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 – Beautiful
Things
Crowdsource Platform:
KICKSTARTER
Director: Paige
Polk
Writer: Paige
Polk
Other Staff: Carla
Tramullas (Director of Photography), Nneka Njoku (Production), Katherine Fana
(Production)
Amount Requested:
$24,953
Current Standing (as
of Saturday night): $2,158 raised by 61 backers.
Type of Goal: All
or Nothing
I think, as children, we can’t really see our parents as
real people because they’re more than that. They’re the ones that give us life
and we’re not really old enough at that point to understand that they have the
same emotions we will when we grow up.
My mother raised me on her own because my father was a
prick. As a result she worked damn near constantly. She opted not to make many
friends at all and never once went on a date. So I probably didn’t realize she
had the same emotions I did until I was older than most others. Instead of
figuring it out as a pre-teen, I was a teenager before that realization hit me.
Later than I’d care to admit.
It’s because of that truth that I tend to get really happy
when I see projects being made that remind people that being a parent doesn’t
mean a person has stopped being human.
Yes, a great mother would put her child first in all things,
but she still her own needs and desires to look after. Even if those emotions
are put on the backburner.
The love story being showcased in Beautiful Things is between two women, one of them just happens to
be a mom. It’s a project being made by experienced people with a significant
interest in the story being told. One of those experienced people, Carla
Tramullas, also has an Emmy credited to her name. As a result, regardless of
people’s opinions of the subject or finished product, there is pretty much a
guarantee that the creation will be handled professionally.
I’m also very impressed that the makers of this film have
opted to keep their budget available to the public. That means that, whether or
not you donate, you can see how the budget for the film is being handled.
Transparency is an idea I can get behind.
Lowest Fund Reward:
$5 – I’m Your Fan! – A public shoutout on the Beautiful Things Facebook Page!
Highest Fund Reward:
$8,000 – Juju on That Beat – We’ll fly you out to the wrap party where you can
meet the cast and crew. – Includes: Public shoutout, Name in the credits, Link
to the original soundtrack, Link to the finished film, Signed copy of the
script, Be an extra, Executive Producer credit.
4 – Holiday
Hostage
Crowdsource Platform:
INDIEGOGO
Director: D.W.
Moffett
Writer: David
Storch, Abby Walla
Other Staff: Sawyer
Williams (Producer), Phil Parmet (Director of Photography), Aida Lembo (Line
Producer), Tiffany Berube (Associate Producer), Kerry Carroll (Associate
Producer), Erin Coleman (Associate Producer), Thomas Ochoa (Associate Producer),
Alisha Ricardi (Associate Producer), Julian Ricardo (Associate Producer), K.C.
Wolf (Associate Producer)
Amount Requested:
$40,000
Current Standing (as of
Saturday night): $28,158 raised by 402 backers.
Type of Goal: Flexible
I grew up in a Jewish family. Not the kind that did Shabbat
every Friday or celebrated Passover together, but Jewish none-the-less. So,
when I saw the trailer posted on this Indiegogo page, I totally got it.
Even if my mom didn’t have the kind of neurotic tendencies
displayed (she still calls me up the moment anything happens in the news
anywhere and tells me to look out for monsters in the dark), I’d still have my
childhood friend’s families to compare too, my Jewish summer camp, and every
other cultural aspect I grew up around. I even grew up in a Hasidic Jewish
neighborhood.
Generally, the really stereotypical projects don’t tend to
catch my interest at all. When people overdo the cultural references, you just
know it’s not going to speak to everyone because not everyone is going to
relate. Holiday Hostage, however,
doesn’t quite travel that route.
Sure, it focuses on the culture of a Jewish family
specifically, but mostly it seems to focus on crazy families in general. You
don’t need to be Jewish to have one of those. We don’t have a monopoly on it.
It seems like Holiday
Hostage is going to have more of a widespread likeability to it despite the
cultural references because of the addition of the hostage storyline.
The writers also seem to have great comedic timing. Since
they’re also acting in the film (under the direction of a well-known professional
actor), that really elevates my expectations for the final product.
