THE BLACK CYCLONE THE FASTEST CYCLIST IN THE WORLD MARSHALL “MAJOR” TAYLOR This memorandum is informa/onal in nature and relates to the packaging, produc/on and distribu/on of the drama/c property The Black Cyclone, wri<en by Rob Walker. It is for your confiden/al use and considera/on only, and may not be reproduced, sold, or redistributed without the prior approval of Black Cyclone LLC. 2
CONTENTS Executive Summary …………… 4-5 The Market ………………. 6 Logline & Synopsis ………….. 7&8 Major Taylor …………………… 9 The Team ……………… 10-13 Proposed Cast …………….. 14 Proposed Directors ……………. 15 Financial Information ……….. 16-19 Sales Estimate ……………… 20 Comparative Analysis ……………. 21 Time Table ……………….. 22 Video Teaser …………… 23 Contact Information ………………. 24
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Black Cyclone is an independent film project that has the poten/al for significant return on investment. Expecta/ons are in line with movies on the same genre such as Race (2016), Great White Hope (1970) and 42 (2013). Black Cyclone LLC, is currently seeking equity funding in the range of $20M from investors who will serve as Non-‐ managing Members of BLACK CYCLONE, LLC. INTRODUCTION Black Cyclone LLC, is a Los Angeles-‐based partnership between Rashid Baha<, Rob Walker and John Howard to develop, produce and secure the distribu<on of The Black Cyclone, a high-‐quality feature-‐length mo<on picture for theatrical distribu<on. Each investor in The Black Cyclone will become a Member of the Limited Liability Company BLACK CYCLONE, LLC. MANAGEMENT TEAM Rashid Baha<, Willie Simmons Jr., Rob Walker and John Howard are a dedicated team of established filmmaking professionals with a track record of producing award-‐ winning projects. Their diverse and complementary skills ensure that their collabora<on on this project will result in a well-‐executed, expertly craLed, smart and compelling mo<on picture. 4
DISTRIBUTION Upon securing first monies through private financing, the Black Cyclone LLC, will seek pre-‐sold distribu<on or nega<ve pickup with a leNer of agreement or leNer of credit from interested distributors to assist in puOng together the total budget for the picture. At present, all rights (including theatrical, cable, broadcast, pay-‐per-‐view, home-‐video, and interna<onal) are available. THE INDUSTRY According to PwC, the worldwide box office revenue will grow from 38.3 billion U.S. dollars in 2015 to 49.3 billion in 2020. New interna<onal markets for feature films like home video, satellite, the internet and pay-‐ per-‐view are growing every year. Independent low-‐budget filmmaking has been the phenomenon of the 90's. With the costs of a studio-‐ produced film skyrocke<ng out of control, lower-‐budgeted independent films are making a profit and stealing the show with an ever-‐growing outlet for smaller specialty films. 5
THE MARKET From a marke<ng perspec<ve this film has a wide appeal to domes<c and interna<onal audiences as well. The script sets up a visually stunning atmosphere, and engaging roles, that combined with well-‐developed marke<ng, and distribu<on revenue strategies give this produc<on the founda<on it needs to achieve both cri<cal acclaim and financial success. TARGET AUDIENCE
Primary, secondary, and ter<ary target audiences have been iden<fied, along with the corresponding market approaches. The bankable elements of the film include its named cast, stylis<c vision, passionate director and its significance in American history. This will reach a large age range of the targeted public, and a solid, easy iden<fiable plot for audiences worldwide. Moreover, in addi<on to proac<vely working toward securing a favorable agreement with a tradi<onal distributor, an alterna<ve, proven distribu<on strategy will be developed that ensures U.S. theatrical distribu<on. Given the challenges associated with securing distribu<on, this alterna<ve strategy greatly reduces the risk involved in inves<ng in this produc<on. In addi<on, to an<cipated revenues from domes<c and foreign theatrical, television, cable, and video/DVD distribu<on, a variety of ancillary revenue streams are in development. These revenue streams include income from a soundtrack, product placement, and a ‘making-‐of’ that has the poten<al for a series for addi<onal television revenue. Ancillary revenues will be pursued both online and off as part of a larger marke<ng strategy as the 6 film nears theatrical release.
