Soul-Bound Live Action Anime Film

STORY

Soul-Bound is a live action short film that will be told through the eyes of an anime episodic show. The synopsis of this film is about a late 20's man that goes by the name of Kyle Devilsinger. He is what is known as a Spirit Specialist - someone who has a vast amount of knowledge of the afterlife and the world beyond. He runs an office called a Spirit Agency, which people go to for help when they are in need of assistance when dealing with a problem that is not from our world. Kyle and his assistant and partner in life, Misty Soulwalker, who is what they call a Weapon-Bound Spirit go to identify what is causing trouble to their client and how to deal with it. This short film takes us through one of their many odd jobs in paranormal prosecution.

IMPORTANCE

Soul-Bound is the essence of anime story-telling  from the look of a live action film and with any type of anime show that people watch, there is always a sense and explanation for these types of scenarios:

 - where/when does this take place?
- what is the lore?
- what rules are set in stone?

Soul-Bound takes place during our present time where paranormal occurrences take place at a higher rate, but it is not completely blown out of proportion where everything you hear on the news is another haunting. Paranormal cases are still known only to a few selected like in times like now. The rules of this universe are grounded like in our own world with the mix of fantasy that breaks the 4th wall by questioning concepts and ideals that we know and hold dear to ourselves that we might second guess after hearing differently. What is told and shown in this short film, with the help of great pacing, teaches its viewers about the rules set of this universe, lore that you will get information about and an understanding for who these characters are and what makes them stand out. The pacing will also help to spread out the information so knowledge isn't all crammed into a few minutes, getting the audience lost.

Importance Of Cinema And Anime

While I can say about what is unique about the film project itself, I have yet  to discuss why the main centered medias of this project are considered important. And honestly, I can't explain too well or describe the reasons why cinema and anime are considered important in our lives. So I have a few links to several of these topics that you might want to go ahead and read about if need an explanation to anything regarding these 2 topics:

CINEMA

https://www.intellectbooks.co.uk/MediaManager/File/filmcatalogue(web).pdf 

https://thoughteconomics.com/the-role-of-film-in-society/ 

http://revistamedicinacine.usal.es/es/volumenes/80-vol4/num319/1060-the-cinema-as-an-instrument-for-a-better-understanding-of-human-nature-html 

ANIME

http://www.golocalpdx.com/lifestyle/the-importance-of-anime-and-why-we-should-respect-it

http://umich.edu/~anime/index.html

https://aminoapps.com/c/anime/page/blog/the-importance-of-art-animation-in-anime/z2tx_u00KKv1rjrkEm0RomJbn8na7Y

OBJECTIVE THEMES

This short film will be borrowing themes and small pieces of concepts from world famous franchises. Franchises such as:


And the production design work from one of the people that did:


THINGS YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE




Characters

Kyle Devilsinger

Misty Soulwalker

Ruth Mcbeth

Shop Owner

FUNDING

Funding will be going towards the following things:

- Actors
- Studio Fee
- Gear
- VFX (visual effects)
- Music
- Food/Drinks
- Costumes
- Sets
- Props
- Reward and Perk Distribution

GOALS

- First styled "anime" to be produced in the West
- Film Festivals
- To have a creative and ambitious film
- Bringing back originality and creativity to the big screen

Cast/Crew

Nick Bianconi


- creator
- director
- producer
- writer
- IMDB https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5644476/?ref_=nv_sr_1

An independent  film maker that graduated from San Jose State University with a BA in Film Production. Currently has 2 short films under the belt: "Bad Bargain", which made its way to the Palm Springs International Film Festival and considered to the Burbank Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival and "Mind Sight",  which although has a lower production quality, has still made its way onto television via broadband.

Bad Bargain - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw8-WW5RJ4U
Mind Sight - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydzr4DQGd_o&t=3

Jade


- twitter -https://twitter.com/theLeadpanda
- art gallery - https://www.artstation.com/leadpanda
- twitch - https://www.twitch.tv/theleadpanda
- "It is really exciting to see concepts I've drawn created in the real world. We already have a preview of the characters and their personalities so we're intrigued by them."

An illustrator, concept artist and character designer. She has her own fan base and is a streamer who creates art live on twitch.

