Private Project

POPPED

Mason Grate, a washed-up ex-boyband member who is now more famous for rehab stints than making music, is fired by his label and resorts to moving to his childhood home in a small town in Georgia, and then becomes mixed-up with the drug cartel who force him to create a new album and world tour through which they intend to launder cartel money.

  • Noah Benjamin Miller
    Director
    LAPSE, BUT MOMMA, I LOVE HIM, Flood My Basement, All Hail Maukavas!
  • Noah Benjamin Miller
    Writer
    LAPSE, BUT MOMMA, I LOVE HIM!, Flood My Basement
  • Amanda Seay
    Producer
  • Noah Benjamin Miller
    Producer
  • Noah Benjamin Miller
    Key Cast
    "Mason Grate"
    Game of Silence, LAPSE, BUT MOMMA, I LOVE HIM!
  • Alexandra Kustin
    Key Cast
    "Jesse Grate"
    BUT MOMMA, I LOVE HIM! LAPSE, Flood My Basement
  • Molly Millard
    Key Cast
    "Jennifer"
  • Anna Fikhman
    Key Cast
    "Yasmine"
    Shades of Blue, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
  • Timothy Douglas Perez
    Key Cast
    "Toro"
    Ozark, Pitch Perfect
  • Jeff Kaplan
    Key Cast
    "Scuzzy"
    Cobra Kai
  • Joshua Paul
    Key Cast
    "Ivan"
  • Diesel Madkins
    Key Cast
    "Jordan"
    Venom, Cobra Kai
  • Jennifer Van Horn
    Key Cast
    "Marcy Grate"
    She Hulk, The Resident
  • Dante Regghianti
    Key Cast
    "Jeff Grate "
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    18 minutes 20 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 18, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    50,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    prores raw
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:2:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - SCAD ATLANTA
Director Biography - Noah Benjamin Miller

Noah grew up in Atlanta Georgia before attending NYU's Tisch School of the Arts to study Acting and acquire a BFA. While at NYU, he studied at the Lee Strasberg Studio of Acting for Stage and Film, and the Experimental Theatre Wing. His thesis production "FEAR BOX" got the attention of an agent which lead to him moving to Los Angeles. In LA, he studied at The Groundlings where he hones his comedic skills and began incorporating them into his script writing. He returned to Atlanta Georgia after shooting NBC's Game of Silence and enrolled in SCAD's Film and TV masters program where he completed his MFA in film. He has directed 3 award winning short films, 5 music videos, and a web series.

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Director Statement

As a sober writer and director, I find it paramount to link my experiences to my storytelling as the climb out of addiction was the hardest journey I have ever taken. The story of Mason Grate in "Popped" is ME. I stole so much from my own life and infused it with a fanciful journey of danger and triumph. I spend all my time outside of film and school volunteering in addiction recovery and personally have been sober for many years. I am constantly amazed by the hero's journeys I am privileged to witness on a daily basis from those who overcome a disease that cripples them and then to watch them flourish. "Popped" is an amalgamation of all of my favorite stories: recovery, redemption, pop music, fame, and danger.

The very concept of a popstar working with the drug cartel to reinvent his career is insanity. There are so many elements of glamour juxtaposed to filth that together show humanity and beauty in such a curious light. I believe that recovery is the hero's journey for so many, and allowing this particular antihero's journey to find a cinematic lens feels like my purpose.