SPONSORSHIP REQUEST:
We need your help to make the “Craft of Speed” Mooneyes Documentary. We’re independent filmmakers, not supported by a studio or network. Your sponsorship will help us to finish, promote, and self-distribute the film.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT "CRAFT OF SPEED":
https://www.craftofspeed.com/

WHY DOES THIS FILM NEED TO BE MADE:
Despite its rich history, there’s declining interest in hot rods. Hot rodders are becoming older or dying, and their prized cars are being sold. However, younger people don’t have the money to buy the expensive hot rods, the technical knowledge to maintain them, or the skill to race them. Hot rodding and its huge contribution to our culture are at risk of disappearing, hastened by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic. The grand challenge of this documentary is to honor Mooneyes’ important contribution to car culture, preserve hot rodding history and, most of all, inspire new generations of hot rodders.

INSPIRATION:
I was introduced to Mooneyes by my father-in-law, who used to own a ’32 Ford Roadster, in bright yellow and equipped with Mooneyes speed parts. Later, I had the honor of meeting Chico Kodama, the President of Mooneyes USA, and I was inspired by his and Mooneyes owner Shige Suganuma’s incredible story. With their full support, my team and I are making a feature documentary about their lives and work. The film is an epic origin story of legendary Mooneyes founder Dean Moon and his worthy successors, Suganuma and Kodama. It spans from Moon’s creation of Mooneyes as an iconic American speed equipment & custom accessories company to Suganuma and Kodama’s growth of it into a coveted international brand. We’re deeply honored to be able to tell this important story to inspire new generations of hot rodders.
Ming Lai
Director, “Craft of Speed”

STORY/SYNOPSIS:
For 30 years, Shige Suganuma and Chico Kodama, two Japanese hot rodders, built Mooneyes, an iconic American speed equipment & custom accessories company, into an international brand, honoring founder Dean Moon’s legacy and celebrating car & motorcycle culture. As Asian/Asian American pioneers in their industry, they battled against racism and xenophobia and ultimately created a global following. Now, Shige is attempting to grow the company despite declining interest in hot rods, and Chico is handcrafting a new modified street rod to try to break his second land speed record at Bonneville Salt Flats.

CHARACTERS:
Shige Suganuma is a hot rodder, drag racer, and the owner of Mooneyes Speed Equipment and Custom Accessories, based in Yokohama, Japan.
Chico Kodama is a hot rodder, land speed racer, and the president of Mooneyes USA, based in Santa Fe Springs, California.
Dean Moon is a hot rodder, land speed racer, speed parts innovator, and the founder of Mooneyes Speed Equipment and Custom Accessories.

ARTISTIC APPROACH:

The goal of the documentary is to give the viewer an in-depth look into the lives of Shige Suganuma, Chico Kodama, and Dean Moon and the world of hot rodding. The film is observational in its approach.

The narrative structure of the film is non-linear, seamlessly traveling back and forth in time between Dean, Shige, and Chico’s past and the present day.

The cinematic 2.39:1 aspect ratio is inspired by Chico’s long modified street rod and the wide Bonneville salt flats, on which he races.

Wide shots with a lot of negative space are used to show the loneliness of Chico and his craftsmen pursuing the disappearing art of making speed parts by hand. The framing is precise to convey the care in their work.

Conversely, ultra-closeups are used to try to get into their heads and understand their passion.

The wide shots also convey the expansive settings, from Mooneyes’ large machine shop to the international Mooneyes locations to the gigantic car shows, and establish Chico and Shige’s strong relationships to those spaces.

The film showcases a lot of rarely seen photographs by Dean, who was also a professional photographer in addition to being the Mooneyes founder.

Ultimately, the film tries to give the viewer a rich, immersive experience.

FAST FACTS:

• Independent Film
   
• Low Budget
   
• Genre: Documentary / Feature Length
   
• Subject Matter/Key Words: Mooneyes, Mooneyes Speed Equipment and Custom Accessories, Moon Equipped, Dean Moon, Shige Suganuma, Chico Kodama, hot rod, street rod, custom car, hot rodding, drag racing, land speed racing, Bonneville, El Mirage, kustom kulture, car, motorcycle
   
• Fiscal Sponsor: International Documentary Association
   
• Grants: California Humanities CA Cares Relief Grant, Doc Society (formerly known as BRITDOC and earlier the British Documentary Film Foundation) Documentary Impact Producers Relief Fund Grant
   
• Language: English
   
• Target Total Running Time: 90 minutes
   
• Color
   
• Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
   
• 5.1 Surround Sound/Stereo
   
• Shooting Format: Cinema 4K
   
• Target Completion Date: 7/25/2022 

TEAM

Ming Lai
Producer/Writer/Director and Director of Photography/Editor/Colorist
Ming Lai is a filmmaker and Founder/CEO of Humanist Films, a film production company based in Los Angeles. His narrative and documentary films explore the human condition, addressing subjects like war, illegal immigration, art education, and mental illness. In his commercial work, he’s created commercials and corporate videos for many international clients, including Coldwell Banker, Epson, Fujitsu, Marukome, and Yakult. With all of his projects, he strives to create enduring works of art that benefit humanity.

