STORY

They say that if you want to be successful, you should invest your time in something that makes you want to get up in the morning.  For directors, this is the craft of storytelling and film is our medium.  Blake was one of the first indie filmmakers in recent history to experiment with small format anamorphics.  This method of getting the larger than life, wide-screen canvas and a softness which ensures that viewing experience that can only be described as truly cinematic.  The Land was shot and edited on film, in CinemaScope.

The Injustice of Justice:  The filmmaker's connection to this theme has always been an intuitive one.  So much so that the first draft of The Land was written in only two days.  A 2020 premier is timely as the public is becoming more aware of this widespread social problem with the release of other films and TV shows that explore the issue.  In America, are we truly free?

THE TEAM

WHAT WE NEED

The film has been edited and now we need finishing services that amount to just under $10,000.  That covers "Necessary" Expenses.  Additional expenses are shown below that.

NECESSARY EXPENSES

OCN LAB SERVICES (Roughly 40% of the budget))

One of our major obstacles to finishing this film is that there was no way to edit Cinema Grade digital footage until 2015 (without mortgaging your house).  At that point in time, digital cinema equipment started to filter its way down to indie producers.  That's great news but our O.C.N (Original Camera Negative) is film originated.  In order to take advantage of the new technology, we still need a digital scan to convert the 16mm Cinemascope negative to a DI (Digital Intermediate.)  The DI will be in the 2k, 10 bit, DCI standard (the same standard as major motion pictures.)  This will be done at a premier film lab in Los Angeles, CA using the same equipment and workflow that Quentin Tarantino used for his latest project.  

Blog Post: What are OCN Lab Services Exactly

COLOR CORRECTION (Roughly 50% of the budget)

Film color work is extremely complex compared to traditional video color grading.  This work will be handled by the pros at Fotokem labs in Los Angeles, CA.  Our DI colorist George Koran has worked with the likes of Stephen Spielberg and David Lynch on 4k restorations of some of their prior movies that were originally shot and finished in the film medium.  He also works on new footage originated in the digital cinema 4k format and finished digitally to meet the high standards required for deilvery to major broadcast networks and streaming service providers.

LAB EXPENSES - MISCELLANEOUS  (Roughly 10% of the budget)

These expenses cover small items like hard drives needed to send files back and forth between Texas and California, freight charges, a telecine scan from The Post Group, and travel expenses for one trip to California that is needed for the final supervised color pas at Fotokem.

STRETCH GOALS 

SOUND FINISHING (Roughly 10% of the budget)

Additionally, money will go to Joe and Isaac, the sound team for sound editing, mixing and score composition and recording.  The team is all from Austin, TX, the live music capitol of the world where we have some of the best musical talent, the world over.

CAMPAIGN EXPENSES / DIGITAL DUSTBUSTING / VFX WORK / CAMPAIGN EDITING

With the introduction of low cost Ultra HD tools over the last two years, the remaining finishing work can be done in-house in Austin, TX which will save tens of thousands of dollars.  However, VFX is very time consuming and we'll need to take time of from our regular jobs to do the work.  Between the extensive time commitment needed for running the campaign and managing the post-production process, the financial sacrifice becomes a noticeable strain on myself and Cindy our marketing manager.  Some money will go towards living expenses during this intense post work period for us both.   Our head editor will also get a modest stipend.

LIVE ORCHESTRAL RECORDING ( $1,000) & HDR COLOR PASS ($TBD)  

ORGANIC music to compliment the organic film:  Isaac, our composer is also an experienced conductor and recording studio engineer.  If we can manage the funding, we'll work with him and his orchestra musicians to add a human touch to the score which up till now has all been done using synthesizers and digital sampling.  While the digital gear sounds very good, the human touch of a live musician and acoustic texture of real instruments will dovetail perfectly with the organic experience created by the film medium and anamorphic optical elements used in production.

