"Trinity River" - Feature Film shot on HVX200

Norm Sanders

Norm Sanders

Script Wrangler
I've started this thread as a way to also keep me accountable to raise the funds for my first feature film. I figure the more I put it out there that I'm going to do something, the more determined I'll be NOT to fail.

I'll update these posts with graphics, cast/crew information as it's updated, as well as Q&A.

For now, I'll state that I've completed the PPM (Private Placement Memorandum), as well as LLC Operating Agreement & Subscription Agreement. These bad boys are fully compliant with the SEC, and took me many hours to get them to the point they're at. Thank goodness for my investment/business background, or I don't think I would have understood any of it!

I'm attaching the first couple pages of the PPM, if anyone is curious in seeing what one should look like (for those who raise funds for their own films, etc.): SAMPLE

Budget for this is Min/Max of $125K-$150K. PPM begins to go out effective the day after Christmas, and I'm giving myself only a little more than 30+ days to get the money. My thought is that if an investor isn't going to invest within 30 days, they're not going to do it within 6 months ... so why drag it out? Wish me luck. :beer:


LOG LINE(S)
"Balance; it's something we all desire, but all too often fail to achieve. One man's passionate devotion to his calling blinds him to the cost his family is paying."

“If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?” Timothy I, 3:5


SYNOPSIS
The congregation of young, vibrant Mt. Grace Community Church could not ask for a better pastor. Richard McClavin is open and friendly, his dedication to his church is unquestioning, and his devotion to his family beyond reproach.

Or so it seems to those on the outside looking in. But behind the pulpit, cracks have begun to appear in Richard’s seemingly perfect home life. Young James sees a father who would rather perfect his sermons rather than attend his Little League games. 16-year-old Candice lashes out at the pressures of being a Preacher’s Kid by seeking counterculture thrills, while the eldest child, Cornell-bound William, finds himself torn between living his own life and trying to carry the weight left by a father who has all but abdicated his family responsibilities. And behind them all, Richard’s wife Tina struggles through her own mounting frustrations and loneliness, trying to hold together a family that is slipping through her fingers while fighting her own temptations. So when Richard’s duties as a pastor force a literal last-minute cancellation of their yearly family vacation, the cracks threaten to widen into chasms. But Richard, so focused on his church commitments, barely even notices.

At its core, TRINITY RIVER is a story of priorities, and how easily we can lose track of what is truly important in our lives. After all, how important is missing a dinner with your family when two thousand congregants are awaiting your spiritual guidance? When tragedy strikes both at church and at home, however, Richard is forced into an impossible decision which could split his family asunder. With Candice in the hospital and Tina at her breaking point, William tries to drive home the extent of his father’s neglect and open the door to the healing process. But it is only Richard himself who can make the sacrifice necessary to keep his family together.



BUDGET
$125K (up to $150K for P&A)


CAST
TBD - Richard McClavin
TBD - Tina McClavin
TBD - William McClavin
TBD - Candice McClavin
TBD - James McClavin
TBD - Dr. Mansfield
TBD - Amber
TBD - Tall Raver
TBD - Brian
TBD - Sammy
TBD - Waiter
TBD - Bartender
TBD - Mrs. Teegle
TBD - Sammy's Mother
TBD - Guest
TBD - Jin
TBD - Hyun
TBD - Marie
TBD - Patrick
TBD - Mrs. Stenton
TBD - Father
TBD - High School Girl
TBD - Diane
TBD - Receptionist
TBD - Old Woman


CREW
Norm Sanders - Director/Producer/Editor
Michael Jones - Co Producer
Jeffrey R. Hawley - Writer
Dan Ayers - Director of Photography
Ryan Walters - 1st AC/B-Cam
Justin R. Durban - Composer
Steve Waters - Gaffer
James Eubank - Set Designer
TBD - Grip
TBD - Boom/Sound Mixer
TBD - Hair/MUA
Robin Steigmann - Catering/Craft Services
More to come ....


TECHNICAL
HVX200 in 1080/24P (2)
Redrock M2 35mm Adapter with Primes (2)
Steadicam Pro w/Microwave transmitting follow focus
Kessler Crane 12'
More to come ....