Tuan Tran
Producer/Co-Director of Photography
Tuan Tran is a director of photography and photographer as well as a photo assistant and digital tech. He has more than 25 years of experience in photography and 15 years of experience in videography. He’s worked on a wide range of industries, from high tech to fashion to beverages. His clients include Butter London, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Dell, Juicy, Munchkin, Pelican, and Wells Fargo.

Jeff Hutchins
Sound Supervisor/Sound Designer/Foley Artist
Jeff Hutchins is an award-winning sound supervisor, sound designer, and foley artist, with almost 30 years of experience doing sound work for motion pictures and television. He’s best known for his sound design on SpongeBob SquarePants. As a result, he’s won five Emmys and seven Golden Reel awards for excellence in the sound industry.

Bruce Greenspan
Dialogue Editor/Music Editor/Sound Effects Editor/Re-Recording Mixer
Bruce Greenspan is an audio engineer who specializes in post sound for film and TV. For the last 20 years, Bruce has been a “one-man editor, designer, and mixer” for Planet Grande Pictures, Painless Productions, and many independent producers, working on features, documentaries, specials, reality TV, and animation.

Sven Igawa
Design Director/Graphic Designer
Sven Igawa is the Co-Founder of Igawa Design with over 20 years of experience in branding and graphic design. With his refined design sense, he’s created successful brand identities and advertising campaigns for many national and international companies: Crank Brothers, HBO, ICON Aircraft, Mountain Hardwear, PlayStation, Quiksilver, VF Corp, and Western Digital. He’s won numerous awards in identity, packaging, and collateral. He’s a proud graduate of California State University Long Beach with a BFA in visual communications.

David Steele
Advisor
Director, American Hot Rod Foundation
David Steele is the Director of the American Hot Rod Foundation, an organization dedicated to the historical preservation of hot rods and hot rod culture; a freelance automotive journalist; a national Concours-level car show judge, and an avid car collector and restorer.

W. David Marx
Advisor
Co-Founder and Chief Editor of Neojaponisme
W. David Marx is a writer on culture based in Tokyo; the Co-Founder and Chief Editor of Neojaponisme, an arts and criticism web journal; and the author of “Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style.”

PROJECT STATUS:
We started the documentary project in late October 2019. Currently, we’re in production, having shot a significant amount of footage. Because of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic and current surge in California where we’re based, we’ve had to temporarily stop shooting. In order to optimize our time, we’ve been editing our existing footage. We plan to resume shooting when it becomes safer to do so. We plan to finish the film by mid-2022. 

HOW YOU CAN HELP:
We need a minimum of $50K to finish the film.
This amount will help pay for expensive production and post-production costs.
Any amount over $50K will help pay for film festival costs, self-distribution costs, and community outreach and engagement costs. 

REWARDS:

FILM DIGITAL DOWNLOAD
$25
One digital download of “Craft of Speed”
(We’ll deliver the film after it’s finished, completed its film festival circuit, and is ready to be self-distributed or released by a distributor.)
(Amount over $25 is tax deductible.*)

FILM DIGITAL DOWNLOAD + TRUCKER HAT
$70
One digital download of “Craft of Speed”
(We’ll deliver the film after it’s finished, completed its film festival circuit, and is ready to be self-distributed or released by a distributor.) 
+
One black trucker hat with white “Craft of Speed” logo
(One size fits most.)
(We’ll deliver the clothing after the crowdfunding campaign ends on 4/30/2021.)
(Amount over $45.45 is tax deductible.*)

FILM DIGITAL DOWNLOAD + SS T-SHIRT
$75
One digital download of “Craft of Speed”
(We’ll deliver the film after it’s finished, completed its film festival circuit, and is ready to be self-distributed or released by a distributor.)
+
One black short sleeve t-shirt with white “Craft of Speed” logo
(We’ll contact you regarding your size via our Thank You email.)
(We’ll deliver the clothing after the crowdfunding campaign ends on 4/30/2021.)
(Amount over $43.40 is tax deductible.*)

FILM DOWNLOAD + 5 PANEL CAP
$80
One digital download of “Craft of Speed”
(We’ll deliver the film after it’s finished, completed its film festival circuit, and is ready to be self-distributed or released by a distributor.) 
+
One black 5 panel cap with white “Craft of Speed” logo
(We’ll deliver the clothing after the crowdfunding campaign ends on 4/30/2021).
(Amount over $5.68 is tax deductible.*)