THE BLACK CYCLONE Logline One courageous athlete lit up the sport of cycling with his tactical guile and blazing acceleration and became the  World Champion. He was an African American of stunning ability who overcame incredible odds and opposition during Jim Crow America to triumph in the last days of the Nineteenth Century.
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SYNOPSIS
MARSHALL TAYLOR’s father was a poor farmer in Indiana. Marshall had the good luck to be given a bike when he befriended a white boy. They played together and even had together. Marshall was a precocious boy who educated himself, learned the lessons piano and taught himself trick cycling. This last ability led to him geMng a job at a bike shop. He would perform every day at 4 o’clock, drawing crowds to see him. Quite by accident he was thrown into a bike race by the shop owner and to his own amazement he won. He started riding and training in earnest and very quickly became a formidable racer on the road and on the track. The word spread and soon huge crowds came to see him race. There were only a couple of black racers on the circuit but Marshall (known as Major Taylor) became a star of the Velodromes around America. This pocket-‐sized racer – barely out of his teens – had a ferocious final sprint that tore apart the field in the final straight. Major learned quickly the most effecZve tacZcs on the track. He mostly followed the other riders, worked his way through the pack and unleashed his astonishing power surge to take the lead, someZmes only in the last yard. He had to contend with brutal white racists who would head bu[ him or try to unseat him. His extraordinary balance and ‘ring savvy’ mostly kept him out of trouble. In spite of some racers refusing to race him he rose remorselessly through the ranks of the best of American cyclists to become the American champion. He went to the World Championships in 1899 and won. The story did not stop there. He was invited to Europe and raced the best French, German and BriZsh riders and defeated them. He became a star on the European circuit and was feted for his blazing talent. He entered the velodromes wearing his familiar robe like a champion boxer. He drew huge crowds all over Europe and in Australia. He became the highest paid athlete in the world. He was the first great American star to bestride the world stage. He was, in spite of his success, a modest, thoughcul man and married the vivacious Daisy Morris of Hudson, New York New. He was an ingenious engineer, too, designing bikes and bike parts. His courage and resolve was unmatched. He stands as a model and a beacon to African Americans coming out of the grim Jim Crow years. He never gave in; he never succumbed to racist taunts and brutality. He was the first great black sporZng hero of the modern era.
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MARSHALL MAJOR TAYLOR
An American cyclist who won the world 1 mile (1.6 km) track cycling championship in 1899 aLer seMng numerous world records and overcoming racial discriminaPon. 10 years before Jack Johnson became the first black heavyweight champ, 35 years before Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics, and nearly 50 years before Jackie Robinson integrated major league baseball …Marshall “Major” Taylor was the first black world champion of any leading sport.
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PRODUCER RASHID BAHATI
producer
Rashid, producing credits include; “Silent Warrior” biographic film of an African-‐American soldier James T. Jones WWII hero and Los Angeles Entrepreneur, "Noah's Art," a biopic-‐documentary, which captures the life story of Noah Purifoy, world-‐renounced visual arPst and founder of the Wacs Towers Art Center in Los Angeles, the film received special recogniPon by the American Film InsPtute (AFI), "Reach For The Skies,” a sports-‐biographical and moPvaPonal film which hi-‐lights the basketball career of the shortest player in the NaPonal Basketball AssociaPon (NBA), film released and distributed by Sony Home Video; and "The Birmingham Civil Rights InsPtute" the DVD accompanying the award winning HBO film by Spike Lee "The 4 Licle Girls.” This film was in Official SelecPon at the presPgious Agora Luimere Film Series Cannes, France. Recently, Rashid produced “Global Cinema” a thirteen week series for the Black Family Channel which feature independent films from around the world. “Charleston-‐A Cradle of Jazz Music” a documentary film that discovers the evoluPon of Jazz in Charleston, SC (in development).
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SCREENPLAY WRITER ROB WALKER
Rob, has directed over 100 producPons in the theater around the world, wriPng 10 plays and winning the Binky Beaumont Best Director. He became one of BBC TV’s most acclaimed and accomplished directors, winning a BAFTA Award for Best Miniseries for the 6 part DIE KINDER with Miranda Richardson and Oscar nominee Frederic Forrest. He also won Best Miniseries for four films about BLIND JUSTICE at the Royal Television Society. He also directed mulPple Movies of the Week, among them WILD THINGS with Karen Young. He wrote and directed BORDER WARS, MAYHEM! wrote the feature BEYOND BEDLAM for Elizabeth Hurley and directed CIRCUS (Columbia Tristar) with Famke Jannsen, John Hannah,Eddie Izzard, Peter Stormare and Fred Ward and the underground cult classic GOTHIC VAMPIRES FROM HELL. He recently directed the just-‐ released KILLER WEEKEND with Eric Roberts. In 2013 he directed the comedy, MARGARINE WARS starring Doris Roberts & Robert Loggia; DEMON (a creature feature) and BEYOND (scifi).