LOCATIONS
Portland, Oregon
Vancouver, Washington


SHOOTING DATES/SCHEDULE
18 Day Shoot (3 six day weeks)
End of March '07
 
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Q & A Section

Q & A Section

QUESTION
I downloaded the PDF of the PPM sample, man that looks really complicated. Were you able to do it all yourself, or did you have to employ a lawyer to help? What about those of us who aren't in your line of work, are there lawyers we can turn to in order to put something like this together?

ANSWER
The PPM originated from an attorney drawn PPM a few years back on a different project. There are attorneys you can turn to in order to have one drafted for you, however I'll warn you the cost is usually upwards of $5,000 or more. It's 30-35+ pages of detailed legal documentation that must be in compliance with SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) Regulations, which are in place to protect consumers/investors. I have a fairly uncommon advantage in that I used to be a licensed investment representative, dealing with large & sometimes complex transactions. That, combined with my business background, I've been able to take the original PPM and appropriately change it to meet my project needs, and stay in compliance with the SEC guideliness.

If people needed help, or wanted to have an investment packet taylored for their needs, I could discuss it with them on a per case basis, as it's not a line of business I really want to get into. :)


QUESTION
I see you created an LLC for the film, is that a complicated process? Can it be done without the assistance of a lawyer, or is it better to involve a lawyer in that process as well?

ANSWER
Some people want to include an attorney in every aspect of their business, as a 'CYA', but you need to be prepared to spend the $ for it. Personally, I think it's so cut & dry that you don't 'need' an attorney, so I've yet to use one for setting up a LLC (Limited Liablity Company). I've set up LLC's through both Washington State (REALLY helpful online site through Secretary of State for Washington), as well as Deleware. You just need to pay the fees, file the right forms usually provided by the particular state you're dealing with, and read through their sites/requirements to know what to do. Takes a little more time perhaps, but saves a LOT of money!


QUESTION
Why Delaware? Simply for tax reasons, or are there other reasons? Is it true that incorporating in Delaware or Nevada allows you to avoid taxes? I assume there are still annual fees involved though, right?

ANSWER
Both Deleware & Nevada are the most commonly used states to register companies in, if doing so in a state other than your own, due to the fact that they both have no state income taxes (for the business at least), and actively market themselves as the 'go to' state for out of state corporations, etc. However, if you look CLOSELY between the two, there is one significant difference; Nevada laws tend to hedge more towards protection of the company officers, while Deleware laws are more geared towards protection of the members/investors. Nearly all attorneys across the United States should be very familiar with both states/laws for corporations, but as such it's my opinion that choosing Deleware adds that extra little bit of integrity when presenting to investors, because we've selected a state that's not only universally known, but also geared slightly more towards the protection of their interests.

By registering in Deleware/Nevada you may avoid state taxes for the company, but LLC's don't pay any taxes anyway. The profit/loss of the company flows through to the members/investors via the Schedule K-1, so each member/investor will STILL be responsible to pay taxes to their respective state, if required, in addition to Federal.

Yes, there are annual fees to pay for both, as their are with any state that I'm aware of, but their not huge, usually less than $100/year.
 
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Hey Norm,

Best of luck on "Trinity River", I am certain that it is going to be a wonderful film!

Kevin
 
Thanks Kevin. BTW, I can't recall if I ever got back to you on this or not, so I'll just state it publicly ... I watched your daughter's reel soon after you sent it, and she is VERY impressive. Courtney, if you ever read this, I have no doubt that you can go far in this industry.

She's under consideration for TRINITY RIVER. :thumbsup: The co-producer, Michael Jones, has a good rapport with a couple of LA Casting Directors who've worked with Ralph Winter on some similar style films, and are interested in this project as well.
 
Thanks Norm,

Courtney says "thank you very much". I know that she is very interested in this project, REALLY liked the script and would love to be involved. I will add that this is a really strong story and one that will have broad appeal to a wide range of viewers.

Really looking forward to following the progress on this!

Kevin
 
Well, I can honestly say that there are no other contenders at this moment for the role of Candice. Just comes down to the final casting, as well as budget for any travel, etc. Just realized her headshot/resume is still sitting right here on my desk as well. :)

BTW, I'm going through the edits on Jeff's latest draft of the script. Though everyone has felt the script was strong before, we made some edits based on some consistent feedback we were getting, making it even that much stronger.
 