FILM DIGITAL DOWNLOAD + LS T-SHIRT
$85
One digital download of “Craft of Speed”
(We’ll deliver the film after it’s finished, completed its film festival circuit, and is ready to be self-distributed or released by a distributor.)
+
One black long sleeve t-shirt with white “Craft of Speed” logo
(We’ll contact you regarding your size via our Thank You email.)
(We’ll deliver the clothing after the crowdfunding campaign ends on 4/30/2021.)
(Amount over $46.74 is tax deductible.*)

FILM DIGITAL DOWNLOAD + SWEATSHIRT
$95
One digital download of “Craft of Speed” 
(We’ll deliver the film after it’s finished, completed its film festival circuit, and is ready to be self-distributed or released by a distributor.) 
+
One black sweatshirt with white “Craft of Speed” logo
(We’ll contact you regarding your size via our Thank You email.)
(We’ll deliver the clothing after the crowdfunding campaign ends on 4/30/2021.)
(Amount over $57.09 is tax deductible.*)

FILM DIGITAL DOWNLOAD + 27”X40” MOVIE POSTER
$100
One digital download of “Craft of Speed”
(We’ll deliver the film after it’s finished, completed its film festival circuit, and is ready to be self-distributed or released by a distributor.) 
+
One 27”X40” “Craft of Speed” movie poster
(to be designed)
(We’ll deliver the movie poster after the film is finished.)
(Amount over $72.41 is tax deductible.*)

FILM DOWNLOAD + SKATEBOARD
$120
One digital download of “Craft of Speed”
(We’ll deliver the film after it’s finished, completed its film festival circuit, and is ready to be self-distributed or released by a distributor.)
+
One skateboard with black-and-white photograph of Mooneyes lathe and yellow “Craft of Speed” logo
(We’ll deliver this limited-edition skateboard around 4 months after the crowdfunding campaign ends on 4/30/2021 because each one is custom made.)
(Amount over $77.30 is tax deductible.*)

FILM DIGITAL DOWNLOAD + HOODIE
$125
One digital download of “Craft of Speed”
(We’ll deliver the film after it’s finished, completed its film festival circuit, and is ready to be self-distributed or released by a distributor.)
+
One black hoodie with white “Craft of Speed” logo
(We’ll contact you regarding your size via our Thank You email.)
(We’ll deliver the clothing after the crowdfunding campaign ends on 4/30/2021.)
(Amount over $60.43 is tax deductible.*)

FILM DOWNLOAD + TRUCKER HAT + SS T-SHIRT
$150
One digital download of “Craft of Speed”
(We’ll deliver the film after it’s finished, completed its film festival circuit, and is ready to be self-distributed or released by a distributor.)
+
One black trucker hat with white “Craft of Speed” logo
(One size fits most.)
(We’ll deliver the clothing after the crowdfunding campaign ends on 4/30/2021.)
+
One black short sleeve t-shirt with white “Craft of Speed” logo
(We’ll contact you regarding your size via our Thank You email.)
(We’ll deliver the clothing after the crowdfunding campaign ends on 4/30/2021.)
(Amount over $63.98 is tax deductible.*)

FILM DOWNLOAD + TRUCKER HAT + SS T-SHIRT + HOODIE
$200
One digital download of “Craft of Speed”
(We’ll deliver the film after it’s finished, completed its film festival circuit, and is ready to be self-distributed or released by a distributor.)
+
One black trucker hat with white “Craft of Speed” logo
(One size fits most.)
(We’ll deliver the clothing after the crowdfunding campaign ends on 4/30/2021.)
+
One black short sleeve t-shirt with white “Craft of Speed” logo
(We’ll contact you regarding your size via our Thank You email.)
(We’ll deliver the clothing after the crowdfunding campaign ends on 4/30/2021.)
+
One black hoodie with white “Craft of Speed” logo
(We’ll contact you regarding your size via our Thank You email.)
(We’ll deliver the clothing after the crowdfunding campaign ends on 4/30/2021.)
(Amount over $95.07 is tax deductible.*)

FILM DOWNLOAD + FRAMED 12”X18” ART PHOTO
$500
One digital download of “Craft of Speed”
(We’ll deliver the film after it’s finished, completed its film festival circuit, and is ready to be self-distributed or released by a distributor.)
+
One framed 12”X18” fine art photograph of a mid-century lathe at Mooneyes Machine Shop by filmmaker/photographer, Ming Lai
(We’ll deliver the framed photograph after the crowdfunding campaign ends on 4/30/2021.)
(Amount over $171.86 is tax deductible.*)

FILM DOWNLOAD + PRIVATE ONLINE SCREENING
$1,000
One digital download of “Craft of Speed”
(We’ll deliver the film after it’s finished, completed its film festival circuit, and is ready to be self-distributed or released by a distributor.)
+
One private online screening and Q&A with Director, Ming Lai for your organization
(Amount over $25 is tax deductible.*)

