WRETCH LIKE ME
Wretch Like Me is a feature length horror/thriller about an aging father who reunites with his estranged daughter and his journey to fight against demons passing on to the next generation. A very common fear that every parent has is, "what will I pass on to my children? Will I pass on something negative through my genetics or my behaviors? Is there anything I can do to save them from the "demons" that I possess or from the one that I've become?"
The screenplay to the feature film Wretch Like Me is complete and the Red Braille team has created a "Proof of Concept" for the film. A proof of concept (POC) film is a short film that is used to showcase the theme, look, and characters of a feature-length film. You can see the POC at the bottom of this page.
PRODUCING TEAM
It takes a lot to get a movie off of the ground, and our team has been working hard to bring all of the elements together for a successful project. Todd and Lara have successfully secured financing for five feature length films together, and have two other other projects in development. For Wretch Like Me, they have partnered with first time Executive Producers Tim Ahlman and Jack Kalleberg. Tim and Jack have worked with Todd over the past 3 years to build Red Braille, a state of the art production studio that meets the needs of a handful of non profit organizations across the country. This is their first feature film production together.
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
I've been asked what my favorite bible verse is and why; Here is my answer. (Even though it's not just one verse.)
"A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." Psalm 23:1-6
The simple truth is that God led to this moment and has led every step toward making this movie. He truly is my shepherd and I do not want anything that is not from Him. He made me lay down in green pastures and led me beside the still waters of writing the story. He restored my soul and led me in the path of writing this for His name's sake. I've walked through valleys filled with dark the shadows of the human experience but it's now easier than ever to not fear evil because He is with me. His word comforts me and I know that He's prepared a table before me in the presence of my enemies. He's anointed my head with oil and my cup truly overflows. This is the story He developed me for.
I was raised on faith and movies. Unfortunately, most movies that have tried to incorporate faith have been criticized largely for being... well... just plain bad. You can read more about this subject in a previous blog posting HERE.
So our goals are big: To make a very human parable that incorporates the good, the bad, and the ugly of life while offering the simple answers we as Christians know as the truth. It's not a "family" film. It's not a "Christian" film. It's a film that yearns to be honest and realistic first; showcasing the darkness that so many endure every day. In doing so it's my belief that the light of Jesus can shine all the brighter; showcasing it all for anyone who hits the play button.
Thanks for taking a moment to look over what we've worked so very hard to put together. We believe that this is the right time, the right place, and the right story to open people's hearts to hearing the truth that so many of us live in every single day. I am blessed to be in this moment that He alone led to and for that I'm thankful.
- - Todd E. Freeman
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER'S STATEMENT
We are all wretches, this is most certainly true. Because of the fall every Jesus follower battles the darkness of sin, susceptible to Satan's lies. Wretch Like Me is a raw and real look at how sin, death and the Devil attack us throughout our lives. Yet, as the darkness threatens, the light of Jesus shines all the brighter. WLM will invite the audience to deeply experience the darkness all around us - and within us - and invite the light of the risen Christ to pierce our darkness. Thank you for prayerfully considering partnering with us to bring this much needed film to all people.
- - Pastor Tim Ahlman
AT A GLANCE
BUSINESS PLAN
The feature film “Wretch Like Me” has been optimized for distribution. Through 25 years of being in the film industry our team has learned what genres sell, developed relationships with sales agents and distributors, and the skill set needed to deliver a quality feature length film for maximized impact and return on investment. To optimize a movie that sells you need to focus on three things: GENRE, SKILLSET, and PACKAGING.
GENRE
Horror | Thriller | Supernatural
Seven of the top ten most profitable movies of all time, based on return on investment, were in the genre of Horror or Faith Based films. Just this year Horror and Faith Based movies have grossed over $1 Billion. One such movie, Nefarious, is both an R Rated Horror movie and a Faith Based film. It’s a movie about a psychiatrist who must determine whether a man on death row who claims to be possessed by the devil is mentally fit enough to be executed. This film was made for $1.3 million and has already made $5.5 million in revenue from its theatrical release alone. This film was promoted as a Supernatural Horror Film but has Christian answers to the age-old questions about the nature of evil and the answers we have available to combat it. While Wretch Like Me is not exactly like Nefarious - it does showcase people's yearning for the gospel and our ability to reach them in new ways.
