Press
ABC’s 20/20
Port City Daily
September 26th, 2015
Cucalorus picks early selections for 21st film fest
Early selections are in for Wilmington’s own annual film festival.
LacsLife
May 15th, 2015
After sifting through the amazing submissions from dozens of talented, young filmmakers, the LA Center Studios Young Filmmaker Competition found a documentary that simply grabbed our attention and hearts with it’s artistry and subject matter.
No Film School
June 3rd, 2014
3 Successful Crowdfunding Campaigns Later, ‘Trichster’ DP Katie Maul Shares What She’s Learned
Though it has been made much more doable thanks to crowdfunding platforms, securing funding and navigating the process to maximize your return can be tricky. DP Katie Maul and the team of filmmakers working on the indie doc, Trichster, have run a total of 3 successful crowdfunding campaigns for the film, and Maul has shared some tips on how you could approach your next fundraising efforts.
Inforum
November 10th, 2013
Living with the urge: Compulsive hair-pulling disorder affects one in 50
When Sandra Bodek was a little girl, she plucked the eyelashes from her dolls.
By the time she was 9, she was plucking her own. Her hair-pulling moved to her scalp around age 10.
Bodek, 36, of Fargo, suffers from trichotillomania, a compulsive disorder that causes people to pull hair from different parts of their bodies.
Bitch Flicks
July 2013
It all started with a simple idea. I wanted to make a short documentary about Trichotillomania, the impulse control disorder that causes people to pull out their hair, because I wanted to better understand what once ailed a childhood friend. It would also give me a chance to edit my own piece of work. I had a camera and a microphone so I figured I would just go out and shoot some people and throw something together. Fast forward a year and a half and I’m just wrapping up shooting Trichster, a feature documentary that has blown up and gotten immeasurable support from across the globe with hundreds of donations, social media followers, and emails from people asking to help. That can be a lot to take in.
I never thought I would be able to direct a feature-length film, nor did I think I would have so many amazing people working along side of me who were just as passionate about the film as I am. I think I doubted myself in part because of my age and experience, and in part because of my gender.
Hair Chatter
March 2013
Top 5 Trichotillomania Moments in Television and Movies
A couple weeks ago, we covered the “Top 5 Alopecia Moments in Television and Movies” to showcase how the condition is being portrayed to those that know little about it. Trichotillomania is another hair loss disorder that those outside the hair loss industry might not be very knowledgeable about. With that said, we would like to raise awareness and present the “Top Five Trichotillomania List” in television and movies. Enjoy!
Indiewood/Hollywoodn’t
Trichotillomania Documentary ‘TRICHSTER’ Crowdfunding NOW on Seed&Spark
January 2013
‘TRICHSTER’ is a feature-length documentary about the little known disorder, trichotillomania, commonly called “trich”. “Trich” is an impulse control disorder that causes those that suffer from it to pull out their hair–body hair, eyebrows, eyelashes, skin. It affects 15 million Americans (that’s three times the amount of those who suffer from anorexia).
Filmed from the perspective of 8 “trichsters”, the film provides a glimpse into how their disorder affects their day-to-day life and relationships over the course of one year. Our goal for this documentary is to raise awareness and generate hope within the trichotillomania community.
We are a completely female creative team of industry professionals led by director, Jillian Corsie. Jillian’s inspiration for the film came from a close childhood friend who kept their trichotillomania hidden for a year. As a result, Jillian is using her love of filmmaking as a tool to normalize this disorder and help to prevent sufferers’ feelings of isolation and alienation.
Independent News
Documentary Film Project to Portray Living with Trichotillomania
July 2012
Trichotillomania is estimated to affect about 3% of all Americans, more than double the rate of anorexia nervosa or bulimia, yet few people have even heard of the disorder. Jillian Corsie, a 2005 graduate of Amador Valley High School, aims to change that.
Trichotillomania is a disorder that causes people to pull out hair from their scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows, or other parts of the body, resulting in noticeable bald patches. It affects people of all ages, genders, ethnicities, nationalities, and socio-economic backgrounds–including Jillian’s best childhood friend.
