Kickstarter

The bad news: With just a few hours to go, we're far from our goal. I have decided to cancel funding.

Why would I cancel funding, even if we weren't going to meet the goal? (you only get the money pledged on Kickstarter if you meet the goal)

The good news: I'm still making this film. It will be different than the original vision here, but I'm still going to explore the creative process and let you on the inside of the day-to-day life of a professional photographer.

I've launched a new Kickstarter campaign that will cover just enough funding to travel to Seattle, and we should have no problem meeting that goal with your support.

Head on over to the campaign here. Most of the same rewards are available, but the options have been simplified. I'll post some commonly asked questions below, and don't hesitate to ask if you have any others. I've also written a blog post about my experience and it might help answer some questions as well.

Thank you for your continued support.

Andy

Some questions you might have...

What happened to the old campaign?

We didn't meet our goal. Because Kickstarter is all-or-nothing, if you don't meet 100% of the goal, none of the money pledged goes to the project.

I already pledged for the other Kickstarter, do I have to pledge for this one too?

Yes, if you still want to receive your rewards and support this project. Because the other campaign didn't meet its goal, all previous pledges were voided, meaning you weren't charged and we did not receive any funding.

Did I get charged if I pledged to the old campaign?

No. Kickstarter only charges you when the campaign ends if the project has reached 100% funding.

Will I be charged immediately?

Nope! You will only be charged when the campaign ends on Friday, May 18 if we are successful in meeting our goal.

Will this be the same film as originally planned?

It will explore the same questions of what makes the creative process, but it will not be the same film. Currently the plan is to cover Andria and Cory in Seattle. Beyond that, we hope to be able to work with the remaining photographers at a later date if the project expands.

Can I submit any photo to be used in the film?

Pretty much, as long as... 

1) It's appropriate for all ages. 2) You have full copyright of the image and are allowing us to use it in the film and any promotional materials. You'll be credited in the film, but I can't guarantee your name will be directly linked to the use of the picture.

Otherwise, everything else is fair game. If you want it to be a group or family picture or company logo, that's fine as long as it meets the two requirements above.

What's the Special Edition Snapstagram Pack reward?

We're working with our good friends at Snapstagram (http://snapstagr.am/), another recently successful Kickstarter campaign, to bring you some unique rewards in the form of printed Instagram photos! This specific pack will only be available through backing this Kickstarter.

First of all, THANK YOU. Your support is the only reason I have made it this far.

If you didn't hear, last week we added two Associate Producers to the film! With that, I have been busy working to add a few more goodies for you to have the chance to get, and here they are...

NEW INTERVIEWS

Photographers Brad Feinknopf and Christopher Lynch have agreed to do interviews for Portrait! 

Brad is a nationally recognized architectural photographer and currently lives and works in Columbus, OH. His experience will add yet another unique perspective to Portrait. His work has been published by many architecture publications but also Time, USA Today, Sports Illustrated, and Fast Company.

Christopher is a photographer in New York City. You may have seen his work with companies like AT&T, Samsung, Sony, Office Max, AMC, A&E, and Nickelodeon. If you've heard of any of them. :)

These interviews will either be included in the film itself or as extras. Either way, as a Backer of $25 or more, you'll get all the content I produce.

NEW REWARDS

Any pledge of $35 or more will get you a signed 11x17 movie poster! Designed by my good friend Tim Cruz, this is one you don't want to miss!

But if that wasn't enough, we're also offering up the design as a Limited Edition Backer-Only t-shirt for pledges of $75 or more. This specific design will never be available again on a shirt. (We're making final adjustments to the design now, but you can see what it looks like below)

Finally, a pledge of $3,000 will earn you a spot as Executive Producer and an all-expenses paid trip to the film premiere anywhere in the US. There's only one spot available, so if you or someone you know would be interested, don't wait!

Don't worry! If you'd like one of these new rewards, you can increase your pledge amount at any time before funding ends on May 4th. Just make sure to change your reward selection as well.

AND JUST A REMINDER...

If you're in or near Columbus this Thursday, 4/26, we'll be shooting free headshots for anyone who has pledged $25 or more. If you need the information on the event, click here.

Have a great day!

Andy

We're steadily marching towards the goal! I believe it's just a matter of time before we hit the tipping point, and then...

I just wanted to let you know that I've been reaching out to more photographers for additional interviews for the documentary. One of them is a published, award-winning photographer who I can almost guarantee you know his name or have seen his work.

But the reason I mention it is this – are you a photographer or do you know a photographer that would have an interesting perspective for this film?

My goal is to have additional interviews to supplement the three features, but also to provide additional perspectives on the topics of photography, the creative process, mobile phone photography, and the business of creative freelancing. These could be great DVD extras and Kickstarter backer exclusives.

If you know someone, let me know in the comments or in an email. Back to work...

Wow! The support has been heartwarming and we're on track to meet our goal if we can keep this pace!

I'm on Kickstarter because I simply can't do this by myself. I need you to be just as big a part as anyone else in the making of this film. By generously pledging, you've done just that. But our team needs to continue to grow if we're going to see this happen!

If you have a moment, please share, tweet, facebook, and email this to everyone you know. Tell them why they need to be in on something great. You can just forward along this email, or write a personalized email of your own, and share this link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/andynewman/portrait-a-documentary-on-the-minds-behind-the-cam

I can't thank you enough for your support, but I can promise you, I will work tirelessly to make you the best film I possibly can, and share the experience along the way.

Because now, we're all in the movies!