In November, 2021, Pew Research reported that 62 percent of American adults believe in Hell, up from 58 percent in 2014, and pop culture appears to be taking full advantage of the curiosity that surrounds Hell and its inhabitants. With that growing statistic, there has never been a more appropriate time to share our Christian worldview about the nature of evil - nor a more financially lucrative time to do so.
While the film will be geared towards adult viewers - the overall theme of the movie is the overwhelming power of Jesus' saving grace in an ever darkening world.
SKILLSET
With over 25 years of combined experience and 40 film credits to their names, Producers Todd Freeman and Lara Cuddy are positioned to successfully maneuver this project from Pre-Production to Distribution.
Before starting Red Braille Films, Todd and Lara Produced five feature length films back to back in Portland, OR. Each of these films have since gone on to play film festivals and find distribution around the world. In 2015 and 2016, the team had projects accepted into the prestigious Fantasia Film Festival’s Frontières Market (hundreds of submissions and only 10 chosen) where they pitched two films to hundreds of top Producers, Sales Agents, and Distributors. From these two experiences they partnered with other Producers to shoot both projects in 2018 and 2019.
Before Production began on these two feature films, life intervened. Todd found himself needing to take time to integrate a newly adopted son into their family. You can read more about that story in a previous blog HERE.
Now that his adopted son is in college and doing well, Todd picked up where things left off and began writing "Wretch Like Me," which incorporates many facets of what he has learned since hitting pause on his feature film career.
In the years since making films together, Todd began working at Christ Greenfield Church in Gilbert, AZ as the Director of Content Development. In 2020, he started a new ministry under the CG banner which began creating more original content for the church and school in Arizona. This new ministry has since become Red Braille, which not only serves CG, and its ministries, but also other non profit organizations around the country. It is in this capacity that Todd developed his relationship with Executive Producers Tim Ahlman and Jack Kalleberg, the Pastor and Executive Director of CG respectively.
Lara has since Produced seven more feature films and dozens of music videos for artists such as Bob Mould, Death Cab for Cutie, and Slater Kinney. This team is so excited to take Wretch Like Me to the next level - incorporating the new things they've learned since last working on a project together.
PACKAGING
Budget - $400,000 Total
When making a movie at this budget you have to keep a few things in mind.
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The story and genre are the star of the movie. You aren't going to get a top paid actor to be in your film at this budget.
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None of The 10 Most Profitable Movies of All Time have actors that were well known at the time. It is not required for movies at this budget to have a "movie star" in order to be successful.
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By keeping the film under $400,000 we are able to keep all actors and crew member's day rates at a manageable cost.
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With this budget, genre, and plan we are maximizing the likelihood of profitability.
Remaining investment needed: $300,000
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Executive Producers Tim Ahlman and Jack Kalleberg have committed to $75,000 of the budget which includes payment of RB employees, post production facilities, and equipment rentals.
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A crowd funding campaign is estimated to bring in $25,000 of the budget for additional post production costs such as sound mix, music score, and color correction.
COMING SOON
Cast
When casting a feature film for this budget only one thing truly matters - it needs to be the perfect actor for the role and they need to be great. While not every role in the movie is cast, we do have amazing actors cast for three of the key characters in the film. They were also in the proof of concept (see below).
Ted Rooney
On camera, Ted has amassed over 35 TV guest-star and recurring credits including Boardwalk Empire, ER, Gilmore Girls, Community, Lost, Weeds, My Name Is Earl, Seinfeld, CSI, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia.
Ted has over 20 principal movie roles (Gone, Legally Blonde, Santa Pups, Blood Work...) and over 35 principal appearances in commercials (yes, he was Abe Lincoln in the Mt. Dew ad and the Rozerem spots). Locally, Ted has appeared in The Librarians, Grimm, Leverage, Portlandia, The Kill Hole, Bucksville and Cell Count.
On Stage, Ted has acted in Portland at Corrib, Profile ad ART, and in regional theatres (Ahmanson - LA, Williamstown Theatre, The McCarter, The Wilma, The Arden, Portland Stage, and Idaho Shakespeare). He has performed in 10 off-Broadway plays and 10 plays in LA with the Actors Co-op.