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PRODUCER JOHN HOWARD John, author of Pushing the Limits, Dirt!, The Cyclist’s Companion, Mul/-‐Fitness, Mastering Cycling and now, along with co-‐author Rene Maurer Requiem for a Wheelman. John is a three-‐Pme Olympic cyclist, gold medalist in the 1971 Pan-‐American Games, and holds many naPonal championships along with other cycling accolades. Inducted into the Bicycling Hall of Fame on the same day as Major Taylor, John met Taylor’s daughter Sydney at the inducPon ceremony and subsequently interviewed her for several days about her father, providing criPcal insights into her father’s personal and business relaPonships. John brings his expert first-‐hand knowledge of the excitement, color, and nuances of bicycle racing that gives the reader the feeling that he or she is standing at the rail on the track as the riders pass by. He understands the drive to compete and the determinaPon needed to succeed and be the best. He has experienced the jubilaPon of victories and the crushing anguish of defeats.
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CO-PRODUCER WILLIE E. SIMMONS, JR.
Willie is the founder of PineStreetFilmWorks a producPon company based in Atlanta, Georgia. Willie was formally training in the film and television industries through the Directors Guild of America (DGA) presPgious Assistant Director Training Program (1982). His filmography includes; Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, Weird Science, Dragnet ‘87, Na/onal Lampoon’s Vaca/on, Fallen, Player’s Club, Inkwell, Scarface, Color Purple, Colors, and Lethal Weapon, to name a few projects. Willie also choreographed fight scenes during the filming of Lethal Weapon, assisted by his instructor of African based MarPal Arts and Brazilian Capoeira, Rorian Gracie, who went on to found the United Figh/ng Championships and train the U.S. Special Forces. As well as his extensive filmography, Willie has worked on high profile TV series, Commercials, Stage producPons, and Music Videos including Fight the Power by noted and award-‐winning director/ producer, Spike Lee.
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PROPOSED CAST
Major Taylor: Michael B. Jordan
Major's Wife: Sonequa Martin Green
14 Major's Mother: Octavia Spencer Major’s Father: Chadwick Boseman Major’s coach: Bradley Cooper
PROPOSED DIRECTOR Charles Burnett (Glass Shield)
Bill Duke (Hoodium)
Reginald Hudlin (Django Un-Chained)
Spike Lee (Malcolm X)
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MAIN INFORMATION Genre: Biopic/Drama/Action/ History Format: 35mm / RED Budget: $20 M Script: Rob Walker Producers: Willie Simmons, John Howard, Rashid Bahati, Rob Walker Director: TBD Release: Fall 2017 (projected) 16 Â
FILM FINANCING OPTIONS In this ini<al development phase the company has three main op<ons for financing the full budget of $20 million for the film: EQUITY INVESTORS Our team will seek equity investment funding in the range of $10M -‐ $20M from investors who will serve as Non-‐managing Members (Members) of BLACK CYCLONE, LLC. TAX INCENTIVES/CREDITS We are eligible to receive through shoo<ng in Canada the produc<on-‐cost tax incen<ve from Manitoba, Canada and UK. This incen<ve will provide tax incen<ves between 35%-‐ 40% of our $20M US dollar budget. INDEPENDENT SALES AGENT (Pre-‐Sales) We will engage a leading sales agent to sell worldwide distribu<on rights in the project. Sample sales es<mates are given illustra<ng a low medium and high figure for each territory (see page 21). These es<mates illustrate the minimum guarantee it is expected will be paid by each distributor in each territory for the right to distribute the film. Each distributor recoups the advance, distribu<on fee and its prints and adver<sing budget. The remaining revenues are deemed to be `overages’ . 17
FINANCE PLAN Sample Recoupment PosiPon Total Finance
Percentage
Amount
Equity Stake premium US pre-sale
50%
$10,000,000 $10,000,000 $1,500,000 $ 2,000,000
Tax Credits UK/Canadian
40%
Total Cost
10%
100%
Sales Projections (take) Initial revenues to investor from Minimum Guarantee advances
Second Tier Financiers
Financiers non-recoup Third Tier
$1,500,000
$2,000,000
$ 8,000,000 $20,000,000
Collection agent 1% Sales agents commission @15% ! Sales agents expenses !
