Black Mask Movie

Our Story

Glamour.

Deception.

Bourbon.

Lust.

Murder!

Times were hard. Life was bleak. Film portrayed these truths with extreme cynicism and irony. This was America and it's naked reality. People connected with the grueling truth in American crime stories. This was film noir.

I'm Filipe Coutinho, a filmmaker whose undeniable biggest passion is movies and having the opportunity to create from scratch a work that can be seen by many people, represents at the same time, a challenge and a great pleasure.

The reason why I am fortunate enough to make movies is film noir and if that particular era in cinema's history led me to this life, this is my passion project. Strongly inspired by my admiration for the glamour, deception, lust, murder and the mystery that is film noir I am giving life to this project, not as a parody or a satire, but as a true, honest and straight from the '50s movie. It intends to be truthful to its origins by creating a world that doesn't exist anymore, whether that relates to dialogue, camera set ups, use of lighting, style of performances, anything to keep it cinematically truthful.

The producers, Marietha van Heerden and Melanie Balasopulos, are also admirers of film noir. It is their goal to be there to support this project in any way possible. They are extremely passionate and proud to be a part of 'Black Mask' because the story plays on the dark side of humanity. It reminds them of the time when film was glamour, deception and lust.

The Impact

Black Mask aims for something essential in cinema’s history that it’s lacking in today’s motion pictures: the glamour, the vintage charm of subtext and the irony and tease that go along with it. A look can be more provocative than sex; the lack of words can say more than prose; a face can show more suffering than blood. That is textbook Hollywood Golden Age. That’s what Black mask is all about.

Black Mask can show that noir isn’t dead, or rather, that it shouldn’t be. Yes, there are neo-noirs, techno-noirs, sci-fi noirs (anybody remember Blade Runner?) among so many others and the truth is that most of them are grandioso and timeless pieces of cinema. However, the true iconic noir from the ‘40s and ‘50s is long gone and possesses essential characteristics that seem to be forgotten. It’s precisely those features that make the genre (or sub-genre) so iconic and unforgettable. And it’s precisely those features that Black Mask tries to remind the audiences of.

Losing Black Mask to a shelf is losing a little bit of what movies are all about.

What We Need & What You Get

We are trying to raise 10 thousand dollars, the budget we see fit to make Black Mask a successful picture.

The most fundamental thing about this project is veracity. In order to make the world the characters live in believable.

Pre-production costs include:

* Art direction: Making or finding authentic sets and locations that true to the 1950s. Sets need to be built; materials need to be bought; every single step to create this out-of-our-times world has to be cooked to perfection in order to give Black Mask a unique and truthful look. As any period piece, the slight hint of modernity can compromise the overall result and we are fighting hard to make sure the ‘50s come back to life.

* Wardrobe: To make the characters look real and believable in their surroundings.

* Casting: Hiring a casting director to help us find the most talented actors to achieve perfect performances.

* Cast: Hiring great, possibly known actors.

Production costs include:

* catering

* transportation

* make-up

* dolly rentals

* 16mm film rolls

* other general lighting and camera equipment

Post-production costs include:

* editor

* composer and lyricist

* sound and music recording

* processing the film

* visual and special effects

First and foremost, from us, you’ll get huge respect and admiration for believing in this project to the point of you giving money for it to become a reality. But we know that words are free and not always rewarding so we really want to make you happy for investing in Black Mask. We are willing to give screen credits and IMDb credits for your trouble as well as having you on set and being part of the film as an extra. We’ll also give you exclusive signed copies of the script, the DVD, the making-of and the poster. Other perks include a copy of the soundtrack and three classic film noirs that were screened to inspire the cast and crew. (See perks below!)

SYNOPSIS

Jimmy McNamara is an ex-writer and ex-WW II veteran turned accountant who receives a call from Vivian, his ex-fiancé and current night club singer. Vivian got a Hollywood contract and is taking Jimmy with her. All he has to do is retrieve the negatives of compromising pictures that a gossip columnist is about to publish and that put her future career in danger. But his mission might not be as simple as it seems.

Other Ways You Can Help

Life is tough on everyone. We all struggle to get money so we understand if you’re tight on cash at the moment. But if you do appreciate the project and you like what it offers please help us make it real by sharing with your friends and family.

We can promise that we’ll work as hard as we have to make sure the money iss well invested. After all, cinema belongs to everyone. It’s the responsibility of the filmmakers to assure its audiences that no money has gone to waste.

Remember to check back every week to see news, updates and more teasers and information on the film.

Facebook, Twitter, MySpace… any source of publicity is much appreciated by our team. Also, if you need any more information about the project don’t hesitate to contact us in writing to blackmaskmovie@gmail.com