CrowdFUNding: BigJackFilms’ King Kong and Fatal Pictures’ HEIR

Are you wanting to shoot your dream project, but have a restriction on your budget?

Are you wanting to support independent cinema by helping filmmakers, but have no idea how to lend a hand?

CrowdFUNding, a new series on Wylie Writes, is hoping to answer those questions by helping guide filmmakers and would-be financiers towards the right opportunities.  All while putting the “fun” back in crowdfunding.

CrowdFUNding will highlight online campaigns looking for financial backing.  Some filmmakers may need the money to start production, while others need funds to put the cherry on their cake in post-production.  Some of these campaigns even have perks for those who invest in the film.

Our first CrowdFUNding article features two projects: BigJackFilms’ King Kong remake and Fatal Pictures’ HEIR.

BigJackFilms King Kong

My name is Jack Buchanan.  I’m 21 years old, have Aspergers, and I’m a young independent film maker from Ontario Canada.  Over the years, I’ve made films with my own money and time, most of them home movies and for the past 4 years myself and a group of autistic kids have been working extremely hard on a upcoming remake of my favourite film, King Kong.

Right now, we just finished wrapping up principal photography and are on the job of cutting the film with no special effects and as a first for us, we’re looking for funding to help film the special effects for this coming summer, all of which will be practical old school style effects, such as men in ape suits, stop motion animation, model cities and vehicles.

The budget we are looking for is about $5,000, and we’ve come to realize there is no way of making enough before March.  And that is why we are looking for Indigogo and folks like yourself to help us out. 

This is a film I’ve been wanting to make since I was a young kid.  And seeing it halfway done is too far to give up.  So for those reading this and wish to contribute to this film, is VERY VERY APPRECIATED from myself and the cast and crew.  With this film completed and the funding used for equipment and items, we can make our productions better than ever before for us and you to enjoy.

Visit Jack’s IndieGoGo page for more details.

Fatal Pictures’ HEIR

After connecting with a stranger of similar interests online, Gordon and his young son Paul, embark on an ill-fated road trip in which Gordon aims to indulge a secret passion.  Before the day ends a horrible truth will be uncovered and a harsh lesson will be learned.  HEIR is a monster movie unlike any other, it is a bleak and fantastical examination of one of societies darkest taboos that aims to stimulate the mind and wrench the gut with equal power.

HEIR is a disturbing, thought provoking PRACTICAL FX driven horror short film from FATAL PICTURES, the team behind the the critically acclaimed, award winning shorts CONSUMPTION, WORM and FAMILIAR.  FATAL PICTURES is a Canadian film production company consisting of Writer/Director Richard Powell, recently named one of ten “On the rise indie genre directors who should be on your radar” by FEARNET,  and Producer Zach Green, who along with Richard where named one of ten “Canadian genre filmmakers to look out for” by PLANETFURY.COM.

With three successful shorts under our belts the obvious next step is feature films, but there is still one last short film that wants, needs, demands to be made.

Visit Richard Powell and Zach Green’s Kickstarter page for more details.

My Two Cents:

If you’re an aspiring filmmaker and remember those days of budding excitement, BigJackFilms’ amiable mission should ring true.  Even if you haven’t been involved with the making of a movie, you can sense that thrill Jack has towards his passion project.

This group of filmmakers appear to have good intentions and a warmth to their initiative.  I hope they find the moolah they’re looking for, and I can’t wait to see the remake Jack and the gang churn out.

I have deep admiration for Fatal Pictures.  Powell and Green are two of the most powerful voices in independent horror at the moment.  I’ve seen, reviewed, and loved Worm and Familiar and the shorts stand the test of time as well.  The eerie vibes remain in tact and the shorts still manage to send shivers up my spine.

With Richard Powell in the director’s chair once again and Zach Green holding the fort down as a producer, along with gifted performer Robert Nolan returning and the addition of Bill Oberst Jr. to the film’s cast, I’m very excited to see how HEIR plays out.  This is going to be great!

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All italicized statements and videos regarding King Kong and HEIR are provided from their respected crowdfunding sources. Wylie Writes is not responsible for funds attached to these productions and we do not hold accountability.

These projects are those of the filmmakers. Use your own discretion.

Bridegroom

By: Addison Wylie

Bridegroom is an expansion of a YouTube video titled It Could Happen To You.  The story documented in It Could Happen To You is powerful with how uplifting it is as well as to how unfair it all becomes.

Anyone who saw Shane Bitney Crone and Thomas Lee Bridegroom laughing together, holding hands, or embracing each other had proof that true love existed.  It gave people confidence that two levelheaded people could meet at random and hit things off phenomenally.  With pieces falling into place, Crone and Bridegroom soon became very serious during their six-year relationship.  They were absolutely perfect for each other.