Kay Cunningham


- costume designer
- WEBSITE - http://www.kaycunningham.us/
- instagram - https://www.instagram.com/makeupbykayce/
- twitter - https://twitter.com/makeupbykayce
- IMDB -https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6301102/
- "Original and visualizing."

A costume designer that has worked on projects in locations such as: Europe, the Caribbean and the USA. She has experience in Makeup Designing Artistry & Costume Designing/Making. She also has experience with event planning, promotion, Artist Management, Casting, Producing, Wardrobe Styling and Art Direction and has worked on films of all sorts of budgets.

Michael Sousa


- cinematographer
- WEBSITE - https://mfsousa.myportfolio.com/
- instagram - https://www.instagram.com/iamsousa/
- "Soul-Bound is a fantastic script that deserves production. Mr. Bianconi's style of crossing a classical detective film, humor, and action anime into a short film is gripping. When Nick first showed me the script, my mind was racing with ideas for how to shoot it. I'm a fan of both live-action and anime, and I've worked with green screen, but this script was something new. After getting to know Nick and learning his game plan, I knew I had to get involved. With the right support and funding from fans of this genre, this Soul-Bound can become a reality for all to enjoy."

A cinematographer that graduated from San Fransisco State University. He has a Bachelors in Cinema Production. Growing up in Stockton, he freelances film projects through out the Bay Area and decided to major in this field due to his love for drawing and taking b&w film pictures.

Monique Noelle


- make up artist

Jolie by Monique Noelle was founded in 2014 by a Monique Noelle a San Francisco Native with a passion for Makeup and Art. After working in the corporate world for 9+years Monique Noelle decided to finally follow her passion and take on the world of makeup full time. For the last 4 years Monique Noelle has explored the avenues of Makeup, where she has been published in over a dozen magazines, worked backstage in many Fashion Runway Shows, and the world of film and tv with 2 featured films under her belt. She also enjoys weddings and special occasion. Jolie means Pretty in French, a language spoken within Monique Noelle's house while growing up. Monique Noelle first niece Jalesa was given the nickname Jolie as a baby. With the amazing bond they share it only was right to add a touch of their love to her business!

Cristina Fabian


- hair stylist

Cristina Fabian is a Makeup Artist and Hairstylist in the Greater Los Angeles. She has been formally trained at the TNT Makeup for Professionals Agency. She has worked on many shorts, features, web series, student films, and more. Cristina began doing hair and makeup in 2009. After doing two years of tfp work she finally started getting paid work. Her talent started to get noticed and she started to travel to do hair and makeup. She has been in the beauty industry for almost ten years and she is not slowing down.

John Dorsey


- production designer
- production samples - https://www.johnisdorsey.com/ 
- art work - http://thefutureevolves.com/
- “Growing up in New Orleans, the supernatural and otherworldly had a strong presence in my upbringing. I look forward to working on this project and making those unseen forces come to life on the screen!”

John Dorsey is a multi-dimensional artist and designer who sees connections in the world - crossovers between disciplines that continue to prove the extent to which all things are interconnected. Trained as an Environmental Designer at ArtCenter, he is constantly exploring how those connections can be creatively expressed in our perceivable environment - transforming experiences into stories.

Christopher Arrendando


- prop maker
- puppeteer

Originally from Long Beach, California, Chris Arredando has been living in Las Vegas for the last 12 years. His passion extends from adolescence with horror movies and working in the haunt industry. Chris started his professional career in Makeup FX after graduating from Lmakeup Institute in 2014. His creations can be seen locally as well as in film. While working on over 10 independent films, Chris has had opportunities to work with well-known talent such as Pollyanna Mcintosh from "The Walking Dead," Jeremey Holm from "House of Cards," Charles Band with legendary horror company, Full Moon and has been mentored by the inspirational Tom Devlin while working with his company, 1313 FX. Chris continues to push his career by taking all challenges and sharing his knowledge at Lmakeup Institute.

Matthew Fantastic


- actor
- "I'm thrilled to be working on this project! I really appreciate the idea of translating the Anime medium into a live performance. Live action anime is a concept a lot of anime fans can get behind. With original content and a passionate crew, I can't wait to see what we can accomplish!" 

Matthew Fantastic is a Character Actor. Trained at American River College under Pam Downs and Sam Williams. Matthew was raised in a Theatrical household that taught him to appreciate live musical performances and encouraged him to break into acting as a career. He is excited to take his talent from the stage and apply it on camera in his first lead role in Soul-Bound.

