Kickstarter

Enjoy TLT preforming Discord at BronyPalooza.

So, we've put together the t-shirt design. The front has the BronyCon logo and the back has a cool typography deign by PixelKitties. The design includes all the names of the people who have worked on the film and the supporters who contributed more than $100 and will be receiving a t-shirt.

We have had a number of people ask whether we intend to include some of the "unsavory aspects" of Brony fandom:

The footage we shot at BronyCon, and continue to shoot elsewhere, reinforced the positive feelings about the Brony phenomenon that inspired us to make the film in the first place. At BronyCon we witnessed people laughing; singing; getting autographs; wearing costumes; dancing; attending panels; meeting one another for the first time; taking pictures; etc, etc. We experienced a general outpouring of friendship, cooperation and excitement at being part of something new and good. It was infectious.

The notion that Bronies are a bunch of deviants to be feared by society was never in evidence -- nor did we ever think it would be. So, the question of seeking out and, therefore, giving credence to a very small subculture within the Brony community simply because it exists, seems like a stretch for this documentary.

We are aware of Internet Rule 34: "If it exists there is porn." Does that mean if we were to do a documentary about the Andy Griffith show, "Mayberry" we'd have to include a cosplay fan pretending to be Barney Fife having his way with Aunt Bee?

Already there is some negative inference attached to being a Brony. Mainstream society does not look kindly on twenty-something-year-old guys watching a show intended for young girls. To us, the fact that Bronies must brave that taboo and suffer ridicule is story enough. That a small minority of Bronies might indulge in "off-color" activities is, in our minds, less newsworthy than the majority of people making the initial leap into Bronyhood. The intent of the documentary has more to do with celebrating the courage it takes in becoming a Brony than in finding fault.

A note from John de Lancie regarding his public comments about Fox News:

A few of our donors have asked about my comment about Fox News during my Q&A at BronyCon:

Rest assured the documentary will not be about Fox News. That would be inappropriate and off-message. Nor am I using the documentary to push my own political agenda. What attracts me to Bronies is their desire to be nice and kind and considerate, and we want to present that message loud and clear.

That said, my journey to making this documentary happens to coincide with my growing frustration with the vituperative nature of political discourse in America. I don't like Fox News, but I don't like MSNBC either. Nor Pacifica Radio; or AirAmerica; or Rush Limbaugh; or any other agenda driven "news" outlet. I'm of the opinion that one enters personal or public dialogue in one of two ways: to seek the truth or win the argument. The news programs mentioned are, for the most part, in the latter category. They have become ratings driven entertainment and, more often-than-not, they are mean-spirited and disingenuous. Current events are difficult enough to understand without being purposely mislead by news organizations unconstrained by the truth. Bronies are not sissies, or pedophiles or deviants; they are nice people and a real news program would report that as such.

In addition: I'm a sailor, and as a sailor it is imperative that everyone on board works together. The success of the trip and the safety of the crew depend on it. The elements of cooperation essential to a sailing experience are not unlike the elements of harmony embraced by the Bronies. If one believes that cooperation and friendship are to be lauded, as I do, then you would have to admit that our political discourse during the last three years have been a disaster. As an independent voter, I'm appalled by the level of dishonesty employed for political advantage. And all at the expense of the nation. And while love and tolerate should apply to all occasions, I'm also of the opinion that deliberate lies and innuendos should never be allowed to go unopposed. At what point does tolerating the intolerable make you part of the problem?

I hope this explanation goes some way towards reconciling my remarks about Fox News and their unfortunate remarks about Bronies.

Cheers,
John de Lancie

Many of you have been asking for a while now about the release plans for the documentary. After much discussion and consideration here is what we have in mind.

Later this year, the feature length film "BronyCon: The Documentary" will be released. As promised, we’ve captured some amazing stories of individual journeys that converge at the convention and can’t wait for you to see them. The film will introduce you to the people we followed and will also be a celebration of BronyCon itself. On a larger social level, there will be insight into who the fans are and what is driving the phenomenon.

As bonus features, we are hoping to shoot and include two self-contained mini-documentaries on Germany’s GalaCon and the UK’s BUCK convention. Those plans are being made now.

When is this going to happen? Most likely, the release will be in early November. Yes, we originally promised September, but that was when we thought it was going to be two cameras covering two convention days only. Now we are in the process of logging and editing over 100 hours of raw compelling footage shot all over the world. Don’t consider it delayed; think of it as an early holiday gift. If there is any way to deliver earlier, we will.

Now for some of the technical details.

The digital download will be released as an MP4 file. The video will be in HD. We don’t know yet if the download will be 720p or 1080p since that has to be decided when the program is complete. We have to conduct a series of quality tests to determine the best balance of resolution, bit rate and resulting file size. After all, we don't want you to have to buy and fill a new hard drive just to hold the film. The MP4 will include English subtitles that can be turned on or off. The file will be DRM free. We are making plans to include the GalaCon and BUCK mini-documentaries in this file, but it will not include the extended bonus interviews.

Everyone that paid for a physical disc will receive a retail package with a Blu-ray disc. The Blu-ray will have 1080p High Definition video. It will be region free so it plays anywhere in the world and will include English subtitles that can be turned on or off.

Although there have been requests for the release of a standard DVD, we are not going to be able to provide one. Many of our orders are from places outside the United States so if we were to provide a standard DVD we would have to create two versions (NTSC and PAL), which would be cost prohibitive. You don't have that problem with Blu-ray because the player converts the video.

As far as the bonus disc of extended interviews with Tara Strong, Lauren Faust and John de Lancie, a separate Blu-ray disc will be shipped either alongside or inside the retail package. Sorry, but this material will only be distributed as a Blu-ray disc. It is cost prohibitive to release this material via digital download (yes it does cost a lot to send a huge file to a thousand people) and/or as a standard DVD for the reasons previously mentioned.

The digital download and Blu-ray discs are still available and will continue to be available for purchase via our website at www.bronydoc.com

So what about release to the public and to those with a limited budget?

After "BronyCon: The Documentary" is complete and released to the backers, we will prepare a separate feature length program called "Bronies" for release in 2013. It will consist of a combination of the material from “BronyCon: The Documentary,” the self-contained mini-documentaries we plan on creating on Germany’s GalaCon and the UK’s BUCK convention, some added interviews and more social commentary. This is the version that we will submit to film festivals. Should everything work out, it will also be available as a video rental on sites like Amazon and iTunes, can be purchased at retailers and hopefully we’ll make a deal to release it via Netflix, broadcast television, etc.

By the way, T-shirt design is underway now. I plan to show you what we have in mind next week.

And to leave you, here’s a fun little video. Thousands of people entering the BronyCon hall.

Thank you for your support.

Best,
Michael Brockhoff

30 crew members, 10 cameras, a lot of hard work and long hours and it was all worth it. BronyCon was one of the most amazing experiences of my personal and professional life.

I can't thank you enough for your support of this film.

Before this weekend when people used to ask me who Bronies are, I didn't really know how to properly answer. Now I would describe Bronies as genuine, kind, dedicated, smart and loving. A true community of people who share not only the love of MLP, but also embrace and live the values of the show.

I'm really excited about the stories and footage we've captured. Next step is weeks of logging footage, transcribing and preparing to edit. We're also making plans to film GalaCon and BUCK.

I will post updates as the process continues.

Best,

Michael Brockhoff