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 – On the Nose
Crowdsource Platform:
KICKSTARTER
Director: Gilbert
Bannerman
Writer: Gilbert
Bannerman, Theo Boswell, and Fergus Burnand
Other Staff: Nicholas
Ferguson-Lee (Producer/Sound), Rory Mclean (Cinematography/Editor), Frank Lebon
(Cinematography), Eliis Kuusk (Associate Producer/Assistant Director), Izabela
Swiderska (Costume Design), Tjasha Stroud (Costume Design), Samuel Jones
(Second Assistant Director), Lynda Boudjeltia (Art Director), Sabina Claici
(Assistant Camera), Julia Hardecks (Sound), Grace Campbell (Script Supervisor)
Amount Requested:
$3,143
Current Standing (as
of Saturday night): $658 raised by 27 backers.
Type of Goal: All
or Nothing – This project will only be funded if it reaches its goal by the
deadline.
On the Nose is
described on Kickstarter as “a twist on a cold war spy thriller” and the
artwork accompanying the description of the story is very ‘film noir.’ From
what I can see in the descriptions and the introduction video, this film will
be a throwback to some of the greats from that general genre.
Not exactly a bad thing, if you ask me.
One of the most interesting things I noted about this film
was the perspective the script was written from.
On the Nose is
about a man trying to figure out why his wife left him. When he finds out she’s
joined up with a theater group that performs on a train, he decides to go see
what she’s been working on. When he gets there, he finds that the audience are also
given costumes. The costume he’s given is just enough to make it impossible for
his ex-wife to recognize him. That gives him the chance to find out what she’s
been up to and maybe even why she left.
Seeing this story through the man’s eyes would be interesting.
The amount of drama and mystery that could accompany his perspective is
limitless. If this film is done right, it could do incredibly well at festivals.
There’s the rub with crowdfunding. You can’t really
guarantee the success of a film you back… but there are some very important
aspects of a campaign that could indicate a greater possibility that things
will work out.
One of the most important things a campaign needs to
succeed, is to understand exactly just how much Murphy’s Law can fuck with
their production. The team working on this film understands that. This is not
their first time working together and, from what they posted on their
Kickstarter page, they’ve had to deal with a huge amount of Murphy’s Law in the
past.
That’s a really good thing. It means that whatever is thrown
at them that might cause failure, they’ll be able to meet head on.
Even if you’re not interested in the story or you don’t see
the aspects of this campaign that could make it successful, you might want to
look at the rewards. If you pledge enough money to the cause, Nicholas
Ferguson-Lee, the producer, has promised to tattoo your name on his butt cheek.
So, at the very least, you can say you own someone’s ass.
If I had a reward of the week segment that would definitely
be the winner.
Lowest Fund Reward:
$1.27 – Huge Thank You – Warm our hearts over the Christmas season with a quid.
Highest Fund Reward:
$2,538 – Tattoo On The Producer’s Bottom – Your name permanently tattooed on
Nicholas Ferguson-Lee’s left cheek of his bottom.
4 – Drinking
Games
Crowdsource Platform:
INDIEGOGO
Director: Bradley
Neale
Writer: Unknown
Other Staff: Becky
Fumagall (Producer), Hannah Smith (Producer), Jack Jeffery (Director of
Photography)
Amount Requested:
$3,144
Current Standing (as
of Saturday night): $1,088 raised by 20 backers.
Type of Goal: Flexible
(This campaign will receive all funds raised even if it does not reach its
goal)
Although no writer is listed on the Indiegogo site, I’d
wager a guess that Bradley Neale was responsible for the script. During a
portion of the film’s page, there’s a list of cast along with something they’ve
said about the film, and you can definitely see the passion behind Neale’s
words.
I guess it’s helpful that he actually starts his paragraph
off with “I had the idea for Drinking
Games…”
Moving on, the story that goes along with Drinking Games is something new that I’ve
only started seeing happen in films in the past couple of years. It seems to be
along the same lines as something like Nerve
(2016). There are just enough differences in the description, however, to make Drinking Games stand on its own.
In many of these films, the victims don’t come face to face
with their tormentor until the very end of the story. Such as in the original Saw (2004). In Drinking Games, the antagonist is already mentioned in the
description. There’s no “who dun-it” involved.
What I truly love about the way the creators refer to the
antagonist, is that they depict him as a psychopath with “a movie star smirk.”
I’m a sucker for that evil-behind-beauty thing.
Movies that flip what you expect of the characters just tend
to hit a mark that trope-y films don’t. Take, for instance, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (2010). The
entire film was completely based around that tendency people have to judge
people by what they look like, or by their caste. That film was awesome because
it stuck so true to that.
I believe that Drinking
Games has the potential to take their plot and turn it into something
significantly worth watching.
For England locals, the Drinking
Games team intends to hold some fundraising activities in person. There is
no information for that just yet, but donating to the campaign would make it
very easy to follow along with updates like that.