Gabrielle Niebauer


- actress
- voice actor
- IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6091914/ 
- facebook - https://www.facebook.com/gabrielleniebauer/ 
- production company - https://www.californiavideowork.com/ 
- "Soul-Bound is a new and exciting cross over of entertainment formats and will pave the way for the future of live-action anime."

Born in Sacramento, California, Gabrielle was one born for the camera from a very young age. Growing up from featuring in plays, she and her parents made a production company called "California Videowork". As she grew to liking the industry, she has written, produced and acted in her work, "Band of Keepers", "Governor Gabbi", and the TV short film, "Seriously?".

Jeanne Young


- actress
- facebook - https://www.facebook.com/actressjeanneyoung 
- twitter - https://twitter.com/jeanneyoungbiz 
- IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5649428/ 
- "I was drawn to your project due to the spiritual/supernatural aspect and am curious on how the fundamentals of anime will be incorporated into a live action short film."

Jeanne Young is a talented San Francisco based actress and filmmaker. In 2005 she set her sights on a career in the entertainment industry. Since then she has been recognized as a northern bay area talent and up-and-comer by a variety of media sources.
She has worked both in front of the camera and behind-the-scenes as well on various films as actress, producer, writer, casting director, and production coordinator. She studied for years under several well known teachers, acting coaches, and casting directors at schools such as ‘San Francisco School Of Digital Filmmaking' (SFSDF) and ‘Film Acting Bay Area’ (FABA), amongst others, and continues to further educate herself in every aspect of filmmaking.
Jeanne has co-written, co-produced, and co-cast, and has successfully booked, collaborated and lead-acted in a myriad of projects ranging from both short and feature length films, TV shows, commercials, industrials, and New Media projects.
She is also one of the authors for a book project titled "W.O.M. Women On A Mission: stories of trials, tribulation, and triumphs". The authors of this book are women who have "overcome adversity and triumphed, and are paving their way towards success, or have a testimonial of success!" The book is meant to inspire and empower other women out there who need to know they are not alone in whatever struggles they encounter on the road toward their own personal or public triumph!

Edward Haynes Jr.


- actor
- IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7263951/?ref_=tt_cl_t8 
- "I think this will be one of the year's best in terms of short films."

A former resident of Michigan, Edward A. Haynes Jr. moved to Ohio in 2005, and shortly afterwards responded to an ad on Craigslist seeking actors for a no-budget zombie movie. He got bit by the acting bug and has been working on and off ever since. He has uncredited background extra credit in such films as Disney's 2010 horse epic "Secretariat" and later on in the 2016 Nicholas Cage crime-drama "Dog Eat Dog." However, he is not limited to work as an extra, with major roles in the (little known) 2015 sci-fi epic "Ezekiel's Landing", as well as numerous gigs upcoming in 2017, including the newly made slasher film "The Wicked One and the upcoming "Kill Dolly Kill: Dolly Deadly 2". Most recently, he is happy to be the voice of Grim Reaper in "Death Goes Green." Currently, he is in talks for several films shooting in and around the Columbus, Ohio area, as well as other projects filming soon both in California, Las Vegas and New York.

Jeff Shea


- actor
- IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7257956/ 
- "With tireless flair and passion this film may lay bare the inadequacies of our society with intelligence; and to finally be ...Soul-Bound. Peace, love, blood and Hollywood."

Stage and film Actor. Jeff Shea has worked with some great visionaries including John Patterson and Quentin Tarantino. Born in Chicago but spent most of my life along the coast surfing and living out of my 1958 VW Bus. I am an artist, painter, filmmaker and writer. His acting career stems from the Los Angeles Theater Academy and includes a degree in Theater Art and Law.

Dyan Lee


- voice actor
- linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/voicethief 
- website - https://www.voices.com/actors/VoiceThief 
- soundcloud -https://soundcloud.com/voice-thief 
- "When I first read Nick Bianconi’s short film, Soul-Bound, I was hooked and couldn’t wait to apply for the character of Vanessa. As a writer and voice talent, I thought the mystical storyline was fantastic, special and unique. I could picture the scenes so vividly in my mind and couldn’t wait to try my hand at playing the character, Vanessa. She is intended to be young, sweet, soft, and innocent, which is the opposite of who I am, but Nick encouraged me to challenge myself and have fun with the role. Nick has a real winner here, and I can’t wait for the film to be released. I’m excited and honored to be part of the cast, and I appreciate your support in helping this film to be produced."

