Kickstarter

SYNOPSIS:

A top-secret government experiment called ΣΩΜΑ is using an experimental new treatment to turn America’s Most Violent Criminals into crime fighting superheroes. 

ΣΩΜΑ is my latest project, which is being developed as a TV Pilot, which I will be shopping to networks such as HBO, SYFY, SHOWTIME, TNT and others. I am a jack-of-all-trades who writes, directs, shoots, edits and does special effects on all of my projects. I even score the music and create the title sequences! 

Hello and thank you for joining the OTTO ARMY!! I hope you are reading this because you are as fanatical about filmmaking as I am and want to be part of something really cool! For last few years I have been creating short films with absolutely NO BUDGET!

Although I've had fun doing these NO BUDGET films it is time to CRANK THINGS UP A BIT! That is where you come in. You will be helping to fund my latest and greatest project, a TV Pilot I will be shooting in Los Angeles called "ΣΩΜΑ". The projected length of this pilot will be 42 mins. My projected budget is $42,000. This will be my very first project shot in HD and I am very excited for the journey and hope that you will come along for the ride!

 ΣΩΜΑ PROJECT DETAILS:

In 2008 the FBI joined with the DOD and other government agencies to form ΣΩΜΑ: Special Operations for Mutations and Adaptations, an organization responsible for the recruitment of new superheroes. But this wasn't going to be like any recruitment process ever attempted before. First off all the operatives within ΣΩΜΑ had to have their identities changed and any records of their of their public service destroyed so that they could operate with complete secrecy. Second, the recruits were not going to be people of valor, upstanding citizens, the usual heroes. Instead, ΣΩΜΑ's goal was to convert hardened criminals, America's Most Violent Offenders, into crime fighters. The belief was that those with criminal minds would understand other criminals and how they operate. In 2011, after 3 years of experimenting on test subjects, ΣΩΜΑ had its first successful recruit, a violent murderer known as Hopper The Axe or just plain old Hopper. Hopper had a bad habit of kidnapping people and chopping them up with his axe. This is Hopper's story of how he went from being one of the most violent men in America to America's greatest hope.

CHARACTER PROFILES:

HOPPER EASTMORE, 43, worn, weary and hiding out from the law, has been experiencing strange black outs which leave him with no memory of hours, sometimes days...he wakes on the side of the road, out of sorts, exhausted, unable to recall the last two days of his life. He tries to piece his memories together with the help of his girlfriend and accomplice Mandy. 

MANDY LACE, 32, is Hopperʼs junkie girlfriend who tolerates Hopperʼs abuse because of the constant influx of narcotics. She is also wanted for aiding and abetting Hopper throughout the years. She is the first person Hopper calls after his blackouts and she has to remind him that he has had other blackouts similar to this last one but they are getting longer in direction. Mandy decides to come over and house sit Hopper so she can see first hand what is happening to him if another black out should occur.

LARCH GREENWOOD, 36, a career criminal, bank robber, felon with a long list of warrants for kidnapping, armed assault, and homicide. Hopper wakes with Larch by his side and a case filled with cash. Larch is gunned down as Hopper is trying to get information out of him.

DETECTIVE NATHAN VEX, 43, a seasoned pro with a special-forces background. He is very territorial about the bank robberies and has been trying to nail Larch for the last 2 years. He is pissed off when he is told by his boss that the DOD is handling the case and he has been pulled off. But Vex doesnʼt give in so easily and investigates on his own time to find out why the DOD would be interested in the murder of a bank robber.

ΣΩΜΑ AGENT (MAN IN BLACK), 47, strange, mysteriously quiet, focused, determined to complete his mission at any cost. Willing to kill anybody who gets in his way. He shoots Larch to keep him quiet about what is happening to Hopper during his blackouts.

SCARLETTA, 35, is a vicious gang leader who has worked with Hopper in the past and spent time with him in prison. He convinces Hopper to do another job with him, which would involve kidnapping and extortion. He is named Scarletta because of several dozen nasty scars, which mark his face.

ZANDRA WULF, 28, is ΣΩΜΑʼs first experiment, which did not go so well. She is a hardened criminal who ΣΩΜΑ tried to turn into a crime fighter but instead they have left her paralyzed with fear, paranoid, and self-destructive. She spies on Hopper, eagerly awaiting his response to the ΣΩΜΑ treatment to see if there is hope for herself, not willing to admit that the effects of the ΣΩΜΑ treatment on her life are probably permanent.