Suddenly and shockingly, Bridegroom unintentionally had a fatal accident that sent Shane into shambles.  Tom’s family – who were never true supporters of their same sex partnership – reacted in a way emotionless androids would.  While abiding to their personal beliefs, the family’s actions against Shane were unspeakably disappointing and preposterous.

Just as Shane does in his highly popular YouTube video, his remarks and opinions towards Tom’s family and their decisions are never portrayed in a mean-spirited way.  Bridegroom isn’t a vehicle to unleash a ball of hate onto this unyielding family.  Shane instead takes the high road and uses both the video and this tender documentary to show how homophobia still lingers.  He has nothing else to do but displeasingly shake his head in shame and wish for a hopeful future.

Bridegroom offers a bit more information about Shane and Tom’s backstory that didn’t make it in It Could Happen To You.  A particular upsetting detail about Shane’s youthhood is his self-realization after watching scenes from Philadelphia.  Because he was different, he was convinced he was dying of AIDS.

Once It Could Happen To You found its stride through social networking and was gathering attention amongst media outlets, television writer Linda Bloodworth-Thomason took to Kickstarter to raise money in order to develop this real life story of romance and heartbreak into a feature length doc.  By July 19, 2012, the production had reached its goal plus an additional $84, 000.

While watching this worthwhile documentary, I often found myself wondering where the Kickstarter money had been put towards to.  They may have had to rent equipment and cover the costs to clear some of the song selections.  Otherwise, it’s a fairly straightforward documentary with a bland presentation.  It doesn’t break outside the mould of an average slideshow presentation and the interviews – moderately lit and shot against a draping black sheet – look like a film student’s project who hasn’t yet perfected backlighting.  The YouTube video packs more of a visual punch than Bridegroom does.

What matters most, however, is how the story and the emotion translate to a longer duration.  Filmmaker Linda Bloodworth-Thomason has done a good job keeping the resonation in this retelling.  The new interviews from friends and family give movie goers a concise viewpoint from everyone who ever knew these two lovebirds.  And, Crone’s recounting still feels fresh and vulnerable.

If you haven’t seen It Could Happen To You, I highly suggest you do so.  It does everything this documentary does in an eighth of its time in more of an engaging way.

But, if you wish to hear Crone and Bridegroom’s history in one clean go with every detail provided, watching Bloodworth-Thomason’s Bridegroom would still be a wise move.  It’s commendably controlled in new hands and the filmmaker is courteous towards its subjects as well as its emotional story.

With this chronicling being available through VOD outlets and an upcoming DVD release, it’ll be sure to open eyes even wider.  Especially to those who were previously unaware of Crone and Bridegroom’s wonders and woes.

The Oxbow Cure

By: Addison Wylie

The Oxbow Cure had me shivering for all sorts of reasons.

Directors Yonah Lewis and Calvin Thomas are able to flawlessly create moods and feelings using minimalist tactics.  With its few instances of dialogue aside, this low budget Kickstarter passion project is practically a silent film as we watch a distressed but tranquil woman named Lena (played carefully by playwright Claudia Dey) escape to a snowy cabin in the woods to carry out an isolation experiment.  Is it for personal reasons or for something else entirely?  You’ll soon find out if your patience serves you well.

During a scene where Lena turns on a heater and the camera watches the element glow warmer and warmer, it hit me that The Oxbow Cure would probably be one of those meticulous but slow moving movies.  But, just as one’s about to judge the film, it impresses by making the uninteresting interesting.

Lena goes on a lot of walks and observes every detail and while movie goers feel the minutes tick on by, we aren’t bothered.  Lewis and Thomas are able to keep their film in motion, which is a tough task to do when the film is this quiet.  We’re transfixed by the crisp cinematography and the directorial pairs’ visual abilities.  When Lena is trapped, we feel suffocated.  When she’s blissfully overlooking the scenic landscapes, the audience feels just as relaxed.  And, bring a jacket because The Oxbow Cure’s frosty backdrop is going to make you feel chilly.

While the filmmaking duo does a fine job of creating these effective essences and nuances, it isn’t wrong for the audience to wonder if the climax of this woman’s story is going to be as strong as these sensory building blocks.  The longer Lewis and Thomas keep us waiting, the larger the skepticism gets.

However, this indie gets increasingly psychological; with imagery that seriously freaked me out.  The duo know how to tease accordingly and when a big reveal is ready to be recognized, the two know how to present it.  The reactions may come across as more subdued than you expected, but it all adds up to compelling satisfaction.

I’ve seen my fair share of recent minimalist movies and I’ve given less-than-favourable reviews to those filmmakers who have gotten swallowed up in their own droopy inactivity.  To those filmmakers: watch The Oxbow Cure and take notes.  This artfully atmospheric and ominous flick will teach you a thing or two and treat composed audiences just the same.

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The Oxbow Cure is now playing at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. On August 23, movie goers attending the 7:30 p.m. screening will be treated to a Yonah Lewis and Calvin Thomas Q&A afterwards.