Also, I spoke with the director and he wanted to relay the
message to everyone that they will begin shooting this thriller in February and
that contributors will be invited to their exclusive premiere when the film is
complete. Currently, Neale foresees that date as falling somewhere in May 2017.
Lowest Fund Reward:
$12.57 – Virtual High-five! – Thanks! Any kind of donation we really appreciate
it so have a high five from us! And a digital wrap photo of the cast and crew
on set.
Highest Fund Reward:
$314.36 – Part of the crew – Be a part of the crew! Have you ever fancied
taking part in the film world? Here’s your chance to get that Associate
Producer Credit you never knew you wanted. Alongside all the previous perks.
3 – Morning Glory
Crowdsource Platform:
KICKSTARTER
Director: Robert Bertrand
Writer: Robert
Bertrand
Other Staff: Tim
Jolly (Cinematographer), Emmy Anshaw (Assistant Director), John Ryder (Sound
Recordist), Jade-Marie Joseph (Cast), Bianca Beckles-Rose (Cast)
Amount Requested:
$3,772
Current Standing (as
of Saturday night): $590 raised by 20 backers.
Type of Goal: All
or Nothing (This project will only be funded if it reaches its goal by the
deadline)
Morning Glory is a
film about two best friends that are heading down roads that will undoubtedly
separate them.
By this point in my life, I’ve had many different best
friends that I have parted ways with. Some of them I miss, others I regret
missing with my car. I think by my age, everyone feels the same way. That makes
the story of this film incredibly relatable.
Most of the time, in films, when two friends are shown
parting ways it’s because of some great betrayal. Sure, sometimes that happens
in real life. In fact, it happens much more than it should. However, that’s not
what happens the majority of the time. Usually, when two best friends part
ways, it’s simply because their lives pull them apart. For most people it’s
because they went to different schools, moved out of state, got vastly
different jobs with vastly different schedules, or had to dedicate their time
to building new families.
In Morning Glory
the reason the friends are separating is because their careers are taking them
on two separate paths. It seems like a realistic, down-to-earth drama.
A lot of dramas take their plot to the extreme because
people believe drama can only come from extremes. That’s not true. When you
know something bad is going to happen, or you’re going to lose someone on a
specific date, a kind of dread collects in your core and bubbles hotter and
hotter until that moment comes.
In films, like the kind Morning
Glory seems to be, the burn is slow but effective. When you combine that
kind of tried and true set up with an experienced cast and crew, you can wind
up with something magnificent.
As good as all that is, there’s another piece of the film’s
Kickstarter page that’s understated, but stands out as a beacon of possible
success.
The introduction video for Morning Glory starts off very typical. Robert Bertrand,
writer/director, is seen in the video simply explaining things. He mentions
that they’ve finished casting and started rehearsals. He also introduced the
crew in general. Basic stuff, until you get to the middle.
According to the video, they ran out of funding and had to
improvise.
The fact that the team ran out of money and still managed to
finish the video in an engaging and humorous way is a, very subtle, big deal. It
means they likely have plans for when things go wrong. That adds a certain
layer of risk protection to investors. In the crowdfunding world, it’s
important to not ignore things like that.
Lowest Fund Reward:
$12.57 – HIGH FIVE – A ‘thank you’ credit at the end of the film.
Highest Fund Reward:
$1,257.45 – A ‘thank you’ credit at the end of the film. One hour skype call
with the director and Casper the Cat. Two tickets to the private screening of
the film. Original film poster signed by the cast, crew, and Casper the Cat.
Original film stills. Digital Download
of the film once the film festival run has finished.
2 – Killing
Clarence
Crowdsource Platform:
INDIEGOGO
Director: Nicholas
Wyatt and Ameen Haddad
Writer: Nicholas
Wyatt and Ameen Haddad
Other Staff: Teddy
White (Producer/Hype Man)
Amount Requested:
$5,000
Current Standing (as
of Saturday night): $485 raised by 9 backers.
Type of Goal: Flexible
(This campaign will receive all funds raised even if it does not reach its
goal)
I’ll be honest, I really wanted to make this movie number
one on my list. The ONLY reason it’s not, is because the film in the number one
spot is socially important. However, I want to sincerely express that in all
other ways, Killing Clarence is the
best crowdfunded film I found this week.
I have to ignore the fact that they chose an absolutely
remarkable hype man. Teddy White is probably the most likable person I’ve seen
in any of the introduction videos I’ve ever seen on a crowdfunding site. He’s
just adorable.
Oh, don’t think I didn’t catch that short reference to Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993), I can
quote Cary Elwes’ speech too!
Killing Clarence
is a film about one hitman and one somewhat-hitman that arrive at a location to
kill a man named Clarence, only to find there’s a party being held for the guy.
I’ve seen a lot of movies. This is the first time I’ve heard
that particular plot. Of course, there are a ton of movies I haven’t seen, so I
might just not know any other films that have that base storyline… but either
way, the idea seems really interesting.
