TREATMENT OF UPCOMING PROJECT

RUN AND GUN

Welcome to the exciting and nerve wracking world of low budget, shoe string, independent filmmaking explored though an innovative, reality/ game show television series. Over the course of eight episodes with two additional “premiere events,” and one further concluding episode, Run and Gun goes behind the scenes of this often stressed out process and it’s cast of diverse and ragged characters in a way never done before.

With our cameras rolling, in an Orson Wellsian, slightly larger than life stylized manner, two teams of young filmmakers, one director and his or her producing partner, are escorted through the alleys and corridors of the Big Studio Lot to a darkened Soundstage. There, inside at the far end, dramatically lit, sit the Studio Brass: our host and two other distinguished guests with roots in independent filmmaking. One at a time, each team is brought forward and seated in front of the omnipotent panel to receive their “film assignment, “ the specifics of which are identical for both teams! Each receive the following:

• One Feature Length Script (the exact same for both teams)
• A Digital Camera, Lighting, and Grip kit neatly packed in a Production Vehicle (all sponsored)
• Production Budgeting and Scheduling software (sponsored)
• Editing Equipment (sponsored)
• A Cashiers Check for $50,000 (their budget, which they can not exceed)
• And a 30-day time limit to turn in a fully shot, full-length, completely edited film…Starting Now!

And so it begins…the pressure is on! The clock begins to tick as each team scurries off to remote corners to read the script for the very first time and figure out how to make it work. With the exception of a “weekly briefing” back at the Soundstage with the Brass (where you can be sure the occasional obstacle will be thrown in as well as a few surprises to “shake things up,”) and our camera crews at a safe distance recording everything that happens, the filmmakers are virtually on their own, spending the budget however they choose. Beyond what they are given at the initial assignment briefing, everything else from production offices, to crew, cast, props, wardrobe, locations, food, makeup and special effects are things they must find, create, improvise and budget as they deem necessary to fulfill their vision of the project.

From setting up production offices (most likely where they live) and a creating a shooting schedule, to casting, scouting locations, finding innovative ways to come up with wardrobe, props, make up and special effects to the filming itself and post production process, our behind the scenes cameras will always be rolling as each team is followed over the course of the month, with virtually every moment of their daily lives fair game for our viewing save for the occasional bathroom break!

During their weekly meeting with the Studio Brass, the director, producer and ever evolving cast and crew from each team will be interviewed (taking up precious time of course!) and given mini assignments which might include things like placing a seemingly out of the blue, sponsored product into the film, or working in rewrites that either eliminate a scene or create a new one, integrating a new character with somebody we cast (who might just be a stiff!) or, to their great delight, offering the one day talents and services of a well known and accomplished actor to play a certain role which we’ve previously told them not to cast themselves.

The month long process will be broken up into eight one-hour episodes that follow the filmmaker’s chosen paths to complete the identical film. Each episode will focus on specifics such as how each team has chosen to schedule the film, cast it, create special effects, shoot it (the style), edit it, and select or create music for it. In addition there will be plenty of interviews and those problematic weekly assignments from the Studio Brass. At the conclusion of the eight one hour episodes, with each film completed and literally “delivered” to the Brass, two further “expanded episodes” will take place…each film’s television premiere!

And of course, what’s a game without a WINNER? In a concluding episode with our two distinguished guests from the world of independent film each getting a vote, and our television audience as a whole getting a third vote (via an online mechanism related to the show as well as an 800 number) one team will be awarded the “Golden Gorilla” for Run and Gun filmmaking! Not only will the winning filmmakers receive this coveted statue, they will also get to keep their filmmaking equipment as well as a “larger assignment,” with a larger budget, where the entire process…on a larger scale…might just begin again!