WE'VE REACHED OUR KS GOAL on 10/05!!! Thank you so much everyone for donating and sharing!!
Though we reached our goal, we are still accepting donations till 10/17. Here are how we'd like to use the extra fund beyond $8,000.
* Subtitles in other languages. A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE REQUESTED SUBTITLES IN OTHER LANGUAGES. With your help, we can make that happen. For example, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, and Indonesian and more.
* Submit to more web-series festivals than we planned with our initial budget.
* bigger promotion. We'll be able to hold more screenings, and more.
If this project keeps gaining momentum, we'll be able to expand our audience even more. Join us NOW to make a miracle happen!!
※ キックスターターキャンペーン、日本語の解説はこちらへどうぞ。日本語公式ウェブサイトの専用ページへ飛びます。手続きの詳細はこちらをどうぞ
What is 2nd Avenue about?
“2nd Avenue is about a Japanese actress named Mariko who comes to New York from Tokyo. She dreams of becoming a successful actress in America. However, she cannot speak English, and she has no contacts or friends in NYC. One more thing, Mariko has no visa to stay in the States! The story begins when Mariko welcomes her new roommate Taichi. Taichi is a Japanese law school student, in need of an apartment after being kicked out of his house by his father because Taichi was gay. “
-Official website http://2aveen.weebly.com
-Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/2aveWebSeries
-Twitter https://twitter.com/2ndAvenueNY
-Youtube Channel http://www.youtube.com/2avewebseries
Series Trailer #1
Wanna watch more?
-Series Trailer #2 http://youtu.be/RG_JPhrA04E
-Ep.1 "The Invasion of Godzilla Tits" http://youtu.be/9jbXtOYNS1w
-Ep.2 "Failed Lucy Liu" http://youtu.be/xiL7BHgKJu0
-Ep.3 "Harajuku Zombie Girls" http://youtu.be/meGyjxJxkVM
What’s unique about 2nd Avenue?
“We believe our show looks quite fresh to American viewers. It’s about two struggling and somewhat desperate young Japanese adults living in NYC. Japanese is one small ethnicity among many in the U.S. Likewise, 2nd Avenue looks unusual to a lot of Japanese viewers. There are restraints for TV shows in Japan. We rarely see tattooed characters or recreational drug use in a comedy show. Using the web as our platform, we don’t have to follow these restraints to tell our stories. A gay character like Taichi is another foreign element to Japanese viewers. Gay characters are not as welcome in Japan as they are in the current entertainment scene in the U.S. Japanese TV shows portray gay people often using gay stereotypes. We want to present gay characters to Japanese viewers as real people not merely as characters to laugh at. This is our writer Tsukasa’s long-cherished goal as a gay writer born and raised in Japan.”
Does the viewer of 2nd Avenue have to understand Japanese?
“We have more of the Japanese language than English in the first two episodes simply to introduce the two main characters. After that, the language of the show switches back and forth equally. 2nd Avenue is bilingual with both English-speaking and Japanese-speaking characters. Some characters speak both languages. Additionally, every episode has both English and Japanese subtitles. “
What if the viewer of 2nd Avenue knows nothing about Japanese culture?
“Sushi lovers and those familiar with Japanese pop culture will enjoy the show. However, those who are less aware of Japan will enjoy watching what it’s like to live in America as a foreigner. Indeed, American viewers will enjoy observing just how unique American culture looks through Japanese glasses. This show will be perfect for those who are curious about the cross-cultural dynamics in New York. We know American audiences will enjoy getting to know the small far eastern country with the great cuisine through references to Japanese culture and to Japanese popular entertainment features.”
How may I help the producers complete the first season?
“Our goal is to reach $8,000 to shoot three more episodes to complete the first season. We have shot the first three episodes in May, 2013. Episode #1 is already on our Youtube Channel (http://www.youtube.com/2aveWebSeries) and the other 2 episodes are also ready to blossom onto your computer, tablet, or smartphone screen. The budget to produce the first three episodes was $7,449. Having Invested our own money initially, and thanks to our individual sponsors, we have raised $10,000 so far but we need $8000 more to continue. So we need your help to reach this new goal. Anything you can give is needed and is greatly appreciated! If we surpass our goal of $8000 of new funds any extra money will be used to improve the quality and for outreach so that as many people as possible can see 2nd Avenue.
Along the way, we have received a great support from lots of local actors, artists and filmmakers in New York. Many thanks to our great casts; Gianmarco Soresi, Philip Lakin, Jack Dilday, Gameela Wright, Joel Bernstein, Toshiji Takeshima, Akira Takayama, Kaori Oiwa, Kiyo Takami, Tatsuo Ichikawa, Yasu Suzuki, and our amazing production team; Katsumi Funahashi, Nick Do, Richard Hamilton, Eric Perez, Saori Yamamoto, Soichiro Migita. Brendan Swift, Kerri Accardi, Anabel Caibedo, Kimberly McCauley, Ken Yoshioka, Julie Han, Keita Kawahara, Tahnee Tangherlini, Zhi Wangand, and of course, New Beard for their amazing Williamsburg sound.
What exactly is my money used for?
"$8,000 will help pay for the bare minimum of our costs including the following:"
1.Pre production: $150
Copywright, Audition,Transportation, etc
2.Production: $5500 (9 days of shooting)
Camera, Sound, Transportation, Meals & Craft Service, Costumes, Props, Hard drive, etc
3.Post Production: $3000
Editing, Sound editing, etc
4. Promotion: $1500
Ads, events, etc
"The above costs total $10,150. We have $2550 towards this goal leftover from our initial shooting days."
"That leaves $7600 to raise plus a Kickstarter fee of $400."
"So our total Kickstarter goal is $8,000."
What will I receive in return for my support?
"We have several great rewards depending on your pledge amount."
Featured Reward; $300 Invitation to our premier screening! and you will also receive signed script in a 2nd avenue original eco bag .
May I date the cute cast of 2nd Avenue if I give a lot of money?
"No. Well...maybe if you give a shitload."
Why did creator of the 2nd Avenue make this web-series?
“Because WE LOVE OUR NEW LIVES IN NEW YORK!! As foreign artists, we have so much appreciation for the city of New York and the people in it. We love how everybody here is amazingly unique and inspires one another. We hope to share the city’s diversity and openness with people, especially to people in Japan, who are often under the pressure to harmonize with others.”
Risks and challenges
There are inherent risks of delay dependent on schedule conflicts for indie movie productions like ours. The process of producing a movie means, hiring a crew and actors, hunting locations, shopping craft services, researching parking lots, planning a shooting schedule of less than 10 hours each day, sticking to the schedule, and dealing with any accidents. And then after these initial hurtles are crossed watching the movie, editing it, getting professional feedback, re-editing the edit, getting feedback about the edited edit, editing the edited edit... and trying desparately to not go insane! However, having finished the first three episodes, we know what the production process takes and are excited and ready for the demanding but rewarding process to complete the rest of the first season. We are lucky to have skilled collaborators on board from the previous production."
“There are risks of delay in the fulfillment process. Kickstarter has a strict timeline as do our intial backers. We will communicate with everyone throughout the campaign on kickstarter to ensure the fulfillment process sticks to the timeline. We will be available through website, facebook, and twitter."
Thank you so very very much for your time and consideration, and hopefully thank you for your support !
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Funding period
- (42 days)