Ted has a BA in Theatre from Lewis and Clark College and an MFA in acting from Temple University. Currently, Ted is teaching and coaching new and seasoned actors out of his own studio space, as well as teaching on-camera acting at Portland State University.
Victor Morris
Victor has had the honor of gracing the stages of The Old Globe (Trouble In Mind), La Jolla Playhouse (His Girl Friday), Moxie Theatre (Trouble In Mind), San Diego Rep (Storyville), The Old Globe (The Ruby In Us), and the title role of Othello at Artist Rep in Portland.
Film credits include Stephen King’s Grey Matter, Nora Ephron’s Sleepless in Seattle, Gus Van Sant’s Restless, and Ernest Dickerson’s Surviving The Game. Television credits include roles in American Vandal, Grimm, Criminal Minds, and Leverage.
As an instrumentalist, Victor is proficient in piccolo trumpet, euphonium and Lakota flute. He has studied voice with maestri Franco Corelli, Grace Bumbry, George Shirley, Franco Iglesias, and George Peckham. Victor is presently a tenor with the San Diego Opera and the ff Collective Opera Company, and plays trumpet for the Westminster Orchestra in San Diego. His biggest Life Achievement Award is papa to Anaka and Raina.
Introducing Faye Freeman
This is Faye's first leading role in a feature length film. She's been in multiple short films in speaking roles and is currently studying theater and choir in Greenfield Jr. High School. As you'll see in the Proof of concept below - she is ready for such a role.
Plan
We plan to start production on Wretch Like Me in March 2024 for a total budget of $400,000. First investments and crowdfunding goals total $100,000 which means we are looking for an additional $300,000 in financing for the film.
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Red Braille is currently applying for the Arizona Film Tax Incentive which is an annual film and TV tax incentive introduced by the state government to offset film production costs for Arizona filmmakers. It is offered in exchange for hiring local workers and using local resources within Arizona. Credit amounts awarded to production companies often vary depending on the total production cost within Arizona, including the number of jobs created. The terms offer a 15% tax credit for productions of up to $10 million. Production companies also benefit from an additional 2.5% tax credit for labor positions given to Arizona residents. This means that investors could recoup up to 17.5% of their investment within months of the end of production. Add additional details or change after talking with Lara.
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Red Braille's partnership with Christ Greenfield also offers an additional option for financiers to either participate in partial ownership OR use their investment as a charitable donation | tax write off. *Add additional details or change after talking with Jack.
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In November of 2023, the film will be announced as going into production and the crowdfunding campaign on Go Fund Me in the amount of $25,000 will be unveiled. This will include a one minute sizzle trailer as well as showcase the teaser poster for the film. Todd will utilize all of his contacts in the genre film industry to promote this campaign as well as energize the community for its eventual release. It serves as a funding opportunity but also an introduction to the film into the markets.
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Red Braille will run a social media campaign throughout the entire production showcasing the project in an exciting way to the genre film and faith communities.
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Once the film is completed it will:
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Be submitted to "work in progress" showcases in Cannes and Montreal. The RB team has already developed relationships in these markets and it will help bring exposure and potential distributors | sales agents to the table.
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Be submitted to genre film festivals for premieres around the world. The RB team has already developed relationships with these festivals and have a very good chance of being accepted.
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Be shown to already established contacts in the genre film industry to talk about potential representation or distribution.
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Be sold to or partner with a distribution company and or sales agent for worldwide digital streaming distribution.
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PROOF OF CONCEPT
"The darkness declares the glory of light." - T.S. Eliot
WARNING - This trailer has bad language and violence.
Viewer discretion is advised.
This proof of concept trailer was shot over four days in the fall of 2023.
Written and Directed by Todd E. Freeman
Produced by Sarah Freeman and Ellie Ebright
Starring - Ted Rooney, Faye Freeman, Susan Thompson,
Hazel Preston, and Victor Morris
Concept Art
Art concepts from different points in the feature film, "Wretch Like Me".
Thank you for considering being a part of the team.
Contact us today with any questions! We look forward to talking with you more!
Download the script for Wretch Like Me
Address
7641 E Guadalupe Rd #113
Mesa, AZ 85212