Kickstarter

Ok, first things first, as I am sure you have guessed, considering it is currently early February. The films going to be a bit "late". Originally I estimated early spring 2013, now I am estimating early summer 2013. I think you will agree that continuing to work and shoot to make the best product possible is better than trying to meet an arbitrary deadline. So that's out of the way. Cool.

This is what we've been up to since we last spoke.

First, I went down to Jamaica for their one big rally of the year. Part of the Caribbean championship they've got going on down there. Super cool event, awesome people and great chicken. 

Very island style. I posted this little story to my personal Facebook, but don't think it ever made it to the ESTD or anywhere else, but it sums up rally down there pretty well. The first day I was there I visited the HQ hotel room to get my media credential and ask a few questions. The head organizer was in there and I asked him if I could land a helicopter somewhere close to the start of stage 1. He gives me this weird look (probably thinking WTF who is this sunburnt gringo) then hops on his phone, and calls a land owner. The conversation goes like this: Organizer "Hello, yes, can someone land a helicopter on your cricket field? - Yes, yes, ok mon". Then to me "Matt, yes, you can land on their cricket field, if they are playing on it, just buzz them twice and they will move".

Cool, and pretty much what you'd expect from Jamaica, and I mean that in the best way possible. Great experience. Although the actual helo ride was a touch on the dicey side, but that's a different story.

In an adventure in climatology I went direct from Jamaica to Big White Winter Rally in snowy Kelowna BC. A great little Canadian regional event. Cold. Especially cold when the day before you were sweating in shorts. Bonus I got my tickets entirely on award miles. Thanks United.

A couple little interviews and visits and 8 days off for Christmas, and then just 2 weeks ago the Rally America championship started again with my "home" event, the Sno*Drift rally. Always a good event, always well run and I also managed to squeeze in 2 interviews with Antoine L'Estage and rally legend John Buffum. John had a few interesting stories and anecdotes. He asked me not to use them. I'm not sure if I'm going to adhere to that.

Then 4 days home and off to WRC Sweden. Where I spent the first 2 days hanging out in the workshop of none other than Petter Solberg. As you might imagine a very cool dude. We sat down and talked about rally, life, getting started, retiring and a bunch more. I wanted to continue the interview for hours, but he had a MkII Escort to finish prepping for the Sweden rally.

And that's where I am today. This event is tough. The WRC isn't terribly stoked on handing out media credentials to people like me, so I am here shooting high speed phantom shots around drunk peoples heads. Fun drunk people though, they are one of the things that makes this event so special. As I was telling one of my new inebriated Swede friends on the side of the stage this morning. The shakedown stage at Sweden probably has more spectators than an entire U.S rally. Actually, maybe all the U.S rallies, combined, and they love and are so knowledgeable about the sport. I'm a huge fan of Scandinavia. My rental car also came with studded tires, so, that tells you something.

So whats next? In my original plan Sweden was going to be the last of 2 events for the film (the other being 100 Acre Wood Rally) but with the WRC being so tough to access I might add another 1 or 2. I've been busy on my few days home from regular work and film work putting together rough timelines, and going through and trying to lay down a solid story. Looking at what makes sense, what doesn't, and what I need to fill the gaps. Then booking the shooting needed to fill them. Then you know, finishing this thing up :)

More details on that will be coming when I know them. But you will be sure to be informed. If you haven't already, check out the Facebook, It is getting busier there as I start tying loose ends and going through content.

http://www.facebook.com/EasierSaidThanDoneFilm

Hey Everyone. Here's an update on our progress. Between the last update and now we did the following. (If you're reading this in e-mail, you might be missing the frame grabs included)

First we went to Olympus rally. The final round of the Rally America National Championship. The rally was returning to older roads, after utilizing stages out on the coast for a while. I was stoked. The older roads are close to mountains and mountains make for good b-roll. Unfortunately the event was in September, and apparently it doesn't rain in September in Washington anymore. So half the rally stages were cancelled because of fire danger, and quite a few of the stages left were run at night to reduce the risk. Bummer.

We still got some great b-roll, and still spent a few hours in the official ESTD Helicopter with our best pilot yet. For one stage the stars aligned, the fog lifted, the light was good, and the helicopter was fast. (well, it was still slower than Ken Block in the Fiesta H.F.H.V and Antoine L'Estage in his Mitsubishi Evo X. Pilots never believe me cars on dirt are faster, but whatever).

We got great stuff.

Unfortunately, because of less stage miles, it was an expensive event for essentially less than one day of actual rally shooting. That's a bummer, but that happens sometimes.

Afterwards I visited some "historical" American rally landmarks, and found a few stories there.

