The D-Monster written & directed by Kinga Suto

The D-Monster written
& directed
by
Kinga Suto

actress: abby wathen (inga farkus)
LOGLINE
SYNOPSIS
afi’s directing workshop for women presents: the d-monster
Inga, a young country bumpkin, moves to the
city to become a screenwriter, only to discover
she must first survive the internship.
the d-monster, an animated/live-action surreal
fairy tale, is the coming of age story of Inga
Farkus, a young naive girl whose integrity is put
to the test when she works for a power hungry
executive Claire Feinstein. When Claire Feinstein
fires her latest front desk assistant, Inga finally
gets her chance to move up the corporate ladder -
but not without losing a piece of her innocence.
Will she pay the price to stay or will she walk
away and find a better path to success?
MAIN CAST
ABBY WATHEN (INGA FARKUS)
Originally from Kentucky, Abby moved to New
York City after high school where she got her first
gig on ABC's "All my Children." Now living in LA,
she continues to work in soap operas such as "The
Young and the Restless," has been featured in indie
and feature films and has a recurring role on NBC's
"Third Watch."
the d-monster
trt:19:27, 16:9, 2010
genre: dark comedy
format: hd
language: english
CATHERINE REITMAN (CLAIRE FEINSTEIN)
Before Catherine Reitman started making a
name for herself as an actress in Hollywood,
she spent years studying her craft in some of
the most prominent theater programs in the
nation, attending Ithaca College's prestigious
BFA program and receiving a minor in film
from USC. Her studies continued in London as
well as the Groundlings School, where she
became a regular performer in their Sunday
Company.
2009 saw three of her movies released,
“Post-Grad,” “I Love You Man” and “How to
Make Love to a Woman.” This year Catherine
has also wrapped a season of NBC’s “The Real
Wedding Crashers,” shot the pilot “Girl Most
Likely” for 20th Century Fox Television, and
contributed to the entire first season of
“Hollywood Residential” for Starz! new lineup
of original programming.
Catherine can be seen in other films such as
“Knocked Up,” “My Super Ex Girlfriend” and
“Thank You For Smoking.” Her television
appearances include “Campus Ladies,”
“Reaper,” “Kath & Kim,” “Judging Amy,” “All
of Us,” “Charmed” and CBS’s “Fire Me,
Please!”
www.thedmonster.com

writer & director: kinga suto
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
afi’s directing workshop for women presents: the d-monster
Over ten years ago I was an intern on a major studio lot.
I’d watched the academy awards every year and
dreamed one day I’d be working in the film business.
The excitement wore off on my first day at work. I found
myself working long hours in a dark dirty basement
racing forty other college interns to a red phone for the
chance to run a beverage to a paid executive upstairs.
Once upstairs I was submerged into an office culture that
exhibited irrational behavior: execs firing assistants for
giving them the wrong soda. Higher-ups expecting
assistants to decipher their inaudible mumblings,
becoming irate if someone asked them to repeat
themselves and bosses firing assistants for using the
restroom.
When we are just starting out we are most vulnerable if
placed in a morally unscrupulous environment, yet this
is when most of us enter the workforce. How would you
know that a superior has crossed the line, even if you
instinctively felt it was wrong, if the entire office culture
has deemed their bad behavior not only acceptable but
also an attribute of their success, would you still question
it? Lack of life experience puts you at a moral
disadvantage, how do you weigh the costs of your choices
when you are not fully formed as an adult?
I wanted to go back to that time, when I was starting out,
when I was impressionable and morally ambiguous. I
remember feeling that things were inherently wrong but
I questioned myself: maybe it wasn’t them, maybe I didn’t
know how adults behaved.
I was intoxicated by the Barbie-esque executives: young,
successful and popular. I had never seen women like
these before. I wanted badly to be one of them; I ignored
the little voice in my head that questioned their
behavior. I told myself I would never be like them, I
needed to make it because I was gonna be successful
and nice. But by moving up in an environment like that
absorption of some bad behavior is inevitable.
Years later, as an executive myself, on an incredibly
difficult day, riding on lack of sleep, too much coffee and
low blood sugar, my intern walked in with a salad. It
had croutons in it. I hated croutons. How could he not
know? I lost it. I threw the salad at the wall and fired
the intern. When you do wrong, on a certain level - you
know it instinctively, yet you don’t always admit it, you
placate yourself and fabricate an embellished version of
the event, a “story,” that makes it out to be the right
choice. Bad people don’t think they are bad; they create
their own version of the story, one where they are the
heroes. But not even I could spin this in a good light. I
stared at the mosaic of creamy crushed lettuce and
croutons as they slid down the wall and realized I was at
a true low point in my life. It made me question myself:
was it the environment that had pressured me to
change? Or was I a bad person to begin with?
In making the d-monster I wanted to explore the idea of
nature verses nurture. Can an environment really
change someone, forcing them to choose to adapt or be
fired? Or do we have a natural affinity for
environments that allow our true self to come out?
- Kinga Suto, April 2010

