We have started our Pre-Production shooting. Isaac went to the Big Apple and started filming. This could not happen without your support. Please share with your friends.
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We need a
little Christmas. Right this very minute…
Remember a
time when families could go to a movie theater together, and be engrossed and
entertained by a film that embraced the spirit of Christmas for all to
celebrate and enjoy? Neither can
we. In the past years, moviegoers have
been subjected to trite, unimaginative, and repetitive fodder that use
Christmas as a backdrop, but lack or totally ignore the importance and sanctity
of a time that was once revered by audiences and filmmakers alike. Hollywood’s latest offering? A film that uses Christmas as a backdrop for
its characters to indulge in drugs, vulgarity, profanity and vomiting. And that’s just in the coming
attractions. That’s why we’re here:
It’s time to take back Christmas.
The Christmas Gift, will be a film in which we hope to recapture that spirit and
magic.
Our story takes place in New York
City at Christmas, where the urban metropolis takes on its most special
glow. It’s about two people who live and work
at the opposite ends of society— one, the ruthless CEO of the largest real estate company in
the state; the other, a professional hockey player whose career was cut short
by injury and runs a homeless mission in New York’s Bowery district. They are both faced with their own personal
crises, and both must overcome extreme
obstacles. But, wondrous things can
happen at Christmas if you just have a little faith, which is what this movie
is about. It’s about the Christmas miracles and
how they affect the lives of everyday people.
The
Christmas Gift is a story of hope, of sacrifice, of frustration and joy,
and it’s about how
we’re all
connected in the tapestry of life…
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Once upon a time prior to the 1990s, there was a wondrous
place known as Hollywood. And in this
magical shire, lived a group of men and women who were responsible for making
movies and television shows that celebrated faith and family values, that
warmed the hearts of millions and millions of people around the world.
And then, a
group of strangers made their presence known.
Armed with lawyers, rhetoric, and pressure from politicians, it was
their mission to clean up a mess that didn’t exist throughout the country. They would do everything in their power to
make sure that their new ‘standards’ would be what everyone would follow, even if it went directly
against the principles of freedom of speech and religion guaranteed to everyone
in the Constitution. And thus, the term ‘politically correct’ was born.
This movement spread far and wide, eventually reaching Hollywood, where
the people who made the joyous family fare, were told in no uncertain terms
they had to change. No longer could they
spread Christmas cheer. It was now “Holiday” cheer.
Remember
the classic scene in
It's a Wonderful Life, where George Bailey, now
filled with his renewed and joyous sense of purpose, runs down the middle of
town? If that film was made today, he’d
be yelling “Happy
Holidays, Bedford Falls!”instead
of spreading Christmas cheer, if the film would be made at all. Not quite as heart rendering, is it? And, definitely not in the true Christmas
spirit.
Miracle on 34th
Street, anyone
? In today’s
world, not so much, and sorry Virginia, we cannot confirm the existence of this
“Santa
Claus.”
Unfortunately because of the PC police and mainstream Hollywood’s fear of offending anyone, we must raise the money to make this film through the Indiegogo platform. Hollywood just simply won’t allow us to do this.
This is why we need your help to develop this movie. We are starting from scratch and have no studio backing. Here is a breakdown of how the money from this phase will be used:
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If You want :
·
A wholesome
Christmas movie with family values the way it used to be;
·
A movie that you
could relax and not have to worry about taking your kids to see;
·
A movie of
inspiration where a man can reinvent himself and make a positive impact on the
world in a time of the year that miracles can happen.
Then the answer is simple – Contribute and be a part of the miracle that
is Christmas. Because if it is not done independently through private funding,
it will not be done at all. Just look at your local theaters and see what the
studios are making.
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Known the world over for his portrayal of the mythic hero,
Hercules, we are honored to have as the star of our film, Kevin Sorbo,
who recently starred in the faith-based hit, God’s Not Dead. Joining Kevin in the cast are veteran actors
(Rush Hour, Heat) Ella Joyce (My Wife and Kids, Preacher’).
