INTRODUCTION

I write. I write a lot. I write on my hand if I have to. I also love to write with a partner and that partner happens to be my mom. As strange as that may sound, it’s awesome, because we have this amazing shorthand that’s already built-in and we have very complementing sensibilities. She also makes a mean sandwich.

We have written a handful of scripts together, but ‘No More Lies’ is the one we took our time with and have a true connection with.

We always gravitated to a story that explored how ordinary people, who were faced with brutality, loss and unflinching odds, could rise to the occasion and survive the hand they were dealt. Not on their own, but with the help of another. In our case, it’s about a man who has lost his past and a young girl who has no future… but together, they have all they need.

This raw and brutal, yet beautiful love story needs a location to match. New Orleans is perfect. I’ve spent time there, every year, for the past twenty-five years. New Orleans drips with history, creating a place full of magic. It’s a city that loves music and understands the role it plays in the highs and lows of life. It also has a feeling of freedom and danger.

Emotional storytelling inspires and these are some of the films that have influenced us: Luc Besson’s ‘The Professional’ for the relationship between the Natalie Portman and Jean Reno characters, David Fincher’s merciless tone in ‘Se7en’, Debra Granik’s tale of a heroic rites-of-passage in ‘Winter’s Bone’ and Jeff Nichols’ coming of age in ‘Mud’.

Filmmaking is a team sport. Join us.

Sean Doyle - Director

SYNOPSIS

LOGLINE

‘NO MORE LIES’ is about a man who has lost his past and a young girl who has no future, but together, they have all they need.

SHORT SYNOPSIS

‘NO MORE LIES’ is about a street smart, twelve year old con artist, who is forced to fend for herself on the seedy streets of New Orleans. She plays a dangerous game of deception, when she cons a stranger, bent on revenge with nothing to lose. Her web of lies untangles into the unexpected… the fatherly love that she had been missing.

LONG SYNOPSIS

‘NO MORE LIES’ is about a twelve year old street thief and con artist, named Jo.  She lives with her prostitute mother, Angel, and her mother’s boyfriend, Remy, in a seedy section of New Orleans.

Tony, just released from a Louisiana prison, after ten years, shows up at Remy’s bar, unexpectedly.  Jo watches a confrontation between the two men escalate.  Intrigued by this mystery man, Jo is hopeful he might be someone her mother knows… maybe even her father.

Remy wants to know everything Tony is doing and has Jo follow him.  She commits totally to uncover Tony’s secrets.  On a lead, she takes a bus to a small fishing town, to find an old man, named Nelson.  Through him, she learns that Tony and Remy were competing for the affection of his granddaughter, Amelia, and that Remy suffered public humiliation, when Amelia and Tony fell in love.  

When Jo gets back, Remy wants to know about Tony.  Angel shows interest as well, which triggers Remy’s rage.  He hits her and rapes her, with Jo hiding in the room.  Early the next morning, Angel packs her things, while Jo is sleeping, and without hesitation, leaves her to fend for herself.

Remy transfers his anger to Jo.  With force, he makes her up to look like a prostitute.  Jo’s survival instincts save her, but she needs to come up with a plan to avoid the evil that seems inevitable.

She throws herself into her biggest con yet, by convincing Tony that she’s his and Amelia’s daughter from that lost summer.  When Tony wants to go find Amelia, Jo presses the lie and tells him that Amelia died giving birth to her. 

Destroyed by the devastating news, Tony transfers his love to Jo.  Their relationship forms a real father/daughter bond.  Things seem great, until Tony learns the truth from Remy…  that Amelia is indeed alive and that Jo is not their daughter.  Jo makes one last effort to deceive Tony again.  She tells him that she was trying to spare him, because Amelia had married and had her own family.

Unfinished business with Remy was now Tony’s only reason to stay in New Orleans.  Revenge or restraint?  And in spite of Jo having lied to him, Tony’s need to protect her, from her life of chaos and crime, makes him ask her if she wants to leave New Orleans, and start a new life with him.  

Thrilled with such a possibility, but experiencing guilt for the first time, Jo risks everything by finally telling Tony the truth… that Amelia did not marry and never stopped loving him.  Her confession gives Tony back his past.

LOOK, FEEL & SOUND

LOOK & FEEL - The approach to this project is two films in one.

