Thurs. 2/28 Actions
POSITIVE ACTIONS
DVD distribution Companies:
Guangzhou Beauty Culture Communication
- Handle distribution for Asia, S. America, Australia, New Zealand
& they earn 40% of the receipts.
- Pay us $500K up front.
-Letter of intent that we paid actors 10% of their salaries
Production Companies:
Media Asia Films
- production assistance with the fight choreography and stunt work &
special effects for the action scenes.
Treeline Films
- With letter of Intent that the budget is $20-$30 million.
- Finance 50% of the budget, buy may not if it's as high as $30 million.
- production assistance with all the production responsibilities with the
exception of the fight choreography and stunt work & special effects
for the action scenes.
Tues. 2/26 Actions
POSITIVE ACTIONS Director: James Mangold
- $2 million
- With Letter of intent that Plainview Productions will acquire two name
stars and have a budget between $20-30 million for “Good Book”. - October shoot date
- cost of contract 10% of the budget ($200K-$300K)
- Justification: Director of Walk the Line (2005), 3:10 to Yuma (2007),
Copland (1997). Smart Writer-Director with critical and commercial
success in the crime and action genres. Lujack: Colin Farrell
- $2 million for six weeks plus 5% of gross in North America
- October shoot date
- Justification: Star of Miami Vice (2006), The New World (2005) and
The Recruit (2004). Has respect of top directors like Terrence Malick,
Woody Allen and Michael Mann. Not one of the top bankable stars in
US or Europe, but he is still very well-know and appealing and some
of his films have been very successful commercially. Tommy Chin: Andy Lau
- Salary: $ 1 million
- Justification: Star of Infernal Affairs (2002) and House of Flying
Daggers (2004). Adequately known in America with a #1 box success
for “Daggers”. Beside North American, he’s one of the top bankable
stars in Hong Kong. Can easily pre-sell theatrical distribution rights to Asia. Cinematographer: Michael Ballhaus A.S.C.
- Salary: $200,000
- Justification: Worked on six Scorsese films, including Goodfellas (1990),
The Age of Innocence (1993) and The Departed (2006).
NEGATIVE ACTIONS
- Failed to sign cinematographer, Eduardo Serra A.S.C. – Blood Diamond
(2006), Girl with a Pearl with a Pearl Earring (2003).
Actions Taken/Upcoming Actions
ACTIONS TAKEN
1. Optioned “Good Book” for 1 year at $25K. To pickup the option for another year, we must:
a) Have 2 name people > directors, actors, cinematographers, etc.
b) Raise 25% of the budget
UPCOMING ACTIONS
1. Need to get at least 2 name people: directors, actors, cinematographers, etc. We can get more, too.
a) Two Leads Needed: Hard-nosed New York Cop, white, cynical, athletic, mid-30s AND young Chinese male, around 30, athletic with fighting ability, sly and sneaky. Think about what actors might fit these roles and why?
b) Director: This is a New York crime story dealing with cops and bookie joints. It has lots of dark humor and some fight scenes. Think of other films similar to this, who were the directors? That’s who we have to consider.
c) Cinematographer: Someone who has shot films in New York and/or crime-action type films.
2. Production entity assistance: Plum Pictures (New York, NY): produces 2-3 films per year, both studio and independent and finances about two. Past films include Lonesome Jim and Grace is Gone and has in development Martin Scorsese’s The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt. Why?: Experienced production company to help us mainly with getting contacts and distribution rights.
3. Contract for Rewrite: Need a WGA writer?
4. Figure out what our budget is.
a) Your most expensive scene and B. an average scene and then Describe why they are your most expensive and an average scene
b) Create a detailed budget of the average scene
c) Calculate “Dollar/Minute” of each of these scenes and use this budget and your page count to ESTIMATE your final budget.
5. Pre-sell distribution rights > theatrical (North America, Europe, Asia, etc.), DVD, paid-TV, airline companies, TV, making-of-books, publish scripts, soundtrack rights, product placementNote: We raise our budget by pre-selling distribution. That’s one of the ways.
6. Option script for year-2: After we’ve raise 1/4 of our budget and gotten 2 name ATL (above-the-line, like actors, director) people.
