Dear Everyone,

I don't know where to begin. Thank you. Thank you so, so much for making this dream come true. I'm still in shock, and the present reality is only just now beginning to sink in. This has been an absolute roller-coaster. What started off so strong in its first few days, quickly began to feel like an exercise in futility. This project hovered around the 18% range for WEEKS. Finally, it jumped to about 35%, and then just sat there. It was down in that range until just about three days ago. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around that, how just 72 hours ago I was thinking, "There's no way." Not "It's improbable," but rather, "I haven't got a snowball's chance in hell." Yet, somehow, I forced myself to stay positive, and I tried to encourage positivity in others, and I still can't believe it, but it worked.

It worked because of you.

Dollar amounts aside, ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY SIX INDIVIDUALS came together to support this. People gave $5 to $1,000 and everything in between. People who I KNOW are hurting in this economy hit the Pledge button despite all that. That means the world to me. I can't even begin to express the weight of the feelings that begets in me. I am so, so, so humbled, and I am so, so, so grateful for your support.

This was a DREAM! This wasn't supposed to happen! Not in reality. Not in the real world. This project started out SO small, but from the moment it was born it just started growing and taking on a life of its own because... I don't know why, really... it just seemed like IT wanted to. It was always striving to be bigger and better than it was, and I was always hustling, trying to catch up to it. Well, today you've given it the chance it was fighting for. You've given it the chance to grow to the size it's wanted to be this whole time.

For my part, I promise you that I will do everything in my power to make this project as good as it possibly can be. I feel the responsibility I have to make this project great. I owe you that (and I owe IT that). I will struggle to tell each story the way it wants to be told, and to portray each character as that character would want to be portrayed. Some of you will dislike some episodes, because they're too juvenile or ridiculous of inflammatory. And some of you will dislike them sometimes because they are too serious or tender or strange. That's just the nature of this particular beast: it never stays one thing for long. It is a project with a massive multiple personality disorder... and I think that's why I love it so much.

I promise you that I will do my very best.

In terms of what happens now, well, I'm not sure exactly. Kickstarter holds the funds for 14 days, and I'm going to be buying some new equipment to get these episodes looking and sounding 100% professional (SO excited about that). I hope to start shooting again, in roughly two weeks, give or take a little, and I'll release my first episode back soon after that. Then we'll start having some fun.

I'll be contacting all you backers soon. Just so you know, you're my hero. Yes, you.
(Man, I am going to be DROWNING in a sea of buttons...)

In terms of staying in touch and following the show, here is all the info you need (I hope):

The project itself and the blog that goes with it will be at http://50in50.wordpress.com The blog documents my experiences creating the characters, episodes, and the project as a whole.

If you'd rather just watch the videos, and aren't interested in the blog, all the videos will be on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/BrentRoseVideo Subscribe to my video channel, and keep checking back every week.

If you're into podcasts, you can get the videos delivered directly to your computer/phone/music player via iTunes if you subscribe here: itpc://50in50.blip.tv/rss/itunes/

To get on the official email list, shoot me an email at fiftyinfifty at gmail dot com (yes fiftyinfifty is spelled out like that).

If you're on Facebook, you can become a "Fan" on the official 50in50 page, to get special updates and see a whole still photo gallery: http://tinyurl.com/ckxnko I update this pretty frequently.

And lastly, if you're on Twitter, you can "Follow" me at http://twitter.com/brentrose (or @brentrose)

Wow. Okay, well, that about does it. Again, thank you, thank you, thank you so, SO much for your support. For your pledges, and for helping me to fundraise. This truly couldn't have happened without so many people pitching in and sticking their necks out. I won't forget that. I've said it before, but it feels truer now than ever: this project is all about people, in all of their many different flavors, it's only fitting that this project has been funded by many people, in all their many different flavors.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

Much love,

Brent Rose
November 7th, 2009 1:20am