Its' big business!

According to a recent report of the MPAA, film and TV is big business and has a massive impact the US economy. It's surprising there isn't more support of the industry, especially for the independents.

According to the report:

• there are 240,000 jobs in the core business or producing, marketing and manufacturing of movies and TV shows.
• there are 365,000 jobs in related businesses that distribute movies and TV to customers.
• The industry is a major private sector employer supporting 1.9 million jobs and $104 billion in total wages (2011)
• the industry increases the tax base by $16.7 billion

And from the MPAA theatrical statistics report:

• Global box office for all films reached $34.7 billion in 2012, up 6% of 2011. US/Canada sales were $10.8 billion, also up 6% over 2011.
• 2/3 of the world's nearly 130,000 cinemas are now digital.
• Movie admissions for US/Canada hit 1.36 billion, up 6% from 2011.
• The 5 top states by numbers of moviegoers (in order) are CA, TX, NY, FL, IL
• Of the top 25 grossing films of 2012, 19 were PG and PG-13 (our film, MegaBall$, would be a PG-13 rating).

Wow, that's a lotta ziti!

More Coverage ...

We've gotten another piece written about our comedy film, MegaBall$, on IndieSonar.

We've also gotten preliminary feedback from the Slamdance Screenplay competition. They allow one reader to send comments (additional feedback is available for additional fees). The reader called the script "Interesting, ambitious and commercial." We also took to heart other feedback when reviewing and editing the script - now it's even more focused and well-paced,

What are the odds?

The Florida Powerball $590 winner was on a quick-pick ticket. Sounds like MegaBall$ !!

The SlamDance screenplay competition called the script "ambitious and commercial" ...

The Tribeca Film Institute called the script "a strong contender" ....

...and we make it better every single day!

www.MegaBallsMovie.com

Pintrest

We're now found on Pintrest!  www.Pintrest.com/Oroloro. Follow us and we'll follow you!

As a result of the recent MegaBall$ article in MAX IT MAGAZINE, an online magazine about film, we were able to get MegaBall$ listed in the Internet Movie Data Base (IMDB). While not a major step, it is an important one in gaining industry recognition for the project. If you use standard IMDB you'll see the title but very little information. You can see more information using the free IMDB APP, and full information is visible on IMDBPro. We still have a few more updates to make to the listing. We'll be 'campaigning soon to get more views there raising our IMDB ranking.

Our work promoting MegaBall$ through the Internet continues gaining positive results. Our Twitter followers are growing, our LinkedIn listing is gaining more attention and views of our videos continue to rise. The net result increases our position on Google. If you do a Google Search for MegaBall$ the first three pages are all us!  We have also set-up an email aggregating system (MailChimp) where visitors to our web site may leave their email to receive updates directly. We've added many friends and associates to that list, which now totals more than 775 names.

Your support is appreciated - keep putting these updates out to your friends via email, Twitter, Facebook, etc.,  to drive more visitors to the web site, more eyes to the videos, and more views to IMDB. Who knows, maybe they'll order a T-shirt or MegaBall$ mug!

MegaBall$ merchandise has been selling! Look at our web site for photos from customers!
We've also added the ability to sign up for MegaBall$ updates on the web site - or you can just click here: http://eepurl.com/ybMBH

Mug shot?

Above is a mug shot of .... the MegaBall$ coffee mug. These, and other logo - which include travel mugs, mouse pads, posters and T-shirts items can be ordered from our web site. Many include phrases from the film, such as "You never know when your number's up," or "You gotta have balls."  The profits from sales go directly to offset the development costs of the project. Eventually there will even be a MegaBall$ mobile APP! Order your products HERE.

New Logline

One important item that can make or break a film project is its logline: one or two sentences to give the reader an idea of the story. It's designed to tease and entice the reader to want more - to want to read the screenplay or watch the film. Combined with the title, genre and tagline, we now have a powerful pitch.  We have spent much time on re-crafting our logline and, thanks to the guidance of several other writers, we've settled on this:

TITLE: MegaBall$

GENRE: Comedy

TAGLINE: You never know when your number's up

LOGLINE: Determined to prove he can predict winning lotto numbers, an overlooked computer geek has the Mob finance his plan and, whether he wins or loses, he'll be a hit.

 

www.MegaBallsMovie.com

Taking advantage of the first Spring weekend, I took my camera and ventured off to Red Hook, Brooklyn, in search of a large warehouse I once spotted from a car passing in the distance. It was labled the Port of Authority Grain Terminal, I found a lovely photo journey online HERE.

I found the silo not far from the Red Hook Ikea, took a few photos then chatted with the securit guard. I was not permitted to close-up shots, but I was told that films do occasionally shoot there and was given the contact information.  There's ample parking at an adjacent lot.

So, once we have completed financing we can schedule a walk-through of the silo and [hopefully] craft a deal that we can afford. It's exactly the look we want.

Where's the warehouse?

We have been looking for the perfect large abandoned warehouse for a key filming location for MegaBall$. Idealliy it would be near rail tracks and a river. We had scouted several rusty candidiates which, while interetsing, were not perfect. There is one area in the Jersey Meadowlands that could work, but that would take a few days off our much needed tax incentives from New York.

Then fate stepped in, much as it did when we accidentally found the railroad tracks as seen in the teaser video.

We were driving from Staten Island to Brooklyn for a newtworking event, and off in the distance we spotted a building with some faded markings. I was able to make out the letters, and an internet searched found it, in Red Hook, along the river with old rail tracks nearby.

