PRODUCTION SCHEDULEWe will be filming from 10/7 to 11/7 in Newport, RI and Upstate New York. Post production is slated to begin later that week (November 10th). Our team will be editing the film in 8 weeks to hit the January 5th Tribeca Film Festival deadline. The rest of 2023 will be spent in the festival circuit (we'll submit the film to Cannes, Raindance, SXSW, Austin, and others over the course of the year). The film's release date will be announced publicly in early 2025 and be slated for that year. Distribution is already secured via Dark Passage Films, which will use its relationship with AMC to put the film in theaters before going to VOD, DVD, Blu-Ray. We'll utilize our sales agents in pitching the film to NetFlix, Hulu, and foreign markets.
DISTRIBUTION PLANDark Passage Films will handle the release, marketing, press, and festival circuit. The company has plan B distribution in place, which will kick in unless a significant offer is received from a larger film distributor (in the realm of A24 or Neon) during the film's festival circuit. The company, which has a relationship with AMC theaters, handled the theatrical and VOD release of Morgan's previous film,
Pickings, which had its
red carpet premiere at the AMC Loews in New York City's Lincoln Square. The company is willing to commit an extra $50K in P&A (Prints and advertising) as well as fund the film's limited theatrical release in 2024, if need be.
FINANCIALS
Investors will recoup 125% of their investment before any profits are distributed. After that point, all of the net profits will be split on a 50/50 basis, with 50% being distributed to the investors on a pro rata basis and the remaining 50% going to the producing entity.
TAX DEDUCTIONSection 168(k) Deduction under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) allows investors to take a 100% tax deduction for the feature film or television series in the first year of distribution in the United States and if the film qualifies under the original qualification standards of Section 168(k).
REVENUE PROJECTIONS
For revenue projections, financial plans, a budget breakdown, and additional information - please contact us.
CREDITAs a primary investor in the film, you will receive an "Executive Producer", single title credit during the film's opening sequence and your company will receive a logo placement before the film's opening sequence. In addition, you will receive tickets to the film's red carpet premiere, gain access to the set and be a part of making a feature film.
WHY ONLY $350KYou're probably asking yourself, why only $350,000? that's not a lot of money to make a film. Will this film look and feel like a low budget flick? or will it have all the bells and whistles of a Hollywood blockbuster? Well, to answer your question - our production company (Dark Passage Films) will be providing the production with $60K worth of gear at absolutely no additional cost. We'll be filming this feature on high-end RED Cinema Cameras (The Red Gemini), and have access to Gimbals, dollys, lights and other gear at no cost. In addition, most of the film will take place within a single location (A historical Rhode Island mansion), which saves a LOT of money. The location is not only gorgeous, but will save us over $100K in production design, dressing and labor, since most of its interior is true to the period (1886). Our previous films speak for themselves, we know how to make movies look more expensive than they actually are.
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THE TEAM
Usher Morgan
Writer, Director, Producer
www.ushermorgan.com
Usher Morgan is an award-winning screenwriter, film director, and producer residing in New York City. In 2014, Morgan entered production on his first narrative short film,
Prego. The film gained national recognition and received positive reviews across the board. In total the film received six wins and thirteen nominations. It also amassed a cult following and over 1.5m views on YouTube, as well as it being translated into five languages. Morgan's first feature film,
Pickings was released to wide acclaim and received a limited theatrical release via AMC Independent in March of 2018. The film was released to favorable reviews, it won six awards and eleven nominations and currently has an 80% positive score on Rotten Tomatoes. In total, Morgan wrote, directed, and produced nine short films and one feature film.
The Thing with Feathers will be his second directorial effort alongside his creative partner, Katie Vincent. The Los Angeles Times calls Usher Morgan, "a talent to watch". The 405 listed "Pickings" in its "Top 18 films of 2018" list.
Katie Vincent
Writer, Director, Producer
www.katievincent.com
Katie Vincent is a multi-faceted creative based in New York City. She is an award-winning actress, screenwriter, film director, producer and singer / songwriter. She received her BFA in Drama from Tisch NYU and has appeared in theatrical works across the region including Columbia University’s MFA Drama Program, Playhouse On Park, and the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, among others. Over the course of the last five years, Katie has appeared in seven feature films, as well as ten short film projects, as a lead and/or supporting role. She was co-producer and co-writer on the theatrically-released feature film,
Pickings. As a result, she has been featured and praised in various magazines and periodicals for her work. Highlights include: Urban Update, Elmore Magazine and Vents Magazine. Katie has also received acting accolades from festivals and magazines such as the LA Times, The 405, UK Film Review, and One Film Fan, among others. In 2019, Vincent wrote, directed, and produced her debut short film,
Windblown, which has gone on to win awards in various categories such as “Best Short Film”, “Best Directing”, and “Best Actress”. The film concluded its festival tour with over a dozen awards and more than 20 nominations including a “Finalist” status at the prestigious Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival.
Mike McGuirkProducer
Michael McGuirk is a producer, AD and director, known for his work on Ted, Ted 2, John Wick, Irrational Man, Boardwalk Empire and Gossip Girl. McGuirk works on various productions, ranging from gorilla-style shoots to studio features meeting the needs of partners around the world. Many of the projects and feature films he produces are social impact oriented with the goal of improving our world and understanding of one another.
Pat McCorkleCasting Director
With strong roots in theater and in directing, a flair for the unexpected, and tireless perseverance, Pat McCorkle, founder and president of McCorkle Casting Ltd., is well known as one of the top casting directors in New York. Raised in central New Jersey, McCorkle began working in theater during high school. After graduating from Douglass College with a B.A. in theater, she went on to New York University to earn a graduate degree in theater education, with a focus on directing. In 1974, after a brief stint teaching high school English and working as a stage manager in summer stock theater, she was invited by Alan Wasser to join New York's legendary Broadway theater, The Circle in the Square. Working first as subscription manager, and then as an assistant to the artistic director, McCorkle found herself drawn to casting and began work as a casting assistant. In 1976, she moved to TCG (Theater Communication Group), a non-profit casting clearing house for theaters around the country. During her tenure there, she ran the National Student Auditions, discovering such future stars as Kelsey Grammer, Harriot Harrison, and Jamey Sheridan. Also during this time, she began working with every major regional theater in the United States and Canada. This allowed her to forge associations and pipelines to new talent which continue to this day, and established her as a new force on the national theater scene. In 1979, she formed McCorkle-Sturtevant Casting Ltd. with partner Roger Sturtevant. In 1982, when Sturtevant left to work in the advertising business, the company name was changed to McCorkle Casting Ltd. With McCorkle's influence in the theater firmly established, she soon branched into film and television, where she again brought the company to the top of the profession. McCorkle Casting has worked with some of the best directors and biggest stars in the entertainment business, and has cast a long list of unknown young actors who have gone on to become household names.