Dyan Lee is a former television news anchor and reporter who began voicing documentaries, books, corporate videos, and other materials more than twenty years ago. She is releasing her first novel later this summer called A Disease Called Man, which she will be voicing as well. Check out Dyan’s work (the Voice Thief) on SoundCloud or on Hulu via several ClearView Energy Commercials. She also recently worked with Ache, a large pharmaceutical company in South America, on a video to promote medicine that alleviate migraines.

Crystal Barrett


- actress
- facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1675223722&ref=br_rs 
- IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9161066/ 
- "I am crazy excited to be a part of "Soul-Bound." Well written, action-packed and funny as hell, I am guaranteed a great learning experience and a great time... Plus my acting muscles are going to get a GREAT workout!"

An actress with an extensive theatrical background, Crystal recently decided to try her hand in the film industry. Along with training with notable coaches like Richard Seyd and Charlie Holliday, she has had the good fortune of landing several supporting roles in the northern CA film community. Her theatrical credits include such notable roles as Rizzo in Grease, Cinderella, in the Rodgers & Hammerstein production, Delee in Smoky Joe's Cafe, and Carol from Neil Simon's Laughter on the 23rd Floor.

Dwight Boyd


- voice actor

He got his Dramatic Arts and Vocal schooling up at Foothill Jr. College & TV. commercial at Stage One Theatre over in Santa Clara, He use to act as an extra in some movies, now a member of SAG, he took a few Voice Over classes up in San Francisco what I'm doing now is acting and performing in community musical plays, they have been "Anything Goes, West Side Story, Guys & Dolls, Fiddler On The Roof, The Music Man three times, South Pacific three times, Carousel, Showboat, Annie get your gun, Damn Yankees, Hairspray, & 9 to 5." Every year around January he does these musical shows called The Chickens Ball and Kiwanis shows in San Carlos. He really striving for an acting career in films and t.v. and a voice-over career, to put a low bass voice out into the world.

MUSIC

Music is an important part of any film, anime or video game. It brings out the best of any moment, whether it's a happy moment, a tragedy, a huge discovery or even bringing out the spirit of pure epicness. With anime, you always have an intro and outro for anything that's considered episodic, along with the music in between during certain scenes. Since this will be on the format of an episodic anime show, there will be an intro and outro; and to get the best of these 2, you will need a separate band to do these.

Phoenix Ash will be doing the intro and outro theme songs for the film "Soul-Bound" with 2 new original songs. You can check them out on various websites for their music, with more to be added to their list of songs.

- youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/phoenixashmusic 
- website - http://www.phoenix-ash.com/ 
- facebook - https://www.facebook.com/phoenixashmusic/ 
- twitter - https://twitter.com/phoenixashmusic 
- soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/phoenixash 

STUDIOS

The visual effects will be minimal, but they will be present in the film when they are needed to be present. The studio that will be handling the visual effects for this project is:

- website - https://guerillawanderers.com/ 
- portfolio - https://vimeo.com/gwfilms 
- twitter - https://twitter.com/gwfilms?lang=en 

IMPACT

"Soul-Bound" is a very ambitious and original film project and like with all new concepts, it's very difficult to convey trust among the world, even more difficult when it's from a person that no one really knows or even exists and only has what's inside their mind to offer.

- "Soul-Bound" will be considered a real true original film from which the likes no one has ever thought of before. Not only will the film be a new original concept for film, but if enough people like it, it could start a new franchise - for there is an unlimited amount of directions that a concept like this could go. It will also help the people of this project get paid and thus creating new jobs (for what limited time there is) and can help the cast/crew get their foot into the door of a difficult industry which is limited to people that only work in the industry based on connections and shear luck.

- A reminder that the creator of this film and concept, Nick Bianconi (me) has only made 2 short films, but both short films have ambition and are considered original and creative enough for the big league film festivals and television:

1. Bad Bargain - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw8-WW5RJ4U 
2. Mind Sight - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydzr4DQGd_o&t=7s 

- If a film like this can become a reality it can not only bring new experiences and future thrills to film and anime audiences, but it can also lead to new creativity and acceptance among Hollywood and having a point proven, the point saying that "Originality is still a need in the film business, now more than ever. Just like how EA was telling people that people don't want single player games and single player games is still a high need in demand for people."

