SPONSORSHIP PROPOSAL
Introduction
Tokyo to Osaka
Edition A
Sponsorship Proposal
April 2009
Note
Tokyo to Osaka
Edition A
Sponsorship Proposal
April 2009
This Proposal contains confidential and proprietary information and may not be copied, duplicated, published, distributed or transferred to other documents. This Proposal may not be disclosed to others or otherwise distributed without the express permission of Underdog Pictures. This is a Proposal only. It does not imply or constitute an offering of securities. This document is for information purposes only.
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Contents
Tokyo to Osaka
Edition A
Sponsorship Proposal
April 2009
I. The Film About the Film Project Synopsis The Characters Director’s Bios
5 5 6 7 10
II. Sponsorship Opportunities Defining the Benefits
11 11
III. Exposure Strategy Film Festivals Potential Distributors
12 12 13
IV. Proposed Timeline
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V. Conclusion
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VI. Prior Films Piece By Piece: San Francisco Graffiti documented Truth in Numbers: The Wikipedia Story
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The Film
Tokyo to Osaka
Edition A
About the Film
Sponsorship Proposal
April 2009
Th e Film I ntro d u c tion We are creating a 35-minute documentary short film about the adventures of 12 amateur bicycle enthusiasts and their journey to ride track bikes from Tokyo to Osaka; a 317 mile undertaking. Brought together by their enthusiasm for bike culture and fascination for Japan, we watch the highs and lows of this epic journey as they struggle to reach the city of Osaka.
A b o u t T h e F il m Our film is an exciting look at those who have embraced the popular ‘fixed gear’ bike culture and are attempting to take that enthusiasm to the next level; a 317 mile ride in the country of Japan. The 12 loosely associated friends from widely divergent backgrounds attempt to ride further than any of them have ever ridden before, and in a foreign land pushing the limit on what’s physically possible. We follow these amateur athletes as they snake through the Japanese countryside making their way southwest to the city of Osaka. A good story is often found in the journey, not only the final destination. Starting in the city of Tokyo, the film follows the team as they experience Japanese culture and sightsee in the city before the adventure. Then as the team sets out, they encounter countless pitfalls, flat tires, navigational issues, sleeping problems, and various challenges making this endeavor all the more exciting. We also meet the various characters they encounter along the way who aid them in their challenge. A weeklong ride, averaging 50 – 100 miles a day brutally affect the condition of these enthusiastic youths resulting in some having to give up and take the train back while others push on.
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The Film
Tokyo to Osaka
Edition A
Project Synopsis
Sponsorship Proposal
April 2009
P ro j e c t S y nopsis Tokyo To Osaka is an inspiring story of determination and exploration told through the personal accounts of those who experienced one of the most physically challenging events in their lives. Through individual pre and post interviews with all the riders, we hear them anticipate the ride and later reflect back on their experience to see how they’re affected by this life-changing event. Through the pre-interviews we meet the quirky cast of characters and watch them train in their natural environments (San Francisco, Los Angeles, & New York). We capture the entire trip with real-time footage; everything from the trip is documented, from arriving at the airport to the celebration in Osaka, the viewer experiences the challenges and excitement of this adventure. We feel the journey not only from an outsider’s perspective watching the story unfold in true high definition quality (1080p HD) but also through an up-close perspective via personal attachment cameras capturing the point of view of the individuals themselves. These two perspectives once edited together will create an exacting feel for the audience while taking them along for the journey. The culture shock they experience and the people they meet along the way also affect the team differently and we watch this unfold throughout the trip. By meeting up with Japanese bike enthusiasts and other Japanese friends they have in Tokyo and Osaka, we get a look into the growing fixed-gear culture in Japan. Our driver Tommy, a heavyset native New Yorker cheers our team on and provides healthy doses of comic relief giving the film its humorous edge. The editing of the film will be fast passed and set to an intriguing soundtrack of hip hop, rock, and experimental music while incorporating elements of action, humor, drama, and plenty of stunning cinematography of bike riding through the cities and country side of Japan. By renting a large supply van to follow the riders we enable our cinematographer John Murillo to capture the experience from multiple points of view of the riders. In addition to shooting from the van, we also use a motorcycle to follow the riders weaving throughout traffic and obstacles making for stunning actions shots.
