Shooting a short film in Detroit - Can anyone help?

Hi Detroityes Forum!

I am planning to shoot a short film in Detroit this coming March and wanted to ask you guys if anyone could help me out with some productional aspects of the film before I start my own research.

First I would like to tell you a little bit about myself and the project:

My name is Joseph, I currently live near Frankfurt Germany and work for the Film Production Company Badehaus Film. I am half German, half American, the American side is from the Detroit area, hence my interest to shoot a film there!

Originally I had planned to produce a promotional film for an up and coming Opera singer in Paris last Summer. However due to Covid and Budget issues I sadly wasn’t able to go ahead as originally planned. The concept stuck with me until I got the chance to apply for a Cultural Stipend from Germany and was delighted to have been granted it.

To receive the stipend I had to change the concept for it to involve the impact the pandemic had on the performing arts and a new kind of film started to emerge.

In its current form the film is planned to be 3-5 minutes in length and accompanied by an Opera piece performed by a single singer in an empty theater. The film is heavily inspired by the 80’s Film “Koyaanisqatsi - Life out of Balance” by Godfrey Reggio and will also take elements from the Eminem Super Bowl ad for Chrysler, following a similar progression: showing a city, ending up at a theater that is all set up for a grand opera with nobody but the singer present, showing details of posters, marquees, empty seats and unused tickets with ghostly camera movements inspired by “The Shining” by Stanley Kubrick.

Here are some aspects that would help me get this running:

A local opera Singer: If someone knows somebody, or can point me to places like music schools I can contact that would help me out a lot.

Locations: Right now I have a rough idea how and what I want to shoot for the first half of the film. However I would need to organise the theater location. I know some of the theaters in Detroit and if anyone has contacts to people who manage them that would be greatly appreciated. Ideally I was thinking about the FOX theater or Fisher theater. However I am open to explore other options, perhaps even the old theater in the Michigan Building.

If anyone is interested, I have a Treatment for the film [[I just need to translate it into English from German) which gives further details and moods for the film.

Feel free to ask any questions you might have, I am looking forward to hear from you!

:DCheers,
Joe

Good luck with your project Joe. I have a connection regarding a theater locale that would be inappropriate to share publicly here, so I will contact you privately.

I may have a potential contact from the Michigan Junior Opera Theater, which operates under the Michigan Opera Theater [[MOT), who is early twenties and still local. I've heard her voice while working in her parent's house. Her rendition of Daflatermaus [[I know I butchered that) is spot on. Respond here initially if this has potential.

Then, same as Lowell, PM after that.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DeFunk

Hi Detroityes Forum!

I am planning to shoot a short film in Detroit this coming March and wanted to ask you guys if anyone could help me out with some productional aspects of the film before I start my own research.

First I would like to tell you a little bit about myself and the project:

My name is Joseph, I currently live near Frankfurt Germany and work for the Film Production Company Badehaus Film. I am half German, half American, the American side is from the Detroit area, hence my interest to shoot a film there!

Originally I had planned to produce a promotional film for an up and coming Opera singer in Paris last Summer. However due to Covid and Budget issues I sadly wasn’t able to go ahead as originally planned. The concept stuck with me until I got the chance to apply for a Cultural Stipend from Germany and was delighted to have been granted it.

To receive the stipend I had to change the concept for it to involve the impact the pandemic had on the performing arts and a new kind of film started to emerge.

In its current form the film is planned to be 3-5 minutes in length and accompanied by an Opera piece performed by a single singer in an empty theater. The film is heavily inspired by the 80’s Film “Koyaanisqatsi - Life out of Balance” by Godfrey Reggio and will also take elements from the Eminem Super Bowl ad for Chrysler, following a similar progression: showing a city, ending up at a theater that is all set up for a grand opera with nobody but the singer present, showing details of posters, marquees, empty seats and unused tickets with ghostly camera movements inspired by “The Shining” by Stanley Kubrick.

Here are some aspects that would help me get this running:

A local opera Singer: If someone knows somebody, or can point me to places like music schools I can contact that would help me out a lot.

Locations: Right now I have a rough idea how and what I want to shoot for the first half of the film. However I would need to organise the theater location. I know some of the theaters in Detroit and if anyone has contacts to people who manage them that would be greatly appreciated. Ideally I was thinking about the FOX theater or Fisher theater. However I am open to explore other options, perhaps even the old theater in the Michigan Building.

If anyone is interested, I have a Treatment for the film [[I just need to translate it into English from German) which gives further details and moods for the film.

Feel free to ask any questions you might have, I am looking forward to hear from you!

:DCheers,
Joe

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Hello, You want to contact Studios at [[248) 945-0506 And ask for Robert Radin. He will provide you some talents.

Thank You guys for the responses and the PMs I have gotten so far.

@Hamtragedy Yes this sounds like a good start. Feel free to contact me via PM for further details.

@Powell We can also talk via PM regarding the locations.

@Danny Thank you for Robert's contact. I will give him a call in the following days.

For anyone who is interested, I would like to give further updates along the way up to the finished film! I am getting very excited, thanks again!