New Orleans (present day) will be a grey, chaotic and claustrophobic environment. The cinematographic mood will emphasize the raw, human drama, of everyday life - creating a portrait of will, strength and determination, absent of sunshine.

Bridgewater (flashback) will be dynamic and rich. The camera will be sweeping, with crane shots and light reflections. The lighting and design will take its cue from our beautiful landscape, and infuse the light with magical realism - enveloping our characters in the universal language of love.

SOUND - New Orleans is a place unlike anywhere else, with its rich history, people, food and of course music. Aside from jazz, New Orleans also has roots in R&B, funk, pop, blues, rock & roll, and even classical music. The sound of music will have a strong presence in this film.

LOCATIONS

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

BRIDGEWATER, LOUISIANA

CHARACTERS

TONY

[TONY] Male, white, 36, also seen in his 20s. He's a forceful, compelling man with a quiet, strong presence who has spent the last ten years in prison. Now he's out, and he is determined to confront Remy, his old romantic rival, to retrieve the Alpha Romeo that was taken from him at the time of his incarceration. In flashback, we see the younger Tony, fresh out of the Navy, and his star-crossed romance with the beautiful Amelia, Remy's high school girlfriend. Their relationship drives Remy to violent reprisals, landing Tony in prison for a crime he did not commit. While Tony has not been corrupted by his years behind bars, Remy has descended into depravity and brutality. Now, they are set for a final reckoning that is long overdue...LEAD (1)

REMY

[REMY] Male, white, 35, also seen in his early 20s, slightly built. He's an unshaven, intense, manic-depressive hustler who lives with his prostitute girlfriend and is always on the lookout for his next scam. The owner of a New Orleans bar, Remy is a brute whose shameful behavior has even driven his once-loyal mother, Cece, to pull away from him in disgust. Seen in flashback to his early days in the bayou, he's a far more gentle soul who is deeply in love with Amelia, his high school girlfriend. However, when Tony arrives on the scene and steals Amelia away from him, he becomes unbalanced and vengeful, setting Tony up for a crime he didn't commit -- just the first step on his long descent into depravity and brutality...LEAD (3)

JO

[JO] Female, white, appearing age 10-12. She's a tough, scrappy girl who lives with her prostitute mother and the abusive Remy in a squalid New Orleans apartment. Running wild on Bourbon Street, Jo is already schooled in a life of crime, and has been raised with the notion that she is a mistake who has been a burden to her mother from her first breath. When she first meets Tony, the first decent person of her acquaintance, she's at a loss. And when Tony is willing to take her on, baggage and all, and be a real father to her, she has to adjust her jaundiced views of mankind and embrace the unaccustomed emotion of hope for the first time in her turbulent young life...LEAD (1) NOTE: This character appears in numerous adult-themed scenarios. Actor must be comfortable with depicted violence, sexual abuse, and offensive language.

ANGEL

[ANGEL] Female, white, 30. She's Jo's mother; an exotic, seductive beauty who makes her living stripping and selling herself. She and Jo live with the abusive Remy, and she has never shielded Jo from their depraved relationship or criminality, nor has she ever pretended that Jo was anything more than a mistake or a burden. When Remy turns too violent for even her to handle, she leaves him, abandoning Jo to her own devices without a second thought...SUPPORTING LEAD (3)

NELSON

[NELSON] Male, white, 75, Amelia's grandfather. He's a lively, outgoing man who is "strong without trying. Sweet without effort. Playful and fun." A fixture on the Louisiana bayou who quotes literature and plays a mean banjo, he doesn't want Amelia to be trapped like his daughter Grace in an unfulfilling life. He tries to help her escape the bayou with her new love Tony by giving Tony his beautiful Alpha Romeo.  He doesn't realize that his gift will soon feature into a life-changing tragedy...LEAD (36)

AMELIA

[AMELIA] Female, white, 22 years old, also seen in her 30s. She's a beautiful young woman raised in the Louisiana bayou. Remy's high school girlfriend, she's expected to marry and raise a family, like her mother Grace did before her. But like Grace, she feels trapped and dissatisfied; so when the handsome, romantic Tony happens onto the scene, Amelia experiences passion and love for the first time. Unfortunately, Remy's violent jealousy puts an end to her romance and sends Tony to prison for a crime he didn't commit. There may be a happy ending for this couple - although it may be delayed for a while...LEAD (34)

