Hey Kids, Let's Put on a Show!
Donation protected
Help our independent movie theatre survive the COVID Pandemic by helping us make our own show about working in a movie theatre. How meta is that?
Millions go to their local movie theatre for entertainment, but little know that most of the drama, action and comedy happen off the screens and behind the scenes. Coming Distractions is a high quality, high concept workplace comedy that explores an eclectic mix of staff working a fiercely independent movie theatre, Cinema Six, in the face of withering competition from online streaming and big-box multiplexes like the evil, corporate MegaFilmPlex.
The People Behind Coming Distractions
Our local, independent movie theatre, Film.Ca Cinemas, formerly Encore Cinemas, opened it's Oakville location on December 30, 2005. Film.Ca was founded by our CEO Jeff Knoll as an alternative to expensive chair corporate movie theatres - our motto has always been BIG MOVIES for small prices! From the start we have always been more than a movie theatre, playing an integral part of the community. Get to know us on our website.
We may be a small local business working hard to survive during COVID-19 but we are no strangers to challenges! Due to the need (and extraordinary cost) to convert to digital and challenges getting first-run films, we closed Burlington and Mississauga and focused on the Oakville theatre. In 2014, we re-branded to become Film.Ca Cinemas, the movie theatre that our guests know and love today.
After going through our second COVID-19 closure this year, we were thinking of ways to pivot, particularly to keep our staff working. So we thought, why not go into production full time? In the words of Andy Rooney in Babes on Broadway...
This is not just some naive notion. Our CEO Jeff Knoll has a background in film and television production and has several completed projects to show off his ability to lead our team in this effort. This includes the award-winning pilot episode of Coming Distractions we made in 2018. You can read more about those productions, and see the pilot, below.
We live and breathe the cinema lifestyle. As a result, we have decades of personal experiences in "showbiz" to share through Coming Distractions with a level of reliability that other storytellers just can't match. After the success of our pilot episode, we saw that folks enjoyed watching the stories of people behind the scenes of a movie theatre, and we are excited to share even more through further episodes.
Our game plan will provide us with a revenue stream to continue to pay the bills at our cinema while we wait out the pandemic and produce some seriously funny content that we all need right now.
As "Part B" to this pivot, we are also launching a new online video on demand service called "Zuzu VOD" which will be available on the web, iOS, tvOS, Android, and Fire TV. We are already amassing content and plan on launching this platform in early 2021, which will, of course, predominantly feature Coming Distractions.
With the lack of big studio releases due to COVID for the foreseeable future, we can provide audiences with new things to watch, including our own content, which provides all the feel-good comedy, drama and escapism we need right now. Read on to find out more about our plan (which we're really excited about!), our experience with content creation and to see how YOU can get involved.
Our Pilot Landed to Applause
In 2018, we self-funded a 30-minute pilot as proof of concept for the show. It's a pilot that won awards for the cast and crew at various festivals around North America.
Watch our pilot episode below!
Mathew was also the recipient of the Young Entertainer Award for "Best Young Actor"!
We've Done it Before and We'll Do it Again
After releasing our Coming Distractions pilot publicly on a number of platforms including YouTube, Facebook and Amazon Prime, we amassed almost 50,000 views. And that was just the pilot!
We've produced award-winning shows such as Kids Town and 2nd Generation and have garnered more than 500,000 views to-date through platforms such as Amazon Prime, iTunes, UPTV, Hulu and many more.
Most recently, we produced a feature-length documentary, One Pandemic Day, that is currently available on Vimeo Video on Demand, soon on Amazon Prime (and others) and will be featured on our new Zuzu platform.
Our Game Plan
We are in the planning stages of producing 10 new, 30-minute episodes for Season One to follow up on the pilot.
Our budget for the pilot was $30,000, fully paid by the production company; our additional episodes will be produced for an incredibly affordable budget of $500,000 (CAD)! (Yes, that is under $1700/a minute to all you industry folks!)
