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Update #16: Kids Go Free Blog
Hey Everyone!
Lots of exciting stuff going on. We're getting close finishing up with editing part 1 (Japan) and our website is almost complete as well. But something we DO have finished is the kids go free to fun fun time blog.
We're really excited about this and have talked a lot on how to go about this. We didn't want to just have geeky film stuff on this blog (although we'll have some). More important to us is to give a peek into what it's like living abroad, making new friends, checking out amazing new places and about making the film along the way. You can also check out all of your names in our online credits under the "fans" tab.
Check it out here and thanks again for all of your support
website and trailer coming soon...
oh, and if you don't see your name in the fans section or if you never received your gifts (a few people never sent us their address) please send and e-mail to ben.hicks@elephantdreamspictures.com
Update #15: Happy New Year!
Hello everyone! We just wanted to say thanks again for all your help in 2010. The film is moving ahead nicely and I just wanted to send you a little update since we've been silent for a while. So here's the latest
I just moved to a stunning little town in Taiwan and am starting to do pre-production for part 2. (Fun fact about my town: the biggest great white (fucking) SHARK ever recorded was caught off the beach by my place, weeeeeeee) We're also editing part 1 (Tokyo) and hope to have the official teaser and the Kids Go Free website up in a month or two. Also, all the gifts have been sent, so if you never received yours for some reason please let us know and we'll get it out to you pronto.
We wish you all the best in 2011 and thanks again for all the love.
ben
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Donna Chen on December 31, 2010
Ben, best wishes on the project and Happy New Year! Got my poster framed and proudly displayed. And it was so good to cash in on the uncomfortably long hug while in Chicago. Watch your tootsies when you go in those shark infested waters!
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Update #14: Sneak Peek!!!
For backers only,
Posted on October 1, 2010
If you're a backer of this project, please
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Update #13: sharks and a sneak peek!
Hi everyone!
Sorry it's been a while but we just wanted to let you all know that all of your gifts have now officially been sent. There are still a few people who haven't sent us their address' so if you haven't gotten your gifts by next week please e-mail us and we'll get them out to you as soon as possible.
Also, once you receive your fucking SHARK, we'd love it if you could send photos of it (and you) to rene.jermal@elephantdreamspictures.com so we can use them on our DVD.
We also wanted to show our appreciation for all your support and patience by doing something special just for you.
Tomorrow we will be posting a sneak peek at some of the footage that only you kickstarters will be able to see. No footage is going to be seen anywhere until our website is up and running (which looks like a few months away) so you kickstarters are going to get an early glimpse at some of the footage that we are all very proud of.
So tune in tomorrow and check out a sneak peek of Kids Go Free to Fun Fun Time!
Thanks again everyone
much love
ben
Update #12: Stills from the footage!
Hello kickstarters!
I hope you are all well. Currently we are busy editing a trailer, building our website and making all of your gifts. We hope to get everyone's gifts out to them next month and we just wanted to thank you again for all of your patience and support.
Here's a peek at some of the footage we shot. More coming soon...
Update #11: HUGS in the mail
Hey everyone! Our gifts for all of our HUG LEVEL donors ($10) went out in the mail yesterday and we should be mailing out the gifts for all of our UNCOMFORTABLY LONG HUG Level donors ($25) early next month. After that, Rene and I will be busy making posters, catching FUCKING SHARKS and sending them out in the mail. I hope your clothes are shark proof.
Thanks again for all of your support.
ben
Update #10: Our video interview on Film Snobbery!
We were recently interviewed on Film Snobbery!
Check out the video at http://filmsnobbery.com/2010/01/19/episode-37/
weeeeeeeeeeeeeee
ben
Update #9: Thank you.
We did it!
Words cannot express how grateful I am for all of you. Your generosity and support is something that I will never forget. Not only are you proving that a new type of filmmaking is possible but you've also made me one of the happiest kids on earth.