CECE

[CECE] Female, white, 60, Remy's elderly mother, also seen in her 50s. Living near Remy in their squalid apartment building, she's always been a loyal supporter of her son, despite his descent into depravity and criminality. We see her in flashback to the bayou, when Remy was still a gentle youth, before jealousy had made him violent and disaffected. However, even she tires of Remy's barbarism and cruelty -- a real shock to Remy, who suddenly realizes how low he has fallen...LEAD (6)

LOU

[LOU] Male, 50, also seen at 40. He's a paunchy, corrupt New Orleans cop who has known Remy since he was just a young guy in the Louisiana bayou. Lou turns a blind eye to the worst of Remy's excesses, but he takes advantage of Remy's prostitute girlfriend when he can. He is present during the fatal wreck that Remy lays off on the unconscious Tony - a miscarriage of justice that lands Tony in prison for a long term...LEAD (11)

OVERVIEW

GENERAL INFORMATION

TITLE:  No More Lies    WRITTEN BY:  Sean Doyle & Shannon Wilcox    DIRECTOR:  Sean Doyle

PRODUCERS:  Sean Doyle  |  Michael Dill-Cruz

POST-PRODUCTION:  James Longeretta

MEDIUM:  Feature Film    FORMAT:  Digital    BUDGET:  $3m

LOCATION:  New Orleans, Louisiana    POST PRODUCTION:  New York, New York

TAX CREDITS

LOUISIANA

Louisiana's Motion Picture Production Program, statutorily known as Motion Picture Production Tax Credit, provides motion picture productions up to a 40% tax credit on total qualified in-state production expenditures, including resident and non-resident labor.

• Provides up to a 40% tax credit (25% base credit; 10% increase for Louisiana screenplay productions, 5% increase if outside of the New Orleans Metro Statistical Area).

• $50,000 minimum in-state expenditure requirement for Louisiana screenplay productions.

• $300,000 minimum in-state expenditure requirement on all other eligible productions.

• Tax credits may be used to offset personal or corporate income tax liability in Louisiana.

• Tax credits may be transferred back to the State for 90% of face value (requires a 2% transfer fee which results in an 88% net).

NEW YORK

The New York State Post Production Credit is a fully refundable 30% tax credit on qualified post production costs paid in the production of a qualified film at a qualified post production facility in New York State.

Also, the VFX Credit is a fully refundable credit of 30% of qualified VFX costs incurred in New York City and an additional 5% credit is available for VFX costs incurred in Upstate New York.

PRE-INVESTMENT

The following companies are providing services as equity investment in this project:

VORTECHS  |  POST-PRODUCTION  |  WEBSITE

Vortechs is the industry leader in post-production solutions. Providing the latest in equipment, streamlined workflow consultations, personalized support and artistic space designed with your creativity in mind. Vortechs' credits include: ‘Star Wars’, ‘The Martian’, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’, ‘Star Trek’ and many more.

THE FOUNDATION  | FINISHING  |  WEBSITE

The Foundation is a new post house in Burbank started by Technicolor veterans, Gareth Cook and Clifton Dugan, in partnership with New York based Sixteen19 and Los Angeles’ Vortechs. Cook is managing partner and senior colorist and Dugan is managing partner and head of business development. Other hires include Director of Engineering John Stevens and Technical Director Dan Aguilar.

The Foundation prides itself on operating as a boutique facility, offering their clients a new and more powerful way to streamline the process. Other offerings include, offline rentals, dailies, online editing, color-correction, VFX, titling and delivery for broadcast, OTT, music videos, commercials and feature film. The Foundation's credits include: ABC's ‘The Real O'Neals’, the CW's ‘iZombie’, and Fox's ‘Shots Fired’.

WATERMAN SOUND | SOUND FINISHING | WEBSITE

Waterman Sound is dedicated to providing superior work throughout the life of all projects, with a leadership team who brings a unique mix of experience including facility management, mix supervision and client service. Our principle team members have over 20 years of post experience with Emmy award winning programming, and our first priority is to ensure your projects are delivered with the highest quality.

