About this project
Last December, in 70 cities across four continents, thousands gathered to celebrate Santacon. There are rules... you must wear a Santa suit, or some other holiday attire, a hat is not enough. Santa has to act like Santa, being jolly, handing out gifts, playing reindeer games, etc.
I decided to build a robot Santa suit for New York's Santacon in 2009. A month and a few hundred dollars later, it was done. The finished product stood almost seven feet tall, featured a box mounted on the chest that activated a voice changer, had Christmas lights around the arms, and a fan for the rocket pack on the back (Robot Santa doesn't need reindeer). The whole thing went over really well.
Here is the building process, some press coverage, and more press coverage.
This year, myself and some friends are going to build a better robot Santa costume, film the building process, and then Santacon itself, for a short documentary in HD.
You can check out our production blog at http://www.santaconrobotdoc.tumblr.com from there you can see how the whole project is coming along. It will be updated regularly.
By adding arduinos, we can add more inputs on the suit and allow for a more interactive experience for everybody seeing the suit. Taking the lessons learned in 2009, he will be more mobile and modular instead of a cardboard box with some flashing lights. Immediately after the event in mid-December, we will edit the entire thing for a Christmas release online.
This documentary will focus on how the event originated, and how it became a global event. I have joined thousands of people who have spread good will across New York City for many years now. Everybody comes in costume, everybody is out to have a good time, and I would like to share that with the world this holiday season. We will conduct interviews with past attendees, and investigate what planning goes into the New York City Santacon 2010.
A portion of the funds will go directly to building the robot itself, but a large chunk is devoted to equipment and crew costs. Anybody who is forced to spend a day surrounded by thousands of very loud Santas while holding a heavy camera deserves some compensation. Same with the editor, who will have to use breakneck speed to finish the film before Christmas.
Thank you if you decide to donate, if not, well... I won't be giving you a lump of coal, but maybe somebody else will.
FAQ
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Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on October 1, 2010.
Pledge $5 or more
Private access to blog and name added to wall of contributors.
Pledge $10 or more
Postcard of a print made special for the movie. Plus previous reward.
Pledge $25 or more
11x17 print of the poster, name included in credits of the film. Plus previous rewards.
Pledge $50 or more
11x17 print of the poster signed by the crew. DVD of Film with extra features, including commentary track. Plus previous rewards.
Pledge $100 or more
Image from the poster lasered onto a brown moleskine notebook with personalized thank you from the filmmakers inside the cover. (You can’t laser the black moleskines). Plus previous rewards.
Pledge $250 or more
Receive a personal Christmas (or any holiday) card from the newly built robot along with a personalized video greeting from the robot and crew the week before Santacon 2010. Plus previous rewards.
Pledge $500 or more
Dinner with crew the day before Santacon. We'll treat the donors to a good meal, take a look at the finished robot costume, and look at up to date footage. ***This is only available to those who can make it to New York City, we can't provide travel or lodging*** Plus previous rewards.
Pledge $1,000 or more
Receive the FIRST Santacon robot costume. This is the one worn to Santacon 2009, the boxy one seen in the kickstarter video. Plus everything from the $100 level and lower.
Project By
Connected as Nick Brewer (515 friends)
I am a graduate of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. I finished with a degree in Broadcast Journalism.
I was born and raised in the small town of North Pole, AK. A strange place where the adults celebrate Christmas, and the children are the skeptics.
I moved to NYC in 2006 with a hockey bag and a box. And over the course of the last three years I have covered a gigantic pillow fight, the 2008 Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, and attended several Santacons.
I am a journalist by trade, but a terrible engineer at heart. I tend to take things or projects I see on the internet and attempt to recreate them. Now I have a circuit bent Speak and Spell, Bre Pettis' workbench, and a Suitcase Liquor Cabinet installed in my living room.
