The Villa on the Hill-a: August 2010

About this project
THE LEGEND.
Legend says, during a magical time in Ancient China an honorable emperor had a vision of his kingdom in ruins and his people suffering. The emperor prayed to the Spirit of the Black Forest for help. The Spirit promised the emperor that she would send a warrior to restore the kingdom to its former glory. Years, then decades passed. Legend became myth, and soon only a few still believed in the Promise. When the kingdom was at its most corrupt, the Spirit spoke to the new empress, calling upon her to deliver the warrior who would bring honor back to the land.

THEMES: LEGEND OF BLACK LOTUS explores themes of faith, honor, prejudice, unconditional love, and sacrifice. It puts the fate of an empire into the hands of an emperor governed by fear, an empress led by faith, and an ostracized child who's led by love.

THE LOCATION: The film will be shot in good ole Los Angeles County. All interior locations will be shot on a soundstage, which I'm excited about because I've never shot on a soundstage before. The exterior locations are the L.A. Arboretum and a dry lake bed in the California desert.

THE CREW
The cast is hired! We have the award-winning leading actress, Emayatzy Corinealdi playing the lead role (Daiyu) with Julia Kubo playing the younger version of the lead. Additionally there's Steffinnie Phrommany (empress), Clint Jung (Emperor), Irene Park and Jade Doheny (older and younger princess), Victor Chi (captain), Kerry Liu (nurse), Anne Lee Mako (wife).

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
PRODUCTION DESIGNER
ART DIRECTOR
KEY MAKE-UP
KEY HAIRDRESSER
COSTUMER
COMPOSER

These folks are already hired and eager to start! We are ready to hit the ground running.

BACKGROUND
The first incarnation of LEGEND OF BLACK LOTUS was as a feature film project based on the fascinating story told to me by Nicole Sessions. That script is written and ready to go -- in the future. But the story had such a lasting effect on me that I want to do something NOW. That's why I adapted the feature script into a short film script.

THE PERKS
When you contribute to this film project you'll be a "partner" in the creation of a film, of which, you will forever be proud. But that's the intangible. Some tangible perks include everything from high-res desktop wallpaper, posters, DVDs, sponsor certificates, film credit, to advance sneak peeks at cool cast videos and a visit to the set!

HOW FUNDS ARE SPENT
Legal fees; equipment rental; food; travel & lodging (for out of towners); lighting equipment; costumes & props; post-production equipment; and DVD production.

HEY, I KNOW THAT GUY!
I imagine a few of you are saying, "I've seen that guy somewhere before." And some of you might ask, "Why is Marcellus Wallace on Kickstarter trying to raise money for a film?" This is our third round of funding! We've got some very encouraging feedback and now Kickstarter was the most logical next step. Remember, this is an all-or-nothing campaign, so pledge today.

Thank you in advance for helping me make this movie!

Project location: Los Angeles, CA