The funding will come through a combination of production company investment and private third-party investment, a series of government COVID business relief funding programs, credit facilities, tax credits and, most importantly, from folks like you through this campaign.
Production will take place over 7 shooting weeks throughout March and April in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, predominantly at Film.Ca Cinemas. We will be following COVID safety measures as prescribed by government authorities and the film industry through Safe Sets International.
And producing the show is just one component of the process of developing a successful series.
The good news is that we already have a home for our series, Amazon Prime is ready when we are and this platform provides an immediate revenue stream we can use to seed a second season. In addition, we have an ongoing relationship with distributors and aggregators such as Juice International and Film Hub - and through these companies, we will be able to secure additional monetized platforms such as iTunes, Hulu and more.
And of course, the home base for our new show will be our own new platform - Zuzu Video on Demand where it will receive prominence as a Zuzu Original.
And, we realize that audiences don’t just show up on the first day, so we plan to really bring the world of Coming Distractions to life. We have social media accounts for our fictional entities Cinema Six and MegaFilmPlex which we will use to create a transmedia narrative outside of the show itself to build their identities and generate consumer curiosity.
MegaFilmPlex will market their superior corporate promotions, while Cinema Six will brand themselves as the better choice with plucky humour. Using new graphics and some video captured during filming, social media will grow the personalities of the theatres, as they constantly snipe back and forth - before, during, and after the release of the series.
Follow Coming Distractions on social media for behind-the-scenes, production updates and to meet our star animal George the Goose on Facebook , Twitter, and Instagram.
Your Impact
By helping us out through this campaign, you're not just helping bring a full show to life, but you're supporting an independent movie theatre as we fight to survive during these uncertain times. By producing this show, we'll be able to provide a revenue stream that will keep our cast members employed, our popcorn machines making our famous popcorn, and our guests and audiences entertained.
But Wait, There's More
If you wish to receive perks for your donations you can fund us via our Indiegogo campaign!
Not only do you get the satisfaction of knowing you helped a small business survive the pandemic, but you also get to enjoy a variety of perks available for every budget level. Signed posters, DVDs, bounded scripts, and so much more!
Go big or go home with our Product Placement or Production Credit tiers!
Associate Producer Credits - $1000
Get an Associate Producer credit on "Coming Distractions: the Series", with credits listed not only on our episodes but on our Internet Movie Database page! This perk also includes 1 DVD/Bluray copy of the season, a digital download, a signed cast photo/mini poster, bound scripts and a crew t-shirt! Seriously awesome!
Executive Producer Credits - $5000
Step it up a notch and receive an Executive Producer credit on "Coming Distractions: the Series", with credits listed again not only on our episodes but on our Internet Movie Database page! This perk also includes 5 DVD/Bluray copies of the season, a digital download, a signed cast photo/mini poster, bound scripts and a crew t-shirt! How cool is that?
Company Name/Product Placement tier - $5000
Become part of our Cinema Six environment! Have your product appear on the show, or have prominent placement of your company logo in an episode. This is a great way to get your brand or business out to a wider audience. (Plus, you now have bragging rights that your product has been in a tv show!)
Risks and Challenges
We are taking a big risk in pivoting from being a full-time cinema to full-time production. By taking this path we intend to save the cinema, retain our staff who play a key part in our business and keep ourselves busy while waiting for the pandemic to end and the industry to recover. This is our key motivation for doing this project.
We know filming during COVID-19 will come with its challenges, but we are prepared to take all necessary precautions to keep our cast and crew safe. As the cinema is the primary setting for the majority of the show, we won't have to worry about gaining access to other locations and the sanitization of the cinema is entirely in our control.
As of now, we're required to be closed for screenings, which gives us lots of room in our spacious cinema to shoot. If by the time production rolls around and we can open for screenings again, we will juggle the schedule to complete the shoot and serve our guests just as we did during the pilot.
Regardless of these challenges, we have a plan and are determined to not let the pandemic defeat us.
