Many movies are made up of simply mixing and matching three things –setting, character, and conflict – until you get a new movie idea
This definition is not unlike how the idea for The Iron Lilly Movie came to fruition in the fall of 2019. After a west coast meeting with the Motorcycle Industry Council, Michael Johnson arranged a meeting in Columbus, Ohio with Bob Althoff, current owner of the Harley Davidson dealership previously owned by Lilly and A.D. Farrow. During their meeting at the AIM Expo 2018 in La Vegas, Bob said to Michael, “You think we are going through hard times now?…well, that may be, but it’s nothing compared to the widowed lady who successfully carried this dealership through the Great Depression and two World Wars. We don’t know what hard times are!”
The big idea was to present a plan for a movie that hopefully Bob would find as intriguing as Michael did. Michael could not dismiss the idea for a movie that would feature the life and legacy of Lilly Farrow. This truly was a Big Idea that would not only impact millions of motorcycle riders, but those who were also connected with the powersports industry. Michael believed the impact could be significant, especially in bringing exposure to new groups as well as reaching many millions that would fall into the potential motorcycle riders category. Michael believed that though there were many moving parts and many risk points to making a film, he still remained incredibly enthusiastic at the possibility. He strongly believed:
- The money could be raised to produce a world-class film,
- The high quality and execution of the story was timely,
- Making the movie would virtually guarantee a level of success that would easily justify the project
- Have the solid potential of ‘breaking out’ and influencing millions of people in this country and others, all in a very positive, redeeming and uplifting way.
Finally, Michael concluded that if we do that, very significant financial rewards will naturally follow. The two day meeting took place in November, 2019 at the A.D. Farrow Dealership (Bob’s Harley dealership in Columbus, Ohio). The team included Michael Johnson, Yochanan Marcellino, CEO and President of City of Peace Films, Don Noes Executive Film Producer, and VP of Marketing, Tack Robinson from the Confluence Marketing Group. Each one attending the meeting exhibited specific skill sets that would represent over 160 years’ experience in various disciplines including movie production and music production/distribution and brand building/marketing.
Since this section is a timeline, we will need to include the following information from the Honey Brake meeting. This meeting took place at: Honey Brake Lodge, Jonesville, LA 71343 October 18th – October 22nd , 2021.
In attendance, Michael Johnson, Yochanan Marcellino, Bob Althoff, Don Noes, Tack Robinson, Buzz Hayes, Jay Jaworski (via Zoom), and Chris Anthony (via Zoom).
Key Topics that were discussed included:
Film and Funding:
- Overview of the Iron Lilly film summary including era and plot treatment.
- Why the film? Mission, purpose(s) and legacy.
- Audience and key target demographic.
- Synopsis and performance of comparable films.
- Initial budget and projections, theatrical, digital streaming, ancillary product licensing.
- Funding sources – (1) industry (2) Angel Investors (3) Non-profit Foundations (4)
Crowdfunding Marketing:
- How Covid has changed the industry, Covid update and compliance.
- Social media objectives.
- Potential sponsor organizations.
- Multi-channel customer participation.
- Dealer partners, programs and participation for film promotion.
- AIM (Power Sports Industry) – Las Vegas January 2022.
- Outreach to developing markets including international.
- Greenlight to move ahead with Logo, Trademark, Branding Discussion, and Licensed Merchandise.