Detroit Entertainment Commission Request for Proposal / Documentary Film Makers “1st ANNUAL ‘Laughin the Pain Away’ Comedy Show”

OVERVIEW

We live in difficult times. World wars, foreclosures, pin slips, stock market crashes, and high gas prices all dominate the news. To get America back on track with a sense of hope and purpose, President Obama instilled in the public the value of service. People across the nation are adhering to the President’s initiative with programs that help the needy and disenfranchised. The Detroit Entertainment Commission is hosting its 1st annual comedy show entitled, “Laughin the Pain Away” with a group of comedians who will contribute their time in support of this event. The event will be launched in Detroit for the benefit of victims of domestic violence, the unemployed and homeless in Detroit in late August 2009 or the beginning of September 2009. This event is free and admission is usually cans of food for local food banks.

Yet a multitude of Detroiters are still hurting. They need help and emotional assurance. Everyone knows that the best relief is “comic relief.”

PURPOSE
To produce a documentary on Detroit’s comedians participating in the 1st Annual “Laughin the Pain Away” Comedy Show.

GOAL
To secure the best documentary filming production crew to accomplish the above stated purpose for a finished product to be broadcasted on television.

PROGRAM
“Laughin the Pain Away” is a documentary showcasing stand-up comics in the city of Detroit who are answering the call to service. This fascinating documentary will feature a rotating crop of Detroit’s hottest comics who represent the true backbone of American humor. These comics will provide comic relief in rescue shelters and mingle with “regular people” and identify the issues of today. In turn, they draw from that experience and perform their “Pulse of America” on stage.

The documentary will include performances by eight to ten comics and a guest music artist. The documentary filmmaker will get up close and personal with these comics, who not only perform in various communities, but also see them involved in local food drives or help out at relief shelters. Detroit will showcase one of their well-known celebrity comics as the MC who welcomes guest comics – all in front of an enthusiastic audience in their community. The documentary will feature video clips of in-depth interviews from “regular people” in the community who share their personal experiences.

The documentary starts on a stage at a venue comparable with a brief comic monologue by a person, whose talk touches on the issue of the day. The documentary filmmaker then goes aboard a traveling tour bus and listens in on the comics as their conversation continues with the issue of the day. The first 30 minutes of the documentary is “cinema verite” reality style as we follow the comics as they inject themselves into the community and bond with the less fortunate. They visit local attractions like the Lake Huron swap meet where neighbors are known to help neighbors literally with the shirts off their backs. The last 30 minutes of the documentary will entail a multi-camera HD shoot of our diverse comics in a larger venue to the Music Hall or the Detroit Opera House that the unfortunate people cannot afford to attend. Here, they will represent the ailing community and become the Comic CNN news.

PHASES
The filming of the documentary will include the following phases:

Phase I – Preparation
Phase II – Production / Interviews
Phase III – Editing / Post Production

REQUEST
Submission of your proposal in filming this production should include a budget and the type of equipment being used. This documentary is being produced on a speculative partnership basis for placement as a joint venture. Submit your proposal to the Detroit Entertainment Commission c/o Gregory J. Reed, 1201 Bagley, Detroit, MI 48226 or gjrassoc@aol.com. A resume and experience should accompany the proposal. The deadline is August 14, 2009. All proposals will be reviewed and the best one will be selected.

Be Awesome!
Billy Whitehouse

Detroit Entertainment Commission – Film Committee

Executive Producer – Youngblood Solutions
Executive Director – FilmEmerge.org
Producer – MichiganMakesMovies.com/CBSRadio
Associate Producer – Raised Alone – www.SamKProduction.com
Advisor to the Michigan Film Industry
Actor – Film/Television/Theatre