We are
currently in negotiations for the other roles, including that of our female
lead. As the deals are signed, we will
update the information on this page. The
more money we raise, the bigger the cast!
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Our director is Isaac Florentine. Primarily involved in shooting martial arts
and boxing films, Isaac is personally responsible for the very successful Undisputed
Ninja franchises. When
Mr. Florentine read our script, he realized it was the chance to be involved in
a project that means something much more than the usual popcorn fare.
Our producer
is Frank DeMartini, who has produced more than 15 movies to date ranging in
budget from one million dollars to almost 30 million dollars. He is known for Mad Money starring
Diane Keaton and Queen Latifa, and the soon to be forthcoming, Mechanic: Resurrection starring Jason Statham,
Jessica Alba and Tommy Lee Jones.
They are joined in this labor of love by others with dozens
of major feature-film credits.
With
all of the professional talent our film has attracted, why not go to a studio
for the funding? Unfortunately, studios
just don’t
have the courage or vision to take on the PC police and make a movie for which
some people might find a reason to object, unless it’s
so far in the extreme that the lewd and profane is mandated. They don’t have the vision or the courage to see the potential
or need for a film that firmly puts the “Christmas” back in a Christmas story. As we’ve been saying in our promotional material:
This is a Christmas Story, not a
Holiday Story.
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A professional Hollywood production is put together in a series of stages. First comes the development, then the preproduction, followed by the actual filming and postproduction (editing, scoring, etc.). Our plan is to approach it in the same way with our Indiegogo efforts.
Our development phase is complete. We have a beautiful, touching, heartwarming script, and the director, producers, and star of the film in place. We're ready to move into the preproduction stage, for which we are seeking to raise the sum of $250,000. These funds will enable us to move forward and attach more top level talent for our cast, as well as being able to start hiring our key crew (production designer, costumes, locations, and more).
Through your generous support, once we've attained that goal, we'll begin our second stage of funding to start filming. Be assured that even if you are not able to contribute beyond this initial stage, you'll still be entitled to the gift established for your donation level over the course of the entire campaign. We truly value and appreciate your goodwill, help and faith in attaining our goals.
In order to
fund this film and to bring you the quality, old fashioned Christmas
entertainment you deserve, we need to raise two million, five hundred thousand
dollars for the entire movie, of which $250,000 is now being sought. This ensures a production of
the highest quality and production values, as well as a top notch cast. It will also allow us to make for you
something that will be truly memorable.
Of course, we can make this movie for less and we will if we have to,
but at 2.5 million, we can bring you all that you know and love about the
Christmas traditions.
Much
like the main character in our film, we are concerned and dedicated to giving
back to those in need. In that spirit, we are proud to announce that 1%
of all monies raised with be donated to a charity to aid the homeless. Your
generous contributions will help to make next Christmas a more joyous holiday
for everyone. The more we raise, the more help we can offer. We
want The Christmas Gift to make a real difference to everyone.
We have a heartfelt desire to
complete this fundraising prior to Christmas so that we can shoot this film in
the winter of 2016. If that happens, The
Christmas Gift will be ready for all of you to enjoy at Christmastime next
year.
With your help, we will make a movie
you won’t have to
prescreen before you let your children see it.
It will have a message that inspires on all levels, and will physically
give back to the homeless.
And it won’t have any zombies or demons in it.
We're confident
that with your support, we will reach our goal and hopefully go above and
beyond it to give you the best movie possible. If we don't hit our goal,
though, we will still be be moving The Christmas Gift forward and will
keep you all posted at every step of the way,
With your generous help, we can bring you a story that personifies the true joy, spirit, and wonder of Christmas. We sincerely thank you for your consideration, and leave you with what would now be considered the politically incorrect words of Tiny Tim:
God Bless Us All...Every One!