The challenge will now be to see if we're able to get permission from the City to access the space, and what steps we'll need to take for the safety and comfort of our cast and crew. That will need to be seen once we finance. Meanwhile, we can dream.

Photos may be found by clicking here.

We're Slated

We are pleased we have been accepted into the industry film finance and deal making web site called SLATED. One must be invited and vouched for me site members in order to join/ This exposes our project to many film industry insiders. The site also confirms all those we claim to be on our team, from behind-the-camera, actors ... to investors.

Our costume designer is now reading over the MEGABALL$ screenplay to begin preliminary design sketches.

Merchandise Shop Oepn!

In response to several requests we've now created an online MegaBall$ Store where people may buy merchandise with the film's poster art and logo. Proceeds will help offset the development costs for MegaBall$.

The 'Got Balls?' campaign items include:

• A basic Tshirt with a choice of the MegaBall$ logo or poster artwork along with a line from the film. The base shirt is found at
  https://www.midwestmerch.net/browse/oroloro/

Other items include:

• A deluxe T-shirt with a choice of the logo on the front, and a line from the film on the back
• A long sleeved baseball-type T shirt with the MegaBall$ logo on front and a line from the film on the back
• A bumper sticker
• A mouse pad
• A coffee mug
• A water bottle
• A stainless steel travel mug
• A film poster
• A small tote bag

These are found online at http://WWW.zazzle.Com/Oroloro/gifts

All items are made 'on demand' - created and shipped when ordered so there's no expense to us ... and we receive a percentage from each sale. Links to order the merchandise are also found on the "Key Art" page of our web site. The MegaBall$ mobile APP will also link to the merchandise pages for mobile ordering.

We've had good discussions with AbelCine - a camera/lighting rental company here in Manhattan - and we've been assured they will give us great prices to stay well within our budget, with the intent to fall below our budgeted costs.

This week we'll be attending the Digital Media Summit here in New York.

Meanwhile we continue our search for private investors (got any referrals?) and other funding sources....and pass this on to your friends. Hey, you never know....

Really happy with the final design of the MEGABALL$ movie poster - final images will completed and posted later today.

We have a great idea of a MEGABALL$ webisode series based on the lotto theme, and we're now penning the first episode. This will be done with micro-budgets in a way to not distract our focus on the MEGABALL$ feature film. In fact, the webisodes will be designed in a way to draw more attention to the feature.

www.MegaBallsMovie.com

To beat the lotto ...

Since the film we're financing, Megaball$, is about beating the lottery, I've been giving much thought about lotto/lottery. Not just as part of the research needed for the screenplay, but for my own benefit. Hmmm...what if I could beat the odds?

What are the odds?

176 million to one. To put that in clearer terms - your odds of being killed on the way of buying the lotto ticket are much greater than actually winning the jackpot.

The film story came to me years ago as I entered the subway and spotted that the MegaMillion lotto had reached $120 million. In a 15-minute subway ride the basic premise solidified...but as a short film. I made notes then put them away. Fast forward two years. My 90-year old mother had fallen and broke her hip. For the next nine months I was commuting between NY and Florida on a regular basis to look over her care, her life and her death. It was very difficult and depressing sitting in her condo at night without much more to do than watch reruns of Matlock. I opened my little travel computer and began to review those short film notes, and I escaped into the comic world of the film's story. By the way, the title MegaBall$ was made by combining the names of the two most popular lotto games, MegaMillions and PowerBall.

I had written screenplays before, but usually as a co-writer or adapting material from a play. This was my first purely solo effort. Original story and going solo. The timing was right. From some deep point in my psyche I knew I needed to laugh and I began typing. Character outlines. Dialogue grew into scenes, and the scenes fell into place. Within 10 days my first draft was complete. I needed some objective opinions and ran the script by a few friends who I knew would be critical. They thought is was really funny. Since then the script has been tweaked and edited. I find I work best when I walk away from a script for about a month and return fresh. The script now is very tight, filled with many more laughs while retaining at least 80% of what I originally wrote.

What are the odds?

We formed our production company, Megaballs Movie, LLC, in March of 2012 and created the investor offering. We got our first investor, and talking with others. I continue buying a small number of lotto tickets each week. Hey, you never know! But, should I win and use those proceeds to make the film we'd have a powerful publicity angle to promote the film.

Common sense tells one the best way to beat the lotto is simply not play it.

Here's my twisted idea.

When I buy the ticket I place a second bet with the guy behind the counter. I bet him $1 dollar per ticket/game that I will lose - that not one of my numbers will come out. If he takes the bet, and I win then I broke even. If he takes the bet I should be smart enough to not buy a ticket because it won't have one number, but taking the bet would allow me to win the same money I play, so no loss. If he refuses the bet then the he knows he's going to lose because I'll have a winning ticket. The best part is, the only way I lose is when I don't buy the ticket.

Brilliant.

Any takers?

MegaBall$ - you never know when your number's up.

www.MegaBallsMovie.com

Twitter @ Oroloro

Good News!

It was announced today in The Hollywood Reporter and Daily Variety ... that the federal film tax incentive, known as Sect 181 (of the 2004 JOBS Creation Act) has been renewed, and is retroactive to Jan. 1 2012. Essentially the incentive allows for investors to deduct their investment in a qualified film, and under the provisions MegaBall$ is a fully qualified production. You may read a simple explanation of how the incentive works by clicking HERE.

Please note, it is advisable that any individual consult with their tax advisor to see if/what the benefit may actually be for that individual.

We are also looking forward to changes in SEC Rules, as part of the 2012 JOBS Creation act, which will also be advantageous to our efforts. These language changes are expected to be released this month.

www.MegaBallsMovie.com