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The Film
Tokyo to Osaka
Edition A
The Characters
Sponsorship Proposal
April 2009
T h e Chara c t e rs S han e N e s b it San Mateo native, he owns and operates the San Mateo Zoo, the only barber slash hip-hop shop in northern California. In addition to being an avid fixed gear bike enthusiast he also runs the bike blog The48Eighteen. Shane came up with the original idea to do a bike trip in Japan.
N i c H ill Nic is an independent filmmaker and bike enthusiast. He has created a hand full of bike related videos and will be directing our film in Japan. With over 10 years riding experience in American, European and Asian cities he offers enthusiasm and hustle to the team.
Z a c k S c ott Originally from Oakland, CA and now residing in Los Angeles, CA for school Zach is the founder of the Los Angeles based bike crew Steel Horse. He is insanely obsessed with fixed gear culture and organizes lengthy rides in Los Angeles every week. In addition to participating in alleycat races and other bike events he is a 3rd year Design | Media Arts major at UCLA and works as the graphic designer at the sneaker brand Keep Company. CJ D u nn Originally from Honolulu, Hawaii CJ is a graphic designer based in New York who rides fixed gear bikes daily. He lived in Japan previously and he speaks the language and knows his way around Tokyo. He also went on a mission in South America and discovered rare Argentine track bike frames and brought them back to the states. 7
The Film
Tokyo to Osaka
Edition A
The Characters
Sponsorship Proposal
April 2009
Da v e B u on e Dave eats, drinks, and sleeps bikes. Dedicated and obsessive, Dave rides everything from track bikes to tall bikes in more cities than we have space to write. He organizes Alley Cat races and has a strong presence in the bike world. Having completed the Aids ride (benefit ride from SF to LA) twice, Dave is most likely our strongest rider.
Tom Quickel Finishing up his pHD in chemistry at UCLA where he gets to play with magnets and machines that are more expensive and confusing then he can imagine. Legend has it that he shot out of the womb on a bike & has kept on rolling ever since. Originally from a village in Northern England, Tom now lives in sunny so cal where he rides with Steel Horse.
Mar c u s Mill e r Marcus is based in San Francisco where he rides bikes daily and has wanted to visit Japan for as long as he can remember. He’s also a musician and artist and has rocked the same Bianchi Pista since day one.
N oah T s u ts u i From Stockton, California, via San Francisco, Noah is the only road bike in the group. His blue Vitus has been to both coasts and three continents. In addition to bikes, Noah thinks about computers and lolz most of the day.
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The Film
Tokyo to Osaka
Edition A
The Characters
Sponsorship Proposal
April 2009
S t e v e n Z ia d i e UCLA design graduate and avid LA based cyclist, Steven rides with bike crew Steel Horse and participates in races and events constantly in LA. In addition to his solid sense of humor, Steven is a true team player and necessary motivator for the group.
Da m on A n d e rson From San Francisco, Damon has been riding track bikes all around the US. He is deeply engrossed in bike culture, a passion that is only matched by his love for photography and design. He has previously visited Japan, but this will be his first opportunity to cycle across in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Mi c k W e l d on Mick has a degree in anthropology, but manages and works as a chief at the only vegan restaurant in Dallas Texas. His hobbies include bike hunting, organizing rides, and steady swap meetin’. Mick is also a long-time footage contributor to skate videos.
