Rick Lashbrook Films Williamsburg Media Cult & Villa Entertainment present HOW TO ROB A BANK ..and 10 tips to actually get away with it Sta rr in g Nic k Stah l, E ri ka Chr is tens en & Ga vin Ro ss dal e 81:08 R unni ng Ti me, Co lor (US, 20 07) Domestic Sales International Sales Shaun Redick Gary Hamilton & Lina Marrone The Collective/Collective Films Incorporated (CFI) Arclight Films International 9100 Wilshire Blvd. 9229 Sunset Blvd. Suite 700 West Suite 705 Beverly Hills, CA 90212 Los Angeles, CA 90069 310-888-1511 phone 310-777-8855 phone 310-888-1555 facsimile 310-777-8882 facsimile www.thecollective-la.com www.archlightfilms.com 1 of 23 CONTENTS PRODUCTION NOTES Story Logline ..................................................................................................... p 4 Story Synopsis ................................................................................................... p 4 The Screenplay & Background............................................................................. p 4 Principal Photography......................................................................................... p 5 Cast Credits ....................................................................................................... p 7 CAST BIOGRAPHIES Nick Stahl.......................................................................................................... p 8 Erika Christensen ............................................................................................... p 8 Gavin Rossdale .................................................................................................. p 9 Terry Crews......................................................................................................p 10 Leo Fitzpatrick ..................................................................................................p 11 David Carradine ................................................................................................p 12 Adriano Aragon.................................................................................................p 13 Britt De Lano ....................................................................................................p 14 2 of 23 CONTENTS (CONT’D) THE FILMMAKERS Credits .............................................................................................................p 15 Andrews Jenkins (Writer/Director) ......................................................................p 16 Joe Meade (Director of Photography)..................................................................p 16 Max Biscoe (Production Designer) ......................................................................p 16 Birgitte Mann (Costume Designer) ......................................................................p 17 M. Scott Smith (Editor) ......................................................................................p 17 Didier Rachou (Composer) .................................................................................p 18 Rick Lashbrook (Producer) .................................................................................p 18 Darby Parker (Producer) ....................................................................................p 19 Arthur Sarkissian (Producer) ..............................................................................p 20 Tim O’Hair (Producer) .......................................................................................p 21 Randolph De Lano (Executive Producer)..............................................................p 21 Peter Sussman (Executive Producer)...................................................................p 22 Brent Morris (Co-Producer) ................................................................................p 22 3 of 23 HOW TO ROB A BANK (AND 10 TIPS TO ACTUALLY GET AWAY WITH IT) PRODUCTION NOTES STORY LOGLINE Half the fun of writer-director Andrews Jenkins’ feature debut — a heist film that gets everything right about a crime that goes all too wrong — is keeping track of who is doing what to whom and why. Who is robbing the bank? What are they after? These are the simple facts that keep rearranging themselves as Jinx (Nick Stahl) and Jessica (Erika Christensen) are trapped inside a vault with robber Simon (Gavin Rossdale) stuck on the other side of the vault door and the police stuck outside the bank. A fresh, freewheeling take on a genre perennial, Jenkins’ film playfully hits the reset button every time things seem to settle into place. STORY SYNOPSIS As he tries to access an ATM to retrieve his last twenty bucks, JASON “JINX” TAYLOR runs into a snag – the transaction fee will overdraw him, and he cannot get his money out of the bank. Jinx fumes about this and other hidden charges which complicate his life…as we realize that he is locked in a bank vault…with the beautiful but tied-up JESSICA, her apparently a hostage. But, as Jinx rails against corporations and how they stack the deck, we realize that the situation is very different from what it appears: in fact, it is Jessica, not Jinx, who is robbing the bank. She is aligned with SIMON, who leads an armed team inside the branch. However, Jinx’s entry into the scenario upsets the heist, leading he and Jessica to be inadvertently locked inside the vault. In addition, Jinx has called the cops, who, led by OFFICER DE GEPSE, have surrounded the bank. Jinx makes contact with Simon by cell phone, and the situation becomes clearer, as he realizes Jessica has access to a special inside-the-vault computer and its codes…she and only she can open the vault door. Simon becomes increasingly upset when he is unable to strong-talk Jinx into getting the vault open (so the robbers can clear out the safe deposit boxes). And De Gepse is equally frustrated by the standoff, particularly when it is Jinx, not he, who seems to gain control over the situation. As things progress, Jinx realizes that he and Jessica actually think very much alike – they both feel used – and this new kinship leads them to plot an escape. Another call comes in from NICK, the true mastermind of the robbery, and Jinx and Jessica realize that Nick needs them to issue a PIN number for him to access funds which have been skimmed (from fees, of course) over the course of years. With Simon increasingly unstable, Jinx is able to manipulate both him and De Gepse while also making a deal with Nick to provide a PIN number (controlled by Jinx/Jessica) to go with Nick’s account information. Jinx manages to talk both cops and robbers into letting Jessica and him out, as freed hostages, and in the ensuing chaos, they slip away, to meet Nick and escape with their cut of the cash… 4 of 23 THE SCREENPLAY & BACKGROUND “HOW TO ROB A BANK is quite simply a movie written for an entire generation that is being relentlessly nickel-and-dimed by the never-ending surcharges of our retail society,” offers writer/director Andrews Jenkins. “Just out of college? Trying to make a life for yourself? Living from paycheck to paycheck? When you’re down to your last twenty bucks on any given week, a buck fifty surcharge could mean the difference between Top Roman and being absolutely broke. We’ve all been there,” explains Jenkins. “’How To Rob A Bank’ finds one of 'us' in that exact situation, but is he trying to rob a bank or just trying to get his last $20? Thus begins our story I wrote to be the voice of this 'generation of frustration,' casting the comedic stupidity of modern life into question.” Beyond this, Jenkins also was committed to capturing a certain voice for his film, offering, ”In setting out to write and direct my first feature, I worked very hard to ensure that the characters feel like people I know, and the story one to which people can relate, honoring the character-driven spirit of indie filmmaking I have grown up on and love.” “It’s a really inventive story -- I like the mix of comedy and drama,” added actor Nick Stahl, reflecting on his decision to come on board the project. While actor Erika Christensen was drawn to a more fundamental element of the film, offering, “I just really like the energy of it – the quick pacing and dialogue.” PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY But when the cameras started rolling writer/director Andrews Jenkins’ directing talents elevated the piece beyond familiar indie film trappings. Jenkins observed, “Once we began shooting, I realized that this film was much more than the typical 'indie.' Sure, it possesses a signature indie voice, but I also strived to ensure it possesses both a look and feel more akin to upscale, high production-value feature filmmaking.” We were really blending an indie film sensibility with a high-end commercial film aesthetic, slamming the two together in a way you haven’t seen before,” revealed Jenkins. “My commercial and music video directing background, where I have been able to hone my skills with an array of cutting edge camera equipment and techniques, melded nicely with the rapid-fire dialogue of the characters and contemporary story and themes that I worked so carefully to create from the concept up,” explained Jenkins. “The result is a hybrid that keeps things fresh and unpredictable, visually alluring and consistently unconventional.” In terms of the experience of making “How To Rob A Bank,” Jenkins reflected, “People often ask me, ‘what was the biggest challenge I faced in making this film?’ In response, I would simply say, that you have to enter this experience knowing that challenges will surely confront you from all sides. 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