Chainsaw Maidens From Hell is SVG Films\u2019 first project, an original script combining elements of horror and comedy, \u201can updated take on the classic story of a boy who becomes a knight to battle evil monsters.\u201d It\u2019s written by Matt, who also plans to direct the film. He has spent the last ten years producing stage shows, short films, and Web content and managed to shoot a feature film with a miniscule budget\u2014The Drachen Recruitment Experience\u2014over four weekends in 2011. Mihai has co-produced a Jazz musical\u2014Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench\u2014an official selection at the Tribeca Film Festival and one of the \u201c30 Best Films of 2010\u201d according to The New York Times.<\/p>\n
Starting with the product idea and its development, the decisions made by Matt and Mihai have been guided by their desire to ensure financial success. Matt: \u201cFor any investment you make, you want to minimize your risk and maximize your profit and that\u2019s essentially the path that we attempted to go on. We really want to make it a commercially viable product, something that people will want to see. So we decided on a horror movie because there\u2019s a great audience for horror movies and there are lots of channels to get the word out\u2014blogs, websites, fan pages, podcasts, specialized magazines, festivals and conventions\u2014that don\u2019t cost tons of money. \u201c<\/p>\n
The well-defined target audience allows them to promote the film even before producing it and it already has more than 3000 followers on Facebook. The choice of genre also drives decisions about who to recruit to play in the movie with the goal being to secure the participation, even just for a cameo appearance, of actors and actresses that are well-liked by horror fans. And thinking about foreign sales, the film will include \u201ca lot of slapstick humor\u2014that\u2019s funny in any language,\u201d says Matt.<\/p>\n
Beyond content, Matt and Mihai have found other ways to try and differentiate their venture. \u201cWhat makes this movie unique\u2014at least to me\u2014is the strategic opportunity we have in allocating resources in a way that\u2019s unprecedented,\u201d says Mihai. He is a founding member of CEMI, an organization dedicated to creating and enhancing the electronic arts culture of Greater Boston. CEMI resides at the Artisan\u2019s Asylum, a non-profit community craft studio in Somerville, Massachusetts. Part of the maker movement, Artisan\u2019s Asylum\u2019s mission is \u201cto support and promote the teaching, learning and practicing of craft of all varieties\u201d and it offers low cost resources to artists and an opportunity to teach their craft.<\/p>\n
The idea Matt and Mihai have for the \u201cstrategic allocation of resources\u201d is to reduce the movie production cost by involving the inmates of Artisan\u2019s Asylum. The artists and artisans could produce the props, sets, costumes, and even help with sound engineering. SVG Films will pay for the cost of the materials but the work will be done as part of the ongoing process of creating and teaching at the Asylum, in exchange for being credited in the film and, in some cases, even showcasing the artists\u2019 creations. \u201cIt\u2019s the same kind of thing as product placement,\u201d says Mihai, \u201cbut we go directly to the source.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another strategic partnership important for the success of Chainsaw Maidens From Hell is with House of Film, a well-established film sales and distribution company, combining traditional distribution with the latest in digital and Internet distribution. While the drastically reduced costs of producing and marketing independent films provide new opportunities to outsiders, they still need an established distributor to help get the films into the right film festivals, sell it to film buyers worldwide, and place it on the most effective digital platforms to ensure long-term revenues.<\/p>\n
Finally, an important strategic partner for any business is the government, or more specifically, its tax code. Like other startup entrepreneurs and similar to CEOs of large companies, Matt and Mihai understand the importance of potential tax breaks. The Federal Film Tax Credit permits a 100% write-off for the cost of certain audio-visual works, regardless of what media they were destined for\u2014theatrical, television, DVD, etc. In addition, Massachusetts has allowed since 2006 a 25% tax rebate on nearly all expenses for films shot in the state.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s a key selling point for potential investors, especially investors residing in Massachusetts, guaranteeing that they will get back at least a portion of their investment. Still, raising funds is the biggest hurdle for Matt and Mihai, as it is for other startups, and some of the decisions regarding the film\u2019s production work both ways.<\/p>\n
Producing the film in Massachusetts not only brings an additional tax benefit to investors, but it also cost less than it would cost in New York or Los Angeles. However, that\u2019s were most people interested in financing movies reside and \u201cwe\u2019ve found they don\u2019t like the money going to Boston,\u201d says Miahi. \u201cThe professional VCs in Boston look at our business plan and say \u2018This is great! Too bad it isn\u2019t about technology, but I\u2019m sure someone will like it.\u2019\u201d Adds Matt: \u201cYou get tired of people saying, \u2018This is great but it\u2019s not what we do.\u2019 It\u2019s a catch-22: if we wanted to shoot somewhere else, there\u2019d be more money available but we wouldn\u2019t be able to do it for this amount of money. Someone\u2019s got to be the one that says Boston can do this, we can do it in this city.\u201d