I'm off to celebrate tonight but tomorrow the plans to make posters and mail sharks will be put into motion. Thanks again for all of your love and support.
This is the beginning of an amazing new year.
I love you all
ben
Update #8: Interview with Subculture Chicago!
We just got interviewed by Subculture Chicago! You can check it out at http://trueslant.com/fruzsinaeordogh/2010/01/05/filmmaker-raising-funds-for-first-feature-length-film/
I want to thank all or our recent backers who helped give us the momentum we needed.
3 days and $1,500 to go! So if you have any friends, loved ones or enemies interested in supporting the arts, independent film or sharks, please pass our link their way.
peace love dove
ben
Update #6: Kickstarter Interview
Kickstarter was kind enough to ask a few questions about the film.
You can check out the full interview here http://blog.kickstarter.com/post/287892834/creator-q-a-kids-go-free-to-fun-fun-time
Big thanks to all of our new backers and all of you out there who continue to help spread the word.
much love
ben
Update #5: Woo Hoo!
Hey kickstarters! Today we passed the $2,000 mark, kickstarter picked us as the project of the day and they also said a few nice things about us in their blog. Shout out to Danny Cosson for putting us past the 2K mark! So far this kickstarter campaign is moving along better than I imagined but we still have $3,000 to go. So if you have the time and a friend or loved one that might be interested, please nudge our little film their way.
Thank you all for your love and support! Today I'm dedicating a song in the shower to all of you.
peace love dove
ben
Update #4: To my future hero/heroine
To express my extreme thanks to whoever it is who puts us over the $5,000 mark I want to do a few things.
A) Mail you a postcard from Tokyo (I'll try to find one with Engrish),
B) Bump up your prize level one notch.
C) Give you a call to say thanks and serenade you, or I can thank you on Skype and dance for you to a song of your choosing.
We've raised 20% so far which is pretty good but we got a long way to go. Please help us out by spreading the word!
Peace, Love, Dove
ben
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The Fort on November 20, 2009
If I add $13 more to my bid then that puts you in the $1000 mark...what does that get me?
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Update #3: Some themes of the film explained (drunk version)
I think the title explains it all.
Update #2: What's up with the sharks?
SHARKS CAN EAT ANYTHING!!! Lions, bears, mountains, trucks! You name it, sharks can eat it, and we give the ultimate shout-outs to any beast that can eat a building.
We also love photos of sharks. So for those that get a fucking SHARK for donating, we want a photo of it. Take a photo of your shark cooking people soup, salsa dancing, having a picnic with you, etc. Then send us your photo and we'll use it in the DVD for all to see.
It is our opinion that if enough hilarious photos of sharks are compiled onto one DVD, then the planets will align and a SUPER shark will be born that will eat all the atomic weapons on the planet.
Save our children, our world, and our future... with SHARKS!
89
Backers
$6,042
pledged of $5,000 goal
0
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Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on January 10, 2010.
Pledge $1 or more
HIGH FIVE LEVEL - Nothing - but we love you!
Pledge $10 or more
HUG LEVEL - DVD of Ben Hicks' award winning short films Square Pegs and Pea vs. Carrot. + A wicked cool magnet with an elephant on it. (Magnets stick to metal! Trust me, it's awesome.)
Pledge $25 or more
UNCOMFORTABLY LONG HUG LEVEL - First Fans Limited Edition DVD of Kids Go Free to Fun Fun Time. This Limited Edition includes a letter of thanks with a number of authenticity signed by the director and will only be given to those who supported the film BEFORE completion. It also includes a small booklet as well as DVD and box art that will only be used for the First Fans Edition. Now you can have proof you heard of the film waaaaay before anyone else did. We will be forever grateful and your friends will forever worship you and your underground filmmaker discovery skills. + Your name (or a loved one's) in the online credits which can link to a website of your choice. (Plus everything above.)