Next, I spent a few days up in New Hampshire at the Team O'Neil Rally School. One of the rewards for one of our Kickstarter backers was to drive a real rally car in a real event, James from NC snatched that reward up (which also happened to push us over the funding goal, so double thanks!).

My goal with that was to try to under promise, and over deliver. So in addition to getting to drive a rally car at an event, we also got him up to the school for 2 days of rally instruction with Chris Duplessis and the entire Team 'Oneil staff. The school has a great facility with a ton of real stage roads. Our guy was in the car immediately on the first morning and spent 2 days learning about weight transfer and left foot braking. I've never actually been up there during a school session, so that was cool to see.

At the end of the second day, James got to take a few laps around the stages with Chris in his Fiesta R2 rally car, at speed. I think he enjoyed it, but apparently Chris is so quick he drives with his eyes closed.

An unplanned helicopter landed at the facility courtesy of Lars Gange and we got a few aerials. James gave me a great quote "I came up here to learn to drive a rally car, and ended up in an episode of Top Gear". Or something like that. We're hoping to get James behind the wheel of a rally car of his own early on at a 2013 Rally America event. It's fun to watch someone new get stoked on the sport.

Then this past weekend I headed up to Tall Pines, the final round of the Canadian Rally Championship. It was cold, and starting to snow. It's one of my favorite events though with all of the jumps and crests, but somewhat hard to shoot. I focused on high speed shooting on the Phantom and got some great content.

In 2 days I head down to Jamaica for Rally Jamaica. I've never been to a rally in the Caribbean but they seem to have their own unique thing going on down there. I'm hoping to see some local talent, ex-works WRC cars, and lots of jerk chicken. 2 days after I get back from that, I head to British Columbia, for the small, but apparently very fun Big White Winter Rally.  I'm hoping the event actually happens as apparently there are not quite enough entries yet for the organizer to break even.

So - Working hard. Very hard, shooting through the winter. Luckily some of my favorite images come from rally cars in the snow.

Want more small updates? Like us on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/EasierSaidThanDoneFilm

A number of you have asked for an update. So let's make one.

After successful funding the first thing I did was call a producer friend of mine for some help with all the business side of things. Because there is lots of it. I also wanted an outside opinion, and second set of eyes on the story. Someone that is more interested in a great story, and is less interested in "OMG CARS GO FAST!" to help ensure this is an all around interesting film.

I want to plan, and take the time to make sure this is proper, that the sport is done justice that it deserves. I've been watching other sports documentaries..... all of them. 70 or so in the last few months... A lot of them stink. ESTD won't stink.

Then we started planning. Making deals and all sorts of boring stuff. Licensing and rights and all that. I shot at New England Forest Rally with Chris D. and then immediately headed to Finland for the WRC round. Chris Duplessis was competing after raising money in a last minute effort to pay his bills. Ken was competing in the event as well but unfortunately went off on the last day to a suspension failure. Here are some stills from the past 2 little shoots.

Also check out our facebook. I usually post random screen grabs and things there first.

http://www.facebook.com/EasierSaidThanDoneFilm

Thank you everyone for your support. Whether you were one of the first a month ago, or in the last 5 minutes. I appreciate it, more than you think. No matter the backer level you're at, you will think it is worth it.

I was away from computers all day on a shoot, checking my phone until it died. I am so pumped that so many people came out and smoked the goal. I can't wait to get crackin' on the remainder of this film so everyone can see it.

I will be in touch with lots of you, and see some at the premiere early next year.

Thanks again.

-Matt Johnston

First of all. Here is a selection of extremely slow rally cars set to emotional music. I don't really see how that could not be a winner.

I am on the phone all day, and prepping for a shoot tomorrow but wanted to get something else out the night before the big finish.

I had originally intended to make a post the last few days of the campaign called "Press On Regardless" no matter where we stood. POR, the name of an American rally event, and world championship round that took place in Michigan in the 70's, has also become a uniform rally term.

It means that no matter what, you must finish. You Press On Regardless. If you roll your car - flip it back over and finish. Lose a wheel? Drag it 3 wheeled to the finish. Hit a deer? Competitor block the road? Steering breaks? Run out of cash? Trailer gets a flat? Minnesota D.O.T confiscates your rig and trailer? so on and so on and so on. That's rally.

I sometimes tell people that rally is the best life training you can get. You learn logistics, marketing, self management, how to be (relatively) calm under pressure and most of all, how to Press On Regardless.

I felt I had to POR last week, with over 27k left to go on the Kickstarter campaign. I made the choice to continue shooting through Oregon. Renting helicopters with my own cash. Bringing expensive high speed cameras into the field and hoping that I could make it count, and I hope I did. Today and yesterday have been great. Thanks to so many people for their support, all of you.

We have 10k to go, in 20 hours. I think we're going to not only make it, but surpass my goal. Lets press on.