Sunday, March 26, 2017

This Week in Crowdfunding (3/26/17)

By: Selina


Through “This Week in Crowdfunding,” you’ll find five of the best projects Trust the Dice found hosted on crowdfunding sights this week. These are Films/Web Series’/Shows of varying lengths and genres that we believe in. If you like any of the projects you see here, donate to them, tell your friends, and/or post it on social media.

These projects don’t just need money, they need people to care and spread the word that they exist.

Support creativity. Support indie artists.

Remember that every actor, director, writer, and movie you have ever fallen in love with had to start somewhere.

Trust the Dice does not, and will not, accept payment from project creators for
appearance on this list. Projects are chosen solely on the merit of the idea,
proposal, and people involved.



5 – Granny

                                                                         
Crowdsource Platform: Indiegogo
Director: Dave Burrowes
Writer: Dave Burrowes, Dean Burr
Other Staff: Joel Hagen (Producer), Lucy Rennick (Producer), Oscar Partridge (Director of Photography), Tel Benjamin (Actor)
Amount Requested: $15,000
Current Standing (as of Saturday night): $1,080 raised by 19 backers.
Type of Goal: Flexible

This was a really tough week for this article. I wasn’t even able to finalize it until late Saturday night because there were so many awesome projects being crowdfunded this week. Choosing between them took a significant amount of time.

Granny stood out to me as an awesome, over-the-top, hilarious horror.

The mix of horror and comedy is always a great start for a film in my book. The creators explain the film as what would happen if a grandmother just snapped one day. Nightmare on Elm Street with Freddy Kruger replaced by your sweet little grandma.

More than once you’ll see the creators use the term “ozploitation.” I’ll be honest, I had to look it up myself, but once I did I had to admit that the definition put this film right up Trust the Dice’s alley.

Ozploitation began in the 70s right after the R-rating made its way to Australia. It was originally “Aussiesploitation” but was shortened not long after its conception. From that explanation, it’s pretty easy to figure out everything you need to about the genre.

I think it’ll be hilarious to watch a little granny on her rascal chasing her grandson around with a chainsaw. The amusing image that appears in my head when I think of that isn’t something I can ignore.

Lowest Fund Reward: $7.62 – Facebook Shout Out – You did us a solid today, and we’re gonna thank you publicly for it. Hope you’re not afraid of mass adulation because you’re about to be adored by the masses.
Highest Fund Reward: $2,287,200 – One-Man Studio – Well, you’re tops. We’re gonna use this money on out next project (a feature film set in space – it’s going to be awesome), and you’re now an executive producer on both Granny and the upcoming feature. You also get the set visit, VIP screening, T-Shirt, Poster, signed script, and digital download perks. Also a one of a kind collectors Granny Mug.

4 – Silver Stream


Crowdsource Platform: Kickstarter
Director: Grace Kiley
Writer: Grace Kiley
Other Staff: Natalia Bougadeliis (Cinematographer, Co-Producer), Ally Schreiber (Actor), Cynthia Dillon (Screenplay Consultant, Acting Coach), Janine Mills (Associate Producer), Liz Turner (Associate Producer), Ecegul Bayram (Production Designer), Emory Parker (Editor), Amrinder Singh (Line Producer),
Amount Requested: $8,000
Current Standing (as of Saturday night): $186 raised by 5 backers.
Type of Goal: All or Nothing

By the time I finished reading the first sentence of this Kickstarter page I could pinpoint Silver Stream as a tearjerker. Moving on into the page the story just gains a depth that I can absolutely respect. When you pair that kind of storytelling with the passion shown in the trailer for this film, it’s difficult to consider any possibility but success.

I was particularly drawn in to a portion of the inspiration material where a woman met her biological mother and found she was surprised that the meeting filled her with rage. I wasn’t adopted, but my father was an asshole and I met him for the first time in over a decade about two years before his death. The rage I felt kept me shaking for a long time after that meeting.

Of course, some of the answers to the questions I had helped that rage grow… but I see the similarity in emotion there.

When you have a project like this that is so closely inspired by real-life emotions and events, it’s easier to get absorbed by the plot. If the script is well done, I see absolutely no reason why anyone would be able to ignore Silver Stream.

Lowest Fund Reward: $5 – Thank Your – You’ll receive a hearty thank you for our Facebook page and regular email updates on the production. Welcome aboard.
Highest Fund Reward: $1,000 – Associate Producer – Receive an Associate Producer Credit on screen and on IMDB and an invitation to the New York Premiere

3 – Ripple


Crowdsource Platform: Kickstarter
Director: Min-Wei Lee
Writer: Min-Wei Lee
Other Staff: Ayza Akhtar (Producer), Jean Ng (Line Producer), Alex Hass (Director of Photographer), Kristi Palmer (Production Designer), Zoe Yi (Concept Art), Josephine Change (Poster Art)
Amount Requested: $9,000
Current Standing (as of Saturday night): $5,265 raised by 35 backers.
Type of Goal: All or Nothing

Domestic abuse is a subject very close to my heart. As previously mentioned, my dad was an asshole. It was a long time before anything was actually done about it, though I’m certain plenty of people in our building and in our family knew about it.