ORIGINS
the d-monster began as a one person show entitled, “The Devil Wears Payless,”
an ex-Hollywood development executive’s tell all (based on a truly exaggerated story).
Workshopped at The Andy Dick Theater (Improv Olympic West) in Hollywood, Kinga
performed all twenty-two characters with no props or costumes in the black box theater.
What began as a series of monologues workshopped in Molly Prather’s
one person show class eventually evolved into a full hour solo-show under the
direction of Second City Chicago mainstage veteran Craig Cackowski (Community).
“The Devil Wears Payless” enjoyed a 25 week run delighting a packed house nightly (‘course it was free).
There was a musical number in the staged show,
“Save the Best Script for Me,” (don’t worry she didn’t put it in the film).
In the end, only three of the original twenty-two characters made it into the screenplay
version that became the d-monster, the AFI Directing Workshop for Women short film.
The character Kinga is performing below is not one of them...it did not go well.
comedic performance artist & film director
kinga suto

about the animation: the d-monster
artist & animator: erengo suto
The entire animation of the d-monster, moving characters, background elements,
hand gestures and wing flapping, was all done completely by hand. In order to avoid
bucking and texture on the water color paper, animator Erengo Suto came up with a
unique process: hand stretch cotton paper canvas on luann birch panels.
When new poses were needed, the animation production team literally watched paint
dry until they could hand scan and mask each delicate element.

Kinga Suto/WRITER & DIRECTOR
the d-monster production bios: page 1 of 2
A first generation Hungarian-American, originally from Princeton, New Jersey, Kinga trained as a classical
ballet dancer and theater actor at Princeton Ballet Theater, Atlantic Theater Workshop and NYU Tisch
School of the Arts. After obtaining a B.A. in Cinema from San Francisco State University, Kinga moved to
Hollywood and eventually became V.P. of Development for Penny Marshall’s (A League of Their Own)
company Parkway Productions, overseeing multiple feature films such as Cinderella Man, Bewitched, and
The Harlem Globetrotters Story. Kinga moved on to train at the Groundlings, Improv Olympic and Upright
Citizen’s Brigade. In 2006, her two person sketch show, “I’m Just Not That Into Me,” addressing a myriad of
taboo social issues, earned Kinga an invitation to perform the show at The UCB Sketch Fest, NYC. Kinga’s
2010 AFI Directing Workshop for Women film, the d-monster, is based on her twenty-two character one
person show about her years as a Hollywood development executive. Kinga is currently writing series
projects and features based on her original comedy.
www.kingacomedy.com
Kevin Tiesiera/DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Kevin Tiesiera has worked on major film & television productions for the past twelve years in all facets of
lighting and camera. He shoots shorts and independent films regularly. He has been privileged to work
under and learn from academy nominated cinematographers such as Don McAlpine, Deon Bebe, Roger
Dekins and Wally Pfitser. He graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in Cinema and
Broadcasting.
Erengo Suto/DIRECTOR OF ANIMATION
Erengo Suto, a first generation Hungarian-American, is an accomplished artist and animator, with her
most recent post as character layout artist for the hit Fox Television show, "King of the Hill." Her artwork
has been featured in several short films and she exhibits her paintings regularly. Most recently her work
was selected for the 17th annual Juried Stillwell exhibition and the Juried Nocturnal Visions exhibition.
Miss Suto holds a bacheler's degree in Studio Art from San Francisco State University.
Jeff Kryka/COMPOSER
Composer Jeff Kryka has been awarded by Turner Classic Movies, ASCAP, the RMA L.A., the Henry
Mancini Foundation, and has had works performed in concert by virtuoso violinist Anne Akiko Meyers,
the University of Wisconsin-Madison Symphony Orchestra, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Concert
Band, and the Heartland Symphony Orchestra. Jeff studied music composition at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison with composers Stephen Dembski and Laura Schwendinger, receiving his
undergraduate degree in May 2006. A graduate student at the University of California-Los Angeles, Jeff
has studied with composers Paul Chihara, Roger Bourland, Ian Krouse, and David Lefkowitz. Past projects
as composer include: Los Angeles (dir. Gerardo Flores Villarreal, Maverick Productions), Deserted (dir.
Nils Timm, AFI), Cherchez La Femme (dir. Idit Dvir, Gaia Films), Forgive Us Our Transgressions (dir.
Walter Richardson, UCLA), Code Duello (dir. Nora Gruber, UCLA), The End (dir. Maggie Ye, UCLA), and
Changing Focus (dir. Mindy Ramaker, UW-Madison).
Michelle Crispin/MUSIC SUPERVISOR & PUBLICITY
Michelle Crispin is owner of mediaHo entertainment, a music consulting & publicity company based in Los
Angeles. She has BA degrees in Music and Communications from Jacksonville University and spent many
years touring as a Billboard-charting vocalist, songwriter and pianist before moving into the executive
side of the industry as a General Manager for the indie label Vellum/WEA.
Michelle hand-picked several LA-based independent musicians for inclusion in the d-monster,
including Alexandra Monir, Caitlin Moe, and Bernadette Moley, as well as Milwaukee-based Willy Porter
and Heather Holley of Elicit Music in New York City.

