Seeking Producer
II am interested in either co-producing this project with another producer or open to straight script sale/option, depending on budget.
Themes
There is a period in post high-school/college dating where most women find themselves blind-sided as they discover how disposable they are to most partners regardless of chemistry. It is not only the creeps in bars or the frat boys they are warned of, but the majority of men who they meet and fall in love with-the regular "nice" guys. Because they are groomed as young girls to believe they must find a partner early in life-with as few sexual partners as possible-or they won't find one at all, their 20's are often filled with a frantic search for "the one" before hitting the "dreaded age of 30." Meanwhile, their male peers-often encouraged by society- see it as a time to "play the field"-even with those they don't any romantic feelings for- usually unbeknownst to those partners until it is too late. The struggle to separate love and sex as easily as their lover so they can be happy with settling for only the physical part of a relationship their partner is willing to offer is often difficult. The physical drug-like addiction makes it difficult to let go even when it makes sense to. The lesson our female protagonist learns is if she can't find a partner who reciprocates her feelings she must be willing to walk away from dead-end relationships and pursue other passions in life so she may still find joy in life without love, while not giving up hope of finding success in both love and career .
Recognizing that heterosexual relationships are not the only ones that have complications during this time of our lives, it is also a time where others begin to question their own sexuality and relationships. For some it's simply a short period of experimentation, for others it is a coming to terms with who they really are and putting their past in the past.
The similarities of drug and love addiction, and how most people have their own "addiction" whether it be drugs, alcohol, love, sex, sports, etc.
As a story about show business, it also has subtle dark comedy nods to the industry; lack of opportunity for females, esp. after a certain age (Coincidentally the same "dateable" age women are often assigned) and the poverty that often accompanies a life dedicated to show business. But it also showcases how performers help bring out the best in each other to put on a quality show.
The lessons learned in show business often translate into real life lessons
Big corporations, rising rents and their effects on small businesses-
as mostly a group of twenty-somethings who still have a lot to learn about life, they are almost clueless to the bigger picture outside their small world until they lose it. Thankfully, with the friendships built and lessons learned during this period in their lives, we are left hopeful for each of their futures both romantically and professionally.
ScareActor has a unique filmmaking opportunity of merging a coming-of-age story with just enough jump scares to pay tribute to the inspiration of the story; the setting. Creative direction can acccomplish both a layered storyline while allowing audiences to experience frightfully fun moments- so they get to experience the setting as both an outsider and an insider. While most horror tends to have it's own niche in film industry, ScareActor has a storyline that would appeal to a mainstream audience in addition to the niche haunt/horror fans potentially drastically increasing it's marketability.
Seeking Producer/Literary Agent
Movies in similar vein as ScareActor
Adventureland (2009) written & directed by Greg Mottola U.S. Budget: $9.9mm Gross $17mm Miramax
Waiting (2005) written & directed by Rob McKittrick U.S. Budget $3mm Gross $16mm Eden Rock Media/Lions Gate
Dazed and Confused (1993) written & directed by Richard Linklater Budget $6.9 mm, U.S. gross $8mm Gramercy Pictures
Lady Bird (2017) written and directed by Greta Gerwig Budget $10mm, U.S. Gross $32mm Scott Rudin Productions
American Beauty (1999) written by Alan Ball, directed by Sam Mendez. Budget $15mm, U.S. Gross $130mm Worldwide gross $226mm Dreamworks
Warm Bodies (2013) Written by Isaac Marion/Jonathan Levine, directed by Jonathan Levine Budget $35mm, U.S. gross $66mm Worldwide Gross $117mm Summit Entertainment