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The Platinum Loop

Superstar. Icon. Legend. Marilyn, as the world has never seen her.

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The Platinum Loop

The Platinum Loop

The Platinum Loop

The Platinum Loop

The Platinum Loop

Superstar. Icon. Legend. Marilyn, as the world has never seen her.

Superstar. Icon. Legend. Marilyn, as the world has never seen her.

Superstar. Icon. Legend. Marilyn, as the world has never seen her.

Superstar. Icon. Legend. Marilyn, as the world has never seen her.

eric fulford
eric fulford
eric fulford
eric fulford
1 Campaign |
Los Angeles, United States
$30,708 USD by 73 backers
$30,558 USD by 69 backers on Apr 15, 2017
Choose your Perk
featured

Video Greeting From Floyd

$200 USD
Est. Shipping
June 2017
1 claimed

A big thumbs-up

$1 USD
0 claimed

Digital link to scene

$25 USD
Est. Shipping
August 2017
10 claimed

Handwritten postcard

$50 USD
Est. Shipping
August 2017
3 out of 25 of claimed

Title frame download

$100 USD
2 claimed

Poster download

$150 USD
Est. Shipping
August 2017
2 claimed

Digital book download

$250 USD
Est. Shipping
August 2017
4 claimed

Signed script pages

$500 USD
Est. Shipping
August 2017
2 out of 25 of claimed

Stage blood

$800 USD
Est. Shipping
August 2017
0 out of 1 of claimed

Monogrammed "Sinatra" dice

$800 USD
1 claimed

Conf. call with creative team

$1,000 USD
Est. Shipping
August 2017
0 out of 3 of claimed

Vintage Sands casino matchbook

$1,500 USD
Est. Shipping
August 2017
0 out of 1 of claimed

Floyd Manning's business cards

$2,500 USD
Est. Shipping
August 2017
0 out of 2 of claimed

Associate Producer credit

$5,000 USD
Est. Shipping
August 2017
0 out of 3 of claimed
Overview
The Platinum Loop is an independent feature film adapted from the acclaimed novel by Austin Williams and directed by Eric Fulford. This gritty comedic thriller evokes the vibrant early '70s and the world's undying fascination with Marilyn Monroe. With one key scene already in the can, we are seeking to raise $30,000 to complete the next significant portion of filming and post production. Meeting this goal moves us further down the road toward having a polished film ready for broad distribution.

You may be asking, what exactly is the "Platinum Loop"? Good question. As Bogie said in The Maltese Falcon, it’s the stuff that dreams are made of. Our story opens with a bang in Las Vegas circa 1973, beckoning viewers into a shadowy world of illicit showbiz memorabilia with one hell of a main attraction: a legendary piece of celluloid rumored to show Hollywood’s most iconic blonde as the world has never seen her.

The Platinum Loop is a throwback to both Golden Ages of Hollywood (repped by the Studios and the Movie Brats, respectively). The plot delivers essential pulp elements of sex, crime, memorably warped characters, narrow escapes, and sudden reversals of fortune. With a rich visual style and unpredictable storyline, we intend to make a movie that appeals not only to the worldwide society of Marilyn enthusiasts, but avid fans of American cinema, vintage Tinsel Town, old school Vegas, and classic crime films.

In a word: location, location, location. Maybe that’s three words, but they all accurately describe the primary use for the funds we seek to raise with this campaign. Our plan is to shoot for three days and nights at the magnificently retro Four Aces Movie Ranch in Palmdale, California. It’s the perfect location to bring a sizable portion of our story to life, and we want to do it the right way.

With a film like The Platinum Loop, visual details are key for transporting viewers back to the glittery, grimy, glorious ‘70s. The Four Aces is just the place to recreate that kind of look. It’s so perfectly tailored to meet our needs, we almost feel like it was built to house our shoot alone. But that’s obviously nonsense when you consider the long list of productions that have called the Four Aces home... most recently, a kickass Mercedes commercial starring Peter Fonda and directed by the Coen Brothers that aired during the Super Bowl.

The feature script is complete and we have 16 pages mapped out for our contained shoot, taking advantage of the location’s wide range of standing sets: exterior truck stop, gas pumps and vintage phone booth, interior bar/casino, manager’s office, four different hotel rooms, even a believably grubby public restroom... we’re going to capture all of it. In the process, we’re going to gain significant ground in our long-term plan. One scene at a time, we aim to build a compelling movie that blends the best elements of film noir, action comedy, and suspense.