RISKS AND CHALLENGES

When someone decides to take a leap of faith and wants to make a change, people are often skeptical. What this film will risk is with everything on the line. The risk of not being able to pull off a brand new thrilling experience to an audience - to fail into proving that originality is still in desperate need in our cinematic time of escapism. With something that's entirely brand new to a live action film, everything is always going to be a gamble; to the concept, to the story telling, to the characters, to getting the look right for something that can hardly be explained and must see it with ones own eyes to believe it. Being able to combine both live action and the essentials of an anime episodic show will be taking everything into an entirely different direction; one that has not been heard of before nor something that we can comprehend.

- When I make films, I don't want to be the next James Cameron or the next Spielberg or trying to think of the next possible huge block buster that will guarantee to take peoples' money. I strive for creativity and originality, and if there is something that's already done out there, I find a way to bring innovation to it so the experience is brand new, even if it is something that has been done a hundred times over again.

- When making something as complex, interesting and brand new as this film, you need to take an unorthodox approach to it. Usually a film will start in pre-production, then head into production and finally everything comes together in post production. There will be a lot of a mix of these 3 interwoven into each other so the planning and quality can be at its best while still being able to focus on the bigger picture and having the best product being made. Here are the steps that will be going into this:

1. Reaching a mini goal of $5,000 will begin the process of getting together with the music band to create the original songs for the intro and outro.
2. While the music is still being worked on, I can focus on gathering missing crew/cast and being able to keep updates with the several pages (promotional counts, too).
3. When the music is finished, the work on the secondary script for this will be written up (yes, this project requires 2 separate and entirely different scripts (one for the main film and the second for the "anime intro")) to help visualize how the music plays out and how to enforce the tones into the best possible shots.
4. If crowdfunding for this fails the first time, a second crowdfund will go into place to help make up the rest of what funds will be needed (same rewards will apply to both pages).
5. When the budget goal is reached, the real pre-production can begin to help get everything set up.
6. If there is a substantial amount of dollar value coming in, stretch goals will be included and all updates will be held on a facebook and possibly twitter page. Updates will include footage of progress with the rewards/perks and on set releases and progress updates on post production.
7. All rewards/perks (except for possibly those that make the first pledge) will be sent out at the same time (to make sure no one gets screwed over). DVD's will be sent out AFTER the film has been completed (kind of has to if you want to see the movie).

Ways To Support

It's completely understandable for a number of reasons why an individual or a group of people would or could not support this project or any projects that have to do with crowdfunding backing. The most numerous reason being broken promises, as I have seen in the past from even the most infamous of people looking to build off of games or franchises that people love, only to have a disappointing product in the end. I don't do broken promises! But for those that want to help support the film but can't do it financially - the below options are always extremely helpful and appreciated.

- Spread the word of this project out to everyone. Let your families know, let your friends know, let your friends' friends know. Share this through various social medias, too - like twitter, facebook, twitch, etc.

Official Facebook Link Here: 

Rewards and Perks

There are several tiers that come with certain rewards if you choose to select one of these. There is a video guide on each of the items for each of the tiers that you can possibly select from. If you want to get something and can't afford the tier that has that item that you want, don't worry; the page will stay up for as long as it needs to be in order to get the funding for this prestigious film project. Contact me via [email redacted] so that I can confirm your name and the donation amount for the tier that you wanted to select and any shipping info that I may need to send the items on your way.

Here is a video list of each of the individual rewards that you will see down below with the tiers available for what you can purchase.

Digital Wallpaper
Mouse Pad
DVD copy of the film (when it's finished)
Choice of Shirt and Name In Credits
Digital Copy of Both Scripts (Yes - 2!)
Choice of Custom Wall Scroll
Soul-Bound Art Book
Cast As Extra With IMDB Credit
Executive Producer (With Another Piece of IMDB Credit)

Tier 1 - $10



Tier 2 - $25



Tier 3 - $50


Tier 4 - $100


Tier 5 - $120


Tier 6 - $150


Tier 7 - $250


Tier 8 - $500


Tier 9 - $1,000


Updates:
 
1. Soul-Bound has won several festivals. The most recent one was the LA Live Filmfest.