Kimberly Simpson/PRODUCER
the d-monster production bios: page 2 of 2
Born and raised in SoCal's Inland Empire, Kimberly Simpson made a break for it first chance she got to
attend NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. As a student of the prestigious Atlantic Theater Workshop, she
collaborated with playwrights, filmmakers and became part of the New York independent film scene.
Kimberly returned to LA and completed her studies at Cal State State University Los Angeles, while
working various jobs in the film industry. Kimberly's one-act play “Gaining Loss” was produced as part of
the John Lion New Plays Festival and selected by the Kennedy Center's American College Theater Festival
to be workshopped in Logan, Utah under the mentorship of Playwright Laurel Ollstein. After graduation,
Kimberly has had various industry jobs, Casting Coordinator for a reality television show, associate in
talent management, and Event/Talent Coordinator for the DGA. Her current post, Business Affairs, at Yari
Film Group.
Amy McKenzie/PRODUCER & LINE PRODUCER
Amy McKenzie is originally from Texas where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Geology from the
University of Texas at Dallas. Upon moving to Los Angeles, she enrolled in improv classes at The Second City
Training Center and is a Conservatory graduate. Amy has been involved in all facets of fimmaking: directing,
producing, writing, acting, editing, and sound recording. A skilled web designer and photographer, her
photos have been published in The New York Times and Archaelogy Magazine. Currently, Amy is studying
improv at iOWest Theater.
Summers McKay Bruno/PRODUCER
Summers McKay Bruno brings over 10 years of industry experience to “The D-Monster.” She began her
career as an intern at Entertainment Tonight alongside “The D-Monster” director Kinga Suto, spent 6 years
at Paramount/CBS in International Sales and non linear programming, enjoyed a position in Corporate
Management for three years at ROAR, and now happily holds the role of Director of Development for
disrupt/ive studios. As a board member of AFI Associates, she dedicates her free time to developing
opportunities for women in the industry and highlighting the legacy of the “fairy godmothers” who have
paved all of our way.
Summers holds a BA in Mass Communication from the University of California, Berkeley and has recently
been accepted into UCLA’s Anderson School of Business, Executive MBA program and will be part of the
class of 2012.
Sarah Barton/PRODUCER
Actor/comedienne Sarah Barton, hails from Palm Springs, California. Her sketch comedy group, The
Edgeucation, was recently nominated for a 2008 NAACP theater award for best ensemble. She has
performed in numerous commercials, voiceover spots, and improv theater. Sarah is excited to
announce the upcoming release of the film Abundant Sunshine, an indie physiological thriller, in which
she plays a supporting role.
Susan Deming/PRODUCER
Susan Deming is an alumna of The Groundlings Sunday Company and a graduate of the Second City
Conservatory. She performs frequently with The Groundlings in "The Crazy Uncle Joe Show," is a regular
cast member and staff writer for the iO West Mainstage show “Top Story! Weekly” and a graduate of
Northwestern University's School of Speech. She holds a certificate in Television Writing from UCLA and is a
Professional Member of the Writer's Boot Camp. Susan has produced projects for television: "Jane's Sew &
So," "Online Nation" and "Broadway and Beyond," home video: "Tamagotchi Tales," animation: "Bartok the
Magnificent," "The Proud Family," and "Tom Sawyer" and interactive: PythOnline.com, Kidsworld.com and the
Barney ActiMates software titles for Microsoft, among others.

