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Update #7: The T-Shirt, The Pin
Hello again!
It's been an exciting couple of months as a team has been assembled, a cross-platform editing and restoration workflow has been established, and (of course) more film has been scanned. Thanks to the enthusiasm of our backers and our followers, Manos is already looking better than ever.
Donor incentives have been coming together nicely as well! If you've been on our facebook group or checked the website over the last couple of days, you'll have seen the design for our $10 and up pledge reward, a lapel pin that will identify you as a member of this odd fraternity of ours. It was designed by Patrick McCart and measures a tasteful 3/4".
Today, I'm also happy to unveil the design of our donor exclusive T-shirt, obtainable only through this fundraiser, that acknowledges your role as a member of the Manos Restoration Team. Ray Patnaude designed the artwork which will be printed with discharge ink to ensure a soft texture, dark brown on tan, in both men's and women's sizes.
Today you will receive a backer survey to identify your shirt size, your name as it will appear in the credits, and to verify your mailing address. Once all shirt sizes have been surveyed, printing will begin immediately followed by fulfillment of both the t-shirt and pin.
If your donor level includes the final Blu-ray / DVD, your rewards will be split into different shipments and arrive as they are made. If you would instead like to receive them all in a bundle upon completion of the disc, which at this moment is still on track for autumn, simply send me a message via Kickstarter and let me know. Neither option will result in additional costs to you.
If you choose the second option and our distribution situation changes (in other words, if a distributor picks up Manos for an official retail release) a slight delay in the disc may result as further extra features are added. In that event, your other rewards will be fulfilled immediately, with the disc following at the appointed time.
Please note that posters will be shipped in a tube, and therefore will always arrive separately from other rewards.
If you have any questions, feel free to message me via Kickstarter and I'll do my best to answer them directly. I'm working on making the fulfillment process as smooth as possible... we'll all be walking around with Manos shirts before you know it!
Thank you,
-Ben
Update #6: Funding Successful!
40 days ago I couldn't discount the possibility that it would take all of January to earn $10,000 towards this project. But here we are today, and a final count of 818 backers have brought the total to $48,130 and made sure that the restoration of Manos: The Hands of Fate can be done with all of the care and craft befitting a major release. I'm grateful for the enthusiasm, the excitement and the love shown by everyone who has followed this project. Not only have you given us the budget required for a proper release of this film (plus extra features) on Blu-ray, you've made it possible for many others to discover and enjoy this film far into the future.
Kickstarter will take 14 days to process and deliver donations. At that time, I'll begin the 2k scanning of our elements in parallel with the manufacture and fulfillment of rewards. Most of you will see your rewards arrive in one package, others will have certain items (like 16mms) shipped separately. I'll be working hard to ensure that you receive your package in the time frame promised. In the unlikely event that a delivery date must change, you'll be forewarned with an e-mail from me.
Updates will continue on this mailing list, on Facebook and on the website. I invite all of you who have become partners with me on this thrilling journey to share in our progress as we bring the Blu-ray release of Manos: The Hands of Fate closer and closer to your shelf.
Thank you,
-Ben
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Jon Calderas on February 4
Awesome! Man oh man (no pun) I hope the t-shirt has that cool Manos logo with the double hands !
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Update #5: Third Clip
Today is the last day of the fundraiser!
$44,786 has been pledged so far and in the coming months it will help us to make this, in every way, the best release of 'Manos' possible. On this important day, it's my pleasure to share the third HD clip that brings our test run to a close.
Very soon the entire movie will be scanned along with this material, and we can finally begin the intense work of image restoration. Our goal, as always, is to bring the film as close as possible to the state it was in straight out of the camera.
Thank you,
-Ben
Update #4: Second Clip
It is my distinct pleasure to debut our second raw clip, in which Debbie finds a new friend, Mike and Margaret meet the master and his wives face to face, and Torgo is Torgo.
A direct comparison (without fades) can be seen on Youtube:
With this, we head into our last week of fundraising. There will be plenty of good news to share before we're done, so stay tuned here and on facebook and, as always, keep passing the clips around to anyone who'd like to see them!