“THIS FILM WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY” CREDIT
$2,500
One digital download of “Craft of Speed”
(We’ll deliver the film after it’s finished, completed its film festival circuit, and is ready to be self-distributed or released by a distributor.)
+
One “This Film Was Made Possible By” Credit
(Affords inclusion in this section of the end credits and/or a static funder/company logo, if applicable, in the logo section of the end credits. Note that this is often the primary section for grant-making organizations.)
(This credit does not afford any degree of editorial input or copyright ownership of the film.)
(Amount over $25 is tax deductible.*)

“CONTRIBUTING PRODUCER" CREDIT
$5,000
One digital download of “Craft of Speed”
(We’ll deliver the film after it’s finished, completed its film festival circuit, and is ready to be self-distributed or released by a distributor.)
+
One “Contributing Producer” Credit
(Affords a credit and a static company logo, if applicable, in the logo section of the end credits.)
(This credit does not afford any degree of editorial input or copyright ownership of the film.)
(Amount over $25 is tax deductible.*)

“CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER” CREDIT
$10,000
One digital download of “Craft of Speed”
(We’ll deliver the film after it’s finished, completed its film festival circuit, and is ready to be self-distributed or released by a distributor.)
+ 
One “Co-Executive Producer” Credit
(Affords a credit in the main titles and a static company logo, if applicable, in the logo section of the end credits.)
(This credit does not afford any degree of editorial input or copyright ownership of the film.)
(Amount over $25 is tax deductible.*)

“EXECUTIVE PRODUCER” CREDIT
$15,000
One digital download of “Craft of Speed”
(We’ll deliver the film after it’s finished, completed its film festival circuit, and is ready to be self-distributed or released by a distributor.)
+
One “Executive Producer” Credit
(Affords a credit in the main titles and a static company logo, if applicable, in the logo section of the end credits.)
(Financiers who typically invest as a duo—e.g. a married couple or business partners—may be treated as a single entity.)
(This credit does not afford any degree of editorial input or copyright ownership of the film.)
(Amount over $25 is tax deductible.*)

“IN ASSOCIATION WITH” CREDIT
$20,000
One digital download of “Craft of Speed”
(We’ll deliver the film after it’s finished, completed its film festival circuit, and is ready to be self-distributed or released by a distributor.)
+
One "In Association With" Credit
(Affords a static or animated company logo, if applicable, at the top of the film and up to two individual Executive Producer credits in the main titles, if requested.)
(This credit does not afford any degree of editorial input or copyright ownership of the film.)
(Amount over $25 is tax deductible.*)

“PRESENTED BY” CREDIT
$25,000
One digital download of “Craft of Speed”
(We’ll deliver the film after it’s finished, completed its film festival circuit, and is ready to be self-distributed or released by a distributor.)
+
One “Presented By” Credit
(Applicable to a distributor, broadcaster, company or individual. Affords a static or animated company logo, if applicable, at the top of the film and up to four individual Executive Producer credits in the main titles, if requested.)
(This credit does not afford any degree of editorial input or copyright ownership of the film.)
(Amount over $25 is tax deductible.*)

*TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION
Your donation is tax deductible! “Craft of Speed” is a fiscally sponsored project of the International Documentary Association (IDA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions in support of “Craft of Speed” are payable to IDA and are tax deductible, less the value of any goods or services, as allowed by law. The value of goods and services being offered is noted under each donation level. If you would like to deduct the entire donation, you have the option to simply decline the reward at checkout.

PAYING BY CHECK:
All check donations must be made out to the International Documentary Association (or IDA) with the title of the project (Craft of Speed) and film ID number (5078) clearly noted, preferably in the memo line of the check.

Checks should be mailed to:
IDA
Attention: Fiscal Sponsorship
3600 Wilshire Blvd.
Suite 1810
Los Angeles, CA 90010

RISK:
As with any independent film project, there’s a risk that it may not be completed. Even if it’s completed, it may not do well financially. All of this risk is compounded by the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic.

OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP:
We know that this is a challenging time for everyone because of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic and you might not be able to donate to our documentary project at this time. However, you can support it in many other ways. Help us get the word out about our film, using your favorite social media.
https://www.craftofspeed.com/
https://www.facebook.com/craftofspeed
https://www.instagram.com/humanistfilms/
https://twitter.com/humanistfilms
@craftofspeed
#craftofspeed  #mooneyesdocumentary

GRATITUDE:
Our deepest gratitude to our fiscal sponsor, grantors, donors, and supporters. Our film wouldn’t be possible without your generous support.

CONTACT INFO:

To learn more about our film:
craftofspeed.com

To learn more about our work:
humanistfilms.com

Contact: 
Ming Lai
Producer/Writer/Director, "Craft of Speed"
[email protected]
+1 626 872 5689