Financiers First Tier
$8,000,000
$ 200,000
$ 150,000
!
!
$3,000,000!
$2,250,000!
!
!
!
!
$ 250,000!
!
!
!
$49,500,000 $36,550,000
$ 5,500,000 $2,000,000
n/a
$10,000,000 n/a
!
* It is our intention that the through Equity investors, tax incentives and MG we can fund this fund and create ROI 18
PROPOSED TERMS FOR EQUITY INVESTOR PARTICIPATION The Equity Investor provider to ensure a total US$18M to be made available to Black Cyclone LLC, for the successful producPon and delivery of the film; THE BLACK CYCLONE. The investment will be supported by a combinaPon of Pre-‐sale or Agency Minimum Guarantees (M.G.s) and naPonal/regional SoL Funds from the UK and Canada (tax credits): Funding Source Film Budget US $ 20M Equity Investor 50% $10m Combined Tax IncenPves 40% $8M (Canadian & UK) Pre-‐Sales/M.G 10% $2M Total $20M In exchange for the above provision, the Equity Investor will be enPtled to 115% ROI and 15% of Net Profits generated over the lifePme of the film in perpetuity. 19
SALES ESTIMATE Territory
MID
TAKE
$9,900,000
$8,662,500
$7,425,000
Total Main Europe
$29,700,000
$25,987,500
$22,275,000
Total Other Europe
$6,600,000
$5,775,000
$4,950,000
Total Eastern Europe
$6,600,000
$5,775,000
$4,950,000
Total Latin America
$3,300,000
$2,887,500
$2,475,000
Total Asia
$6,600,000
$5,775,000
$4,950,000
Total Other
$3,300,000
$2,887,500
$2,475,000
$56,100,000
$49,087,500
$42,075,000
Total North America
Total International (*) (*) Excluding USA, Canada Grand Total
Ask
$66,000,000
$57,750,000
$49,500,000
Disclaimer: Figures are representa/ve of the markets but are not a guarantee of projected revenue.
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COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS
The Purge (2013) Budget $3MM Box Office $84MM (WW) $64MM (USA)
The Great Debaters (2007)
Race (2016)
Budget $15MM
Budget $5MM
Box Office $55MM (WW) $30MM (US)SA
Box Office $22MM (WW) $19MM (US)
The Great White Hope (1970)
42 (2013)
Budget $9.5MM Box Office $84MM (WW) $64MM (US)SA
Box office Data courtesy of www.the-‐numbers.com
Budget $40MM Box Office $97MM (WW) $92MM (US)SA
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TIME-TABLE & MILESTONES 2016 December
2017 January
2017 February
2017 March
2017 April
Launch of GoFundMe campaign Research & WriPng Phase Sales meePngs at AFM
First draL of script completed Business Plan Package 80% complete Complete full project budget projecPons
Final Script Berlin Film FesPval Obtain LOI’s: Cast and Director Business Plan complete
ConPnue Development Phase Complete Tax IncenPves and distribuPon partners
Research & Development Teaser acPvity
2017 May
2017 June
2017 July
2017 August
2017 Sept-‐Oct
Acend Cannes Market for Pre-‐Sale Opportunity Secure Distributor
Pre-‐ProducPon Phase
Funding Received ConPnue Pre-‐ ProducPon
Commence Principal Photography
Post-‐ProducPon Phase
Development Phase
Funding/Pre-‐Sales/Dist. Phase
Pre-‐ProducZon Phase
ProducZon & Post Phase 22
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THE BLACK CYCLONE VIDEO TEASER
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If you are an investor interested in becoming involved with this project, please contact: Black Cyclone LLC, appreciates your Pme and consideraPon. Sincerely, RASHID BAHATI Partner BLACK CYCLONE LLC 8306 Wilshire Blvd., #227 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 USA 323.781.8838 c info@theblackcyclonemovie.com
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