Thank you,
-Ben
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Ben Solovey on January 27
The second clip had a glitch and needed to be reuploaded. In the meantime you can find it here: http://youtu.be/lgwVOS8AbVo .
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Update #3: First Clip
I'm proud to present our first video clip! What you are about to see is not fully restored or color corrected, but it's a good idea of where we'll be going in the coming months.
I'll be unveiling two more clips over the next two weeks. Around three minutes each, they will encompass the section we've already scanned (1/7th of the total film).
As I write this, we are extremely close to $30,000 pledged! This is a tremendous outcome by anyone's standards, and we still have two weeks to go. Through your donations and your enthusiasm in getting the word out, not only are you saving a film that would have otherwise been lost in its original form, you are also setting a valuable precedent that I hope other films will benefit from in the future.
Thank you again,
-Ben
818
Backers
$48,130
pledged of $10,000 goal
0
seconds to go
Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on February 4.
Pledge $10 or more Pledge $10 or more
A 'Manos' pin, plus your name on the 'Thanks' section of the website!
Pledge $25 or more Pledge $25 or more
Above incentives, plus "Manos Restoration Team" T-shirt, not to be sold outside of this fundraiser. 'Special Thanks' in Restoration Credits.
Pledge $50 or more Pledge $50 or more
'Donor' status in restoration credits, plus your choice of a special Blu ray / DVD / Digital Download of the completed restoration.
Pledge $100 or more Pledge $100 or more
Above, plus a silkscreened 'Manos' poster. 'Sponsor' status in Credits.
Pledge $500 or more Pledge $500 or more
Above, plus invitation for two to the first screening of the restored 'Manos' as a guest of honor (travel and lodging not included). 'Producer' status in Credits, and a unique, limited reward: the first five to donate will receive all previous incentives plus a complete 16mm print of another, non-Manos feature from my collection! Projector not included.
Pledge $500 or more Pledge $500 or more
The same as above, but instead of a 16mm print you will receive a photo book with 2k scans from the film.
Pledge $1,000 or more Pledge $1,000 or more
'Executive Producer' status in Credits. Above, plus your poster will be autographed by Jackey Neyman Jones, one of the original surviving cast members of 'Manos: The Hands of Fate'.
Pledge $2,000 or more Pledge $2,000 or more
Above, plus a role in the Producer's Track - a supplemental audio option on the Blu ray and DVD where YOU voice one of the characters in 'Manos: The Hands of Fate'. If you are not located in Los Angeles, CA, you must have access to a microphone and a recording device to participate in the Producer's Track!
Pledge $5,000 or more Pledge $5,000 or more
'MASTER' status in the credits. A very special role in a very special movie, well deserving of a spot in the 'Master's Reel', where your image will be digitally inserted into a scene. This will appear as an easter egg on the DVD / Blu Ray and on Youtube and NOT in the film itself. You must have the ability to send a photograph or video of yourself if you are not located near Los Angeles, CA. In addition to the above, the first person to claim MASTER status will receive a genuine piece of the crumbled original 'Manos' set (donated very generously by Tony Trombo). Place it on the shelf next to your chunk of the Berlin Wall.
Project By
Connected as Ben Solovey (469 friends)
Benjamin Solovey is a Director of Photography and Camera Operator with six years of experience and a 16mm film collector with fifteen years of experience.
Pin and T-Shirt design are gorgeous. However -- for those of us who do not or CAN not wear T-Shirts, I do wish that the beautiful sepia Torgo portrait of "Manos the Hands of Fate Restoration Team" could be made available as an alternate paper print on request. It does not seem that such a reward would be significantly expensive versus an item of clothing.
Any chance this option be added before Rewards Time? Otherwise, I have found it necessary to decline the T-Shirt with an "N/A" on the survey, when I would love to have a print instead. (As I imagine other physically-challenged Torgo fans may prefer or require.)
Yes! That is a super sharp pin, and I love the colors of the shirt. Nicely done, all around. :)
Got my pin yesterday, totally forgot about it, so it was a pleasant surprise!