majikfraug
Well-known member
Oh, and they are still out of the country, apparently trying to finish up a documentary.
FEATURE: Survival - The Feature, based on our Timefest Entry...
- Thread starter majikfraug
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majikfraug
Well-known member
My apologies for being neglectful of the wonderful community that helped launch the idea for Survival in the first place 
The truth is, things have been slightly stagnant for a while in Survival's development. Around Christmas, we had the opportunity to do some work for another project, based on the business plan we had created for Survival. This caused us to spend the last couple of months helping out and advising on what will hopefully become a big budget blockbuster sometime next year. Made some very good connections and should result in a healthy financial (and street cred) boost when their budget comes in. They've already got a couple big name stars interested and are pursuing some huge names for the director, so pretty exciting stuff. Unfortunately (for us), it's going to be a union shoot, so we are limited as to the role we can play in its actual production.
In the meantime, our PPM and other legal documents have been finalized and are now being formatted for dispersal to a new set of investors. These ones have a lot of money, but little to no film investing background. This is good because it means they will not have any creative say whatsoever. However, we've had to become very careful in creating legal investment documents to cover ourselves should any need for dispute arise. That has turned out to be a very long process resulting in a very large set of documents -somewhere around 80 pages at last count! The good news is that it is finally nearing completion and we are scheduled to have the package go out on Thursday.
We've been trying to do things creatively, and finding funding for a roughly $3 million independent film is not easy. We've had a number of false leads, but the core team is still convinced that we can make it happen. If all of our current avenues turn out to be unfruitful, we always have the low budget model to fall back on. Honestly though, I don't feel we will have to go that route.
I'm very excited about our current prospects and we have some additional projects on the burner as well. I've been doing a lot of graphics work for http://www.charginglife.com/ and that has led to a documentary project, which we are hoping to shoot this summer. Also, the survivalfilm.com website is going to be having some new features added in the near future that will go a long way in building a fan base for us, as well as providing some very useful information.
Slow and steady wins the race, eh? God's not done with us yet
The truth is, things have been slightly stagnant for a while in Survival's development. Around Christmas, we had the opportunity to do some work for another project, based on the business plan we had created for Survival. This caused us to spend the last couple of months helping out and advising on what will hopefully become a big budget blockbuster sometime next year. Made some very good connections and should result in a healthy financial (and street cred) boost when their budget comes in. They've already got a couple big name stars interested and are pursuing some huge names for the director, so pretty exciting stuff. Unfortunately (for us), it's going to be a union shoot, so we are limited as to the role we can play in its actual production.
In the meantime, our PPM and other legal documents have been finalized and are now being formatted for dispersal to a new set of investors. These ones have a lot of money, but little to no film investing background. This is good because it means they will not have any creative say whatsoever. However, we've had to become very careful in creating legal investment documents to cover ourselves should any need for dispute arise. That has turned out to be a very long process resulting in a very large set of documents -somewhere around 80 pages at last count! The good news is that it is finally nearing completion and we are scheduled to have the package go out on Thursday.
We've been trying to do things creatively, and finding funding for a roughly $3 million independent film is not easy. We've had a number of false leads, but the core team is still convinced that we can make it happen. If all of our current avenues turn out to be unfruitful, we always have the low budget model to fall back on. Honestly though, I don't feel we will have to go that route.
I'm very excited about our current prospects and we have some additional projects on the burner as well. I've been doing a lot of graphics work for http://www.charginglife.com/ and that has led to a documentary project, which we are hoping to shoot this summer. Also, the survivalfilm.com website is going to be having some new features added in the near future that will go a long way in building a fan base for us, as well as providing some very useful information.
Slow and steady wins the race, eh? God's not done with us yet
majikfraug
Well-known member
Oh! I also have big news on a personal level: my wife (the star of the original short) and I are expecting our first baby -due early October. God willing, we will be able to bring him/her to the red carpet premier of Survival :grin:
Awesome update, Jeremiah! Sounds like you guys are firing on all cylinders, and things are going well professionally as well as personally... congrats on soon being a FATHER - amazing responsibility, but fun too - now it'll have to be "do I finish editing this, or do I feed the baby? decisions, decisions"
Marlon Ladd
Veteran
Big congrats, man! That would awesome to have your baby at the premiere. Good luck with everything.
majikfraug
Well-known member
Well, good news: we passed phase one of approval for funding. Now it's up to the government to give their ok. After that...
As always, prayers are appreciated
As always, prayers are appreciated
majikfraug
Well-known member
Yes indeed. I always scoffed at projects that took years to complete. Now we're in the midst of one, and I'm not laughing anymore Sometimes it's not as easy as just grabbing a camera and going out to shoot something...
Sometimes it's not as easy as just grabbing a camera and going out to shoot something...
majikfraug
Well-known member
So, by way of an update... It's gone back and forth between the investors, the company representing our project(s) to them, and the good ol' US government (not particularly well known for getting anything done fast or efficient). So far, everything's going smooth-ish and this is supposed to be the last go around. As long as the government doesn't find anything wrong with the paperwork being submitted, we are a "go" with a funded feature. Our guys in-the-know say that, once we do have the final approval from Uncle Sam, it should be 4-6 weeks until we start seing the Benjamins. And by "Benjamins", I mean hundred dollar bills, and by "hundred dollar bills", I mean money transferred into the LLC's bank account. Although it would be kind of cool if they just handed us a briefcase full of cash and we just carried it around every day and cracked it open as needed to pay for everything on the movie... Of course, that would be over 65 pounds of Benjamins being lugged around, so I wouldn't want that job. We'd have to get a PA for that.
Chris Adler
Veteran
What involvement does the US government have in your film?
ZazaCast
Major Contributor
I'm available for that job! :beer:
... and congratulation...and by congratulations I mean I hope everything goes through as planned!
Cheers to the baby too.... I just became a grandfather 2 weeks ago....awesome!
majikfraug
Well-known member
Muahahahaha...
majikfraug
Well-known member
Seriously though, it has to do with how the film is being financed. Very unconventional, and is being tacked onto part of an EB5 regional center funded project.
El Director
Veteran
Anything ever come of this?
majikfraug
Well-known member
That source of financing never went anywhere. A lot was talked about, but none of it happened. So we moved on, shot a different film called Abductee: https://vimeo.com/136847741 We just finished some reshoots, the score is being written, and soon the FX will be finalized. The director took the package to AFM and we have had several smaller distribution companies express interest.
Then, in the last two years, I felt led to take command of SURVIVAL and do what I could to push it forward. Got some interest at Cannes, and one of my contacts from there is trying to get it financed privately. Recently, I've had an angel investor with a lot of interest, though it would have to be shot for a lower budget. Currently working on rewrites for him. And thirdly, the producers on one of the films I was prop master for last year have agreed to look at it as a possible film for their company to produce/finance/and distribute. I really liked working with them, so that's my favorite option right now, but I'm pursuing the others as well.
So, we haven't given up, and we are still pursuing it!
Then, in the last two years, I felt led to take command of SURVIVAL and do what I could to push it forward. Got some interest at Cannes, and one of my contacts from there is trying to get it financed privately. Recently, I've had an angel investor with a lot of interest, though it would have to be shot for a lower budget. Currently working on rewrites for him. And thirdly, the producers on one of the films I was prop master for last year have agreed to look at it as a possible film for their company to produce/finance/and distribute. I really liked working with them, so that's my favorite option right now, but I'm pursuing the others as well.
So, we haven't given up, and we are still pursuing it!
El Director
Veteran
Development hell can really be a nightmare. I'm still working on getting funding for my next feature too six years later. I hope everything works out for you guys and congrats on the other movie!