Nobody ever said it was going to be easy. When I told my friends and family I was
setting out on a quest to make a documentary about world-renowned
photographer, Joel-Peter Witkin, most of them thought I was crazy. Maybe they were right. I had two of the main ingredients to make a
great film. Mr. Witkin had given me his permission
to capture his life story, and I had a great crew behind me to make it
happen. The only problem was I had no
clue as to how I was going to pay for this new venture.
Making a film, no matter what genre it may be, is not an
easy process when it comes to funding.
There are a great number of factors you must take into consideration
before you can even turn on the camera.
When you break it down, it’s all about the money. There are travel cost, equipment &
lighting rental fees, rate fees, insurance, transportation, food for the crew, and many other
factors too long to list.
I approached anyone who I thought might be in the position to help me
out with the funding process. Things
were not looking good, as most people were quick to say no. I was left with only a few options. After giving it some thought, I figured out the
best move was to make sure I had enough money to cover the trip to Albuquerque,
and I would worry about raising the rest of the funds when that portion of the film was
complete. So I sold some stocks I had,
but even then I was only halfway to reaching my goal.
I met Sid Wimbish in 2008.
Sid and I became writing partners shortly after we realized we had great
chemistry when it came to sharing ideas.
While he and I were working on a script together, I pitched him my idea
for the Witkin documentary. He thought
about it for a couple of days before deciding to sign on as a producer, then he contributed a large portion of the funding I needed for the New Mexico trip. With his
contribution and what I had brought to the table, I was almost there. I only needed another $1,000 to secure the
budget for Albuquerque.
Three weeks before I was scheduled to leave to New Mexico I
received the remaining funds for the trip.
My cousin Shawn Leyva stepped up to the plate and signed on as a
producer and contributed enough money to get my crew and I to Albuquerque.
(Now that the
Albuquerque portion of the film has been competed, I am seeking the help from
viewers like you. I have put the project
up on a website called Kickstarter where you are given the chance to become a Backer
for this documentary. There are special
rewards for those who choose help this film out. Such rewards include advance copies of the
completed DVD, Blu Ray, Movie Posters and T-Shirts. There are also a couple of "Associate Producer"
and "Co-Producer" positions available.
Click the link below for more information. We could really use your help, and every
little bit goes a long way. Thanks.)
KICKSTARTER LINK
Stay tuned for the next installment... "A Funny Thing Happened on the way to Albuquerque."
- Thomas Marino
Stay tuned for the next installment... "A Funny Thing Happened on the way to Albuquerque."
- Thomas Marino
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