Lowest Fund Reward:
$10 – Thank You Turkey! – A hand-turkey drawn in your honor and put up on our
wall of gratitude, plus a social media shout-out.
Highest Fund Reward:
$3,500 – Executive Producer – All hail the King/Queen! You are the top of the
top when it comes to producers. Everyone else bows down before you. (Like, Abby
& David will literally send you a video bowing down before you.) Come visit
the set via a personal driver to see what you helped make happen and meet the
cast & crew. (Travel to Los Angeles & Accommodations not included.) –
Items Included: Hand Turkey & Shout-Out, Download of Holiday Hostage,
Blooper Reel, Awkward Family Photo, Original Puppet Show, Name in Credits,
Behind the Scenes Camera, Executive Producer Credit
3 – Trapper
Crowdsource Platform:
INDIEGOGO
Director: Oskar
Brockbank
Writer: Oskar
Brockbank
Other Staff: Alex
Starr (Producer), Nicolo Biarrise (Cinematographer), Jonna Laitinen (Art
Director), Ruaridh Turner (Assistant Director), Ruth Hope (Costume Designer),
Elley Lewis (Costume Designer)
Amount Requested:
$2,119
Current Standing (as
of Saturday night): $155 raised by 8 backers.
Type of Goal: Flexible
The creators of this film did an amazing job of making the
story seem absolutely harrowing in the trailer. The combination of visuals and
audio during the parts where they’re discussing the plot give a base taste of
what to expect of the finished film. Even the trailer itself is shot well.
Although I thought the trailer was well done, it has almost
nothing to do with why Trapper made
this list.
I’m absolutely entranced by the story they’ve decided to
work with.
While writing for Trust the Dice I have watched hundreds of
movies. I did the math in a previous article, though I couldn’t even begin to
tell you which one, so I’m not going to do it again. Before the blog, I was a
movie lover, so I watched a ton of films before I ever started the site. As a
result, I’m always incredibly impressed when I find a film that has a unique
subject. There aren’t many of those left except for historically accurate ones
about events that haven’t happened yet.
Plainly put, Trapper
takes a story I’ve never seen told in a film and expands upon it.
That, alone, is what got this project on the list. The
trailer and information available on the Indiegogo site are the reasons the film
wound up as high as it did.
I’m also a big fan of supporting students for their
graduation projects. You never know which among them will be our next legend.
Lowest Fund Reward:
$12 – Trapper – You get a link to the film upon completion, thank you so much
for your support!
Highest Fund Reward:
$310 – A Prop from the Set – This is the largest perk available, thank you so
much for your generousity! For this, you receive everything listed above, but
we will also send you a prop from the film. This could include anything from a
lantern, helmet, piece of the set, or costume item! You will also be granted
the opportunity to visit the set and meet the director, as a personal thank you
for your donation!
2 – Forget Me Not
Crowdsource Platform:
INDIEGOGO
Director: Ryan
Love
Writer: Zackery
Alexander
Other Staff: Manuel
Sherbakoff (Producer), Emily Reas (Producer), Romas Usakovas (Director of
Photography)
Amount Requested:
$3,000
Current Standing (as
of Saturday night): $260 raised by 6 backers.
Type of Goal: Flexible
Forget Me Not
struck me because of how important the subject matter is.
I have a lot of friends that have served in various branches
of the military. Although most of them seemed fine when they returned home –
not all of them were. In fact, almost all of them had trouble adjusting back to
a civilian lifestyle.
One of those friends once said that nothing since returning
home has felt as real as his time overseas. I’m not going to reveal his name
because I don’t remember if he told it to me or allowed me to read it in his
private journal, so I don’t really want to overstep bounds. However, this guy
is a good friend, a good father to his daughter, and a good person in general.
His heart and mind seem to almost always be in the right place, so when I heard
that sentence from him, it shocked me.