For some people it’s easy to just turn away from something because it’s ‘none of their business’ or because they don’t think it’s ‘their place’ to get involved. I will never understand that train of thought. The final time my father laid a hand on my mother, I’m certain it would have been much worse if my soccer coach hadn’t grabbed him and forced him to leave. It’s always your place to stand up for someone being hurt. If it’s too dangerous to step in yourself, there are other methods of helping – such as getting the victim out of the situation or calling emergency services.

This film is a student project that focuses not only on domestic abuse, but on the inaction of people close to the victim. It’s based on a real situation that the writer/director found herself in and has been significantly well thought out and planned.

With a message as important as this film has, and the sheer level of planning that’s been done, Ripple is an important film to consider if you’re looking into helping an indie film this week.

Lowest Fund Reward: $10 – Facebook Shoutout – A personalized Facebook Thank You note from our director, Min-Wei Lee.
Highest Fund Reward: $5,000 – Executive Producer – From the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much for your incredible generosity. In addition to all previous rewards, you will be made our film’s sole Executive Producer and will receive this credit on our official IMDb page. You and a guest are also invited to dinner with director Min-Wei Lee and producer Ayza Akhtar (New York Only).

2 – The Hun


Crowdsource Platform: Kickstarter
Director: Tyler Mendelson
Writer: Tyler Mendelson
Other Staff: Christopher Ireland (Director of Photography)
Amount Requested: $23,000
Current Standing (as of Saturday night): $6,272 raised by 39 backers.
Type of Goal: All or Nothing

This was the first film I saw this week that really resonated with me. I went through roughly forty other films and this one stayed near the top of my list at all times, regardless of what other projects I pitted it against.

War movies can be thrilling, dramatic, and highly informative. Sometimes they suffer from a lack of realism in the way soldiers handle their jobs and emotions. In the case of The Hun that wouldn’t be a problem. The writer/director of this film is a former Marine. He is a sergeant that served in Afghanistan five years ago. Undoubtedly, he understands combat better than any layman writer/director – regardless of how much research they do.

Mendelson explains in the trailer for The Hun why he chose to highlight World War I and tries to show the importance of his story.

This film has been incredibly well thought out and has a knowledgeable team behind it. It’s a project that will find success if it is funded.

It’s current funding status – with just over $6,000 donated – was reached in only five days. That’s a lot of money for just under a week of fundraising. Clearly, I’m not the only one that sees potential.

Lowest Fund Reward: $5 – The War Bond – A heartfelt thank you, thank you for your support in our cause.
Highest Fund Reward: $5,000 – The Hun – All previous rewards, Cast and crew signed prop from The Hun, 1 doughboy uniform.

1 – The Man from Death


Crowdsource Platform: Indiegogo
Director: Stephen Reedy
Writer: Stephen Reedy, Justin Giddings, Ryan Welsh
Other Staff: Eric Lim (Actor), Mike Moh (Actor)
Amount Requested: $9,500
Current Standing (as of Saturday night): $3,340 raised by 25 backers.
Type of Goal: Flexible

There’s very little I can say about this project that isn’t said on the Indiegogo page or in the trailer. The creators of this film are very experienced in what they do – none of them seem to be new to the entertainment world or crowdfunding in general. As a result, we get to see a much more polished product with a much more well-thought out and well-written proposal.

The trailer alone has some sick fight scenes and graphics. Sure, Westerns REALLY aren’t my thing, but there are exceptions and this film looks like it could be one. There seems to be a bit of fantasy woven into the plot – in the form of what they call a “psychic list.”

The Man from Death started its existence as a short film, this Indiegogo page is the creator’s attempt to turn it into a feature film.

I attempted to find a link to the short film, but I could only come up with a video highlighting the visual effects. You can see that video above, but – be warned – it’s gory. I could definitely live without the massive amount of eye damage, but that’s my personal problem/preference. Ignoring that, it’s still an interesting look into what we might see in the finished feature film.

Their rewards are pretty decent also. They have everything from admission tickets to a game night with the creators to awesome swag. An interesting addition that I don’t see a lot of, is at the $200 mark. If you donate that much, two of the writers of this film (who have 62 IMDb credits between them) will read your script and call you to talk about your work and offer aid in fixing it up. Clearly, that’s not a reward meant for everyone, but for writers just starting out it’s a huge deal.

To show our support for The Man from Death, Trust the Dice has donated a small amount toward the success of this film.

Lowest Fund Reward: $5 – Thank you + Firstborn Children – Holy mother of He Who Shall Not Be Named! Thank you! And not only shall we than you with a social media shout-out, a silly video, and an e-mail, we’re going to up the ante and name our firstborn children after you! (This is totally real, totally going to happen. Why would you even doubt it? So the kid has 300 middle names. Big deal. Deal with it.)

Highest Fund Reward: $9001 – Power Level: it’s over 9000!!! – Your power level is so high, it broke our power meter! You get the full VIP treatment: we will fly you in from anywhere in the world, put uou up in a hotel for a night, and then send a car to bring you to the reading – where you will have a seat of honor. Eric will also dress up as Vegeta from DBZ and give you a personal tour of Los Angeles.

No comments:

Post a Comment