Plot Overview:

Brian and Ron are coworkers negotiating an exchange. While the job seemed simple enough, they soon find themselves in a precarious situation, facing a powerful group of people who do not see the deal as equitable. Brian and Ron’s goals start to shift from winning a negotiation to simply leaving the negotiating table unharmed.

Brian (Frank Wang) & Ron (Marlon Cowart)

My Story:

My name is Mark Kwak, the writer/director of Rules of Exchange, and thank you so much for visiting this Kickstarter page for my first ever short film!

Definitely not the best angle of me.

This short film is something I had been yearning to make for many years, but never had the courage to actually execute on. Despite dreaming of being a filmmaker one day, I started working in tech/business six years ago, and as each year went by, I pushed my creative drive aside again and again. Eventually, I got a kick in the face from some very wise people who challenged my assumptions that a successful career was incompatible with pursuing other passions.

Ultimately I decided it was time to do this, not just for myself, but to encourage others to pursue their own passion projects, regardless of the little voice in their head saying "You're just too busy, it costs too much, it's not practical."

By the grace of God, I ended up finding an amazing producer (Cameron Mark Lewis of Coffee and Catchup), an incredibly talented cinematographer (Jason Joseffer), and a fantastic production manager (Lani Carnill) and together we built a magnificent team to actually get this thing off the ground!

Director, DP, Producer doing some scouting!

So where’s the money going?

I always knew I wanted to make a short film with feature-length quality and production value. As I pursued this mission, I learned it would take a substantial investment of time and money, and I committed my savings account to make the quality film I envisioned.

Wait what do you mean the pocket square costs $100?

I'm confident the investment is worth it, but this film isn't just about me. It won't be a true success without the support of a broader community. Join me!

Here are some of the costs your contributions will cover:

Production insurance

Colorist

Sound mixer

Film festival entry fees

Production design

Location permits

SAG fees

Music licensing - I hadn’t realized that getting even a Jackson 5 song licensed for 30 seconds is more than $20,000!! Suffice it to say I will now be using a less-known band’s song :)

Composer for film score

Camera stabilizing equipment and handling expertise

This is in addition to the other, more expected, costs of this film:

Compensation for the production cast and crew

Camera and lights packages

Meals for cast and crew

VFX and makeup kits

Post production editing

Location

Props and wardrobe

Transportation

Incidentals

All the equipmentz!

All this to say, your contribution of any amount is essential to this project. We’re not finished yet, so every dollar will help provide equitable pay for the hard-working crew and ensure the extra final touches that can make all the difference in producing an incredible film. I am so grateful for your help, we can't do this without you!

Cast & Crew:

I can't say enough good things about this stellar cast and crew. Every single person is from the Bay Area - support your Bay Area film folks!!

CREW

Writer/Director - Mark Kwak

Producer - Cameron Mark Lewis

Director of Photography - Jason Joseffer

Unit Production Manager - Lani Carnill

1st Assistant Camera - Jonathan McDermott

2nd Assistant Camera - Eric Greer

Sound - Sage Bilderback

Boom Operator - Ryan Kotzebue

Gaffer - Ernie Simpson

Key Grip - Juan Ruiz

Grip - Ryan Nelson

Production Designer - Abbie Betz

VFX Artist - Julian Bonfiglio

Makeup Artist - Blais Lewis

2nd Assistant Director - Nolan Hunt

Production Assistants - Derick McGee, Julia Chang, Renee Wong, Venkat Mocherla

Editor - Eric Hsiao

Co-Producers - Dan Hunt, Cary Woodworth

Casting Associates - Joanna Kay, Marina Modlin, Jon Snyder

CAST

Brian - Frank Wang

Ron - Marlon Cowart

Christoph - James Hiser

Ray - Pete Fitzsimmons

Benson - Ed Sheets

Trunk - Simon Callan

What’s next?

The film is at its “make or break” stage in post-production, and the support of this community is paramount!

We’ll use the Kickstarter contributions to edit this thing seamlessly, color-grade the film to beauty, mix the sound so no one questions where they’re hearing what, and add a wonderful score to enhance the overall experience. And after all that - we’re ready for submission to the top film festivals out there (Sundance, Tribeca, SXSW, etc.). And of course we can’t forget our incredible Bay Area supporters. We want to host a magical premiere where cast, crew, supporters, friends, and others come together to see the film for the first time and hang out together enjoying delicious cocktails and tasty hors d’oeuvres.

We look forward to enjoying these next steps with you guys!