You do not have, because you do not ask. --James 4:2 (AMP)

Raging Dogs Productions, LLC is seeking funds to complete the full production of our first feature-length film Whispers from the Dark, Vol. 1.  In August of 2007, we finished production on our most ambitious short film to date, Love Lost in a Boat.  Since then, writer/director Michael Angelo has written two new short stories that he has adapted into screenplays.  The plan is to shoot these two screenplays--"You Always Have a Choice" and "Angler/Fish"--back to back and put all three together as an anthology.  Here is the description from our website:

Whispers from the Dark, Vol. 1 is an independent horror anthology in the tradition of such genre classics as Tales from the Darkside: The Movie, The Twilight Zone: The Movie, and Creepshow.  It is composed of three stories: the gritty revenge flick "Love Lost in a Boat," "You Always Have a Choice" (a stranded motorist/haunted house tale), and the sexy creature-feature "Angler/Fish."

The Exclusive Sneak Peek

This is a Kickstarter-only exclusive sneak peek at "Love Lost in a Boat"--one of the three stories to be featured in our horror anthology Whispers from the Dark, Vol.1--featuring an introduction by writer/director Michael Angelo.

WARNING: The following scene contains strong language and may not be suitable for all audiences or environments.  Viewer discretion is strongly advised.

The Stories

“Love Lost in a Boat”

A tale of love, betrayal, and revenge based on Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado.” This segment has already been completed and has enjoyed positive audience reactions thanks largely to the quality of the script and the performances of lead actors Tommy Bo and Amy Rene. Edwin Neal, one of the stars of the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre, has a voice cameo as the narrator at the beginning of the film.

“You Always Have a Choice”

Our contribution to the pantheon of classic “stranded motorist” ghost stories: Jones and Charlie are traveling during a hurricane and forced to shelter in an old bed & breakfast known as Grandma's House, but the history of these two men, their reasons for traveling in such dangerous conditions, and the malevolent nature of Grandma's House itself will turn this into a night of judgment.

"Angler/Fish"

As much about coming to terms with the past as it is about obsession, sex, and violence, it is the story of a young man keeping alive the memory of his late father by carrying on their tradition of summer fishing trips. But when a tropical storm blows in on one such fateful weekend, forcing an early retreat back to the family beach house, a mysterious vixen blows in along with the storm, and the lines between reality and the fantastic quickly blur.

The Plan

With your help, we plan to start filming early next year.  Due to several items--including many of our props, costumes, and one important piece of set dressing--that need to be special ordered, we anticipate it will take us 6-8 weeks from the time this campaign (successfully) ends to be able to start rolling.  Allowing for unexpected delays and schedule conflicts during the holidays, that puts us beginning right around the start of 2012.  We literally can't think of a better way to kick off the new year than launching full speed into production!  Our mantra is "a bad day on set is better than a great day doing anything else."

And in case anyone is wondering, here is the Top Sheet of our budget:

Development: 2.35%

Story and Screenplay: 5.00%

Producer and Director: 8.24%

Cast: 20.21%

Studio Overhead: 11.95%

Crew and Materials: 38.62%

Taxes: 5.00%

Contingencies/Misc.: 8.64%

The Team

Michael Angelo; writer, director, producer, DP, editor

Paul H. Fielder; producer, assistant director, co-creator

Matt Faulkenberry; unit production manager

Tommy Bo; "Davin" (lead actor, "Love Lost in a Boat")

Amy Rene; "Ellie" (lead actress, "Love Lost in a Boat")

Edwin Neal; "Narrator" (voice, "Love Lost in a Boat")

More cast and crew coming soon!

The Point

All of us here at Raging Dogs have chosen a career in films because we're just crazy enough to not be able to imagine life any other way. I think the following dialog from the movie Along Came a Spider really sums it up:

Alex: You do what you are, Jezzie.
Jezzie: You mean you are what you do.
Alex: No, I mean, you do what you are. You're born with a gift. If not that, then you get good at something along the way. And what you're good at, you don't take for granted. You don't betray it.
Jezzie: What if you do betray your gift?
Alex: Then you betray yourself. That's a sad thing.

With your help, we can "do what we are."  We're offering several different rewards packages covering a broad range of pledge amounts: there's literally a rewards package for any budget and everything helps.  With Kickstarter's All-or-Nothing policy, either we make 100% of our goal before time runs out, or no money exchanges hands, and it's back to the drawing board.

So please, pledge what you can honestly afford and tell everyone you know about our project; "many hands make for light work," and many donors can take achieving our goal from being a dream to a reality.  On behalf of everyone here at Raging Dogs Productions, thank you all very much for your support, and we look forward to entertaining you with the fruits of our collective labor.