“One day at swim practice, I looked at her and asked ‘what happened to your eyebrows?'” she recalls. “I felt so bad for her. She had to hide it from her family and lie to them. Trichotillomania is not something that you can just stop and it’s not well understood. Even if you have never heard of it, chances are you know someone affected by this disorder.”
MedCity News
July 7th, 2015
Trichotillomania is a disorder millions suffer from but most are unaware of
Trichotillomania, compulsive hair plucking, is a disorder that fifteen million Americans suffer from, according to the recent documentary Trichster which is a startling number, considering many people have never even heard of it.
ABC’s 20/20
March 13th, 2015
Why these Women Can’t Stop Pulling Out Their Own Hair
Rebecca, now a superstar in the trichster community, caught the attention of Jillian Corsie, who was casting for a documentary on trichotillomania. What’s the biggest misconception? That it’s rare. That people who have trichotillomania are freaks. The people I’ve spoken to feel isolated or like outcasts, like they don’t belong. Reporter: Jillian’s documentary, called “Trichster,” explored the destructive force of the disorder to both mind and body.
Bitch Flicks
May 23rd, 2014
The Film Industry Needs Women Like You
Being a female in the male-driven world of film often elicits instant praise: “Good for you! The industry needs women like you!” which opens the door for us to respond with, “Yes! Let me tell you all about our documentary, Trichster!” The problem is, because Hollywood is well-known for having an astonishing lack of females, this is without having ever seen or heard about our work; we’re just what the industry needs (having lady parts and all).
We are proud to represent the growing number of women in the independent film industry and gladly share the story of our team, but we’d prefer the focus to be on our work.
The Independent
September 2013
Pulling Your Hair Out: Life With Trichotillomania
University is an exciting period of fresh starts for incoming undergraduates, whether it’s learning to live independently, choosing to be open about your sexuality for the first time, or simply moving to a brand new town or country.
But for some freshers, it’s not merely a brand new toaster or IKEA laundry basket that’s coming with them to university. For some, their long-standing battle with compulsive hair pulling or TTM (trichotillomania), as it is more commonly referred to, is coming hundreds of miles from their hometown and into halls.
Confession: I Pull Out My Hair
May 2013
Top 5 Confession: I Pull Out My Hair
Sandy Rosenblatt stood in front of the mirror in her playroom. Her parents were getting a divorce, and she felt all the tension closing in. Staring at that mirror, the 7-year-old started plucking out her eyelashes one by one. She often watched her mother groom her eyebrows with tweezers, and she swelled with pride at the thought of emulating her.
Satisfied, she ran upstairs and burst into her mother’s bedroom, shouting, “Mom! Look what I did!”
Turning to see what surprise her daughter had in store, her eyes fell on Sandy’s eyelash-less face. Horrified, she cried out, “Don’t ever do that again!”
But it was too late.
The Trich Opportunity
An Interview with Trichster Director Jillian Corsie
February 2013
Yesterday I was lucky enough to get in contact with Director Jillian Corsie. Jillian will be directing Trichster, a film dedicated entirely to the subject of trichotillomania. Jillian is a kind, compassionate, and beautiful woman who is choosing to be a voice for the 2-4% of the American population with the disorder. Her film will speak for those who are not able to speak for themselves as well as the many who are. Her film will educate those not familiar with the trich as well help shatter the shame surrounding it.
Indiewire
Filmmakers Create a New Platform for Crowdfunding and Streaming Distribution in Same Place
November 2012
With the new Seed&Spark, Emily Best and a group of fellow filmmakers want to make it easier for filmmakers to raise money, complete productions quickly, and have control over their distribution.
When Emily Best was working with her team on their film “Like the Water,” they set up a registry for the things they would need for their production. This was before, as Best told Indiewire, Kickstarter was a big thing.
When it went live and her team passed it around to their networks, they were surprised that letting people see exactly how the money would be spent — and exactly how expensive making films is — led to friends, family and strangers being more likely to buy goods, donate money or (and this was the big surprise) lend goods and services.
The Chatter Box
Director Jillian Corsie is interviewed about the film Trichster in this podcast.