Other Ways You Can Help
We understand that times are tough and not everyone has the money for big donations, but you can still help by:
- Sharing our pilot episode with your friends and family.
- Liking, commenting and sharing our social media posts.
- Sending our Indiegog & GoFundMe link to other folks who might be able to help.
- Support Film.Ca Cinemas directly (Buy gift cards, buy a seat , shop our online store , order takeout , etc)
Thank you for supporting Coming Distractions (and in turn supporting Film.Ca Cinemas). We can't wait to provide you with more stories from the mysterious cinema!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meet the Cast of Coming Distractions
Our cast is all professional performers and members of the Toronto Branch of ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists)
FELICIA SIMONE
Role: Rebecca
Born and raised in Alberta, Felicia has been involved in the arts for as long as she can remember. She is known for Baroness von Sketch, the Expanse, and scored the Lead in a comedy pilot titled "Coming Distractions." In 2019 Felicia wrote, directed & starred in her first web-series "The Dating App Chronicles."
IMDB
DAVID HUBAND
Role: David Darvis
David Huband was born on September 12, 1957 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is an actor and writer, known for Cube Zero (2004), Tommy Boy (1995) and Cinderella Man (2005).
IMDB
MATHEW EDMONDSON
Role: Jordan
Mathew Edmondson is known for his work on Private Eyes (2016), Coming Distractions (2017), and True Dating Stories (2015).
IMDB
JUSTIN MADER
Role: Andrew
Justin Mader is an actor and writer, known for Death Race (2008), Room (2015), and Man Seeking Woman (2015).
IMDB
SOFIE HOLLAND
Role: Sunny
Sofie Holland is an actress and producer, known for The Exchange, Project Ithaca (2019) and Reign (2013)
IMDB
BERKLEY SILVERMAN
Role: Isobel
Berkley Silverman is an actress, known for PAW Patrol (2013), Creeped Out (2017) and Little Charmers (2015).
IMDB
DAVID WEBSTER
Role: Frank
David Webster is a Canadian actor known for roles in Carter, The Boys, Cardinal, Extracurricular, Condor and Odd Squad. He booked his first role at age 12 when he played the lead on Janelle Monáe's Heroes: "Pepsi Beats of the Beautiful Game", an anti-bullying video for FIFA's 2014 World Cup.
IMDB
ANDREW JOHNSTON
Role: Trevor
Andrew Johnston is an actor, known for The Paperboy (2020), Kidz Review Crew (2019,2020) and The World to Come (2020).
IMDB
MICHAEL GORDIN SHORE
Role: Herbert
Michael Gordin Shore was born on August 22, 1966 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada as Michael Gordin Shtull. He is an actor and producer, known for Suits (2011), Designated Survivor (2016) and Arthur (1996).
IMDB
The Production Team
JEFF KNOLL - PRODUCER & CO-CREATOR
Jeff Knoll is a Canadian producer of film and television/new media content. In addition to his work in production, Knoll is an elected member of his Town and Regional Municipal Councils and the CEO of a local 5-screen first-run movie theatre. Jeff has been working in movie theatres and making films since he was 13. Now 56, Jeff acts as Executive Producer/Showrunner for his own productions (Kid's Town in 2013, Coming Distractions in 2017, One Pandemic Day in 2020) as well as for other production companies (2nd Generation 2016, Walking on Sunshine 2016/7). Jeff is a member of the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) and the Canadian Academy of Cinema & Television.
IMDB
MARC REYER GRANT - WRITER & CO-CREATOR
Marc has been writing for as long as he could work a typewriter, in his adult life: as a documentarian for the Manitoba Indigenous Cultural Education Centre, stringer at the Winnipeg Sun, Senior Writer for Foster/Marks Advertising, Communications Director at CBC, and Creative Director for Ottawa’s Bytown Group. Marc now works in politics, while maintaining work in freelance marketing, ghostwriting and scriptwriting. He also moonlights at a local movie theatre, despite the abuse.