In addition to covering location fees, the funds raised with this campaign will pay for a range of production essentials: props, picture vehicles, transportation, food and housing for cast & crew, et al. A portion of the funds will also cover all post-production needs performed at BALLAST, allowing us to edit, mix, and polish these scenes until they are just right. Having access to a full-service post and visual effects studio like BALLAST grants us the unique opportunity to make a high-caliber film for a fraction of the costs other production entities would likely incur.

ERIC FULFORD | Director/Producer
Eric is an award winning filmmaker and creative director with nearly twenty years experience in the creation of animated and live-action imagery. He is the co-founder and director of Culver City based design & post firm BALLAST. His most recent film, Day At The Pool, has garnered numerous awards to date including best director (IFQ, New York) and best in show (Malibu Film Festival). It continues to play at festivals and network screenings worldwide.

AUSTIN WILLIAMS | Writer/Producer
Austin is the author of six books, including the current Rusty Diamond Series of suspense novels. His first novel, Crimson Orgy, established one of the primary characters featured in The Platinum Loop. He is also the co-author of the seminal pop culture study, Straight Whisky: A Living History of Sex, Drugs, and Rock ‘n’ Roll on the Sunset Strip. He holds a degree in film and critical writing from the University of Southern California.

MAX FAUGNO | Lead Actor
Max is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch school and has performed extensively in the NY and LA theater scenes. In front of the camera he has worked with directors including Wes Anderson, Phil Morrison, Noam Murro, and Tarsem, to name a few. He has performed live alongside Bill Murray, Christopher Lloyd, Kathleen Chalfant and many others. Max is the recipient of an LA Drama Critics Circle Award for his work in The Brothers Karamazov and was nominated for an LA Weekly Award in the LA production of Golden Prospects.

ROBERT RIECHEL | Lead Actor
Robert trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and the South Coast Repertory theater. He wrote and directed The Living Edge television show for the WB network and directed numerous commercials and television projects. His play, aka Eat The Runt, was a critical and audience hit, earning Robert a best playwriting nomination from the LA Weekly theater critics. Robert's recent TV work includes featured appearances on Fresh Off the Boat, Getting On, Uncle Buck and Mob City.

BALLAST | Post Production Partner
BALLAST is a post/production studio specializing in visual effects and design for televised and theatrical dramas. Featured projects include work on A&E’s limited series Bonnie & Clyde, Lionsgate’s Houdini, and the recent A&E remake of the miniseries Roots. In 2015, BALLAST received a major credit in the film DOPE for key post production contributions. BALLAST worked with SONY Pictures to create Anna Nicole and Lizzie Borden Took An Axe starring Christina Ricci. From 2005-2010, the studio collaborated with Ridley Scott and Scottfree on the CBS/Paramount hit series NUMB3RS.

We're well aware of the many worthy projects currently seeking vital crowdfunding support, and we'd be hard-pressed to adequately express our gratitude for any contribution made to ours, but we do have some fun rewards to offer as tokens of appreciation. Based on your level of backing, we can reciprocate with a selection of original artwork, high quality frames from the film, digital downloads, signed printed materials, and actual props created exclusively for The Platinum Loop. Perhaps the most valuable perk we can offer is a warm invitation to join our project in these early stages and share in its realization. No film ever truly exists without an engaged audience, and we'd love for you to have front row seats as we bring this one to life.

 

We’re making this film because we love the material, first and foremost. The Platinum Loop is a movie we’d gladly pay to see in a theater, even if we already knew how the story ends. (And, trust us, the ending is a doozy.) You’d be correct in calling this project a labor of love, but love alone isn’t enough to get it made.

Shooting in Los Angeles offers the benefit of access to a wealth of great talent, but certain hard costs present challenges to low-budget filmmakers. We learned as much last year when we raised three grand to shoot a 5-minute scene at Cindy’s Diner in Eagle Rock. For that initial shoot, we considered the option of using a sound stage, but opted in favor of a genuine vintage diner to create a credible look at lost Las Vegas.

Click Here To Watch The Diner Scene

That was a hugely rewarding experience, not only bringing us in touch with two wonderful actors for our lead roles, but also proving the worth of proceeding with a full feature based on the book.

But we intend to do more than produce a compelling film. We intend to build a community that joins our endeavor every step of the way. Our approach is to invite you aboard as an active participant in the project’s development, offering an up-close level of involvement few films allow to anyone outside the core production unit. This is the second in a series of crowdfunding campaigns we are launching to fund the project brick by brick. Participants will experience the film’s development in real time... from the earliest stages of casting and location scouting all the way to opening night festivities. We hope you’ll choose to take this journey with us.

It’s time to move forward and continue telling our story. We can’t do that without you. Whether you love Marilyn, classic Hollywood, old school Vegas, gritty crime thrillers or the simple pleasure of seeing a good story well told, we are incredibly grateful for your support.

 

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