What is Pit Viper?
Written and directed by Pittsburgh-based filmmaker Ian Altenbaugh, Pit Viper is a mystery/crime series that takes place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and the surrounding region. The story follows Parker and Medea, and the violence that follows in the wake of their decisions.
While out hunting for scrap metal one day, our down-on-his-luck hero Parker stumbles upon a bloody crime scene. Instead of calling the authorities, Parker instead decides to take a silver ring off of a dead body and pawn it. However, he finds that not only does no one want to buy the ring, but he is now suspected of murdering someone with some dangerous friends. Further complicating matters, Parker's ex-girlfriend Medea, whom he still lives with and loves despite the feeling not being mutual, decides to frame him for stealing money from the local drug dealer.
The goal with Pit Viper is to create a story that is uniquely Western Pennsylvanian, while having a broad enough appeal for everyone to enjoy. A show that is to Pittsburgh what Fargo is to Minneapolis, The Wire was to Baltimore, or Breaking Bad was to Albuquerque.
We believe we have a unique and cool project which we'd love for you to be part of!
Where Does Your Money Go?
To put it simply, the more money we can raise, the better our product will be, and the wider audience it will reach. It will also allow us to get Pit Viper out to the world quicker. Because, whether we meet our goal or not, Pit Viper is going to be finished and available to audiences everywhere. However, the more support we get, the more options we have in post-production, especially when it comes to music.
The breakdown of our fundraiser goes as follows:
- $750 for editing and color
- $900 for post-audio mix and score
- $350 for marketing, merchandise, and festival submissions.
Our Risks, Our Challenges, Our Story
Pit Viper has been a year in the making. The creator of the series, Ian Altenbaugh spent several years developing the concept and much of 2015 writing the pilot. He also called in every favor and maxed out every credit card he had to get the project made.
While there are always risks with every project, the Pit Viper team believes strongly that they have a product that is smart, unique, and a lot of fun. While money was spent on equipment rentals, the cast and crew worked for free, on a holiday weekend no less, because they felt passionately about making something that represents the place they live.
The Pit Viper team asks that you share this crowdfunding campaign with your friends, family, and anyone you might think would be interested. We feel passionately about this project and if you enjoy the movie half as much as the cast and crew did making it, then you will be highly entertained.
