About this project

THIS CAMPAIGN HAS MOVED TO A NEW NON KICK STARTER WEBPAGE!

Please go to the new page here:

http://starkidsmovie.yolasite.com/donate-crowdfund-clone.php

if you want to contribute to the project.

THIS CAMPAIGN HAS MOVED TO A NEW NON KICK STARTER WEBPAGE!

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About this project
Star Kids is a sci-fi/fantasy children’s film about four special children who must discover who they are to save a world on the brink of destruction. Filmed in Seattle and the beautiful Pacific Northwest. It is designed to help kids by teaching positive values and showing positive role models. It is being shot both as a 12 part episodic miniseries as well as a feature film. We have shot episodes 1 & 2 and need to raise funds to successfully shoot episodes 3 and 4, and that’s why we need your help. After watching our video, meeting me, and checking out our rewards, I hope you'll become a part of the exciting community we're building around Star Kids!

What's the story?
In Star Kids the earth is dying and the Star Kids have to save it! They have special powers and are chased by rogue government agents. On their journey they meet many interesting characters who inspire, guide and mentor them. But in the end, they are on their own, and if the earth is to survive they will have to go deep within and learn to conquer their fear, hate, anger and be more unified.

What inspired Star Kids?
Star Kids is a full-length feature film inspired by my desire to show my kids inspiring films, my love of sci-fi, anime, spiritual and fantasy films and my experiences in the inner cities of America. But it was my inner city experiences that was the real inspiration for Star Kids. It started when I noticed how a lot of kids were emulating the negative media they were exposed to. Morality was very vague and even kids who wanted to do the right thing didn’t really know what that was and were easily lead astray by all the negative things, people and situations around them. But what alarmed me the most was the powerful effect negative media in all it’s forms had on the kids. On top of this, even with my own children, I had a hard time finding good films that portrayed African American kids in positive situations or as positive role models. If a film featured an African American kid it usually involved guns, gangs, poverty and the inner city. Why, because Hollywood and many in the African American entertainment industry have decided this is what sells and that making money and being famous is more important then helping kids. I wanted to change that and so I was inspired to write Star Kids to give African American kids a good wholesome children’s film, the kind I have been looking for but never found. And, at the same, time teach positive values and show some positive role models. Plus in Star Kids we get to see African American kids in some pretty interesting situations that we usually don’t see in the movies.

Star Kids is a metaphor, and all kids are Star Kids. As kids watch I want them to see themselves in the Star Kids. I want them to realize they have “gifts and purpose” (as the Elder says) and that it’s up to them to save the world.

(The Elder)  (Watch a rough cut where the Elder teaches the Star Kids)

Once Star Kids is done I hope to use it not only to influence children in a positive way but to also bring awareness of the power negative media is having on our children. I also want to use it as a catalyst to talk to the filmmaking community about the importance of using our art to make the world a better place.

Where will the funds go?
Currently we are in post production for episodes 1 and 2 (editing, effects, music licensing, mastering etc) and pre-production to shoot the next two episodes - episodes 3 and 4 of Star Kids. We want these films to be of the highest production quality possible because in the end, if we do not entertain we will not teach. To do this we need to pay the cast and crew, rent but ideally buy our own equipment. Feed the crew properly, pay for insurance (2 million in liability needed for most locations). Location fees, (such as location fees to shoot at the Award Winning Seattle Downtown Public Library).  Costume design and manufacture, props such as an important large painting and device. Pay for post-production processing, special 3d motion effects, green screen studio rental. Editing, sound design and mastering for video on demand, DVD and theatrical release. Promotion, marketing, event and entertainment expenses etc, production office expenses.

(Potential Location: The Seattle Downtown Library, photo by Jason Hoover)

Every bit that you give, large or small, will make a HUGE difference!

Remember if we do not reach our fundraising goal by the Kickstarter deadline, all donations will be returned – with the Kickstarter fundraising program, we have to raise all of the money stated in our goal. If we do not, we keep nothing and the film production will be delayed, or worse never finished!

What are the plans for the film?
Most of all we want Star Kids to teach and inspire children around the world. Our focus is on “at-risk” kids, the kids that are most vulnerable to the influences of the effects of negative media. To reach these kids with the film we have formed “Community Partnerships” with youth organizations around the world that work with kids in vulnerable communities. Currently we have partnerships and volunteers in Seattle, Los Angeles, New York, Washington DC. African, Australia, London, Paris, and the list grows everyday. If you want to help us get the film out to kids in your area please contact us. We also plan to distribute the film though traditional independent film channels such as film festivals, markets, VOD, DVD etc.

Who's involved?
We have a unique community based approach to getting Star Kids made. For one, realizing that it was such a huge project we decided to break the script up into a 12 part miniseries. This configuration has been hugely successful for us. Allowing us to shoot high quality productions with minimal resources. This strategy allows us to screen the film to kids sooner by showing the episodes as they are completed and involving a greater variety of people in the production. For example we invite local cinematographers to shoot each of the episodes. And each episode allows us to work with a different crew, which frees us from the normal scheduling and budget headaches of independent filmmaking.

Here are some of the film students and local filmmakers and cinematographers who have contributed to the project so far:

Episode 1:
Alan Certeza - Cinematagraphy
Lauren Pray - Art Direction
Henry Wei - Sound

Episode 2:
John Mahinay - Cinematagraphy
James Israelson - Sound
Liz Klein - Art Director/Assistant Director

See More Credits.

The Youth Internship Program
Another way we have involved youth is to have an internship program tied to the production of the film. We recruit teens from the local Seattle high schools and teen programs, we then pair them with local films students from schools such as the Seattle Art Institute and the Seattle Film Institute. The film students run the various productions departments such as light, sound and set design etc. with the teens as their assistants. In this way:  1. Film students get the real world production experience they need as well as a chance to help the community.  2. The kids get to learn about filmmaking as a possible career path. 3. We get a proper crew which is key to a high quality production. For example, on the shoot of episode 2 which took place in Chinatown in Seattle we had a crew of 18.

(More on the film program)

We need your help.
We have a really ambitious production schedule this year and we are depending on supporters like you to make it happen. If you can please support Star Kids and help us get it to one million kids around the world!

Other fun ways to  get  involved.
To make a film of this level is a huge undertaking and that’s why we need your help. There are many fun ways to get involved: If you can, right now, make a pledge. Donate some equipment, a product or a service. Volunteer. Own a business? Become a sponsor. Send us some good leads for any help you can think of. Be a fan! Tell your friends! Signup for our email list. “Like” our Facebook page. Got little kids, download free songs and coloring pages of the characters. Check out the website. THANK YOU!!!

Want to learn more?
To learn more and check out our progress, please visit our website www.StarKidsMovie.com

Also please feel free to email us at starkids@mydreampower.com

Many many thanks for your generous support! Because of people like you Star Kids will happen!