Kickstarter

Welcome to the Goat Show Documentary Kickstarter Campaign.  Thanks for stopping by!  I’m sure you have questions, and we are happy to answer all of them.

            

Loveland, Colorado has produced its share of impressive people, including two Olympians, an accomplished television actor, and a former senator. But the source of Loveland’s newest pride? Goats.

This year, Loveland hosts the American Dairy Goat Association’s National Show, which accommodates thousands of goats and their owners for a week-long event to find the best in breeds among America’s most misunderstood farm animal. What results is a character-filled collision of passionate people and their equally eccentric four-legged companions.

Join three friends as they travel to Loveland and capture this epic event in a new feature-length documentary.

WHO:

Helena Bowen, professional camera assistant and cinematographer, is the so-called “brains of the operation.”  She has the goat-show know-how, the documentary experience and the drive to turn this crazy culture into a fascinating story.  She’s a director, she’s a producer, she’s a camera operator, she’s an editor, she’s a bird AND a plane.

Trevor Taylor, professional camera assistant and cinematographer,is all about making this documentary look AMAZING.  Trevor was born with a camera in his hands and makes beautiful images like it was his job (and it is).  Trevor knows absolutely nothing about goat-showing or goats but he is stoked for the experience.

Julian Broudy, photography studio manager and screenwriter, is in charge of keeping Helena and Trevor in check.  What is a beautiful movie without an amazing plot?  (The Tree of Life, but that’s another story.)  Julian’s job is to help Helena and Trevor craft insane amounts of footage into a fun story.  He is also the dedicated morale booster.

WHAT:

The 2012 American Dairy Goat Association National Show

WHERE:

Loveland, Colorado

WHEN:

July 7-14, 2012

WHY:

The mission of our documentary is three-fold:

1)  Promote the goat.  Goats are by far the most misunderstood animal in American pop culture.  Books, movies, TV shows and cartoons portray them as dirty, grumpy, lazy animals and those of us in the goat industry know otherwise.  One of our biggest goals is simply to clear up this misunderstanding and promote the dairy goat for what it really is: a thriving, productive animal with a fun and caring personality.

2)  Educate about ADGA (the American Dairy Goat Association) and goat showing.  The majority of the documentary will take place at the 2012 National Show.  Those of us who have been to a National Show know that it is nothing to joke about.  We want to fully cover this huge event and its characters, both human and caprine.  In addition to the feature documentary, we will use the footage for several 2-5 minute online videos for donors, ADGA members and goat enthusiasts to watch and enjoy.  These videos will be released throughout production and post-production.

3) Share the fun of goat showing with the world.  I was born into ADGA.  My mom raised goats for twenty years before I was born.  When I was young, show season was the highlight of my childhood.  I will never forget the excitement of my first National Show!  As I got older, I realized that most people have never heard of goat showing and probably couldn’t even pick a goat out of a lineup of livestock!  I want to entertain America with the hilarious and heart-warming world of goat showing.

Helena (can you believe it?) as a young goat-lover

F.A.Q.’s

I’m going to the 2012 National Show in Loveland, CO.  Can I be in the movie?

Yes!  We are looking for as many people as possible to participate in the film.  Simply email us your name and contact information and we will get in touch with you.

I’ve never heard of ADGA.  Where can I find more info?

The American Dairy Goat Association’s website is adga.org and the National Show website is nationalshow.org

Where does my money go?

Great question!  Our team has spent weeks researching and developing a budget for this film.  Every dollar you donate goes directly into preproduction, production and post-production!  Most of our crew is working at a reduced rate (or no pay at all!) because they’re passionate about the project and seeing it made is a reward in itself.  Here are some examples of what different donors help us with:

One BLUE RIBBON donor ($25) fully funds the cost of our domain name (www.goatshowdoc.com) and web-hosting.  Thank you for helping us publicize this film!

One RESERVE CHAMPION donor ($50) helps pay for camera batteries.  Without power to our cameras, there will be no movie at all!

One GRAND CHAMPION donor ($100) helps pay for an editing hard drive.  This piece of equipment will be in use for a full year of post-production!

One BEST OF BREED donor ($250) helps cover the cost of our sound recording equipment.  Our interviews would be pretty lousy if you couldn’t hear what anyone said.

One PERMANENT CHAMPION donor ($500) pays for our travel expenses from Los Angeles to Loveland and back again.  We can’t very well make a National Show documentary from 2,000 miles away!

One BEST IN SHOW donor ($1000) helps pay for the cost of one of our three workhorse cameras, the Panasonic HMC-150.  The other two cameras are already owned by Trevor and Helena, which helps cut down on our camera budget.

One PREMIERE BREEDER donor ($5,000) pays for a professional sound mixer and a professional film scorer to do all of our post-production audio work.  Studies show that the soundtrack of a film is actually more effective than the visuals.  Try muting the sound when you’re watching a horror movie- bet you won’t be scared anymore!

When do I receive my backer reward?

Backer rewards will start coming your way as soon as our project is funded!  Some rewards, like emails, thank you videos and t-shirts, come sooner than others, like DVDs.  If you are expecting a copy of the finished film, it is currently scheduled for release in July 2013.  I know that’s a long time but don’t worry - I will send you your copy!  Without your support this film would not exist, and we take that very seriously.

What happens if we do not reach the $12,000 Kickstarter goal?

Unfortunately, unless ALL the money is raised, we don't get any of it.  We want to avoid that at all costs!  Please spread the word to your friends, families and coworkers!  If you would like to increase your donation, simply click the "Manage My Donation" button.

Can we exceed the $12,000 Kickstarter goal?

ABSOLUTELY!  Though our Kickstarter goal is $12,000, we ultimately need to raise at least $30,000 to make the film.  This money will come from a variety of places: ADGA members, goat breeders, filmmakers, supporters of the arts, small businesses, large corporations, commercial goat dairies, rich billionaires (do you know any??), friends, family  – you name it!  That’s the beauty of “crowdfunding.”  Instead of relying solely on financial investors, we rely on our audience to fund the film.  Doesn’t it make sense that the best people to fund the film are the ones who are going to watch it?

What happens when the movie is finished?

As soon as the film is released, we will begin mailing DVD copies and digital downloads to the donors who receive them as rewards.  As with most Indie films, the Goat Show Documentary will make its first stop at film festivals around the nation.  Hopefully there it will gain the press and attention it needs to find distribution (whether it be online or a small theatrical release).

Here’s the great news: as soon as we are done shooting the film (in July 2012), I will begin releasing short 2-5 minute videos online for donors, ADGA members and goat enthusiasts to watch and enjoy.  You can expect 1-2 shorts per month throughout post-production (July 2012-July 2013).

Do you have a Twitter?  A Facebook page?

Yes and yes!  Check out and subscribe to twitter.com/GoatShowDoc.  In addition to updates on the film’s progress, we also have a lot of fun goat facts and information to share with you!

Find and like our Facebook page by searching “Goat Show Documentary” or going to http://www.facebook.com/pages/Goat-Show-Documentary/401719719843865.

How can I contact you directly for more information?

Thank you for asking!  Our email address is goatshowdoc@gmail.com

Without your support, this film will never exist.  Thank you sincerely for your generosity.