throughout the script, dressing locations, and building set pieces that included a mountain of boxes, an ambulance stretcher, and a full-size decorative wooden coffin.
DJI Ronin 4D 8K
Production Executed
Ethan enlisted LuvTure Director/DP Dakota Holmes-Dodge to take the script and storyboards, and create an airtight production with a vivid style. Dakota’s Directorial experience, along with Ethan as 1st AD, allowed them to handle the minute by minute technical & logistical needs of production, giving the Director’s more time on set to find their story.
Likeness utilized LuvTures in-house production assets, for cohesion & budget-efficacy.
Tilta Float for Ronin 4D
Nisi athena lens set
Aputure 600D Pro
Aputure Lantern 90 (3')
6x6' Scrim Jim Cine Kit
3 shoot days. 2 cities. 20 background actors. 5TB Ready for Post on shoot dayCamera, G&E, and logistics. Talent, Art, and Locations.The secret: expertise and equipment under one roof. arrow_forwardarrow_forwardDakota and Ethan handled everything in-house. Dakota brought LuvTure's own camera and G&E package. Ethan leveraged years of New York connections to run casting and art department, then line-produced all three days, including the company move to Long Island, from the same desk where he built the schedule. When you own your assets and know your crew, a micro-budget doesn't have to feel like one.arrow_forward
Behind the scenes
Andwe like to have fun...Sebastian Betts Susan O'Doherty Randy Gordon-Gatica Bridget Rose Perotta Roberta Pikser Jeremiah Zeqharr Johnny Zito Krista Komondor Howard Russock Michael Epelman Jason G. Persad Vinny Polizzi
Rachel Mangan Gerard George Ethan Cyr Nataly Li
Darius Green
Dakota Holmes-Dodge Elmo King Autumn Stevens Sophia Williams Francisco Ivy Blackshire Konstantin Kahl Nicholas Arranz
Carlos Lavezzari
Steffi StephensonCUCI OLD WOMAN DAD REPORTER GRANDMA MORENO CHILD CUCI UNCLE DOCTOR ELDERLY MAN PARAMEDIC #1 PARAMEDIC #2 MAYOR
Director Director Production Manager Personal Assistant to Ethan Cyr
Sound Mixer
Director of Photogrophy 1st AC Gaffer Key Grip Swing G&E Set Designer Set Dresser Set Dresser
Catering
HMU
Credits
Sebastian Betts Susan O'Doherty Randy Gordon-Gatica Bridget Rose Perotta Roberta Pikser Jeremiah Zeqharr Johnny Zito Krista Komondor Howard Russock Michael Epelman Jason G. Persad Vinny Polizzi
Rachel Mangan Gerard George Ethan Cyr Nataly Li
Darius Green
Dakota Holmes-Dodge Elmo King Autumn Stevens Sophia Williams Francisco Ivy Blackshire Konstantin Kahl Nicholas Arranz
Carlos Lavezzari
Steffi StephensonLikenessBack to OverviewStart Your StoryGreat stories deserve productions that get out of their way.A LuvTure ProductionGreat stories deserve productions
that get out of their way.arrow_backlikeness
