Promo Packet Assembly Rough

OUT OF THE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction……………………………..
2

Excerpt from the
script…………………3

Synopsis….
………………………………4
Logline……….……………….……….

…5
Business Plan…………….…………..

….5
Development Strategy…….………….

…7

THE INITIATIVE PRODUCTION COMPANY

INTRODUCTION

Out of the Woods is the

second feature film from the
Initiative Production Company.

The Initiative Production
Company is a collective of
creative individuals from
around the globe. Its core
team is based in Brisbane,
Australia where it has
successfully produced award
winning short films,
documentaries, and its first
feature film called The
Umbrella.

In this debut feature film, the the new film from The filled with action. While the
Initiative was able to bring Initiative family, Out of the heart of the story includes
together an incredible cast Woods. family drama that will be sure
and crew to realize the full to grip any audience.
potential of the poignant indie Out of the Woods builds on
film... The Umbrella. We The Initiative’s already strong Join with us as we take the
worked with talent across the flair for drama. This movie plunge with our exciting
globe from the Florida native adds the extra ingredients of sophomore feature, Out of the
musical composer Kyle Cox, suspense and mystery to Woods
to the golden globe award power the page-turning script.
winning sound mixer, Stephen We are capitalizing and
Tibbo. expanding our growing
number of contacts to make
Now the film is celebrating its this film tight, enthralling, and
international distribution
through Heritage HM in
Australia. The next natural
step is to continue creating.
We are so excited to launch

THE INITIATIVE PRODUCTION COMPANY

THE INITIATIVE PRODUCTION COMPANY

“Will must come
face to face with
his true self and
find a new way to

be alive”

SYNOPSIS Will tries his best to remember begins to hide things from
anything from his past that Robyn and she begins to
WILL DENOVAN wakes up in can help him piece together question if they’re truly a
the middle of a vast forest. He how he got in this situation. family.
is dirty. His clothes are muddy He finds a picture of his family
and disheveled. He has two that focus’s his attention on To anyone else, Will’s a huge
scabbed over wounds on his the past… success. Someone who’s
abdomen. He doesn’t know made it, but Will has his own
where he is. He has no ...labouring to survive and secrets...
memory of how he got there. driven to succeed in his life Trying to maintain a high func-
His only desire is to get out of before the woods, Will tries to tioning lifestyle proves too diff-
the woods and back to his make a name for himself as a icult, and an addiction to
family. real estate power broker. prescription medication
Everything’s looking up for becomes out of control.
Will takes refuge in small hun- him as he climbs the
ting cabin as he struggles to competitive corporate ladder. ...With the woods testing all
adapt in his new It is not until Will meets his limits he is forced to re live
surroundings. He begins to ROBYN, that he realises there his spiralling past and
realise the woods are not could be more to life than ultimately conquer his fiercest
what they seem. No matter simply surviving. opponent... Himself. He must
what he tries, the woods will find a new way to survive, or
not let him go. He cannot They marry, but after a few he may never find his way out
escape. years, as any marriage does, of the woods.
the chal-lenges mount up; Will

LOGLINE

Will Denovan has made a living for himself in the business
world by adhering to the principal of “survival of the fittest,”
but when he wakes up in a mysterious wood with no
recollection of how he got there, his survival skills are truly
put to the test.

THE INITIATIVE PRODUCTION COMPANY

Why Out of the
Woods?

The Low Cost

The Initiative Production Company
prides themselves on their ability to
stretch a penny, which is an
American euphemism for being
able to make a little bit of money
go a long way. In this competitive
film market, there are countless
films looking for investors, but few
of them have the low price tag of
Out of the Woods. In fact,
“independent” films are becoming
more and more dependent on
large amounts of finances to pull
off with the average budget being
conservatively estimated at
$750,ooo USD.

This is not at all the case with Out
of the Woods; with the freedom to
shoot in mostly found locations, the
use of in-house equipment, and
with the majority of its crew
donating their sweat equity, the
company is able to keep their costs
down and focus the funds on high
production value and finding world
class actors.

Keeping budgets low and
production value high is the key to
lowering the risk of an independent
film investment. The profits of a
box office hit can be tremendous,
and this is the primary reason that
many investors find independent
film investment an alluring
proposition.

