PRODUCTION INFO SUMMARY
WHY TAZED?
The story of the tasering and death of Robert Dziekanski has universal resonance and appeal. It has generated public interest and outrage not only in Canada but worldwide. In a security conscious age, TAZED touches almost everyone’s awareness of their vulnerabilities. People think “This could happen to me”. "From the moment I heard the news, I sensed that this event, like the "canary in the coalmine", was a warning signal - a cautionary tale. Paul Greengrass says in his film treatment for United 93, '..sometime, if you look clearly and unflinchingly at a single event, you can find in its shape something precious. Something much more larger than the event itself...the DNA of our times.'" Writer/director: Laurence Keane ACTORS PLAYING REAL PEOPLE SAYING REAL WORDS TAZED is a dramatization of the incident, as well as circumstances leading up to the incident and the aftermath – based almost 100% on the public record -- as told by various witnesses, and includes the police version of events, lawyers inquiries, testimony at the Braidwood Inquiry, Robert’s mother and friends recollections of Robert and Robert’s own experience of the whole incident as imagined by the screenwriter. It could be described as a “deconstruction” of the event. Much like a cubist portrait, pieces are out of time and out of place, but somehow these dislocated images make a whole and try to make some kind of sense out of a seemingly senseless act, as well as to seek the truth. WHY did he die? TAZED is a “WHY DUNNIT” - an in depth non-linear examination of WHY this incident happened rather than a linear presentation of WHAT happened. During the entire writing process, writer/director Laurence Keane had a stickie on his computer that simply stated “WHY did he die?” Director's Vision "The idea is to film TAZED like a documentary, with energy and pace, conveying a sense through acting and editing, that we are there witnessing the incident, and the subsequent investigation and personal interview, first hand.... TAZED might be compared to The Laramie Project. This film about the murder of a young gay man, Matthew Shepherd in Wyoming, had a cast of 70 actors, a structure that moved back and forth in time, some dramatization, and actors playing real people speaking directly to camera. Quite similar to how I envisioned TAZED - though I was not familiar with The Laramie Project until after I had conceived and written TAZED. Another example is The Thin Blue Line. That said, I envision TAZED as having its own unique approach." Laurence Keane, writer/director Development support Telefilm Canada 2nd draft Sept 09. Private Investor - Final Draft, March 2010, Packaging April 2011. Canadian Distribution: TBD Production start date: 2018 Production Budget: $1 million CAD Financing Plan Telefilm Canada Regional Feature Film fund, Federal and British Columbia provincial tax credits, Canadian Pay TV pre-sales and equity, Private equity, International pre-sales. Please contact us for a more detailed finance plan. Marketing TAZED has great marketing potential. The tasering death of Robert Dziekanski is a topic of ongoing discussion in Canada and many thousands, maybe millions worldwide, have followed the subsequent events in the media and watched the live video of the Braidwood Inquiry available online. As a result there is already a mass public “BRAND”awareness of the incident that can be tapped into. Because the story is already a media cause célèbre it will achieve global audiences, both in English and in other languages. Police brutality and the use of tasers are major concerns in most countries, particularly in these times of growing social unrest. In addition, the “citizen journalism” aspect of the story broadens its appeal in an era when local injustices can be recorded on cell phones or digital video cameras and broadcast worldwide on YouTube, whether it be police brutality at home or revolutions in the Middle East, thereby influencing the course of events. "Big Brother still has a lot of power at his disposal, but Little Brother's cell phone video may prove to be a more powerful force, in the end. Because, now, surveillance works both ways." Big Brother v Little Brother by Chris Weigant Target Audience The target audience is both specific “niche” markets (ie the Polish Community, immigrants and potential immigrants, legal and social justice groups worldwide, and students 18-25) as well as the general public (25+). Social networking will play a prominent part in the marketing. Utopia has already set up a FACEBOOK FAN PAGE and Twitter profile. Legal/rights issues TAZED is based nearly 100% on the public record - taken from the Braidwood Inquiry transcripts and media interviews. Actors playing real people saying their real words. As such, it is not necessary to get clearances, other than for a few personal interviews and for the Paul Pritchard video of the YVR incident, the only documentary footage to be used. Our lawyer Kim Roberts of Roberts & Stahl has prepared a legal opinion on the rights issue. Production Company Utopia Pictures: Producer Elvira Lount and producer/writer/director Laurence Keane are partners in Utopia Pictures based in Vancouver. They have several feature films in development and have produced 2 feature films (the historical drama SAMUEL LOUNT and the musical/comedy/cult classic BIG MEAT EATER) and many documentaries. Cast and crew All Canadian cast. 60 speaking parts, primarily small roles requiring 1-5 days with 1 or 2 names. DOP Neil Cervin, Sound/Associate producer Tad Nazar, Production Design Sydney Sharpe. Editor Lenka Svab.
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PODSUMOWANIE INFORMACJI O PRODUKCJI
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© Utopia Pictures Ltd. 2011