Pledge $50 or more
SPOON LEVEL - One of Three, Limited Edition posters. The first 50 donators will receive a super limited, finger painted and silk screened, Japan version of the poster made by Producer Rene Jermal. The next 100 donators will receive the Taiwan, silk screened version of the poster. After the first 150 posters are given away, the third, Berlin version of the poster, will be available to everyone else who supports the film BEFORE completion. All posters will be silk screened, signed, have a number of authenticity and made by Rene Jermal. After the film is completed none of these versions of the poster will be recreated or made available. (Plus everything above.)
Pledge $100 or more
SMOOCH LEVEL - Special thank you in the end credits of the film. + A fucking SHARK! (Plus everything above.)
Pledge $250 or more
MAKE-OUT (WITH TONGUE) LEVEL - Shout outs! A sentence to say whatever you want during the end credits. Give a shout out to your homies, advertise your company's website, ask your girl to marry you, or tell your boss he sucks. Do whatever you want! Limit 50 characters.* + Ben will call you up, play the accordion (badly) and thank you personally for your support. Then you can chat for an hour about filmmaking, time travel, bologna sandwiches or whatever it is you want to talk about. + Another fucking SHARK!! (Plus everything above.) *Please note that although we are extremely flexible and want you to get your message out there, we do reserve the right to request that you tweak or change your shout outs to protect ourselves from any potential legal repercussions. Also if you have 51 or 52 characters we might be able to fit it in, just let us know what you want to say.
Pledge $500 or more
AWKWARD BREAKFAST LEVEL - Opportunity for you or a loved one to be an extra in this film or any one of Ben's films in the future.**+ A Tyrannosaurus Rex!!! + The answer to life's most elusive question, "Who would win in a cage match 17 feet under water, a T-Rex or two fucking SHARKS?"(Plus everything above.)**Please note that meals are included but transportation and accommodations are not. This particular film (Kids Go Free To Fun Fun Time) will be shot in Taiwan and Germany but our next feature (Bill Inc.) is going to be shot in the United States.
Pledge $1,000 or more
SHOTGUN WEDDING LEVEL - An Associate Producer credit at the beginning of the film and on IMDB.com (This will be the third title card of the film with the possibility of becoming a rolling credit if more than 9 donate) (Plus everything above.)
Pledge $2,500 or more
2.3 KIDS LEVEL - Ben will come to your (or your child's) University, High School, Film Festival, or local theatre, screen the film and have a Q & A session with the students, faculty or audience. (U.S. and Canada only) + A 2-day Behind-the-Scenes Pass to this film or any one of Ben's films in the future. (Please note that for the 2-day behind the scene pass, meals are included but transportation and accommodations are not. This particular film (Kids Go Free To Fun Fun Time) will be shot in Taiwan and Germany but our next feature (Bill Inc.) is going to be shot in the United States.) (Plus everything above.)
Pledge $5,000 or more
WHITE PICKET FENCE LEVEL - Ben will personally deliver the movie with a 30 pack of beer and hang out on your couch, no matter what country you live in, and watch the movie with you. (Real Director's Commentary!) + An Executive Producers credit at the beginning of the film (second title card of the film) and an IMDB credit (your name mentioned as an Executive Producer on http://www.imdb.com) (Plus everything above except Associate Producer credit.)
Pledge $10,000 or more
SHARED BURIAL PLOT LEVEL - At the opening of the film under the title "Brought to you with the generous support of", have a photo of you or a loved one, your company's logo, or any image you want (first title card of the film). If you want we could also just put your name (or a loved one's) if that makes you feel more comfortable. + A fun filled day with Director, Ben Hicks, and one other cast/crew member at a water park/amusement park. We'll also get a photo of us together on a rollercoaster, water ride etc. Oh and feel free to invite your friends! OR A fun filled evening with Director, Ben Hicks, and one other cast/crew member at a nice restaurant (Actually any restaurant is okay, for those who love Taco Bell and consider it a restaurant.) (Plus everything above except Executive and Associate Producer credit.)