IMDB
Millions go to their local movie theatre for entertainment, but little know that most of the drama, action and comedy happen off the screens and behind the scenes. Coming Distractions is a high quality, high concept workplace comedy that explores an eclectic mix of staff working a fiercely independent movie theatre, Cinema Six, in the face of withering competition from online streaming and big-box multiplexes like the evil, corporate MegaFilmPlex.
The People Behind Coming Distractions
Our local, independent movie theatre, Film.Ca Cinemas, formerly Encore Cinemas, opened it's Oakville location on December 30, 2005. Film.Ca was founded by our CEO Jeff Knoll as an alternative to expensive chair corporate movie theatres - our motto has always been BIG MOVIES for small prices! From the start we have always been more than a movie theatre, playing an integral part of the community. Get to know us on our website.
We may be a small local business working hard to survive during COVID-19 but we are no strangers to challenges! Due to the need (and extraordinary cost) to convert to digital and challenges getting first-run films, we closed Burlington and Mississauga and focused on the Oakville theatre. In 2014, we re-branded to become Film.Ca Cinemas, the movie theatre that our guests know and love today.
After going through our second COVID-19 closure this year, we were thinking of ways to pivot, particularly to keep our staff working. So we thought, why not go into production full time? In the words of Andy Rooney in Babes on Broadway...
This is not just some naive notion. Our CEO Jeff Knoll has a background in film and television production and has several completed projects to show off his ability to lead our team in this effort. This includes the award-winning pilot episode of Coming Distractions we made in 2018. You can read more about those productions, and see the pilot, below.
We live and breathe the cinema lifestyle. As a result, we have decades of personal experiences in "showbiz" to share through Coming Distractions with a level of reliability that other storytellers just can't match. After the success of our pilot episode, we saw that folks enjoyed watching the stories of people behind the scenes of a movie theatre, and we are excited to share even more through further episodes.
Our game plan will provide us with a revenue stream to continue to pay the bills at our cinema while we wait out the pandemic and produce some seriously funny content that we all need right now.
As "Part B" to this pivot, we are also launching a new online video on demand service called "Zuzu VOD" which will be available on the web, iOS, tvOS, Android, and Fire TV. We are already amassing content and plan on launching this platform in early 2021, which will, of course, predominantly feature Coming Distractions.
With the lack of big studio releases due to COVID for the foreseeable future, we can provide audiences with new things to watch, including our own content, which provides all the feel-good comedy, drama and escapism we need right now. Read on to find out more about our plan (which we're really excited about!), our experience with content creation and to see how YOU can get involved.
Our Pilot Landed to Applause
In 2018, we self-funded a 30-minute pilot as proof of concept for the show. It's a pilot that won awards for the cast and crew at various festivals around North America.
Watch our pilot episode below!
Mathew was also the recipient of the Young Entertainer Award for "Best Young Actor"!
We've Done it Before and We'll Do it Again
After releasing our Coming Distractions pilot publicly on a number of platforms including YouTube, Facebook and Amazon Prime, we amassed almost 50,000 views. And that was just the pilot!
We've produced award-winning shows such as Kids Town and 2nd Generation and have garnered more than 500,000 views to-date through platforms such as Amazon Prime, iTunes, UPTV, Hulu and many more.
Most recently, we produced a feature-length documentary, One Pandemic Day, that is currently available on Vimeo Video on Demand, soon on Amazon Prime (and others) and will be featured on our new Zuzu platform.
Our Game Plan
We are in the planning stages of producing 10 new, 30-minute episodes for Season One to follow up on the pilot.
Our budget for the pilot was $30,000, fully paid by the production company; our additional episodes will be produced for an incredibly affordable budget of $500,000 (CAD)! (Yes, that is under $1700/a minute to all you industry folks!)
The funding will come through a combination of production company investment and private third-party investment, a series of government COVID business relief funding programs, credit facilities, tax credits and, most importantly, from folks like you through this campaign.
Production will take place over 7 shooting weeks throughout March and April in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, predominantly at Film.Ca Cinemas. We will be following COVID safety measures as prescribed by government authorities and the film industry through Safe Sets International.
