This blog is another behind the scenes update on our “Working Title” motion picture. A lot of things have happened since my last entry, but the most significant is the creation of a new company based in Orlando, Florida. Why Orlando you ask?
A year ago, I was frustrated with the story because it had great family value, but little cinematic value. Those of you who know me well understand that I need the film to be cinematic and entertaining. I can’t stand making films that bore me. So, I called an emergency face-to-face meeting with my co-producer and co-writer.
We decided that the Disney Village would be a great place to meet, so we all took our choice forms of transportation and connected for a long weekend at the Best Western in room 314. That weekend we used 3X5 cards to board the key elements on the wall in order to find holes in the story, pacing problems, and further develop the cinematic values. And yes, we moved the furniture and cancelled the maid service.
In the weeks following, we continually referenced BW314 and decided to name the company after the location. And, since Universal Studios in Orlando was interested in discounting their soundstages for us, we thought about locating the company there. After much deliberation, we actually named the company after the film title, but we did locate our offices in Orlando.
Oh, don’t worry about this Chicago boy traveling to Orlando – I can handle it. In fact, during our long weekend of hammering out the script issues, I lived through my first hurricane. It was a once in a lifetime experience. I never knew that palm trees could bend so far over without snapping. Nor did I realize how much rain could fall in a matter of minutes, blocking my view of anything three feet away.
The funniest part was watching my producer. He’s a well-built, middle-aged Italian with a heavy five o’clock shadow and jet black ponytail. While I was staring out the window wondering if anything was going to fly through the air and smash into the room, he was all giddy and goofing around with the writer. They were both excited about the twist in the plot we had structured just prior to me running to the windows to watch the hurricane.
So, as of today the company is operational and the first investment will be deposited into the business checking account on Tuesday. I’ll be telling you more about the company and its name in the coming weeks, but we have to keep quiet about certain things for a bit longer.
You see, when we first developed the intellectual property, we wanted to create a great story that fit just about any genre. We researched box office averages and selected the genre that would be seen by the most people, based on box office gross. I’ve listed the average gross for independent films by genre below:
Christian $ 3MM
Romantic Drama $ 5MM
Drama $10MM
Horror $12MM
Controversial $16MM
Based on the research, we wrote our story for the Controversial genre. It will give us the greatest opportunity to reach more people than most independent films, while giving our investors a great return on their money. The only difficulty we face with this selection is being careful about how much of the controversy gets out before the film.
But again, I’ve promised my readers little nuggets along the way. So here you go…
Due to the script’s controversial elements, we had the first draft read by a non-denominational para church organization. We also had it read by an atheist who openly opposes denominations. Neither wanted to see the film made, as it was “too real” and in their words would “force the audience to consider where they stand” on an ancient issue that’s been unsuccessfully argued for over 2,000 years.
Our team refuses to back off of the controversial genre because we are convinced that when people actually consider the truth, they will embrace it. We want to see our audience take a stand in their own lives and in their communities for what is tried and true.
CJ's Corner 