Redlines to Treasure Hunts

THE PROJECT
2018 will mark the 50th Anniversary of Mattel’s Hot Wheels. And the “fastest metal car in the world” shows no signs of slowing down. This documentary, tentatively entitled Redlines to Treasure Hunts, will focus on both the intriguing history and collecting world of Hot Wheels. The production phase (the principle photography) just ended on 7/28/16. What a whirlwind it has been. We've had the good fortune of excellent interviews and very productive shoots. 

Expert, collector and author Mike Zarnock

Expert, collector and author Bruce Pascal
Kmart/Hot Wheels Collectors’ Day

South Jersey/PA/Delaware Hot Wheels Collectors Club

You can see other pics and background information on the film at the official website:  www.redlinestotreasurehunts.com.  

THE FILM
This documentary will open with a brief history of Mattel and Hot Wheels. Photos and interviews with historians, designers, and former Mattel employees will unveil the unlikely story of how Hot Wheels became a household name. The film will then focus on the multi-faceted world of collecting Hot Wheels. From children who race their cars down the orange track to those  adult collectors who travel far and wide to pick up mint Redlines, this film will show that the passion for these cars is strong. And the bond that exists among these collectors is just as strong.

THE GOAL
The ultimate goal is to have a completed film by early 2018. The next step is to enter the film in a handful of festivals. 

If the film is picked up by a distributor, you could very well catch it at a local theater.  

Next, the film would be available in DVD form and on streaming platforms such as iTunes, Amazon, and Netflix. But in order to have the film placed on these sites, I would need to go through a middle-man/distributer, and that normally means, on average, an upfront fee of $3500. 

Most documentaries have budgets that hover around the $225,000 mark. To properly complete this film and get it out to the public and Hot Wheels community, we need $32,000.   

No one who has worked on this film has been monetarily compensated. 

 So here's the breakdown of costs typically associated with releasing a film:

-title registration -- $375
-Stock footage -- $1500
-legal fees -- $3500
-Errors & Omissions Insurance (required) -- $2500 
-Audio mixing -- $2525
-Transcription -- $720
-Closed-captioning (FCC-mandated) -- $1500
-Translation & Subtitles -- $1000
-DCP formatting (for large screen projection) -- $1000
-Graphics/Titles -- $3000
-Publicity -- $2000
-Festival fees/travel expenses -- $8000
-Distribution fees -- $3500

Whether it's $10 or $1,000, all of the money will go directly to those items listed above...and we greatly appreciate your help!
Thank you!

Dan Hornberger