Our Story
Glamour.
Deception.
Bourbon.
Lust.
Murder!
Times
were hard. Life was bleak. Film portrayed these truths with extreme cynicism
and irony. This was America and it's naked reality. People connected with the
grueling truth in American crime stories. This was film noir.
I'm
Filipe Coutinho, a filmmaker whose undeniable biggest passion is movies and
having the opportunity to create from scratch a work that can be seen by many
people, represents at the same time, a challenge and a great pleasure.
The
reason why I am fortunate enough to make movies is film noir and if that
particular era in cinema's history led me to this life, this is my passion
project. Strongly inspired by my admiration for the glamour, deception, lust,
murder and the mystery that is film noir I am giving life to this project, not
as a parody or a satire, but as a true, honest and straight from the '50s
movie. It intends to be truthful to its origins by creating a world that
doesn't exist anymore, whether that relates to dialogue, camera set ups, use of
lighting, style of performances, anything to keep it cinematically truthful.
The Impact
Black
Mask aims for something essential in cinema’s history that it’s lacking in
today’s motion pictures: the glamour, the vintage charm of subtext and the
irony and tease that go along with it. A look can be more provocative than
sex; the lack of words can say more than prose; a face can show more
suffering than blood. That is textbook Hollywood Golden Age. That’s what
Black mask is all about.
Black
Mask can show that noir isn’t dead, or rather, that it shouldn’t be. Yes, there
are neo-noirs, techno-noirs, sci-fi noirs (anybody remember Blade Runner?) among so
many others and the truth is that most of them are grandioso and timeless
pieces of cinema. However, the true iconic noir from the ‘40s and ‘50s is long
gone and possesses essential characteristics that seem to be forgotten. It’s
precisely those features that make the genre (or sub-genre) so iconic and
unforgettable. And it’s precisely those features that Black Mask tries to
remind the audiences of.
Losing
Black Mask to a shelf is losing a little bit of what movies are all about.
What We Need & What You Get
We are trying to raise 10 thousand dollars, the
budget we see fit to make Black Mask a successful picture.
The most fundamental thing about this project is
veracity. In order to make the world the characters live in believable.
Pre-production costs include:
* Art direction: Making or finding authentic sets and locations that true to the 1950s. Sets need to be built; materials need to be bought; every single step to create this out-of-our-times world has to be cooked to perfection in order to give Black Mask a unique and truthful look. As any period piece, the slight hint of modernity can compromise the overall result and we are fighting hard to make sure the ‘50s come back to life.
* Wardrobe: To make the characters look real and believable in their surroundings.
* Casting: Hiring a casting director to help us find the most talented actors to achieve perfect performances.
* Cast: Hiring great, possibly known actors.
Production costs include:
* catering
* transportation
* make-up
* dolly rentals
* 16mm film rolls
* other general lighting and camera equipment
Post-production costs include:
* editor
* composer and lyricist
* sound and music recording
* processing the film
* visual and special effects
First and foremost, from us, you’ll get huge respect
and admiration for believing in this project to the point of you giving money for it
to become a reality. But we know that words are free and not always rewarding
so we really want to make you happy for investing in Black Mask. We are willing
to give screen credits and IMDb credits for your trouble as well as having you
on set and being part of the film as an extra. We’ll also give you exclusive
signed copies of the script, the DVD, the making-of and the poster. Other perks include a copy of the soundtrack and three classic film noirs that were
screened to inspire the cast and crew. (See perks below!)
SYNOPSIS
Jimmy McNamara is an ex-writer and ex-WW II veteran turned accountant who receives a call from Vivian, his ex-fiancé and current night club singer. Vivian got a Hollywood contract and is taking Jimmy with her. All he has to do is retrieve the negatives of compromising pictures that a gossip columnist is about to publish and that put her future career in danger. But his mission might not be as simple as it seems. |
Other Ways You Can Help
Life is
tough on everyone. We all struggle to get money so we understand if you’re
tight on cash at the moment. But if you do appreciate the project and you like
what it offers please help us make it real by sharing with your friends and
family.
We can
promise that we’ll work as hard as we have to make sure the money iss well
invested. After all, cinema belongs to everyone. It’s the responsibility of the filmmakers to assure its audiences that
no money has gone to waste.
Remember to check back every week to see news, updates and more teasers and information on the film.
Facebook,
Twitter, MySpace… any source of publicity is much appreciated by our team.
Also, if you need any more information about the project don’t hesitate to contact us in
writing to blackmaskmovie@gmail.com
