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Film deal cookin (kind of long post)

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  • Film deal cookin (kind of long post)

    So I was talking with AA about a film deal I got cookin and he told me to jump on and share some details.

    I have been writing for 30 years (only serious for about the last 10). Its a huge deal for a writer to land a book contract, like AA got with his series (congrats!), or a film deal like I just secured. I have been working on the script (writing and research) for the last year. On the surface, the film is a 50's sci-fi throwback film like those movies you used to love. But it is also a dark political satire (think Dr Strangelove or Buckaroo Banzai).

    This film calls Washington DC on the carpet, with a President who is beholden to a shadow administrator who he will do anything to protect. At the same time, he is self-righteous and manipulative and will do anything to secure his power of office.

    A well known director has picked up the film. This guy has done feature length 12 films, one of the most successful being made for 335K and making 23 million. Yep. He did. So he knows how to make money. We (he and I) are in a 3-step process to get this thing rolling.

    First step, seed budget- secure $2,500 to use in step one to produce the materials to get to step 2.
    Step 2, promo budget- secure 25K to use to produce the promotional pkg to use to talk to the people who will finance the movie's production budget
    Final step- use the money from step 2 to talk to the investors and raise appx 1.5M to get movie shot.

    This is NOT a project for kickstarter for 2 reasons: (1) I am asking likeminded folks for investment dollars, not donations. (2) because of the nature of the film, I do not want a lot of data about the project floating around where DC supporters can bash and shred the project. Step 1 and step 2 investors will receive their investment back, plus a bonus once step 3 funding is in place, but there is a risk if the never funds to level 3 (the director would not be in on this project if he didn't think it was viable, he would have told me otherwise).

    Anyone paying attention knows that 1.5M to produce a movie is peanuts, and once the script breakdown is done (schedule and costing, using the money from step 1) then a REAL production budget will be in place. But a fella I co-write scripts with has done costing before and he says it should be fine at my number.

    AA asked me to post the needs here. I am willing to share more (very confidential) info with those who are willing to sign a non-disclosure doc (AA has a copy).

    Non confidential questions will be answered here. Others will be by PM. And thanks for your time to read this!

    Deen

  • #2
    Deen is a good guy, he's helping me with the screenplay. I found him on SB and wrangled him over here. So give him a warm welcome.
    I'm drunk tonith.

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    • #3
      Last year, a movie called L5 was released. It was a space drama, decent acting from no-name actors, great sfx, ok script. The whole thing was done on a budget of 10k. It was also meant as a weekly tv series pilot.

      I have no doubt you can find talent, sets and the means to blow s**t up on a minimal budget. Promotional work can be done via guerrilla tactics (premiere G+ account on youtube with a trailer.

      Kickstarter blows, that's a given. Especially after the last "survivalist" movie and the gun hardware projects they shut down. You could also try gofundme.com, they are less strict about this sort of thing, but again the whole gubbamint supporters. But as they say, there's no such thing as bad press. Look at Zimmerman, 100k for a painting and the press keeps running him over with a cheese grater.

      Good luck with the movie, I have $10 waiting to buy a ticket.
      You're still walking free. Enjoy it while you can.
      Homesite: http://millenniummangear.com
      Twitter: https://twitter.com/millenniumgear

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      • #4
        Its been a long process, but as soon as I have the paperwork in place I can tell you guys who the director guy is, and its awesome

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        • #5
          Deen, I would be very interested to hear some more about this.


          Tex
          = 2
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          If we cannot define a simple word like greatness, how can we ever hope to use it as a measuring stick to know when we have risen beyond average?

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          • #6
            What is your minimum investment requirement?
            sic semper tyrannis mortem
            A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.
            ---Proverbs 2:23

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            • #7
              Originally posted by tortminder View Post
              What is your minimum investment requirement?
              After more consideration, I changed my answer:

              I am working on the $2500 tier right now, so I think $100-$200.
              I am in the middle of a ton of paperwork document prep (shooting location breakdowns, speaking parts/characters breakdowns, etc) just a ton of it.

              Of course it doesnt take all that if you just sell a screenplay to a production company. You just sign away the script for a film credit and a fee. And they get to do with it whatever they want. This is so intricate in its design, I have to maintain some creative control, so all that means lots of extra work. PM me if you need additional details.

              THANKS!
              Last edited by Deen Macheen; 01-08-2014, 04:37 PM.

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              • #8
                Welcome and am interested in seeing your movie should it come out in theaters, sounds like my kind of movie and almost a true story of whats going on in DC. Do not have the funds to help with the investment if you have to have the big numbers like that, sorry.
                http://www.nstactical.com For all your prepping, tactical, freeze dried food, first aid, surplus, water filtration, and body armor needs!

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by jag06 View Post
                  Welcome and am interested in seeing your movie should it come out in theaters, sounds like my kind of movie and almost a true story of whats going on in DC. Do not have the funds to help with the investment if you have to have the big numbers like that, sorry.
                  Its perfectly fine. AA told me to post it here and see how folks respond. After more consideration I changed my answer above. I am thinking about selling my truck to raise some of the initial capital, so I will have skin in the game too!
                  Last edited by Deen Macheen; 01-08-2014, 04:37 PM.

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                  • #10
                    Most important question is, what kinda truck you got or rather you won't got much longer?
                    http://www.nstactical.com For all your prepping, tactical, freeze dried food, first aid, surplus, water filtration, and body armor needs!

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by jag06 View Post
                      Most important question is, what kinda truck you got or rather you won't got much longer?
                      Chevy 1500 2wd with 180k miles on it. Nothing super fancy. Just a good old work truck. But is IS A CHEVY

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by jag06 View Post
                        Welcome and am interested in seeing your movie should it come out in theaters, sounds like my kind of movie and almost a true story of whats going on in DC. Do not have the funds to help with the investment if you have to have the big numbers like that, sorry.
                        BTW I adjusted the minimum amount after I saw your post.

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                        • #13
                          So this started out as a fun project and got serious. I wanted to do a 50s sci fi throwback with lots of easter eggs referencing all the old bad sci fi movies of the 50s and 60s (plan 9, attack of the 50' woman and such), but when the director/producer saw it he said he wanted the political undertone ramped up.

                          He wants to shoot this project right in the face of the administration.

                          Me? I'm in.

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                          • #14
                            This process is as amazing as it is arduous. People see a film and are not aware that the shooting of the film is the shortest part of the process. My director friend Richard, with whom I co-wrote a script (yep 2 film credits for me this year) is in pre-production on his project right now. He is casting, breaking film down into a shooting schedule, making a budget, all so he can start filming in March. Wow.

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                            • #15
                              Just broke down the 102 page script into a 4 page summary.

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