THE INITIATIVE PRODUCTION COMPANY

Film Budget Domestic Gross Foreign Gross
(USA)
Cast Away (2000) $90,000,000 USD $196,000,000 USD
127 Hours (2010) $18,000,000 USD $233,632,142 USD $42,403,567 USD
The Grey (2011) $19,665,101 USD $18,335,230 USD $25,698,095 USD
$51,580,236 USD

Proven Entity Marketable Premise cliched at this point, but it’s
cliched for a reason; it’s a
With the completion of their In terms of story Out of the primal story that resonates
first feature film, The Woods has similar elements with audiences everywhere.
Umbrella, which was as many other recently
produced for less than released dramas with themes We all want to be great and
$50,000 USD as well, The of survival like The Grey make something great of our
Initiative has proven that they (2011) and 127 Hours (2010), lives, and that’s exactly what
are more than capable of as well as the older Robert this film is about. Some of
creating a quality product. Zemeckis film, Cast Away, Western society’s most
which have gone on to be beloved films are about this
Upon completion of the film, financially successful. very thing: It’s a Wonderful
they were able to secure a Life (1946) and The Godfather
distribution deal with the Additionally, Out of the Woods (1972) are two prime
Queensland distribution deals with family dynamics examples of this theme of the
company, Heritage HM. and the complexity of wanting tension of wanting both a
to have a successful career successful family and a
and a successful family in this successful career.
modern age. It’s almost

THE INITIATIVE PRODUCTION COMPANY

We Believe in Story the rise of performance himself. This is not only
enhancement drugs in the speaks to the nature of
Thinking outside of merely the average workplace. addiction and isolationism, but
financial aspect of to our culture that as a whole,
filmmaking, we believe that Dr. Peter Holland, a Senior celebrates personal
film and story has the Lecturer in Human Resource achievement above all.
potential to shape and change Management and Employee Passion is an overlooked
culture. We want to tell stories Relations at Monash commodity in the film industry,
that are relevant and matter, University, says in his 2005 but this is something The
and Out of the Woods is both. study, “Increased stress, job Initiative has in spades.
insecurity [in Australia] has
When thinking of what our combined with longer and Not only are we passionate
next feature film should be, more intensive work duration about the filmmaking process,
we took a hard look at our to become the norm in the but we are passionate about
culture, at ourselves, and white-collar workplace the story of this film. We
friends and family and came providing fertile ground for the believe that it’s timely and
to a conclusion; we are, on a development of a drug relevant, and can’t wait to see
whole, an exhausted group of culture.” how the story affects the
people. We put so much audience and provokes
pressure on ourselves to be Taking all of this into account, needed discussion on
great and to matter, and often the director of the film and sensitive issues.
at the expense of our creative director of The
personal relationships. Initiative, Jason Solari, Why Brisbane?
thought of this beautiful
How did we get to the point as allegory of a man lost in the As the state capital of
a culture, we wondered. woods, trying to survive on his Queensland, Australia,
Whatever the reason for it, it own and make his own way. Brisbane is a very promising
has led to a rise in substance He feels trapped and isolated, location for feature film
use and abuse in the blaming the mechanism of his productions - both as a
workplace; from something as isolation, the woods, for his residence for film
innocuous as coffee, to terrible plight. However, in the companies, but especially
something as dangerous as end he learns the only thing in terms of filming locations.
cocaine. This also includes keeping him in the woods was

THE INITIATIVE PRODUCTION COMPANY

Production Type Year Areas featured
Unbroken Feature Film
San Andreas Feature Film 2014 Fort Lytton National Park

The Railway Man Feature Film 2013 CBD, Archerfield and
Secret and Lies TV series Ascot
The Strange Calls TV series
Terra Nova TV series 2013 Fort Lytton National Park
Daybreakers Feature Film
2013 Ashgrove
K9 TV series
2012 Toombul Shire Hall
Fool’s Gold Feature Film
Swimming Upstream Feature Film 2010 Treasury Lane, Brisbane
Inspector Gadget 2 Video
2009 Riparian Plaza, Eagle
He Dies With a Felafel in Feature Film street, Brisbane
his Hand
2009 Locations around the
Jackie Chan’s First Feature Film city; set built in a South
Strike Bank warehouse

