Haze (csun ba thesis pilot)

Project Details

Director’s Statement: Community is not found in those who need proof of your worth. It is found in those that celebrate you for being your authentic self. “Haze” is a story of a girl coming to terms with who she is and what she deserves. It is about how in accepting yourself, you allow the right people to find you. Like many other queer people, I grew up feeling out of place. For a long time I struggled to figure out where I fit in the world and often tried to conform to a standard not fit for me. It wasn’t until I got older and met other queer people that I realized my identity was never the problem. Rather it was my perspective of who was deserving of my authentic self. Director’s Bio: My name is Anthony Tom, I’ve been making films for 5 years. Originally from Mililani, Hawaii, I got my start in filmmaking after making a short historical documentary, Miniskirts: Communicating through fashion, understanding the revolution. The short won a state level award at the 2022 National History Day competition for being an exceptional project encompassing queer history. Since then I’ve directed more narrative shorts such as “Existential joy,” “Lucky 5,” and the finale episode of a short series titled “Sonder.” In addition to directing, I am very passionate about post production. I edited all of the projects I previously mentioned, as well as sound edited films such as “Alice.” “Haze” will be the culmination of all my experience thus far and I am so excited to direct this project. Showrunner’s Statement: When I set out to create “Haze”, I wanted to shed light on an issue that I felt was underrepresented in the media: sorority hazing. I didn’t have much personal experience with the topic, but as a woman, I understood why many young girls think that the danger and ridicule that comes with hazing is worth it. Finding community is hard. Sometimes it isn’t enough to join a club or talk to classmates, and sororities promise community and connections. I found my community through embracing my queer identity and gay friends, and “Haze” reflects that. I wanted to tell the story of Fern, a girl who suppresses herself because she thinks that joining a sorority is her only option, and how she eventually prevails by embracing her inner self. This project is ambitious, but I know that as this is my Senior Thesis at CSUN, it is worth the time and effort to make it happen.

SAG-AFTRA