About Me
Just a little about me before we get into what the movie's about, why it's an important story to tell, and what your help can mean to the project.
I'm originally from Panama City, Florida and graduated from the University of Florida after studying Spanish and Psychology. In my 20s, I traveled the world, living in Mexico, Argentina and Spain (I taught English in Spain). Afterwards, I attended Film School at The New York Film Academy in the Miami Branch. This will by my first feature film.
Enough about me, let's talk about the movie.
What It's About
A McDojo is a martial arts gym that teaches fighting techniques that have little or no practical application in a real-life fight. McDojo got its name by combining McDonald's and Dojo as they give out black belts like McDonald's hands out cheeseburgers.
The plot: Dead broke and on the verge of moving in with their parents, two friends concoct a “get rich quick” scheme and open a martial arts dojo; teaching fight techniques with no practical application in real combat, but when the backlash threatens their wildly successful venture, it not only endangers their financial future, but their friendship as well.
Why It's Important
This is an important story to tell for two reasons:
- To bring great comedy back.
- To explore why people fall for schemes like McDojos and the effects it has on society.
Bringing Great Comedy Back
Mel Brooks said recently that political correctness is stupid and is killing comedy. He's not wrong. Throughout history, comedians have always pushed the boundaries and have been at the front lines of free speech. Now, too many are trying to stay within the always-moving boundaries of political correctness while some even try to suppress speech they don't like.
One factor for the decline of great comedy that doesn't get discussed much is comedians and writers placing more effort to inform their viewers than to entertain them. Pushing their political and social views is more important than entertaining their audience--this is a recipe for bad comedy as the humor isn't organic.
The most important job for any comedian or comedic writer is to make people laugh. We will lead by example.
Check out the images above to get to know the actors committed to the project!
Why The Story Must Be Told
It explores the aspect of human nature that leads us to fall for McDojo-like schemes: the tendency to gravitate towards beautiful lies instead of unpleasant truths. Ultimately, when people want to believe something bad enough they start to believe the b.s.
It questions who is more to blame for these ridiculous scams, the con artist or the conned. While the answer may seem simple, we usually blamed the scammed. If your friend gives his bank account information in an effort to get those millions left by the Nigerian prince, do you blame your friend or the scammer in Nigeria? This movie delves into the mentality of the con artist and the conned and why these type of scams flourish in prosperous societies.
What Your Contributions Mean
Most of the funds for the filming have been raised! We just need a little help to cross the finish line. We've raised enough to pay the actors, the sound technician, rent the equipment as well as food and drinks during the shoot. Here's the funds we're lacking for our shoot:
- The Lighting Technician (5,000$)
- The Hair and Make-Up Artist (4,000$)
Other Ways You Can Help Us
While we have great perks, there are other ways you can help us outside of backing the film financially. Spread the word! Check out and follow our Facebook and Instagram pages, both under McDojo Movie.
And don't forget the Indiegogo share tools!
Thank You For Helping Us Cross The Finish Line!
