The Story

Our story is about nightclub singers in the 1960s. A night full of love and promise quickly turns to shock and heartache when the girlfriend of an up-and-coming R&B musician finds reason to believe she’s being cheated on. Brushing her concerns to the side, the up-and-comer tries to stay focused on landing a recording contract with a big-shot record producer in the crowd first, then worrying about their relationship second. Just minutes before the show is about to begin, she catches him in a lie and decides to end their relationship but he won’t have it. He believes she isn’t brave enough to make it on her own and he heads for the stage confident she’ll come crawling back sooner or later. Little does he know that she’ll turn lemons into lemonade when she takes the stage before him, sings her heart out, and lands the very recording contract he was after since the beginning. 

The Times

Detroit, 1965. That's right, Motown. A city on the move in a decade of change. We won't be seeing hippies or lava lamps; it's too early for that in the world of our story. Think of the earlier seasons of Mad Men. A time of omnipresent cigarette adds, muscle cars, and great pop hits blaring out of AM radios. Like many films set decades ago, we'll be comparing and contrasting societal and cultural elements to that of today. Drawing inspiration from period photographs, our goal is to emulate  their tone and atmosphere. Henceforth, we are shooting in black and white.

The Director's Statement

What was it that inspired me to make this film? And why now? Important questions, and I will do my best to articulate here. As I'm sure you've garnered from the pitch and mission statement, the music of the 1960s has had a big impact on me. I'm sure we all have dozens of songs we would like to use for certain scenes in our films but for me it's more than just the lyrics, melody, sound, and story; it's about the time and people who made them. I want to honor their rich legacy and celebrate their contributions to the great American soundtrack. The generation who made these timeless works is slowly going away now, and the new generations coming up may miss out on a vibrant and diverse link to our collective past. Through story, character, suspense, love, loss, and triumph in the face of adversity, I believe The Show That Got Me Signed is well-suited to impart such a link. I know, it's only rock & roll, but I like it.

The Team

Shooting our last short film, Collapse!

Joseph Johnson - Writer/Director "Growing up, we didn't have a lot of channels or fast internet. What I did have access to were a lot of old, black and white movies. Making this film takes me back to those days."

Mark Christian - Cinematographer "When Joe said he saw this story in black and white, I was on board!"

Alessia Madua - Art Director "And when Joe said this film is set in the 60s, how could I [the art director] refuse?"

Matthew James - Composer "Reading the script, I was reminded of my early gigs playing small, smoky clubs in Chicago."

Brandon Brown - Band Leader "As a professional guitarist, I related to the characters and their struggles. I'm thrilled to be a part of this film and even more so that I get to perform with musicians I respect and admire."

The Audience

Do you have fond memories listening to the music of Motown growing up? Do you love going to concerts? Are you a musician with dreams of playing live shows for a living? Do you love American history? Perfect, this film is for you. For everyone else out there, we care about the characters in this story because their struggles are our struggles; their hopes and fears are our hopes and fears. We connect with them because we have all known the pain of dashed hopes, but also the elation of success after years of hard work and grit.

BUDGET BREAKDOWN

Our DP, Mark Christian, said it best, "Movies of any length are not just a mountain of work... they're a mountain RANGE of work." So true, and although we are making a short, we are all working incredibly hard to tell the best story possible through picture and sound. To do this, we have broken down our $14,250 production budget into the following:

$4,500 will allow us to shoot in a beautiful music lounge and to compensate its amazingly supportive staff.

$2,500 will rightfully compensate our highly-experienced and dedicated crew.

$2,000 will fund our art department who have the big but fun task of making the 60s come alive.

$2,000 will compensate our large and multitalented cast.

$2,000 will fund our production sound team as they record the magic of live music on set.

$1,000 will go towards hair and makeup. It's a period film after all! 

Please know that we are following Covid-19 safety protocols throughout the entire production and post production legs of our journey and rest assured, we are putting everything we have into this story. Fortunately, we have so many resources already in place (crew, cast, equipment, transportation, post production facilities to name a few). Now we're here to ask for your support to help us shoot and ultimately release this film on the big screen!

Here's how you can help: 

JOIN OUR CAMPAIGN

Reaching beyond our network to build an audience is an essential component of everything that we are doing and it will make our success that much more inevitable; not just in raising the resources that we need to make the film but also ensuring that as many people as possible are able to experience the story upon its release. The first thing you can do is press that FOLLOW BUTTON in the top right corner and then SHARE, TAG, COMMENT, POST AND REPOST. AND don't forget about old-fashioned email and word of mouth!

CONTRIBUTE AND PLEDGE

To make the best film possible, every single contribution, no matter the size, MATTERS. We must raise at least 80% of our production budget goal to utilize the funds we receive from people like you. Good news, we already have 25% of our funding in place and it's our solemn promise that nothing will be wasted. It's all about the story; a story we are all hungry to tell. We all have an opportunity to make something special by moving this story from the page to the screen, and the only way we can do it is by working together.

SHARE OUR CAMPAIGN 

Want to spread the word but not sure how? We've got you covered. Copy and paste any of the below examples on your social media accounts, blogs, vlogs, text messages, and emails! Start with your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors, and for all you filmmakers out there, your fellow cast and crew members. You can even use one of the below examples to kick off a conversation with a stranger while enjoying cocktails or coffee.

Let's help filmmaker @joseph.johnson.736 by supporting his new film, "The Show That Got Me Signed" @theshow_film; a story set in the 1960s about the life and times of nightclub singers. Explore the story and support this film on @seedandspark: https://seedandspark.com/fund/the-show-that-got-me-signed#story

I'm so excited that @joseph.johnson.736 has written and is directing the upcoming short film "The Show That Got Me Signed" @theshow_film with an amazing cast and crew. Follow the journey from script to screen on @seedandspark: https://seedandspark.com/fund/the-show-that-got-me-signed#story

@joseph.johnson.736 and the team are back to work again creating their next film, "The Show That Got Me Signed." @theshow_film It's a story set in the 60s, shot in black and white, and I can't wait to see it on the big screen. Check it out on @seedandspark: https://seedandspark.com/fund/the-show-that-got-me-signed#story

Don't forget to end these examples with 'thank you.' And speaking of thank you... thank you all again for your support, time, and interest. We can't do it without you! Even if you can’t contribute today, please stay in touch and remember to follow our journey! Feel free to DM us on IG @theshow_film if you have any questions, concerns, well-wishes, etc.

A very special thanks to Birns & Sawyer, Inc. for their invaluable support of this project.