Because finding a home should be something to sing about.
This December, we'll be doing an Oscar eligibility campaign because the film will be one of only five eligible for a new "Best Musical" category that the Academy is starting this year (and since three out of the five are guaranteed a nomination, we come off the starting blocks with a 60% chance of getting an Oscar nomination). Haven't you always wanted to tell Joan Rivers who YOU'RE wearing tonight?
Even though the film is essentially completed and paid for, we're in the midst of a fund-raising effort to pay for our Oscar Campaign. Far short of the millions that companies like Miramax and other studios spend just to win an Oscar, we're only looking for $20,000 to do a highly targeted campaign with the Music Branch members of the Academy (those 276 Academy members are the only ones who will nominate films for the new Best Musical category). In short, we need the money to do an obligatory eligibility run for a week in a theater in LA, and for special screenings and DVDs just for the Music Branch members.
As an independent film, Open House has tremendous cross-over potential for mainstream audiences. Two-thirds of Americans own a house (and the other third wish they did). Eight million Americans work in the housing industry. Every Sunday, there are literally millions of signs, fliers and flags posted across the country announcing "open houses." One could not ask for better name recognition and free advertising for the title of our film: It'll be like having a movie poster plastered on every street corner in America! As a matter of fact, we've already been approached by the Sundance Channel to run the film nationally to their 40+ million subscribers.
We've already gotten tremendous press attention for the film - in both the film AND real estate sections of newspapers. Go to our Press section to read some of the press articles we've been mentioned in.
Open House writer/director Dan Mirvish has an excellent track record as an independent filmmaker: His last film, Omaha (the movie), played nationwide including an 11-week run in Los Angeles with glowing reviews and feature stories in the Los Angeles Times, among other national and regional press. The film just got a 350,000 unit DVD release and was recently named the LA Weekly's "Video Pick of the Week." Additionally, Dan is the co-founder of the world-renowned Slamdance Film Festival which has annual events in Los Angeles, New York, Cannes and Park City, Utah.
American companies large and small have a long history of getting involved with product placement in motion pictures, most prominently dating back to the James Bond films of the 60s (Aston Martin is still reaping rewards from this deal almost 40 years since they appeared as Bond's car of choice.) M&Ms rued the day they snubbed Steven Speilberg and allowed Reece's Pieces to gain huge market share by appearing in E.T. And most recently, estimates are that over $25 million of Minority Report's budget came from product placement with as much as $5 million coming from Lexus alone. And what's good for corporate America, is also good for regional companies like yours.
Product placement has taken on even greater importance in an era when a media-savvy public blindly throws away direct mail; ignores newspaper ads in favor of the internet; and tosses door hangers out with the stack of restaurant menus. And unlike commercials or movie theater slide-shows, product placement is intrinsically woven into a film so that no amount of commercial-skipping, reruns or syndication will eliminate the brand association for literally decades to come.
Perhaps most importantly, the demographics for independent films are the same as for first-time home buyers: Young, affluent and urban. These are the people who go to film festivals and art house theaters, and then go back to their apartments to decide who they want their realtor to be. So don't you think it should be you?
If you think that Open House is a project you want to get involved with either through product placement or in another capacity, please keep reading....
Disclaimer:
Investment in a project of this nature involves substantial risks, and should not be undertaken by those individuals or organizations who can not afford those risks. Anyone seriously interested in contributing should consult their own tax professional for complete tax advice. This website should not be construed as a formal offering or complete business prospectus, but rather is designed to give a general overview of the project.