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The Film
Tokyo to Osaka
Edition A
Director’s Bio
Sponsorship Proposal
April 2009
Dir e c tor ’ S Bio ‘at his best, documentarian Nic Hill works a bit like a visual version of DJ Shadow. Just as Shadow worshipfully assembles soul and hiphop fragments into his own compositions, Hill combines the imagery of hundreds of graffiti artists in tracing the form’s local manifestations.’ -San Francisco Bay Guardian ‘“Piece by Piece” gets this graffiti culture completely right’ -Film Threat Nic Hill is an American filmmaker currently based New York City. His first feature-length documentary Piece By Piece enjoyed an exciting international film festival run, gaining major exposure and an enthusiastic media buzz. Soon After, Underdog Pictures released the film theatrically as a limited run in California. Later the DVD was distributed independently through both Underdog and Ryko Distribution who cooperatively distribute the film to both mainstream and underground audiences. In 2006, the film was also licensed to PBS for nation-wide television broadcast. Through the success of Piece By Piece, which has become a cult classic globally amongst graffiti writers and hip hop enthusiasts, Nic Hill was hired in 2007 to direct the independent documentary Truth In Numbers about the internet phenomenon Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia. The film is in the final editing stages and will be hitting film festivals in mid 2009. Hill was born in San Diego where he worked on several low budget horror films. Later he developed a more serious passion for filmmaking in Northern California at the University of San Francisco, and soon founded Underdog Pictures, a small independent film production company. Hill’s work on long and short format documentaries, music videos, and commercial work is seen throughout film festivals, DVD projects, broadcast, and viral online formats.
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Sponsorship Opportunities
Tokyo to Osaka
Edition A
Defining The Benefits
Sponsorship Proposal
April 2009
S ponsorship O pportu niti es D e finin g th e B e n e fits In order for us to create an exciting and professional short film we are seeking a production budget of $10,000. The majority of equipment and labor has been donated to the film however there are a number of hard costs that we simply need to pay for and cannot afford. We need your help to make this film a reality. We are seeking sponsorship in two forms; money and product. In addition to completing the production budget, we the riders are in need of equipment, food, and anything else that will help us arrive at our destination in Osaka. We offer your company the chance to be associated with a cool film that represents street bike culture on an international basis. In exchange for your generous contributions to our film, your company will benefit through both brand exposure and product placement.
Bran d E x pos u r e Our sponsors will receive prominent logo placement on all the materials related in and around the project. This branding experience promotes awareness of your company and product to a huge demographic of street fixed gear riders and bike enthusiasts around the world.
L o g o pla c e m e nt *Closing credits of the film *The website *Team jerseys *Printed materials
P ro d u c t P la c e m e nt Because we are creating a documentary film we have the unique opportunity to showcase your product in real life situations. This not only gives the viewer a clear example of how your product is used but also promotes the use of that product because the characters in the film use and interact with it.
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Exposure Strategy
Tokyo to Osaka
Edition A
Film Festivals
Sponsorship Proposal
April 2009
Expos u r e Strate gy F il m F e sti v als We will premier our film at the International Bicycle Film Festival in 2009. By doing this, we can reach our target audience of bike enthusiasts from around the world. Because the festival travels to many of the major metropolitan cities we will achieve extreme exposure and awareness within our demographic and beyond. Bicycle Film Festival Bike targeted film festival NYC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Paris, Tokyo, London. (June 2010) Sundance
The premiere domestic film festival venue Park City, Utah (Jan 2010)
SXSW Major international film festival and market Austin, Texas (Mar 2010) Tribeca Major international film festival and market New York, New York (April 2010) Los Angeles Major international film festival and market Los Angeles, California (June 2010) In addition to the major festivals identified above, there are a number of additional festivals that will generate significant positive press and industry awareness for the film in preparation for wider distribution. We have previous exhibition experience and relationships with numerous film festivals both domestically and abroad.
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Exposure Strategy
Tokyo to Osaka
Edition A
Potential Distributors
Sponsorship Proposal
April 2009
P ot e ntial Distri b u tors In addition to showing at festivals around the world, our goal is to secure distribution of the film so it can reach an even larger audience. By using the Internet we can freely promote and share the film through our website and video hosting sites like YouTube, Vimeo, and Blip.TV. By using this viral promotion through the Internet we can generate a following and create a large fan base. Beyond the internet, we have approached various sports television networks such as Fuel TV, Rush HD, and Xcorps. We will work to secure TV licensing deals to get the film broadcasted.
