Invest in Murder Rap feature film

Overview & Tone 

An inspiring teen film director leads a group of nine talented high schoolers in the “Golden area of hip hop 90’s in New Orleans, Louisiana, to a cursed mansion to create a music video to submit to a YO MTV RAPS contest to be discovered.

The catch, they must overcome their bad habits which uniquely match the 9 deadly sins to escape. Each room is another level of hell. Selfishly, he records the trails as a cinematic music video. Pulling himself deeper in, setting himself up for the ultimate sin of them all. Stopping at nothing, to get the the video done to submit the next day.

The Theme/ message

Many people find it hard to break habits. Especially bad habits. Especially when those habits are formed as a survival by product or tied to an artist and their talent or dream.

Almost like an addict trying to kick his/her addiction. This story shows each level in a modern way common to many teens and young adults face today. Although the film is plot is fantasy, it quickly turns into reality after he escapes as the sole survivor with the tape in his hand, cops surround from being called there by nearby neighbors.

He is killed by being mistaking of holding a weapon. The tape is confiscated and could either be used as evidence or submitted and he is praised, either way he won’t be there to enjoy the fruits of his labor, because of his bad karma and the reality.

A secondary theme is the power of the tongue.

Comparables 

In talk talents (so far)

A Close up of the Director, and his short film's DP and Editor.

Writer, director, Lead 

The above are trailers of my first two short films.

In talks Lead and senior editor 

In talks Director of photography

This strong and diverse team is expanding and accompanied by MovieMaker magazine's outstanding production Serivces program, our team will be the best of the best to make the best film possible. Many of which have years of work in the industry and almost all of them have been funded for their own projects and in talks with well known distribution companies. 

Why invest?

Louisiana's Motion Picture Production Program

statutorily known as Motion Picture Production Tax Credit, provides motion picture productions up to a 40% tax credit on total qualified in-state production expenditures, including resident and non-resident labor. For productions that opt to do VFX in Louisiana, there is also an additional 5% credit on the VFX spend if at least 50% of the VFX budget is expended for services performed in Louisiana by an approved QEC, or a minimum of $1 million in qualified VFX expenditures are made in Louisiana.

$50,000 minimum in-state expenditure requirement for Louisiana screenplay productions. $300,000 minimum in-state expenditure requirement on all other eligible productions.

The maximum amount of credits that can be issued is $150 million per fiscal year. The maximum amount of credits that can be claimed is $180 million per fiscal year.

Tax credits may be used to offset personal or corporate income tax liability in Louisiana.

Tax credits may be transferred back to the State for 90% of face value (requires a 2% transfer fee which results in an 88% net).

15% Louisiana resident payroll credit: Compensation for services paid directly to a Louisiana resident shall be eligible for a 15% payroll tax credit on the qualified Louisiana payroll only. Payments made to a loan-out company are not eligible for this credit.

10% increase for Louisiana screenplay productions (if production is based on a screenplay created by a Louisiana resident with expenditures greater than $50,000 but no greater than $5 million) the screenplay writer (Mark D. Bonner) qualifies as a Lousiana resident and was written to be produced in Lousiana.

5% increase for out of NOLA zone filming (if production’s office base and at least 60% of principal photography occurs outside of the New Orleans Metropolitan Statistical Area)

Our second reason on why you should invest is our comprehensive partnership with:

 MovieMaker Production Services has helped hundreds of productions get deals, make connections, publicize their films, and save tens of thousands of dollars.

How does the program work?

A producer of our film invests at least $10K into the program. MovieMaker Production Services then doubles the value of that investment for almost anything that’s needed to get the movie to market — editing, visual effects, DCP, color correction, publicity, you name it. Your $10K gets you $20K in services, $15K gets you $30K, $25K gets you $50K. Double means double. 

Ideal budget range for films is $100K to $2 million.

Once your film is complete, MovieMaker Production Services will help promote the film through MovieMaker Magazine, MovieMaker.com, and our social channels. We’ll make sure your film gets the attention it deserves.

Conclusion

Not only is this story a unique twist on the genre itself, Even during the pandemic, horror movies remain one of the most profitable genres at the box office. In fact, in 2020 during the pandemic’s peak, all genres performances dampened except for horror. The horror genre has remained a consistent money-maker for studios throughout the pandemic. It is by far the most profitable not just in America, but world-wide.. Horror films essentially offer a socially-sanctioned outlet for you to express your anxiety, and in 2021 that outlet is needed more than ever.

Horror fiction provides a sort of cognitive simulation in which people can engage with frightening phenomena in a safe setting. In the cognitive playground of fictional horror, people can learn what different types of scary situations look and feel like. Through engaging with the fictional world, people can practice emotional and behavioral strategies that might generalize to other kinds of stressful or fearful situations. Though this has not been directly tested, some evidence suggests that it might be occurring.

References

Box office history for horror. the-numbers.com (2021).

Gifford, B.E. The psychology behind watching post-apocalyptic films during a pandemic. Happiful.com (2020).

nautil.us - why-horror-films-are-more-popular-than-ever

louisianaentertainment.gov

https://www.moviemaker.com/mmps/amp/

Potential production partners

Budget 

In our current phase of funding we are breaking it up, from above the line to producing to post production and below the line. our estimated budget in this phase is below.

Marketing and Distribution 

Distribution Strategy

We will create targeted marketing campaigns online with Facebook, Instagram and YouTube ads towards people who are enthusiastic fans of Horror, thriller, people of color films. I will also implement a strategy I have used to help my debut film’s post go viral on Facebook. We will also Utilize influencer marketing and focus on branding the movie to reach a wider audience.

A more detailed distribution and marketing plan will be presented at the time the film and its assets are complete in order to better cater towards the trending events during that time.

Market Analysis

We have researched successful films with similar genres and budgets as Murder Rap. The landscape for independent filmmakers is changing and more films are being produced for lower budgets. It is no longer uncommon to see big Hollywood talent in films made for under one million dollars, and in some cases no name talent at all. If a film is made for the right amount, it has a positive chance in the marketplace to be a financial success. Most financial failures in the film world are caused by inflated budgets.

A second stream of revenue is to turn this into a animated comic book.

Guaranteed distribution

Glass house distribution is a member of the independent film & Television alliance. 

Glass House Distribution is an international distribution company specializing in feature films and television. This company was started by filmmakers who know what filmmakers go through in making a good quality film and the hardships of seeking distribution.

Founded in September of 2015, Glass House has grown from a small suite at AFM to attending all major markets each year including the EFM and the Marché du Film in Cannes. The simple guiding motto of “Full Transparency,” (hence the Glass House), as well as a high bar for quality movies has set Glass House on a course to be one of the future leading sales companies and has already generated buzz as one of the upcoming sales agencies.

Glass House maintains a presence at the AFM, the EFM (Berlin), MIPCOM, Toronto, and the Marché Du Film in Cannes, where each film is sold directly to buyers… relationships that have been built many years prior to forming the company, when each of the Glass House reps were filmmakers attending markets.

On the distribution side, recently, Glass House’s original series Dropping the Soap won an Emmy for Star Jane Lynch, for Best Actress in a web series or comedy.

They are also associated with Blood house films, which focuses on horror films.

I have already made history in my hometown, please join me in making history again, except this time, across the nation. 

- Mark D. Bonner