This looks like a great project Norm. I'm sure you can "bring it home." Best of luck with this and I'll be following it closely. :beer: :beer:
 
Norm, you know I love the script and hope the best for raising those funds baby! Count me in on the crew, if you need me!
 
Good Luck with everything. I'm sure the fund raising trials and errors would be something a lot of people would want to hear about including me.
 
This could start a whole other thread and debate, but might I suggest you also get an editor to work with you as the producer/director? The role of the editor is too important to the overall shaping and performance of a film. Also, having the "point/counterpoint" creatively will always create a better film. I direct as well as edit, but I won't edit projects I direct. Especially if this is your first feature film as a director - You will find many examples of director/editor relationships such as Clint Eastwood/Joel Cox, Ang Lee/Tim Squyres, Soderbergh/Steve Morionne, Ron Howard/Mike Hill and Dan Hanley, etc. Each can bring their own sensitivities and talent where the sum is better than the parts.

I just recently locked picture on a feature I am producing and co-editing. As a producer I really wanted to ensure I had another point of view and experienced editor that had the experience in the style and genre of the story. The director was working from his own script but in the editing process we cut a lot of lines out that were not moving the scene or the movie forward in the arc of how we wanted the audience to react at that point in the film - the pace and rhythm we wanted to set overall was better achieved with the cuts we made. The director, who is very experienced, understood where this made sense or not and in the end was a much better film had I not had this other editor involved to work with us in shaping the story.

So it is something I am suggesting, I can understand the limitation of budgets and all but as a producer of low budget films, surround the director for success - best camera person and lighting you can get, best sound guy you can get, then the best editor you can find.

I am not putting down the other very important roles of everyone involved on a film, in this case the producer will also have to play the role of art direction, props, transportation, catering, and everything else... but getting the story on film, tape, or P2 card is the priority of the set, and the editor is the central focal point of post. After that a great sound guy and mix.

Food for thought.

Michael
 
Thanks for the support everyone. It would be great to have as many DVXusers involved with this as appropriate & financially possible!

Christopher Barry, I've updated the first post with log line(s) and synopsis. :thumbsup:

MichaelP, you have an EXTREMELY valid point, and I in no way discount the value of having a less attached or person with different perspectives/creative ideas edit the film. Budget obviously comes into play, however, so if I can find a pro that is willing to cut this for the pennies we have reserved for it, they're more than welcome. But since I seriously doubt I'll be able to find anyone within our budget range, I'm planning on doing the editing myself.

However, I learned a LOT with SPARROW, and will make sure that I have folks watch the rough cut first that have never read the script, etc. to ensure audience reaction at the right spots, etc. I will definitely be continually looking for that other set of eyes, perspectives, etc. as I go through the cutting process.
 
Norm,

You already know I am excited about this project...I'm really looking forward to watching the progress unfold here and if I can help in any way, I'll gladly do so.

I did have a couple questions related to the PPM you referenced in your first post, when you have a few spare minutes (you have lots of those, don't you? :grin: )

I downloaded the PDF of the PPM sample, man that looks really complicated. Were you able to do it all yourself, or did you have to employ a lawyer to help? What about those of us who aren't in your line of work, are there lawyers we can turn to in order to put something like this together?

I see you created an LLC for the film, is that a complicated process? Can it be done without the assistance of a lawyer, or is it better to involve a lawyer in that process as well?

Peace,
Larry
 
Thanks for the Q's, Larry! I've updated the second post on the 1st page under Q&A to answer them. Hopefully others find them helpful as well.
 
Hey, good luck, buddy. I'm beginning photography in February for a low-budget feature shot with the same setup you have: HVX, M2, and Steadycam. If you find any kinks during your preproduction that would help us fellow indies, be sure to let us know. Also, if we come across anything before or during shooting that we wished we would have known earlier, I'll be sure to drop you a line.

People interested in financing a low-budget movie should also be aware that Limited Partnerships also work well for fundraising. It allows you to set yourself as General Partner (the guy who calls the shots) and then you can sell limited shares (say, at $10K a pop) to potential investors. It has the same limited liability as the LLC, but is easier broken down on an investment basis. Granted, rules may not be the same in all states, but in general it works well. That being said, I've always ended up using an LLC for indie films, just like you did.
 
Norm,
Congrats on doing a feature. Good luck with funding. I hope to hear more of your team's movie making processes. If you need any photoshop work/graphic design let me know.
Jeremy
 
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