There’s the potential in that plot for action, humor,
violence, redemption… and so much more.
According to the Indiegogo site, the two directors, Nicholas
Wyatt and Ameen Haddad, met in film school. That’s relatively typical, what I
find much more interesting is what Wyatt explained to me when I contacted him.
There’s a certain beauty in the fact that Wyatt is a combat
Marine veteran and Haddad fled from the civil war in Syria.
Aside from the poetry involved in that connection, I love
the idea that a Marine has had a hand in writing something like this. I have a
high respect for anyone in any branch of the armed forces. Out of curiosity, I’ve
done a lot of questioning about the training that Marines go through. I’ve
always felt knowing the reality of that level of violence would make me a
better writer. Wyatt has a much better understanding of that subject than I
ever could. On the same subject, Haddad has experienced a civil war. Which
means the realism level of any fighting or violence in the film will likely be
through the roof.
When you take the script facts and mix it in with the level
of passion the crew of this film exhibits, then add a sprinkle of the
influences of Quentin Tarantino (which you see a lot of in the introduction
video), you have a recipe for something that could truly explode.
For now, Killing
Clarence will a short film. Of course, if it does well, it could become
much more.
Lowest Fund Reward:
$1 – Why not? – This is cool. I’m officially one of the funders of a movie!
Highest Fund Reward:
$5,000 – The Godfather – Enough with the games. It’s time to make you an offer
you can’t refuse. You’re the type that’s got the cash, got the prestige, and
all the power. Welcome to “The Godfather” Package. You will earn the highly
coveted Executive Producer Credit, which will be shown on all posters and movie
artwork. You will also be invited to every event at each festival we attend with
the film as a part of the Killing Clarence team. Plus a trip on set and all the
cool perks that other packages offer.
1 – In Praise of
Action
Crowdsource Platform:
INDIEGOGO
Director: Aistė
Jauraitė
Writer: N/A
Other Staff: David
Grant (Stunt-man), Olivia Jackson (Stunt-woman), Jim Dowdall (Stunt-man)
Amount Requested:
$1,000
Current Standing (as
of Saturday night): $40 raised by 3 backers.
Type of Goal: Flexible
(This campaign will receive all funds raised even if it does not reach its
goal)
This film is extraordinarily important to the entertainment
world.
As fans of films, we only get to see the finished product.
We stare, transfixed, as burning cars flip over gaps or people. We gasp when
our favorite character falls off a cliff. All the while, we commend the actors
for their amazing performances… performances that might have been absolutely
nothing without the physical aspect.
A lot of the time, the actor’s we’re congratulating weren’t part
of that aspect at all.
In Praise of Action
is a documentary that calls attention to the unsung heroes of entertainment:
stunt-people.
Sure, there have been (very few) other documentaries, in the
past, that have shined a light on people in the stunt-performing profession. I
reviewed one of those documentaries, Double
Dare (2005), VERY early on in my blogging career. My opinion of it would
likely be much different now.
At this point, I’ve seen so many movies that I have started
seeing ‘behind the veil’, so to speak. I see the effort put in by the people
working behind the scenes, and it kills me that most of them will never get
recognition.
When it comes to stunt-people, though, things are different.
It may be a shame that some makeup, or costume, designers won’t be acknowledged…
but it is a crime to not acknowledge stunt-people.
The men and women who work in the stunt profession literally
put their lives on the line.
Of course there are safety measures in place, but accidents
happen and stunt-people do die on set. On the set of The Expendables 2 (2012) a rogue explosion seriously injured one
stunt-person and killed another, Kun Liu. If that had been a cast member, the media
would have exploded… but it was a stunt-person.
Stunt-people NEED to be recognized. In Praise of Action is a film that is being used to try to and give
people in the stunt profession the recognition they deserve, perhaps even their
own award category at the Academy Awards.
When it comes down to it, without stunt-people the films we
all know and love would be vastly different, if they existed at all.
In fact, I mentioned Marvel films to my husband earlier in
order to make a point on this subject. His response was that it was a bad
example because of the CGI used. Well, I’d like to point out that there are just
over 700 people listed under “stunts” in the credits for Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015).
That’s not a typo, there are three digits in that number.
Most people couldn’t name a single one of them.
It’s that mindset that makes this movie necessary. 700
people worked on a film seen by millions, and no one will ever know their names
because “there weren’t stunt-people, it was CGI.”
Put that into perspective. How many stunt-people must there
be if that many of them worked on a single film? How many names have we, as
fans, overlooked?
Think about it.
Lowest Fund Reward:
$5 – Good Karma – We are very thankful for your support! – Items Included: Good
karma!
Highest Fund Reward:
$400 – Credit: Executive Producer – This way you will receive the best possibility
to meet us, talk about the film, share the ideas, and will be credited as an
Executive Producer. – Items Included: Credit: Executive Producer.
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