HDR lowers our Risk:  Since our production was planned in the old Cinema tradition that puts visual art at the top of a long list of production concerns, we have the foundation to take advantage of next generation television standards that will give a more cinematic experience for those who choose to view the film at home in their living room or on a capable mobile device.  This new standard is called High Dynamic Range (HDR.)   HDR is a resolution, bit depth and color space combination that approximates the look that you would traditionally only get in the theater.  Fotokem will soon provide pricing for a color pass and mastering to the latest HDR standard.  The advantages to the viewer is obvious but also from a business perspective, this is an advantage because offering an HDR version for sale will give us a competitive advantage (most films selling on the web these days use the decades old TV specifications.)  

WHAT YOU GET

Contributors will receive perks that are unique to a film originated project like ours.  In addition to a digital download of the film, various packages will include autographed copies of production records, producers materials, actual 16mm film strips that were saved from the cutting room floor, AMA hangouts (Ask Me Anything) with the director/producer/editor, autographed festival handbills, props, your name in the credits and one lucky beverage company will win the right, as sole sponsor to have their logo inserted digitally throughout the film.

WHAT HAVE WE INVESTED?

• I've spent around $25,000 of my own money to get the film shot and edited. 
• I've invested an additional $10,000 in post-production equipment needed to handle the coordination with LA and to do the VFX work (and for VFX work...fortunately, this is setup that can be used on future films.) 
• Four years in film school at the university of Texas, Austin
• Over a decade studying screenwriting, literature, history, theology and philosophy. 

WHY IT MATTERS

This project is one of just a few programs to address the issue of corruption in the justice system as it relates to middle class society.  It also addresses the fear mongering and vilification of people without due process of law.  While this theme is nothing unique, our perspective is.  A fresh take on the problem will add to those existing voices that have made their way to the public through music, TV and film.

The Intensive Production Sequence was an exclusive program at the University of Texas at Austin.  Out of 120 applicants, I was one of 8 granted consent to enter the thesis class as a writer/director.  The Land was my submission for consent.  For myself and my film tribe, those years in film school was one of our most productive periods and we made lots of progress.  Now It's time to build on that track record.  Finishing this film is the last step towards launching a career, a journey that we started many years ago.  So much has been invested in the craft and we've come so far.  We don't plan to stop now!

RISKS & CHALLENGES

They say that only 3 out of every 10 films are successful at the box office.  Our production crew's professionalism and enthusiasm for storytelling has already worked to overcome these risks in the production phase, which is now in the rear view mirror.  We're 90% done and charging ahead on the last mile of the marathon!  This is great news and the icing on the cake is that our theme has become more popular in the media than when we started out, with shows like "Making a Murderer" and "The Central Park Five."  This means that there is a growing market for our story.

The post-production phase presents additional challenges which have been overcome by traveling to Los Angeles to work closely with the film lab on scan tests and color correction tests.  The results have come back and some of the images have been posted to Reddit.com cinematography community with overwhelmingly positive results.

Marketing and Distribution present the final challenge.  The M&D plan is in development and will provide the road map needed to get our film into festivals where the real networking happens.  A seasoned M&D producer will be hired to advise on the most efficient/effective plan.

Promotion is as important as the production itself.  Our team is young and culture savvy.  Most of us have been in the workforce for 10 to 15 years and have experience with sales, communications messaging, advertising, and/or public relations.

BUT I'M BROKE!  WHAT CAN I DO?

It's a common mis-conception that crowdfunding campaigns are just about the money.  While the money is important, building awareness and relationships with an audience is more important  (There's no shame in withholding your hard earned dollars while following our progress)

If you want to simply follow us as your contribution , you can do so here: SIGNUP FORM

So, the short answer is SHARE SHARE SHARE SHARE SHARE using the tools built into Indiegogo, instagram, facebook and Twitter. 

For those who would like to do more, there are opportunities to help us further amplify our message after the Indiegogo campaign and keep the momentum going.  While this is an expanded role, but it's just as easy since the continuing awareness campaign is run through social media and all messages are created for you.  All you have to do is Share, Share, Share!  Contact Blake for more information

web: www.thelandfilms.com

IG: thelandfilms

FB: www.facebook.com/TheLandShortFilm

Tw: @thelandfilms