2008 City Botanic Gardens

2003 Spring Hill Baths

2003 Kangaroo Point, South
Bank, University of
Queensland, William
Jolly Bridge

2001 Annerley

1996 Chinatown Mall,
Fortitude Valley

Brisbane has just recently like they are set in San throughout the year, ideal for
been voted the 8th most Fransisco or the Bahamas for film shoots and transportation.
beautiful city in the world by example.
Rough Guides, “Australia’s Beside the beauty and variety
Happiest City“ by Lonely As the state capital, Brisbane of locations, Brisbane also
Planet and it’s on “The has a growing number of provides public bathrooms,
Guardian’s list of 2015 young artists and a high free drinking water fountains
Holiday Spots” because of “its number of talents for film and many opportunities for
winning combination of high- production as well as acting. parking, accommodation and
rise modern architecture, lush The infrastructure is very well catering for crew and cast
green spaces and the developed and safe which members. Brisbane is
enormous Brisbane River that makes even further out considered a safe city by
snakes its way through the locations easily accessible for world standards with a low
centre before emptying itself production vehicles. With crime rate. It has also been
into the azure Moreton Bay”. Queensland being known as host to a number of film
With many unique the “Sunshine State“ of productions in the past and
characteristics this city is the Australia, the weather is the City Council is open and
perfect backdrop to tell stories stable and consistently good supportive towards film
of very different kinds, looking productions.

THE INITIATIVE PRODUCTION COMPANY

BUSINESS PLAN

The film industry is changing;
twenty years ago the studios
almost exclusively controlled
the commercial industry. Now
with the popularisation of
social media, and
affordable, high quality film
equipment independent film is
on the rise.

The studio system is still
successful, but just as many
of the artistically relevant,
critically celebrated, and
commercially successful films
are being created
independently of that system.

They are doing all of this on a Vimeo on demand series, also generates buzz and
significantly smaller budget, Con-Man. anticipation for the film.
which highly increases the People have an in-built
potential for large profit. We utilised this platform interest and investment in the
successfully for our first project when they’ve given
Our goal is to keep costs low feature, The Umbrella. money to it, even if it’s a small
and production value high. donation.
While we aren’t looking to
We want to deliver a high raise our entire $50,000 It becomes something they
quality product for the fraction budget for The Out of the personally helped create.
of the cost, depending on a Woods Project through an
mixture of crowdfunding and online platform, we are still As a result, they’re going to
crowdsourcing as well as an planning to utilise it for a be sure to watch for it and
investment scheme. portion of the funds. We are keep up to date with the
particularly hoping to use production.
Crowdfunding these online platforms for
Crowdfunding is a recent donations under $5,000.
phenomenon that has been
popularised by crowdfunding Not only does doing this help
platforms such as Kickstarter us raise funds for our film, it
and Indiegogo, and
legitimised by crowdfunded
projects such as the Veronica
Mars feature film and the

THE INITIATIVE PRODUCTION COMPANY

Crowdsourcing without paying to use any of Woods Project LLC, and the
Crowdsourcing is utilising our filming locations. amount of shares offered is
found resources, such as subject to individual
finding free filming locations Our Investment Strategy negotiations, depending on
and props, as well as asking We are currently planning on the timing and circumstances
for the crew to donate their filming The Out of the Woods of the specific investment
time or “sweat equity” to the Project for a budget of situation. It is the
production. $50,000 AUD. In order to shareholders who will be
entitled to all profits to the
This was how The Umbrella raise the funds we’re looking film, secondary to any debt
was produced. We had over for investors. This would financing payments (such as
30 full-time volunteers, who include anyone who gives an the 115% for our investors
helped prep and shoot the amount of $5,000 or greater. returns) and less accounting
entire film. Our production Each investor will have a and operational expenses.
company has built up a great 115% return from the film’s
rapport with many local revenue, as well as the option Long Term-Goals
businesses, which enabled to own shares in The Out of We hope to be a part of
us to film most of the feature the Woods Project itself. creating a thriving film
There will be 50 shares industry in the Queensland
offered for The Out of the area. By filming The Out of
the Woods Project in the
greater Brisbane area, we will
activate local filmmakers and
actors, as well as involve local
businesses and the local
community. The marketing,
distribution and exhibition of
the film will bring further
awareness of the potential of
Queensland as a location to
produce feature films.

Secondly, we desire to
develop young, up-and-
coming filmmakers in their
craft. Graduates of our film
and acting programs will have
the opportunity to get hands-
on experience through their
involvement in the production
of the feature. We will be
running an internship program
for young filmmakers along
side of the production of
this film.