ABOUT THE AFI DIRECTING WORKSHOP FOR WOMEN
The script for the d-monster was one of eight to be awarded the competitive
grant and fellowship by the AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women.
AFI, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the art of the
moving image, established the Directing Workshop for Women in 1974. The
workshop is designed to provide women who have established themselves
within film, television, and theater with the opportunity to direct
narrative projects. Since it’s inception, many famous and talented
women such as Lesli Linka Glatter, Joanne Woodward, Randa Haines and
Maya Angelou have directed Workshop projects.
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR “THE D-MONSTER”:
Awesome Job Productions
P.O. Box 5053
Culver City, CA 90231
WWW.THEDMONSTER.COM
thedmonsterfilm@gmail.com

THE D-MONSTER Credits
Writer & Director
KINGA SUTO
Producers
KIMBERLY SIMPSON
AMY MCKENZIE
SARAH BARTON
SUSAN DEMING
SUMMERS MCKAY BRUNO
Director of Photography
KEVIN TIESIERA
Director of Animation
ERENGO SUTO
Editor
RACHEL KATZ
Starring
ABBY WATHEN
CATHERINE REITMAN
Composer
JEFF KRYKA
Line Producer
AMY MCKENZIE
Cast (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
Hick Girl/Pasty Intern SARAH BARTON
Lt. Steve CRAIG CACKOWSKI
Doug NATHAN CARPENTER
Cindy Smugg MADDY CURLEY
Nana SUSAN DEMING
Banjo Jo JAKE EBERLE
Brian Bee RYAN PREIMESBERGER
Claire Feinstein CATHERINE REITMAN
Nervous Smiley Intern AMY SHUSTER
Tiny KATHRIN SMIRKE
Narrator KINGA SUTO
Waiter KEVIN TIESIERA
Pale Intern MARCUS TOJI
Inga Farkas ABBY WATHEN
Dungeon Interns
MARC ANNARINO
NADIA BERTOCCO
COREY BROWNE
PETER CAMERON
SHAWN CARLOW
SUSANNA GIAROLI
MARK CHRISTIAN JAEGER
MARC PELINA
MICHAEL SCHAEFFER
JACQUES SLADE
PAUL YOO

Production Designer
COLLEEN LARSON
Art Director
JILL BENCSITS
Costume Designer
SARA RYUNG CLEMENT
Casting Director
DORIAN FRANKEL, CSA
Hair & Makeup
MEGAN THIRIOT
AMELIA GREIM
Storyboard Artist
ERENGO SUTO
Script Supervisor
CANDICE SMITH
Associate Producers
GEORGE GOUBRAN
ADRIANA SLATER
RANDALL AND SUE TIESIERA
GRANDMA TURTLE
First Assistant Directors
ERIC SHERMAN
JESSAMYN LAND
Second Assistant Director
MATT RAWLS
2nd Second Assistant Director
IRENE PERELMAN
Production Coordinator
ADRIANA SLATER
AFI Coordinator
AMY MCKENZIE
Camera Operator
MARY GONZALES
Steadicam Operator
CONNER VANDEER
Assistant Camera
DURRANT KELLOGG
Still Photographers
MICHAEL MORIATIS
PETER “HOPPER” STONE
Still Photography Assistant
BONNIE OSBORNE
Sound Mixer
UMBE A. ADAN
Boom Operators
ADRIANA SLATER
LENORE E. SMITH

Set Decorator
AYGUL IDIYATULLINA
Art Department Assistants
JEFFREY C. RABINAK
ALICE FRICK
NADIA BERTOCCO
SUSANNA GIAROLI
Costume Production Assistants
NADIA BERTOCCO
SUSANNA GIAROLI
Craft Service
JASON PARKER
Construction
FLOYD CONDER
JENNIFER CONDER
ROB SCRIVNER
Publicity
MICHELLE CRISPIN – MEDIAHO PUBLICITY
Gaffer
LARRY SUSHINSKI
Key Grip
DALE ALEXANDER
Camera Dolly Grip
EAMON MCGILLICUDDY
URIEL URIBE
Grip and Electricians
NATHAN DEAN FETZER
RYAN HUSTON
DAMON LIEBOWITZ
BRYAN MARKS
DARA NORMAN
URIEL URIBE
DONELL WILEY
Production Assistants
ANDREW CORCORAN
ALICE FRICK
MICHAEL NEVAREZ
MICHELLE REED
KALILAH ROBINSON
MICHAEL SCHAEFFER
LENORE E. SMITH
KELLY THOMPSON
CODY WADE
Stand-In
ALICE FRICK