And producing the show is just one component of the process of developing a successful series.
The good news is that we already have a home for our series, Amazon Prime is ready when we are and this platform provides an immediate revenue stream we can use to seed a second season. In addition, we have an ongoing relationship with distributors and aggregators such as Juice International and Film Hub - and through these companies, we will be able to secure additional monetized platforms such as iTunes, Hulu and more.
And of course, the home base for our new show will be our own new platform - Zuzu Video on Demand where it will receive prominence as a Zuzu Original.
And, we realize that audiences don’t just show up on the first day, so we plan to really bring the world of Coming Distractions to life. We have social media accounts for our fictional entities Cinema Six and MegaFilmPlex which we will use to create a transmedia narrative outside of the show itself to build their identities and generate consumer curiosity.
MegaFilmPlex will market their superior corporate promotions, while Cinema Six will brand themselves as the better choice with plucky humour. Using new graphics and some video captured during filming, social media will grow the personalities of the theatres, as they constantly snipe back and forth - before, during, and after the release of the series.Follow Coming Distractions on social media for behind-the-scenes, production updates and to meet our star animal George the Goose on Facebook , Twitter, and Instagram.
Your Impact
By helping us out through this campaign, you're not just helping bring a full show to life, but you're supporting an independent movie theatre as we fight to survive during these uncertain times. By producing this show, we'll be able to provide a revenue stream that will keep our cast members employed, our popcorn machines making our famous popcorn, and our guests and audiences entertained.
But Wait, There's More
If you wish to receive perks for your donations you can fund us via our Indiegogo campaign!
Not only do you get the satisfaction of knowing you helped a small business survive the pandemic, but you also get to enjoy a variety of perks available for every budget level. Signed posters, DVDs, bounded scripts, and so much more!
Go big or go home with our Product Placement or Production Credit tiers!
Associate Producer Credits - $1000
Get an Associate Producer credit on "Coming Distractions: the Series", with credits listed not only on our episodes but on our Internet Movie Database page! This perk also includes 1 DVD/Bluray copy of the season, a digital download, a signed cast photo/mini poster, bound scripts and a crew t-shirt! Seriously awesome!
Executive Producer Credits - $5000
Step it up a notch and receive an Executive Producer credit on "Coming Distractions: the Series", with credits listed again not only on our episodes but on our Internet Movie Database page! This perk also includes 5 DVD/Bluray copies of the season, a digital download, a signed cast photo/mini poster, bound scripts and a crew t-shirt! How cool is that?
Company Name/Product Placement tier - $5000
Become part of our Cinema Six environment! Have your product appear on the show, or have prominent placement of your company logo in an episode. This is a great way to get your brand or business out to a wider audience. (Plus, you now have bragging rights that your product has been in a tv show!)
Risks and Challenges
We are taking a big risk in pivoting from being a full-time cinema to full-time production. By taking this path we intend to save the cinema, retain our staff who play a key part in our business and keep ourselves busy while waiting for the pandemic to end and the industry to recover. This is our key motivation for doing this project.
We know filming during COVID-19 will come with its challenges, but we are prepared to take all necessary precautions to keep our cast and crew safe. As the cinema is the primary setting for the majority of the show, we won't have to worry about gaining access to other locations and the sanitization of the cinema is entirely in our control.
As of now, we're required to be closed for screenings, which gives us lots of room in our spacious cinema to shoot. If by the time production rolls around and we can open for screenings again, we will juggle the schedule to complete the shoot and serve our guests just as we did during the pilot.
Regardless of these challenges, we have a plan and are determined to not let the pandemic defeat us.
Other Ways You Can Help
We understand that times are tough and not everyone has the money for big donations, but you can still help by:
- Sharing our pilot episode with your friends and family.
- Liking, commenting and sharing our social media posts.
- Sending our Indiegog & GoFundMe link to other folks who might be able to help.