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THE INITIATIVE PRODUCTION COMPANY

THE INITIATIVE PRODUCTION COMPANY

THE INITIATIVE PRODUCTION COMPANY

Jason Solari Jason has been working in the
Director/Writer/ entertainment industry for more than 10
years, starting out in radio. He started

working in film in 2005, leading a film

education program the following year. In 2007 he worked on his first

feature film, The Seeker: The Dark is Rising; a full budget film with

Fox Studios and Walden Media. Since then, he has been directing

shorts, winning best director for his short Life on the Road. In 2015,

he completed his first feature film as both director and producer, The

Umbrella, which received international distribution.

Charis Joy Charis began her film career in 2005

Jackson when she was pursuing a career in acting.
Now her focus has shifted to the

production side of filmmaking, having

produced, written, and directed several short films. Charis has

crewed several independent feature films, such as Relapse, The

Land of Eb, and most recently The Umbrella with The Initiative. This

is her first feature film as a producer.

Josh Josh has been involved in film since 2005
Harmsworth working on various short film projects in
Director of differing crew positions, and in 2007 he
joined the crew of his first feature film,

The Seeker: The Dark is Rising with Fox

Studios and Walden Media. Josh has since gone on to work as DOP

on the indie features, The Land of Eb, The Umbrella, and Midori in

Hawaii.

Brenden Bell Brenden joined with The Initiative in 2011
Writer as an intern; working on several short
films with them and producing, writing

and directing a few of his own. He was

part of the production team on The Umbrella. This is his first

feature film as a writer.

THE INITIATIVE PRODUCTION COMPANY

CURRENT
PRODUCTION

Using the studio system, a film like
Out of the Woods would cost around
$50 million. With the increase of
availability and quality of high
definition cameras, an independent
film-maker can make a film of this
nature for less than a tenth of that.
Through crowd-sourcing or even a
deferred payment scheme, this film
can be made with seed money of
approx. $90 thou-sand. There is a
more detailed budget breakdown on
the following pages.

Even though the filmmakers may not
receive any money for this project,
they do get experience and a screen
credit, both of which are needed to
make a break in this business. It can
open doors and introduce people to
other industry professionals.
This film, and subsequently future
films we plan to make using this
model, become a spring board for
aspiring film-makers, giving them
skills needed for their own projects.

We will begin principle photography
early 2016 and film for five weeks,
with one additional week set aside for
re-shoots and pick-up shots. From
there we will go straight into fifteen
weeks of post production.

THE INITIATIVE PRODUCTION COMPANY

PROJECT
RISKS/ISSUES

Risk: Funding
While this is a very low budget film,
there is money needed for basic
requirements: materials such as
additional cameras, further sound
equipment, props, wardrobe and
other technical gear, as well as pay
for actors and more specialised
crew positions such as sound
editor and composer. The Initiative
already owns a large amount of
equipment used for our film
training courses, all of which is fully
covered under our insurance.

As a result, we wouldn’t need to
rent large amounts of equipment
for our film shoot. This is of course,
a major way the The Initiative
hopes to help keep the budget of
the film low. The largest concerns
would normally be money for pay
checks and catering. Since all of
our crew are volunteers and will be
paying for their own food and
accommodation, any concerns for
paying weekly salaries are gone,
except some of the major cast
members.

THE INITIATIVE PRODUCTION COMPANY

Film Budget Domestic Gross Foreign Gross
(USA) $3,509,515 USD
It Follows (2014) $2,000,000 USD
(estimated) $14,674,076 USD

Boyhood (2014) $4,000,000 USD $25,352,281 USD $19,143,000 USD
$12,795,746 USD $8,312,000 USD
B e a s t s o f t h e $1,800,000 USD
S o u t h e r n W i l d (estimated)

(2012)

Safety N o t $750,000 USD $4,010,957 USD $413,742 USD

Guaranteed (2012) (estimated)

Another Earth (2011) $100,000 USD $1,321,194 USD $455,741 USD
(estimated) $9,706,328 USD $2,649,406 USD

B l u e V a l e n t i n e $1,000,000 USD
(2010)

Paranormal Activity $15,000 USD $101,918,810 USD $85,436,990 USD
(2007)

In terms of promotion we Investing in independent filmmakers. This is not only
have been successfully films was once difficult and in attracting people to the
utilising social media a risk for investors. Thanks project, but in finding an
platforms such as to the break out success of audience for the film as
Facebook, Instagram, films in the past such as well.
Twitter and Youtube and The Blair Witch Project,
plans to use it for The Out and the more recent Thankfully, most of the crew
of the Woods Project as success of some of the are graduates of the
well. films listed above, this risk production company’s
has been decreased. training program; there is a
The last couple of years Therefore, we believe The built in loyalty and trust.
have shown that Out of the Woods Project
independent films, even has great potential to be as Also, though there are film
with micro budgets have successful. projects happening in
made their way up to the Brisbane, there aren’t many
Hollywood standard level. Risk: Competition features filming on a
above there is a list of All aspects of the film regular basis. With feature
independent productions industry are highly film work scarce, actors
with a budget close to $1 competitive. The Initiative and crew in Queensland
Mil. that made it to the big faces competition from the flock to the idea of being
screen. major studios as well as a part of a feature film.
from fellow independent