Post Production Supervisor
AMY MCKENZIE
Consulting Editor
DOUGLAS SLOCUM
Sound Supervisor
JAKE EBERLE
Foley Mixer
JOHN GUENTNER
Foley Artist
CYNTHIA MERRILL
Foley Recorded at
POST CREATIONS
Re-recording Mixer
DARIUS KOWALCZYK
ADR Recordist
ANDREW FELICIANO FOR VOICETRAX WEST
Music Supervisor
MICHELLE CRISPIN
Musicians
Cello
CHLOE KNUDSEN-ROBBINS
Clarinet
LAUREN STONE
Flute
MAX KRONGAUS
Trumpet
JON BHATIA
ERIC FIERO
DAVID SEDGWICK
Viola
BENJAMIN BARTELT
Voice Solo/Violin
IVANA JASOVA
Visual Effects Director
ROBERT VANDERSTELT
Visual Effects
ALEX BROWN
Colorist
TONY TONG
Animation Production Facilities
CREATIVE CAPERS
After Effects Supervisor
AARON BOCANEGRA
After Effects Artists
JOHN GHADIMI
AMY MCKENZIE
ERENGO SUTO

Music
“Once Upon a Time”
Written by Kinga Suto and Jeff Kryka
Performed by Ivana Jasova
“I Didn’t Bring it Up”
Written by Willy Porter and Paul Cebar
Performed by Willy Porter
Courtesy of Weasel Records
“Tarashek Waltz”
Written by Heather Holley and Jeremy Skiarsky
Performed by Heather Holley
“Superstar”
Written by Michelle Crispin, Heather Holley and Rob
Hoffman
Performed by Michelle Crispin
“More Than a Dime”
Written by Bernadette Moley and Eric Stoltz
Performed by Bernadette Moley
Courtesy of Global Creative Group
By arrangement with Pen Music Group, Inc.
“40 Trix”
Written by Alexandra Monir, Heather Holley and Rob Hoffman
Performed by Alexandra Monir
“Let’s Get Down”
Written by Caitlin Moe, Heather Holley and Hank Stampfl
Performed by Caitlin Moe
“Arms of the One I Love”
Written by Caitlin Moe and Heather Holley
Performed by Caitlin Moe

Donated Services
PASKAL LIGHTING
RALPHS
STARBUCKS
TARGET
TRADER JOE’S
VOICETRAX WEST
CAMERA DOLLIES BY CHAPMAN / LEONARD STUDIO EQUIPMENT, INC.
MS. REITMAN’S AND MS. WATHEN’S SUITS PROVIDED BY BIC OWEN
MS. REITMAN’S PORTRAIT BY ZOFIA KOSTYRKO, DEZIGN SKAPE LLC
“FLORAL QUAD” ARTWORK COURTESY OF CAROYL LABARGE
Edited on an Avid
Videotape equipment courtesy of Sony Corporation of America
24P HD camera equipment courtesy of Sony Corporation of America
The characters and events depicted in this motion picture are fictitious. Any
similarity to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
This motion picture is the property of the American Film Institute and is
protected under the copyright laws of the United States and other countries.
Unauthorized duplication, distribution, or exhibition may result in civil liability
and criminal prosecution.
A Project of the Directing Workshop for Women at AFI
Funded by:
The Adrienne Shelly Foundation
AFI Associates
The Collins Fisher Foundation
Jean Picker Firstenberg Endowment
National Endowment for the Arts
Sony Corporation of America
And other generous corporations and individual committed to providing
opportunities for women in the media arts.

Writer/Director Kinga Suto directs a scene with
Catherine Reitman and Ryan Preimesberger

“Claire Feinstein”(Catherine Reitman) in “The D-Monster”

“Inga” (Abby Wathen) in “The D-Monster”

Writer/Director Kinga Suto choreographs a complicated tumbling sequence
with Maddy Curly “Cindy Smugg”

“Inga” (Abby Wathen) learns valuable advice like “never use the restroom or you’re fired!”
from boss “Claire Feinstein” (Catherine Reitman)