PROJECT SYNOPSIS

Broke Boys is a story about chasing your dreams and the cost of achieving those dreams while being Black, poor, and unlucky. Since they saw Do The Right Thing, TARIQ and RAY -- best-friends since way back -- have wanted to make a movie.   

TARIQ is a talented cinematographer who wants to make "beautiful cinema," raise his son, and be in a bullshit-free relationship—all of which seems unlikely. He's broke and homeless, owes his baby momma rent money and child support, and the love of his life, Logan, is engaged.   

RAY is a brilliant director doing everything he can to make his first feature film. He is deprived in all the ways that matter to him: he's broke (surprise!), living with his declining father (POPS), and hasn't been intimate with a woman in a very, very long time (maybe never).   

LOGAN is the rock of the group. She's not always around, but when she's needed, she's there. Determined to make it in the film industry on her terms, Logan grinds away, trying to climb the corporate ladder– one small rung at a time.

Tariq wears the world and his shortcomings on his face. He expects nothing. Ray emits positive energy and optimism. He expects it all. They are an outstanding, beautiful tandem when working together, but differing views of "making it" create conflicts between them, others, and themselves.  

The dream of being a filmmaker is a surcharge on their lives. And their lives are already taxed by racism, gentrification, police brutality, an unjust court system, and just plain old haters. Their mistakes are amplified because they are poor, and their corrective measures are inadequate. 

Every episode is a roller coaster of failed plans, twisted schemes, and mini adventures to get their movie made. At every failure, they discover more about their friendship. And with every success, they discover more about themselves. Sometimes painful, sometimes hilarious, but always real – the boys know a dream costs, but broke and Black, how much will they have to pay?   

THE MONEY

We completed shooting Episode 3 in October of 2024.

We are scheduled to complete all production (Episode 6) before Christmas.

The money raised will help us complete Episode 6 and cover some post-production costs.

• $2000 will help pay some cast and crew. Right now, we are mostly paying in compliments.
• $1500 will help us feed our cast and crew; some days, it's 15 people, and some days, it's 20 people.
• $1500 will go to Production Design. Everything you see in a shot is paid for and carefully orchestrated.
• (See picture below) Paddle on the door. Plant. Logan's glasses.
• $5000 will go to Post-Production. The show isn't done until we edit it all together. We need an Editor, an assistant editor, a Sound Designer, a Colorist, and a server to put all the terabytes of production on. Editors do not like compliments; they love cash, though.

Part of Episode 6 sets Tariq, Ray, and Logan on a "treasure hunt" after the passing of Ray's mom. The latter half of the episode gives us a peek into Tariq and Logan's relationship at a pivotal moment. Will they finally figure it out?

Broke Boys was officially selected at Series Fest in 2020, Stareable in 2023, and Catalyst in 2024. All three of these festivals specialize in TV shows, and being selected for each means we are on the right track. We briefly released a web series version of Broke Boys in 2022, but after a call from another major film festival in Texas that yielded no selection, we determined our "premiere" status on YouTube affected our selection ability. So, we refocused and are now turning Broke Boys into a seven-episode TV show to be independently distributed by an AVOD (Tubi, Pluto, Xumo, etc.) or bought by a streamer (Netflix, Prime, Apple) with a guaranteed 2nd Season deal.

Just like Tariq and Ray, there is no quit in us bringing this show to a mass audience.

Its creators and supporters have fully funded Broke Boys. We have nearly completed an ENTIRE TV SHOW on our own. But we are running on Empty with funds, and we've tapped as many favors as we can. This is why we are here, asking for your help. So, whatever quantities you can give, large or small, please donate. Help a Broke Boy out.

WHY US AND WHY NOW?

The show is recognizable to anyone who has ever had less but wanted more. This is a love letter to the dreamers of the world who push on when everyone tells them to quit.

If you've ever had a friend, a family member, a teacher, or a mentor tell you your dreams were impossible or far-fetched, then donate.

If your high school counselor told you that you weren't college material, but somehow you got a college degree, donate right now.

If the hot girl or boy didn't see you until you "made it," then show them you're a boss by donating now. (I mean, you got it right?).

If you've ever muttered the words, "One day, I'm gonna make it and then... " -- well, you're probably broke like us -- but try to donate anyway!

ENTERTAINING AND EDUCATIONAL

Both familiar and unrecognizable, in a city called Four Points in Aurora, Colorado, Broke Boys takes place where coffee shops, yoga pants, and breweries dichotomize liquor stores, pawn shops, and rundown churches. Four Points, bordered by four major highways and a railroad, was devalued because of its Black and Brown residents. Gentrification has changed all that. Four Points is an urban island where the dream of becoming a filmmaker is a bridge to another life the boys and its residents have no idea how to build or get to.   

The goal is to show the struggle of chasing a dream from the perspective of Black male filmmakers. It's a drama-filled world where comedy is a necessity. Taking snapshots from personal experiences and academic studies, Broke Boys hopes to show the easy pitfalls, the lose-lose decisions, the poverty cycle, and endless catastrophic results from the smallest mistakes. The show will also examine how the US views poverty and stereotypes all of its impoverished residents. But beyond the hopelessness, our series finds hope and heart and highlights the lives, goals, failures, and successes of the men, women, and children who want the good in life.  

Don’t get it twisted; the series has a large chunk of humor and surrealism. The humor balances the constant rejection of the impossible dream. At the same time, surrealism allows our audience to visually see, as W.E. DuBois would say, the “double consciousness” of being black in America. Surrounded by their good vibes, the familiarity of their neighborhood, and the weird, wise, welcoming characters they befriend and collaborate with, Broke Boys is a good time.   

"We can't hope to understand why there is so much poverty in America solely by considering the lives of the poor. But we need to start there to understand better the kind of problem poverty is – and grasp the stakes – because poverty is not simply a matter of small income. In the words of the poet Layli Long Soldier, that's just "the oil at the surface." -- Matthew Desmond Poverty by America.

MOOD