THE INITIATIVE PRODUCTION COMPANY

As for competition with other films, most
of this is minimised by our promised
distribution with Queensland distributor
Heritage HM.

Risk: Dependence on Production Team
The Initiative’s success will be largely
dependent upon the personal efforts of
the members of its company, in particular
our creative director, Jason Solari. The
loss of the services of any of these
professionals will have a material adverse
effect on the film project. If any one of
these individuals should become
incapacitated or otherwise unavailable, a
qualified successor will be engaged.
There can be no guarantee that such a
qualified successor could be obtained, or
if obtained, on the same terms and
conditions.

Risk: Insufficient crew
While most of the key positions have
already been filled, there are still lower
positions that need crew and cast. If these
aren't filled, it could put pressure on the
existing crew. This added pressure could
cause further stress and make them less
likely to dedicate five weeks to the
production.

The principle risk associated with this
project would be the inability to complete
due to lack of funds. This is of course
minimised by raising sufficient funds.
Along with this, most of the crew or cast
are taking pay, or they’re willing to defer
payment.

THE INITIATIVE PRODUCTION COMPANY

MARKETING

STRATEGY

Target Audience is like everyone in this The plan is to fully utilise
This film is primarily targeted demographic; struggling to social marketing, updating
towards 18-45 year old find his place in the world, The Initiative’s Facebook
educated professionals from juggling his career ambitions page, Twitter, Instagram, etc,
the western world with with his newly formed family. as well as creating videos to
disposable income, share about the film itself. We
particularly those who are The Plan want to gain online
starting a family. Using outlets such as momentum for this project
Facebook, Instagram and before it even films; in a
According to the MPAA’s 2013 other social media platforms sense building an audience
Theatrical Market Statistics, The Initiative impacts not only for the film. Our Facebook
the largest demographic that the youth, but multiple page already has close to five
go to films are in the 25-39 generations. There are over thousand likes, as well as
age range. These are the 1.32 billion active users on growing followings on
people going to see films and Facebook alone, with 86 Instagram and Twitter.
The Initiative's aim is for our million of those within the
film to appeal to this film’s target audience, social As the film is closer to
demographic. media is becoming more and completion, we would hand
more the place to spread the over the marketing burden to
The Story word. Unlike television and our distribution company or a
The story itself centres around radio, the marketing is free; marketing firm.
a young man in his late 20’s/ it’s free to create an account
early 30’s mirroring the age of on just about every single
the film’s target audience. The social network platform with
main character, Will Denovan, any popularity.

THE INITIATIVE PRODUCTION COMPANY

DISTRIBUTION P&A funds held by the include an M&E (Music and
STRATEGY company can assist in the Effects) edit of the film as
Domestic Distribution negotiation process, as well. This is a form of the
The Company has a strong, percentage deals with the edit where the music and
existing relationship with a distribution companies rise effects are spilt from the
distribution company; we significantly when the dialogue so the film can be
already have a promise for distribution company is not dubbed into a foreign
both domestic and providing the P&A budget. language without taking
international distribution for away from the rest of the
The Out of the Woods Heritage HM picked up our original film soundtrack.
Project. We are also first feature film, The Doing this can open up a
planning on having a P&A Umbrella, broadcasting it wide variety of foreign
(Print & Ads) budget, on television nationwide in markets and sales.
resulting in high probability Australia, as well as
of a theatrical release for securing VOD distribution Our promised distributor,
the film. This is because on iTunes in Australia and Heritage HM, has a broad
New Zealand and similar scope and sells in a variety
platforms. of markets including
Cannes (France)(MipCom
International Distribution & MipTV), the AFM (Los
Internationally, we are Angeles, USA), the NRB
planning in our budget to (Nashville, USA), the EFM
(Berlin), and Hong Kong
International Film & TV
Market. These are the
markets The Umbrella was
exposed to, finding interest
in several foreign markets
including Turkey.

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THE INITIATIVE PRODUCTION COMPANY