DOCTOR GEFFRON, 55, a genetic biologist who developed the ΣΩΜΑ treatment, which turns criminals into crime fighters. He is weary of the way the treatment is being used by the ΣΩΜΑ AGENT and tries to warn him. But the ΣΩΜΑ AGENT ignores Dr.Geffronʼs warnings and kidnaps Dr.Geffronʼs daughter GRACE in order to keep him silent.

GRACE GEFFRON, 21, is Dr.Geffronʼs daughter who is kidnapped in order to keep him silent and obedient. She has been studying to follow in her father’s footsteps.

DIRECTOR of OPERATIONS:

Hi, I am Johnny Otto, an award-winning Writer/Director best known for having created 7 short films in 7 weeks in something I called "SLIMDUNCE". I also directed the feature-length Mockumentary called "Bring Me The Head of Walt Disney", and my last film "I'm Not Alone".

You can see my pervious work on-line @ http://www.johnnyotto.com   

I will also be keeping my website up-to-date with the latest info on ΣΩΜΑ at  http://www.johnnyotto.com/ΣΩΜΑ-project

I am a firm believer that if you have a strong vision and fierce determination then you can make anything happen. This project has been in the works for several months and is finally ready to begin the funding process. If I am anything, it is someone who relishes at operating outside of the system, creating my own projects! I am the Director of Operations. You will be my Operatives in the Field!!!

JOIN THE REVOLUTION!!!

Kickstarter is a revolution and very inspiring to filmmakers like me. It allows us to reach out to our fans and to develop new fans along the way that become as important to my project as I am. YOU ARE GOING TO HELP PRODUCE MY PROJECT!! That's HUGE!! This is really OUR project and so I will do everything in my power to be as transparent as possible and to give as much as possible. You are helping break down the old way of funding films, through the studio system, to really be part of a REVOLUTION!!

 The funds I raise from my Operatives in the Field will go to:

            *Finding and working with a really great Director of     

             Photography!

            *Camera & Sound Equipment rentals!

            *Permits for shooting in public places!

            *Editing and Post-production Services!

            *Costumes and Props!

            *Below the Line Crew!

            *Location Fees!

            *Make Up & Hair

            *Craft services

            *Productions Breakdown Services

            *Other Misc. Items, fees, legal services, PR.

HOW MUCH CAN WE RAISE?

The sky is really the limit! Budgets are pretty unstable things and filmmaking is a lot like warfare! There are always unforeseen land-mines, which must be literally LEAPED over. Plus there is all the cost of PR and publicity after the project is completed to make sure that it is seen by the people I want to see it. The ULTIMATE GOAL for me is to develop this as a TV SERIES, which everyone can enjoy!! I usually self-fund my projects which means creating things with NO BUDGET but this time around I am hoping to do something on a much larger scale and that is why I am turning to Kickstarter and to people who feel inspired by what creative people can achieve with the right support. It is not always important to give a lot, just to give something. $5, $10, $20 dollars from everyone reading this will help me complete my dream project and will give you special access to all the behind-the-scenes workings...FOR THE PRICE OF A SIX PACK OF BEER YOU CAN HELP ME PUSH MY PROJECT INTO REALITY!! (and then we’ll all do a toast with a beer of course).

WANT TO BE AN OPERATIVE?

If donating money isn't quite enough and you want to be a part of my project and you live in or near Los Angeles then you can get in touch with me about helping in one of the following ways:

* Be a Production Assistant or Part of the Crew!

* PR help - Spread the word about ΣΩΜΑ. Help with Social Media sites

  such as Twitter & Facebook!

* Shoot behind-the-scenes footage for my DVD!

* Cater the shoots!!

* You're a fantastic actor and you know it. Send me your headshot and  

  reel!!

* Think outside the box and come up with innovate ways to help reach  

  my funding goal!

* Help start a Fan Club and Website for ΣΩΜΑ!

* You can rent me your gear, if you’re in Los Angeles!

‘Like’ my Facebook page: 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/ΣΩΜΑ/243930435647255 

and help SPREAD THE WORD about ΣΩΜΑ!!!   

How do we contact you? 

You can reach me for questions or to send comments or anything else you can fit in an email at  johnny@johnnyotto.com

ΣΩΜΑ soundtrack released on itunes:  

http://c.itunes.apple.com/us/imix/id465520175