Huffington Post
July 6th, 2015
14 Things People With Body-Focused Disorders Want You To Know
Body-focused repetitive disorders such as dermatillomania, or skin picking, and trichotillomania, or compulsive hair plucking, are more common than you think — and very misunderstood.
Seed&Spark
August 4th, 2014
Crowdfunding is a scary thing. You’re taking an idea that you have and asking your family, friends, and perfect strangers to give you money so that you can make it happen. Before launching a campaign, lots of thoughts run through your head. Why should people help you? Can you count on anyone to actually contribute? With more and more celebrities turning to crowdfunding sites, is there even any room for the little guys like us to find success? The answer is yes. You can do it because I did it, not once, but three times.
Daily Mail
December 5th, 2013
Agony of woman who suffers from rare condition that causes her to compulsively damage her own skin
At first glance, Sophie Ehrmann is a typical pretty twenty-something. But her fresh-faced looks hide a dark secret and her flawless skin isn’t quite what it seems.
Rather than being the result of good health, Sophie’s complexion comes from spending two-hours a day applying products to conceal the scars that dot her body as a result of dermatillomania, a condition that sees her compulsively damage her own skin.
The Times of India
August 11th, 2013
…Literally, we mean. Called Trichotillomania, it’s a condition in which stress and anxiety make you pull your hair out
The habit of pulling one’s hair, and sometimes even chewing it to relieve stress and anxiety may seem bizarre, but many people actually do it. Called Trichotillomania, this disorder is more common than we think it is. Here are some examples…
SensiGraft
Trichotillomania Documentary “Trichster” In The Works/
March 25th, 2013
Trichster is an upcoming documentary that just received funding via crowd-sourcing donations online. The film hopes to normalize the disorder and follows 8 different trich sufferers over the course of a year. Follow along on their website to stay updated about the release.
Transitions hair loss treatment centers provide the perfect solution for those who are affected by Trichotillomania and have visible hair loss spots on their scalp. They can custom design a hair replacement using the finest Human Hair matching the existing hair color and texture of the individual. Then our expert stylists will create your desired hair style and continue all hair styling needs.
Crowdfund Insider
Film Crowdfunding Site Seed&Spark Funds 7 Films in First 60 Days
February 2013
Seed&Spark, an Independent film crowdfunding site launched last year, has crowdfunded over $146,000 in funding plus goods and services for seven films in first 60 days. Seed&Spark, founded by Emily Best, set out last year on a quest to create a crowdfunding platform and ecosystem to fund truly independent films.
“Within 60 days of launch, these filmmakers have proven Seed&Spark’s hypothesis: that its unique WishList crowdfunding model is a powerful tool for independent filmmakers, and the first step towards Fair towards Fair Trade Filmmaking,” added Peter Samuelson, producer of Arlington Road, Revenge of the Nerds and two dozen other films, and advisor to Seed&Spark.
Over 730 supporters funded these seven films thus green lighting the projects. The successfully crowdfunded films are:
Indiewood/Hollywoodn’t
Seed&Spark Allows Indie Filmmakers to Expand Audiences at ALL Development Stages Launches Dec. 1
November 2012
The first end-to-end solution for independent films to fund, produce, and distribute their films using the power of the crowd–unveiled today the first group of the Seed&Spark Founding Filmmakers. The Seed&Spark team selected fifteen independent filmmakers from across the country to launch their fundraising projects. Their projects will be featured at the Seed&Spark site launch on December 1, 2012. Film projects span all genres, from narrative features, comedies, documentaries and animations to experimental shorts. They tell stories about love, friendship, crime, loss and acts of kindness.
“The Seed&Spark Founding Filmmakers reflect the broad spectrum of what’s possible in independent filmmaking. Their film projects represent dramatically different voices from one another and from most of what’s being made today,” said Emily Best, Founder and CEO, Seed&Spark. “By using Seed&Spark these filmmakers can build audiences from pitch to premiere using our unique crowd-funding platform, production resources, and audience engagement tools. When they finish their films, they can deliver their films directly to those audiences on the streaming platform.”
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