Need some cinematic inspiration and advice to get your 2012 filmmaking plans off to a flying start? As a special Christmas gift to Stop/Eject supporters, anyone who sponsors the film (any amount) by midnight on Christmas Eve will get access to an exclusive new featurette I’m currently creating: “How to Make a Fantasy Action Movie for £28,000”. This will be a detailed look at the budget from my feature film Soul Searcher, analysing where all the money came from and exactly how it was spent, examining the contracts given to the investors, comparing the distribution deals I was offered and revealing precisely how much money the film made. This is an unprecedented real-world case study of the financial realities of indie filmmaking. Get it in YOUR inbox on New Year’s Day by sponsoring Stop/Eject before Christmas. You’ll also get all the great rewards we’ve been offering all along. And don’t worry – if you’ve already sponsored Stop/Eject, you’ll get access to this video too.
Remember to keep spreading the word about Stop/Eject, just like Hereford Journal (left) and Sci-Fi London have done this week – thanks guys!
Jonny Lewis as Ezekiel in Soul Searcher. Photo: John Galloway
Everyone says crowd-funding takes up a lot of your time, and it’s true. This week I’ve set up an iTunes podcast, started a Facebook page, uploaded desktop wallpapers (in widescreen and 4:3 ratios), authored DVDs of the pitch video and am attending three events to network and spread the word.
Herefordshire Media Network
The first event was a Herefordshire Media Network social. This was held in the back bar of a pub and involved myself and two other people giving little presentations and then general mingling/networking. As usual at these events there were a surprising number of people I didn’t know. Hereford is so small that I tend to assume that I must know everyone here who works in the media, but more people always seem to crop up.
The other speakers were Marc de Jersey, filmmaker and international broadcast journalist, and Nick Fogg, a filmmaker whose 90 second documentary Wake recently won the main award at Encounters International Film Festival. Both showed some of their work, which was really interesting in very different ways. I felt pretty shameless plugging my crowd-funding campaign, which – let’s face it – is essentially begging, but people responded well. After the presentations I talked to as many people as I could and handed out plenty of business cards.
The Picnic
The second event was The Neighbourhood Watch at Vivid in Birmingham. It’s been a very long time since I was last at Vivid, but I thought it would be worthwhile showing my face and trying to make some regional contacts. The event was an “open mic” film night, meaning that anyone could submit a film to be screened and none would be rejected, time permitting. I screened The Picnic, to the end of which I had added a caption telling everyone to visit my Crowdfunder page and sponsor Stop/Eject. I also mentioned the campaign when I introduced the film. Sadly there wasn’t much opportunity for networking, particularly since I had to leave early to get the last train back, but it did get my mind whirring on the possibilities of holding talks and screenings and using them to raise funds… of which more another time.
The third event, happening tonight, is a local meeting about community TV, which apparently is something the government is pushing at the moment. I don’t know much about it, but I’m going along to see what opportunities there may be to get involved – and don’t think I won’t plug my crowd-funding campaign while I’m there.
Thanks again to everyone who’s contributed so far, and to everyone who has helped spread the word by email, Facebook, Twitter and – shock! horror! – physical face-to-face communication with mouths and ears and vibrating air molecules.
Our crowd-funding campaign has launched today. We need your help to bring Stop/Eject, a heartbreaking story of love and loss, to the screen. Donate as little or as much as you’re able, and don’t forget to tell all your friends to do the same. You can link to our Crowdfunder page or you can embed the widget (see sidebar on right) on your own site.
Although Light Films have kindly funded the development and initial pre-production, we still need money to buy more props, costumes and materials for the set, and to cover travel, catering and accommodation. For those of you who have been following my filmmaking exploits online for a while, this is your chance to get personally involved. Everyone who donates will get a thank you in the credits, plus there are various great rewards available if you donate over certain amounts, such as exclusive posters, signed artwork and DVDs of my films, some of which have never been available to own before.
Still not convinced? Check out my previous Stop/Eject blog posts to read about all the hard work that’s already gone into this project. I believe this film will be something really special, but I can’t make it without your help. Sponsor it here. Thanks everyone!
Stop/Eject is back with a vengeance. Light Films is now taking a back seat in the production, but production designer Sophie Black has come on board as a producer and we’ll be launching our crowd-funding campaign any day now. Watch this space for your chance to get involved and help make it happen!
