Fight or Flight Movie Project - Meeting Notes

James and Tim from Illusion Islands introduce themselves.
Illusion Islands is a movie production company specializing in various genres and budgets, working toward larger projects.
Hannah is a writer from Brooklyn, New York.
Tim has a background in New York, including Queens (Flushing, Fresh Meadows), The Bronx, and Long Island. He is currently in New Mexico with his wife due to an opportunity she has there, but they plan to return to the East Coast.

James and Tim are currently in Cincinnati.
They have worked on two completed films and have a horror film in production, among other projects.

James expresses being very impressed with Hannah's script. He shares it with James and Pam.
He notes that good scripts either lean towards drama or commercial appeal, but Hannah's script successfully merges both aspects.
He finds it to be an action thriller with artistic elements and well-rounded characters.

Hannah was influenced by action movies she loves and wanted to create a female action hero who defies typical expectations.
The character's anxiety plays a significant role, exploring the disorder in a way that might seem contradictory to those unfamiliar with it.

James compares the script to "The Professional," noting its edgy yet innocent qualities.
He emphasizes the commercial appeal of action thrillers, which distributors favor.

Presales involve selling a movie to different territories (e.g., Germany, Russia, India) before it is made, based on the actors involved.
Popular actors can secure presales, providing guarantees on the money needed to raise the capital for the film.
This approach treats investors' money cautiously, like a bank, ensuring a safer bet.
When the movie earns revenue in specific territories, the initial earnings go to those who invested in that territory. The revenue is typically split 50/50 between the territory and the production company after the initial investment is recouped.

James suggests John Claude Van Damme for the role of Jack, citing his suitability for the security aspect and action elements, his bankability for presales, and his reasonable cost.
He estimates the movie's budget could range from $1 million to $5 million. $(1,000,000 \,to\, 5,000,000)$
He suggests casting the best actor for the Hope role and using a casting director.
For the Yuri role, casting a known or semi-known actor in their early twenties would be interesting.
He proposes the actress from Saw to play Detective Carter.

The investment would be split into three parts:
- Majority from presales, backed by a bank or investment company.
- Around $300,000$ to $500,000$ from filming in the project. $(300,000 \,to\, 500,000)$
- Tax incentives from filming locations like Cincinnati, Indiana, or Kentucky.

Illusion Islands will create a pitch deck to attract actors like Jean Claude Van Damme.
The team identifies Hope, Jack, Yuri, and the female detective as the four crucial characters, which covers a diverse range (older male, younger female, older female, younger male).

Hannah confirms she holds the rights to the movie.
James mentions the possibility of his attorney drafting an option agreement.
He contrasts their approach to Hollywood, which he considers full of "con artists."

Hannah agrees with the proposed vision, particularly the idea of casting a major action star like Jean Claude Van Damme as Jack.
She intentionally included flashbacks to maintain Jack's presence throughout the movie.

James encourages Hannah, Pam, Chris and Tim to contribute casting ideas, emphasizing the need for realistic suggestions.
He suggests Aiden Gallagher (from Umbrella Academy) or Andrew Barth Feldman for the role of Yuri.
He creates an email thread to brainstorm cast options.
He anticipates the pitch deck taking a week or two to complete.
The most famous actor will be approached first to gauge interest.
After initial interest from the lead, distributors will be contacted to discuss presales.
The team, including Hannah, will continue to refine the script and synopsis for the pitch.

The Illusion Island team members express their enthusiasm and commitment to reading the full screenplay.
James inquires about the character Fisk's name, noting its similarity to a DC villain. Hannah acknowledges the connection was unintentional but considered afterward.

Tim mentions his role as Stanley Kowalski in "A Streetcar Named Desire" and expresses interest in a role.
He is a former professional boxer.