You don’t have to agree with war or violence in order to
support the people that make up our troops. These people join the military for
many different reasons and it’s not usually because they’ve decided they want
to do something violent. Sometimes it’s for college money, sometimes it’s to
escape a bad situation, sometimes it’s because they don’t know what they want
to do with their lives, sometimes it’s because they feel it will help them fix
a part of them, sometimes it’s out of loyalty for the country; the list could
really go on forever.
Forget Me Not
delves into the subject of a veteran’s mental health. It follows a former Air
Force member as he battles dementia in his civilian life.
Anything that raises awareness for a subject of this
importance, can’t be ignored. In this case, the film is done and the funding
being requested by those involved is for post-production and the ability to
submit it to film festivals. The makers are also donating part of what they
raise to the California Mental Health Connection.
This film has an important subject mixed with a talented and
experienced cast and crew. I truly believe that, if it is funded, it will not
fail.
Lowest Fund Reward:
$1 – Thank You! – Thank you for donating! A contribution of any size makes a
difference. You’re helping to finish Forget Me Not and raise mental health
awareness!
Highest Fund Reward:
$750 – Executive Producer – Be the sole Executive Producer of Forget Me Not!
You will have your name listed as an Executive Producer in the film’s credits,
on IMDB, in all future marketing material, at film festivals, and more! You’ll
be thanked on our Facebook Page, emailed a link to watch the film as soon as we
finish editing, and you’ll be sent a copy of the film poster. – Items Include:
Facebook shout-out, Personal Link to the film, Forget Me Not poster, Executive
Producer Credit
1 – Skywatch
Crowdsource Platform:
KICKSTARTER
Director: Colin
Levy
Writer: Colin
Levy, Mike Sundy
Other Staff: Uriah
Shelton (Actor), Zach Callison (Actor), Andre Danylevich (Producer), Sandro
Blattner (VFX Supervisor), Adam Habib (Director of Photography), Julie Chen
(Production Design), Morgan Johnson (Sound Supervisor), Jasper Blunk (Composer)
Amount Requested:
$35,000
Current Standing (as
of Saturday night): $25,407 raised by 196 backers.
Type of Goal: All
or Nothing
This film looks outstanding.
Colin Levy is familiar with the workings of Kickstarted
projects, so he likely has plenty of plans to back-up his ideas. That means
Murphy’s Law might not have as much of an effect on him and his team. Things go
wrong in filming all the time, experience helps people sort that out.
Not only is Levy experienced, but he chose two very talented
and experienced teens to play his leads. Uriah Shelton has a longer IMDb page
than some adult actors do. He’s been acting since 2007 and has almost 30
credits to his name. More impressively, the productions he’s credited in aren’t
really on the “B” level. I’ve heard of, or seen, almost everything he’s been
in.
If you can believe it, Zach Callison’s IMDb page is even
longer – with 45 acting credits since his start in 2007. His most popular
project by far is Steven Universe,
which has a cult following that includes a ridiculous amount of people my age
or older, but his credits are also full of legitimately great projects that
would impress any skeptic.
These are definitely the kind of teen actors that will make
you wonder what the fuck you’ve been doing with your life.
Even if this short film didn’t boast such an experienced and
talented cast/crew, the trailer speaks for itself. It looks like something that
could easily expand beyond a ‘short’ into either a feature film, or a
television series. In fact, I’d love to see it expand. I’d watch the hell out
of it.
Trust the Dice has donated a small amount to Skywatch to back up our belief that it
is the top crowdfunded project for the week.
Lowest Fund Reward:
$1 – Join the Team – Every dollar counts. Get a warm fuzzy feeling for chipping
in to make this film a reality! Also get access to exclusive updates on
Kickstarter.
Highest Fund Reward:
$10,000 – Co-Executive Producer – In addition to the 3D print and above reward,
receive a Co-Executive Producer Credit in the main titles of the film and we
will invite you and a guest to an exclusive screening of the proof of concept
in Los Angeles before its premiere. You will be responsible for you travel and
lodging. – Includes: Co-Executive Producer Credit, Exclusive Screening Invite
for you and a guest, All above rewards.
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