- Support Film.Ca Cinemas directly (Buy gift cards, buy a seat , shop our online store , order takeout , etc)
Thank you for supporting Coming Distractions (and in turn supporting Film.Ca Cinemas). We can't wait to provide you with more stories from the mysterious cinema!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meet the Cast of Coming Distractions
Our cast is all professional performers and members of the Toronto Branch of ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists)
FELICIA SIMONE
Role: Rebecca
Born and raised in Alberta, Felicia has been involved in the arts for as long as she can remember. She is known for Baroness von Sketch, the Expanse, and scored the Lead in a comedy pilot titled "Coming Distractions." In 2019 Felicia wrote, directed & starred in her first web-series "The Dating App Chronicles."
IMDB
DAVID HUBAND
Role: David Darvis
David Huband was born on September 12, 1957 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is an actor and writer, known for Cube Zero (2004), Tommy Boy (1995) and Cinderella Man (2005).
IMDB
MATHEW EDMONDSON
Role: Jordan
Mathew Edmondson is known for his work on Private Eyes (2016), Coming Distractions (2017), and True Dating Stories (2015).
IMDB
JUSTIN MADER
Role: Andrew
Justin Mader is an actor and writer, known for Death Race (2008), Room (2015), and Man Seeking Woman (2015).
IMDB
SOFIE HOLLAND
Role: Sunny
Sofie Holland is an actress and producer, known for The Exchange, Project Ithaca (2019) and Reign (2013)
IMDB
BERKLEY SILVERMAN
Role: Isobel
Berkley Silverman is an actress, known for PAW Patrol (2013), Creeped Out (2017) and Little Charmers (2015).
IMDB
DAVID WEBSTER
Role: Frank
David Webster is a Canadian actor known for roles in Carter, The Boys, Cardinal, Extracurricular, Condor and Odd Squad. He booked his first role at age 12 when he played the lead on Janelle Monáe's Heroes: "Pepsi Beats of the Beautiful Game", an anti-bullying video for FIFA's 2014 World Cup.
IMDB
ANDREW JOHNSTON
Role: Trevor
Andrew Johnston is an actor, known for The Paperboy (2020), Kidz Review Crew (2019,2020) and The World to Come (2020).
IMDB
MICHAEL GORDIN SHORE
Role: Herbert
Michael Gordin Shore was born on August 22, 1966 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada as Michael Gordin Shtull. He is an actor and producer, known for Suits (2011), Designated Survivor (2016) and Arthur (1996).
IMDB
The Production Team
JEFF KNOLL - PRODUCER & CO-CREATOR
Jeff Knoll is a Canadian producer of film and television/new media content. In addition to his work in production, Knoll is an elected member of his Town and Regional Municipal Councils and the CEO of a local 5-screen first-run movie theatre. Jeff has been working in movie theatres and making films since he was 13. Now 56, Jeff acts as Executive Producer/Showrunner for his own productions (Kid's Town in 2013, Coming Distractions in 2017, One Pandemic Day in 2020) as well as for other production companies (2nd Generation 2016, Walking on Sunshine 2016/7). Jeff is a member of the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) and the Canadian Academy of Cinema & Television.
IMDB
MARC REYER GRANT - WRITER & CO-CREATOR
Marc has been writing for as long as he could work a typewriter, in his adult life: as a documentarian for the Manitoba Indigenous Cultural Education Centre, stringer at the Winnipeg Sun, Senior Writer for Foster/Marks Advertising, Communications Director at CBC, and Creative Director for Ottawa’s Bytown Group. Marc now works in politics, while maintaining work in freelance marketing, ghostwriting and scriptwriting. He also moonlights at a local movie theatre, despite the abuse.
IMDB
Fundraising team (4)
Jeff Knoll
Organizer
Raised $220 from 3 donations
Oakville, ON
Jenna Pothier
Team member
Raised $100 from 1 donation
Bryn Perras
Team member
Raised $10 from 1 donation
Mackenzie Boers
Team member