POWERHOUSE VFX  |  VISUAL EFFECTS  |  WEBSITE

PowerHouse VFX has quickly become one of the most sought after VFX teams in the industry. Formed in the fall of 2017, PowerHouse is an amalgamation of some of the most acclaimed talent throughout the VFX industry who joined forces to build a better, smarter, state of the art visual effects company. With decades of combined experience servicing the most challenging productions, our VFX Supervisors, CG Supervisors, Producers and  talented team of VFX artists will provide your next production with an unrivaled experience.

TEAM

MARYANN BRANDON, ACE  |  ADVISOR

Maryann Brandon earned an Emmy Award nomination for her editing work on the popular television series ‘Alias’, created by J.J. Abrams. She has since edited all of Abrams’ films. Brandon worked with Abrams on ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’, which she received an Oscar nomination for Best Film Editing. Brandon is currently working with director Morten Tyldum on ‘Passengers’, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt.

SEAN DOYLE  |  WRITER/DIRECTOR/PRODUCER

Sean Doyle is a writer, director and producer. He began his career at Carson Productions, working for president and showrunner Ed. Weinberger on his slate of television shows (‘Amen’, ‘Dear John’ and ‘Mr. President’).

Sean’s interest shifted in the 90’s. MTV was becoming a huge success and he believed the short format of music videos and the technological breakthroughs in equipment made the television commercial industry compelling and creatively stimulating. He joined up with director Peter O’Fallon and producer Norman Reiss at Cucoloris Films and eventually moved with them to Crossroads Films.

At Crossroads Films, Sean diligently absorbed every facet of the production. He had the pleasure of a ten year collaboration in defining brands such as BMW, Pepsi International, and Nike, to name a few, and pushed the technology envelope with celebrated directors Mark Pellington and Nick Lewin.

In 2004, Sean left the commercial world to focus on writing and directing his own material, creating FILMops Entertainment. ‘Ready or Not’ was his feature film debut.

Sean joined forces with Pete Conlin and James Longeretta in 2015 to open, The Foundation, a high-end post-production finishing boutique for the film and television industry.

JAMES LONGERETTA  |  POST-PRODUCTION

James Longeretta is the founding partner of Vortechs, a worldwide leader in post-production solutions for the film and television industry. He is also a founding partner in The Foundation, a new venture focusing on high end finishing for the film and television industry. James has been in the business for over twenty years and has earned a reputation for boutique services with an attention to detail.

Longeretta’s companies have collaborated on such films as: J.J. Abrams’ ‘Star Wars’, the ‘Mission: Impossible’ franchise and the latest ‘Star Trek’ trilogy, Christopher Nolan’s ‘Batman’ trilogy, ‘Inception’ and ‘Interstellar’, Ridley Scott’s ‘The Martian’, ‘Prometheus’ and ‘Exodus’, Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Django Unchained’ and ‘The Hateful Eight’, Blumhouse’s ‘Whiplash’, to name a few. The list continues with television including: ‘Fringe’, ‘Lost’, ‘The Good Wife’, ‘Mad Men’, and ‘Silicon Valley’.

Longeretta has also supported new and emerging filmmakers for years, helping in anyway possible, from equipment and services to locations and most importantly, finding the resources to get their projects off the ground. That involvement, has led him to focus on producing material that speaks to him.

SHANNON WILCOX  |  WRITER

Shannon Wilcox was known for her acting on the big screen. Wilcox’s early roles were: ‘The Border’ starring opposite Jack Nicholson and Harvey Keitel, ‘Songwriter’ opposite Willie Nelson, ‘Frankie and Johnny’ opposite Al Pacino, ‘For the Boys’ opposite James Caan and the Robert Redford film ‘Legal Eagles’. 

Wilcox also guest starred in countless television shows over the years including: ‘Starsky and Hutch’, ‘Hawaii Five-O’, ‘Cagney & Lacey’, ’Magnum, P.I.’, ‘E.R.’ and ‘NCIS’ to name a few. She was also cast opposite Dennis Weaver in the series ‘Buck James’ for ABC.

Wilcox is a Lifetime Member of The Actor’s Studio. She was also invited by Sydney Pollack to join the inaugural group of actors and filmmakers at Sundance Institute in 1981.

Wilcox is also a writer, with several projects in various stages of development and she produced ‘Hollywood Harry’ starring Robert Forster and the award winning comedy ‘Ready or Not’.

Wilcox was married to Alex Rocco and was quoted saying, “once you marry a gangster, you don’t take ‘no’ for an answer”.