Kickstarter

FRACK YOU!

Support fiery dialogue, comedy, and a film that will end all of the debate about fracking… well, not really, but it will get people laughing and talking.

The Characters – there are only six, and they never leave the bar…

Frick and Frack:  domestic partners who are welders for Henley Drilling

Nozmo: the bartender

Charlie:  a NYC native who recently purchased land in town to escape city life

Molly: an environmentalist

Joe: Molly’s boyfriend

What is FRACK YOU! and why we need it.

It’s a one-hour film that’s a comedy – yes a comedy - about fracking.

And we need it  - desperately - because there is a lot of confusion, frustration anger, yelling and polarizing conversation going on, but not a whole lot of open, constructive dialogue.

Our nation is currently struggling with one of the most compelling issues we’ve ever faced. Important decisions need to be made about how to handle issues related to the natural gas shale deposits located in the United States. A huge barrier to decision-making is that the natural gas is extracted by fracking, a controversial method that has so highly polarized our community that meaningful debate has broken down. Although there are lots of signs in lawns.

But why should I support a comedic film about a serious issue?

FRACK YOU! acts as an icebreaker, presenting both sides of the issues in a way that generates laughter and provides a common ground for people to start a dialogue about fracking. It frames a controversial issue around personal narratives, humanizing an abstract debate, without taking sides. (Seriously, it doesn’t.)

The film is set in a bar located in Binghamton, New York. Near the Pennsylvania border, it is an area rich with the Marcellus Shale information. The townspeople are confronted with all the issues that surround drilling for natural gas: water contamination, economic development, environmental considerations, property rights, quality of life and personal income. Just to name a few!

Through the film, characters express their individual opinions on the subject of drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale and Henley Drilling’s presence in their town. The poignant dialogue of the script mirrors much of the conversation heard surrounding this topic in Broome County, New York. In film, however, viewpoints are able to be expressed in a fictional world using sarcasm, humor, facts and actual points of discussion heard every day in the southern tier of the state. The intent of the film is to create a conversation that moves beyond traditional talking points and current borders and truly builds a community awareness of this topic. 

On any given day you can Google “Marcellus Shale” and find the following headlines relevant to Broome County: “Compulsory Integration takes heat for forcing drilling on landowners”, “Could Natural Gas be the next Economic Boom for Broome County?”, “The front lines of fracking get personal.”, “It’s a lie, it’s a sham, it won’t work!”, and “Environmental Protection Meets Economic Opportunity.” Clearly, there is much and varied information lending to confusion and just general information overload.

How will we use the money?

We need to pay the actors, actresses, director, producer, etc., plus we have a set to build and a film to produce and edit. Basically we need to raise the rest of the money so we can finish the film and do some pretty amazing things with it when it’s done. If you’re looking for a detailed budget, we have that, too. It’s included in the trailer for the film. So watch it. Please.

Has anyone supported this film yet?

Why yes! We received $10,650 from the Stewart W. and Willma C. Hoyt Foundation, and $5,000 from the Community Foundation of Tompkins County through the Howland Foundation. 

And what happens after the film is produced?

WSKG and Laura Cunningham will host a screening of the film in Broome County, followed by a community discussion moderated by WSKG. The purpose  is to engage the community in heartfelt discussion about the potential impact of fracking to Broome County.

FRACK YOU! will be broadcast on WSKG TV and distributed to both local and non-local groups and educational institutions to use the film as a starting point for discussion. WSKG will make the film available to PBS stations nationally and Laura will submit it to international film festivals. FRACK YOU! has the potential to be a stepping-stone for building community discussion and decision-making across the world. But all of this takes money and this is where we ask the Kickstarter community to kick ass and catapult our film across the globe – into every community with a deposit of natural gas. The dream is to use FRACK YOU! in community screening events to encourage open pathways of dialogue about the critical and controversial topic of drilling for natural gas.