Private Project

Hello Crazy

While making the hardest decision of his life, Jared has a chance encounter at a traffic light with Tommy, a man desperate for connection. The two strangers find themselves at a diner commiserating over pie. But things quickly turn when Jared learns Tommy isn’t who he says he is and the encounter wasn’t by accident.

  • Steven Cleavland
    Director
  • Jordan Larson
    Director
  • Emmanuil Morari
    Writer
  • Steven Cleavland
    Producer
  • Jordan Larson
    Producer
  • Kenny Somerville
    Key Cast
  • Jordan Larson
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Suspense
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes 20 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 3, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    1,500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Steven Cleavland, Jordan Larson

Steven Cleavland, otherwise known for his director alias Found Format (in collaboration with his long time friend and business partner Kyle Kadow) is a Director born and raised in Wisconsin. His gritty and stylistic tone stems from his midwestern roots and his obsession with finding humanity at the center of every story. Steven started his filmmaking journey shooting music videos and commercials 6 years ago and has since broken into narrative short films. With a dream of writing and directing feature films, Steven has been on a journey of self discovery and healing through the art of filmmaking.

Jordan Larson is a Milwaukee based director and producer with a strong sense for human-driven storytelling. Growing up with his parents doing humanitarian work overseas, he is driven by a compassion for others and giving voice to people whose stories need telling. Having witnessed much suffering in the world, Jordan’s heightened sense of empathy enables him to embody his characters when acting and make their pain his own.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Emmanuil Morari, a good friend and colleague, approached myself (Steven) and Jordan Larson one day, with a dozen short film scripts he’d written over the last few years. "Pick one that resonates with you and shoot it!" he told us. Hello Crazy immediately stood out.

As a young boy I was diagnosed with severe clinical depression and anxiety and have been on a self-healing journey since. I have grappled with mental health all my life. I see a lot of myself in our main character Jared and because of that, I felt I could bring him to life - backed by a lot of personal experiences and struggles. I have lost friends to suicide. Both Jordan and I have almost lost others to it. We have almost come to that point ourselves.

According to cdc.gov, almost 50,000 people took their own life in 2022. Of that staggering number, 37,459 of them were white males. I have personally seen severe depression and mental health struggles spread like wild fire through my friends and family. I see this film as a way to spread more awareness, but more importantly it serves as a reminder that the smallest kindness can save a person’s life. Check on your people. Talk about your feelings. You are not alone! You are loved even if it doesn't feel like it.

This film is a testament to the power of human kindness and connection. It shows the importance of community in someone’s life. Myself and my great friend and co-director Jordan Larson have bonded over the years by talking about past trauma. It was incredibly powerful and liberating to create something like this with him. Thank you to everyone who had a hand in making this and for weathering some long cold winter nights in Wisconsin.