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Proposed Timeline
Tokyo to Osaka
Edition A
Sponsorship Proposal
April 2009
Propos e d Ti m e lin e The following timeline describes our best estimate: Phase I – Pre-Production Fundraising Logistics and planning Crew Hired Phase II – Production Fly to Japan Shooting Day 1 Production Wraps Phase III – Post Production Editing Begins Editing Ends Sound, Color Correction, & Layback Artwork, Marketing Materials & Website Phase IV – Festival Marketing Begin Submission / Marketing Phase
April 2009 May 2009 June 2009
June 25th 2009 June 2009 July 2009
June July Aug Aug
2009 2009 2009 2009
Jan 2010
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Conclusion
Tokyo to Osaka
Edition A
Sponsorship Proposal
April 2009
Con c l u sion We look forward to discussing our project with you further. This Proposal is not a solicitation for investment or an offering of securities. It is merely our way of introducing our project to you. If you would like to know more, please let us know and we will be happy to discuss the project in further detail. Sincerely,
Nic Hill Producer/Director New York, New York +1 (415) 994-5528 nic@underdogpictures.com
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Prior Films
Tokyo to Osaka
Edition A
Piece By Piece
Sponsorship Proposal
April 2009
P rior F il m s The director and production company have been involved with two successful featurelength documentaries in addition to many short format docs and music videos. These two feature-length documentaries vary greatly in audience and budget, showing the diversity of our abilities. A short synopsis of each and current distribution status follows: Piece By Piece San Francisco Graffiti Documented Piece By Piece is a groundbreaking film that documents San Francisco’s highly controversial graffiti art movement. A story told by those who live the experience, Piece By Piece offers an intimate journey into the most intriguing and misunderstood artistic movement of modern youth culture. By detailing the last 20 years of San Francisco’s graffiti history, this film offers the most candid and accurate story behind the writing on the wall in Northern California. The film was shot on everything from standard definition video cameras to high-end 16mm film and was produced for under $20,000. During 2004 and 2005, the award winning feature documentary screened at over 20 festivals internationally. Following its festival tour, Piece By Piece did a limited theatrical release in San Francisco, San Diego, and Los Angeles. The DVD is currently being distributed to the niche market through Underdog Pictures and to a broader mainstream audience through Ryko Distribution. The film can be found online, on Netflix, and in retail outlets across North America and internationally. The film’s website is: www.PieceByPieceMovie.com
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Prior Films
Tokyo to Osaka
Edition A
Truth In Numbers
Sponsorship Proposal
April 2009
Truth In Numbers The Wikipedia Story Truth in Numbers: The Wikipedia Story is the first documentary to have exclusive access to Wikipedia founder, Jimmy Wales, and the Wikimedia Foundation which runs wikipedia. The film has followed Jimmy and several “Wikipedians” for two years as they endeavor to compile the sum of all human knowledge and to make that knowledge available to the entire world for free. Subjects interviewed for the film include: Howard Zinn, Richard Branson, Noam Chomsky, Bob Schieffer (Face the Nation), Len Downie (Editor, Washington Post), Jim Woolsey (Former Director, CIA), authors, businesspeople, professors, wikipedians, bloggers and tech writers. Truth in Numbers: The Wikipedia Story was conceived by Michael Ferris Gibson in 2007 and is being directed by Nic Hill (Underdog Pictures). In November 2007 Glen Echo Entertainment, a Los Anglesbased production company, agreed to fund the documentary’s entire budget of $400,150, based on rough footage and a business proposal for the film. In exchange Glen Echo now controls worldwide rights to the film, while the Producer (Michael Ferris Gibson) and director (Nic Hill) retain final cut creative control, and 30% of all the documentary’s future profit. Truth in Numbers: The Wikipedia Story is looking forward to a major festival premiere in late-2009. The film’s website is: www.underdogpictures.com/wikidoc
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