Kickstarter

UPDATE: We've made ADDITIONS to the rewards.  If you haven't contributed yet you will receive both the items on the right and the ones below. Those of you that have already contributed will receive these additions as well.

$10 - A personal thank you on a handmade Blackbird themed post card. 

$25 - The DVD will come in a signed, handmade dvd cover with individualized Blackbird themed art, an origami bird, and a "Thank You" in the films credits. 

$50 - An origami bird, a handmade, bound Blackbird themed 8 ½ x 5 ½ sized sketchbook or lined journal of your choice, and a "Thank You" in the films credits.

$75 - An origami bird, a handmade, bound Blackbird themed 8 ½ x 5 ½ sized sketchbook or lined journal of your choice, a pocket sized piece of Dawn's hand drawn art and a “Thank You” in the films credits.

$100 - a handmade, bound Blackbird themed 8 ½ x 5 ½ sized sketchbook or lined journal of your choice, an 8 ½ x 5 ½ piece of Dawn's art.

$250 - an 8 ½ x 5 ½ piece of Dawn's art, and a bound Leather sketchbook or lined journal

$500 - a Personalized Special Edition 11 x 17 poster signed by the cast, an 8 ½ x 5 ½ piece of Dawn's art, a bound leather sketchbook or lined journal, and set of two Blackbird inspired sofa throw pillows

The Story

Blackbird is a gritty coming-of-story centered on DAWN, an aspiring young artist who desperately wants to escape her small town life.  A product of a broken home and an absent father Dawn finds outlets, both positive and self-destructive, to channel her anguish.  A journey through an extraordinary day of detachment and betrayal ends with a late night encounter that forces Dawn to rethink her perceptions of the past.  Will she gain the strength to look within and proceed on a journey of understanding and acceptance or hurtle towards a lifetime of misery?

Who we are

We are a combination of graduate, undergraduate students and alumni from Columbia College Chicago.  We have assembled an extremely talented crew for Blackbird:

Andrew Dena – Writer/Director
Clare Kosinski – Producer
Jason Robert Becker – Associate Producer/Editor
Corey Benson Powers - Cinematographer
Chesney Gregorie - Production Designer
Jenna Timmerman – Sound Designer
Kerry Tucker – Composer  

It began like this...

Blackbird began as a writing prompt in my first screenwriting class at Columbia College Chicago.  I would’ve never guessed at the time that the small paragraph about “a character that finds out something” would turn into a project that I would care so deeply about.  I was especially drawn to the complexity and vulnerability of the protagonist in this story.  She is like so many people I have known, especially women, who are vulnerable because of a lack of education, class, and a sense of hope that there is a world larger than the one they exist in.  At this point in my own life I am not ashamed to admit that a large part of Dawn comes from my own fears of leaving the security of my small town.

We are making a film…with film!

Initially the idea was to shoot Blackbird on the RED digital camera.  That camera produces beautiful, professional quality images.  However, there is crispness to those images that would feel wrong for Blackbird.  We want to capture a tone that compliments the story that only film stock can give us.  

We need your help to make this a possibility as shooting on film is increasingly cost-prohibitive.  Simply put – there are many costs associated with shooting on film stock that simply don’t exist when shooting on a digital format such as high definition.  We will need to buy raw film stock, process & develop the film after it is shot and finally have the film turned into a format that we can edit with.  The bottom line is that all of this will cost a lot of money and we cannot do this alone.

How you can help

First, you can help by financially backing our project. To do this, just click the green button in the upper right corner of this page. Or click the reward that suits you best. Then simply follow the instructions. Again, you'll only be charged once our campaign is successful.  Any amount you can donate can make a big difference, and if we reach our goal you can walk away with some great rewards.

Second, you can share Blackbird with friends, family, co-workers, anyone interested in being a part of a film. You can share this page on your Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, personal website, or any other social network.  Sharing is as important as financially backing the project and anything helps.

$6000 seems like a low number for a movie budget

Even a short film takes a lot of resources, both in terms of personnel, equipment, and of course, money.   The $6000 figure is the remaining balance of a much larger total budget.  Our goal is imperative for the film to be a reality.

Every penny (minus the fees for Kickstarter’s involvement) will go directly to the film’s budget - i.e. your money goes directly to the funding of this film.

Columbia College provides some equipment and my crew will work for free, but we will still need money for the following:

• Cast & Crew Lodging
• Food
• Vehicle Rentals
• Permits & Insurance
• Location Fees
• Film Stock
• Film processing
• Film transfer
• Color Correction
• Sound Design

What happens if the money isn’t raised in time? 

If our goal isn’t met before the deadline, no money changes hands and no movie is made. We want to avoid this scenario at all cost!  If we do not reach our goal, you are not obligated to pay! 

The future

I feel that it is vital for others to see a truthful portrayal of life in Midwest America.  I believe the cultural portrayal of small-town life has not been shown in film before. Therefore, our ultimate goal is to screen Blackbird at top tier international film festivals.

Thank You!

I hope you'll join us in making Blackbird a reality.  This is a great opportunity to be a part of a very special project. 

You can also find us on the following social media outlets.

Facebook

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