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What is Christmas with out a Christmas Card? This Perk will be good up to 12/20/15. This is a time sensitive offer. This will be delivered to your email address by Christmas 2015.
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An official Christmas Gift keepsake. A hand crafted "The Christmas Gift" magnet.This is a little thank you for those who help make this possible.
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An official Christmas Gift keepsake. A hand crafted "The Christmas Gift" keychain. This is a little thank you for those who help make this possible.
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A PDF of the film’s shooting script (after the film’s release).
You’ll receive a digital download of the film after its release.
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On the next level of gifting, we’ll proudly send to you: A “Christmas Gift” T-Shirt, plus the script PDF.
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On this special tier of…well, you get it… and what you’ll get for this level is an exclusive “Christmas Gift” Tree Ornament delivered in time to adorn your tree for Christmas 2016. This will be specifically designed for contributors and will be exclusive to people at this award level. These will be limited and numbered.
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Signed, sealed, delivered, it’s yours! Our movie poster, signed by the stars, plus the digital download and script PDF.
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“The Christmas Gift” combo consists of the T-Shirt, digital download, autographed movie poster and script PDF.
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We thank you. On screen. You will be thanked on screen in the closing credits of the film, as well as receiving the digital download and the script PDF
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You and a guest are cordially invited…to a pre-release private screening of the film in your choice of New York, Chicago or Los Angeles metropolitan area. Plus the digital download, an autographed movie poster and script PDF. You must provide your own transportation.
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This is a limited perk. Signed & Hand-Numbered Limited Edition. There will be only 50 signed prints ever. We are making 20 available now. These will be from the production artwork of the Christmas Gift.
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Extra! Extra! Be an Extra! You’ll get to be an extra on the set for one day. Join the cast and crew for lunch, and we’ll also pay for two nights lodging at the location. You must provide your own transportation to the location. In addition, you’ll get the digital download, autographed movie poster and script PDF.
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You get to name a character in the movie! One of our cast members will speak the name chosen, or it will be featured prominently on a sign. In either case, we will make every possible effort to make sure this name will remain in the final cut of the film. Please be aware that the name must be cleared by our legal advisers. You’ll also receive two tickets to the premiere .
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Come to our Christmas Party! You’ll receive two tickets to the film premiere and after-party in Los Angeles or New York, plus the digital download, autographed movie poster and script PDF. You are responsible for your own transportation. It is expected that this will occur sometime in early December, 2016
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Ready for your closeup? You will receive a speaking role in the film. Under the guidance of our director, you will utter a line (to be determined before shooting) that we will make every effort to include in the final cut of the film. You will be responsible for travel and transportation to the film’s location,
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Be an Associate Producer! You will receive on-screen credit in the final end titles of the film as “Associate Producer.” You’ll be invited to a day on the set (you pay for travel) and you’ll get your own director’s chairback with your name and title (chair not included), and you'll be listed on the IMDB as well. If you can’t make it to the set, you’ll still get the chairback and you will see your name on screen.
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Spend a day with the Director! Watch the making of the film from the best seat in the house…your own director’s chair. You’ll spend the day, and have lunch with the director of the film. If you’d like to be an extra, he’ll put you in the film as well as an extra (on the same day). You must provide your own transportation to the location, but we will put you in a hotel at the location for two nights. You’ll also receive the digital download, autographed movie poster and the script PDF.
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Be an Executive Producer! Your name will be prominently displayed in the main titles of the film, along with the stars and other creative personnel, and you'll be listed in the IMDB credits as well. You and a guest will be invited to spend a day on the set (you pay for travel), and we’ll provide lodging for two nights. You’ll also be invited to the L.A. premiere, and will receive the script PDF, the T-shirt, the Christmas tree ornament, the digital download, autographed movie poster, and your own personalized director’s chair.
Here is some of our preproduction artwork. Here is a taste of what we are envisioning.
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We will try and answer all your questions
during the campaign so keep coming back.
