About this project
(The Documentary Trailer is below the Quick Overview)
Quick Overview
In these difficult economic times how does a small business survive when so many big companies have failed? Currently in post production this independent documentary film explores two artists, a dancer and a singer, and their ongoing and continuous evolving survival strategy plan for their speciality travel business in this downturned economy. This film is a love story, about a country (Italy), joy, art, food, creativity, and money...or the lack of it.
Click Above to View Documentary Trailer
How This Documentary Came About
I was asked at the last minute to fill in when a photographer had to cancel a workshop he was leading for Michael Mele and Linda Mironti through their speciality travel business, Il Chiostro. It was this week that started the incubation of my documentary on Il Chiostro: Survival of a Small Business. I have run and participated in workshops, but never had I seen the coming together of a group of people that I did that week.
In the course of the week Michael and Linda told stories about themselves, their love of Italy, their lives before Il Chiostro, and the beginnings of Il Chiostro. Linda presented a cabaret show to the group. I heard stories from various workshop participants about other Il Chiostro workshops they had attended, and about the "change" in participants during these workshops. What is called the "Il Chiostro Experience" by both participants and instructors.
It so happens that I was finishing an edit on a documentary and was looking around for my next documentary film and thought a story about Il Chiostro might be a possibility. I approached Michael and Linda with my ideas around this documentary, to follow them for a year in both Italy and New York City, where they both live when not operating their workshops in Italy. Filming a documentary like this one would be an intrusion into their lives. It would only work if I was able to film "behind the scenes," the everyday activites of both the workshops and their organization, the running and decision-making of Il Chiostro. At the same time their successful business ran into a stone wall, an economic downturn in America, and this affected people traveling to Europe and spending money on Art workshops. They had a real concern if their business would survive this economic recession.
As an documentary filmmaker, it had all the possibilities of a good story, a story where the final outcome was not known. A story that could end in the death of or the redesign of a business, and the possible end of a love affair with Italy. A story about real people, real life, and an uncertain future.
Current Status of the Project
The film was shot in both Italy and New York City between 2008 and 2010. The footage (over 100 hours!) has been digitized (97 percent of all footage was shot by the Director, Bill Woolf). At this point all videography and photography has been completed and a rough edit is almost completed. A Premiere Screening in New York City has been set for March 24, 2012. We need, at minimum, $5,000.00 to complete our film on time.
The Fundraising Campaign
The campaign runs for four weeks, 28 days, and we will only receive the funds if the goal is reached (your credit card will only be charged if the goal is reached). If you would like to support our project, please pledge a donation today. We'll be grateful for any amount you give!
Monies raised through Kickstarter ($5,000 or more) will cover the following:
- Voice over narration
- Music composition
- Audio mixer
- Color grading
- Polished edit
If you prefer to donate through other methods, please contact us at ilchiostrodocumentary at woolfdigital dot com. You can also find out more about the documentary at our website www.ilchiostrodocumentary.com.
Donations are Tax-Deductible
Il Chiostro: Survival of a Small Business is a project under fiscal sponsorship of the Institute for Italian & Sardinian Studies which is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, your backer pledge of any amount is also tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law!
Woolf Digital Principals
Bill Woolf
Director | Writer | Producer
Bill is the founder of Woolf Digital, a documentary video production company.
Bill's documentary "Weaving A Tradition" is the story of the Confraternities of Santu Lussurgiu, Sardinia, Italy, and their Palm Sunday ritual. The film explores the role that palm weaving plays in the Confraternities and how they are trying to involve the younger generation to insure this tradition continues.
Bill's short video "Last Train from Machu Picchu," about his visit to Machu Picchu during the heaviest rainy season in over 30 years in 2010, was presented as an introduction to a technical paper on the restoration of the PeruRail line to Machu Picchu given at the Annual Technical Conference of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association in 2011. One of the paper's authors said this video "...sums up the nature of the operation and the importance of the railway to the economy of Peru as well as shows some of the conditions prior to the washouts that night."
Will Woolf
Editor | Producer
Will Woolf is Director of Video and Film Production at Woolf Digital, a documentary video production company. Will is an award winning editor and producer who has been involved in the film and television industry for nearly 15 years. He graduated with honors from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, with a BFA in Film and Television. He is an Apple Certified Pro and has won three Emmy® Awards for his outstanding production and editing work. In addition, he has recently helped complete the design and installation of a state of the art production facility for a Fortune 500 company.
Will has edited for film, video, and the web in genres as diverse as documentaries, narrative fiction, corporate video, instructional video, motion graphics, and DIY video blogging. Will's knowledge and expertise in current media technology and delivery have made him a sought after resource for consultation with regard to web distribution for video and other multimedia formats.
FAQ
Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.
52
Backers
$5,105
pledged of $5,000 goal
0
seconds to go
Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal 3 days ago.
Pledge $1 or more Pledge $1 or more
Receive our sincere gratitude, PLUS your name listed on our documentary film's Facebook and web site page once project is funded, PLUS since Il Chiostro: Survival of a Small Business is a project under fiscal sponsorship of the Institute for Italian & Sardinian Studies (IFISS) which is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, your backer pledge of any amount is also tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law!
Pledge $15 or more Pledge $15 or more
You receive all the rewards listed above, PLUS a personal thank-you email, PLUS your name will be printed in the World Premiere program brochure that all individuals attending the New York Premiere Screening receive (High Quality paper & Good Ink).
Pledge $25 or more Pledge $25 or more
You receive all the rewards listed above, PLUS a digital download of the completed film after the Premiere Screening.
Pledge $35 or more Pledge $35 or more
You will receive all the level rewards above, PLUS a DVD with the finished documentary video. (International shipping please add $15).
Pledge $50 or more Pledge $50 or more
You will receive all the level rewards above, PLUS the "Il Chiostro: Survival of a Small Business" documentary film poster signed by the film's director.
Pledge $100 or more Pledge $100 or more
You will receive all the level rewards above, PLUS your name or company name will be included in a special thanks in the end of the video credits, PLUS two (2) Reserved VIP seats at our Premiere Screening in New York City on March 24, 2012.
Pledge $200 or more Pledge $200 or more
You will receive all the level rewards above, PLUS an advance copy of Linda Mironti's soon to be released Neapolitan recording.
Pledge $500 or more Pledge $500 or more
You will receive all the level rewards above, PLUS a listing in the documentary credits as an associate producer, PLUS personal recognition at the beginning of the Premiere Screening. Literally, at the Premiere Screening you will be recognized and asked to stand (but if you are shy, we will thank you privately).
Pledge $1,000 or more Pledge $1,000 or more
You will receive all the level rewards above, PLUS a listing in both the documentary film credits and on the DVD case as an Executive Producer PLUS personal recognition at the beginning of the Premiere Screening. Literally, at the Premiere Screening you will be recognized and asked to stand (but if you are shy, we will thank you privately).
Project By
Connected
Bill and his son Will are the principals in Woolf Digital, a documentary video production company. Bill received an MFA in Studio Art from Florida State University and a PhD from Cornell University. He was a professor and the Dean of Students at an art institute in Florence, Italy, before moving to Sardinia in 2005.
