Our Project: The greatest collection of Hollywood memorabilia is surprisingly not in Hollywood. In fact, it’s about 2,500 miles away in the small town of Midland, North Carolina. There, in Martin Hill’s small, dingy, and run-down bowling alley, are cameras, lights and stage props from movies like Gone with the Wind, Lawrence of Arabia, Star Wars and countless other Academy Award winning films. Included in this collection is film pioneer Charlie Chaplin’s personal camera that filmed one of Hollywood’s greatest films The Gold Rush. There are no collections in the Smithsonian or any other film museums that can rival Martin’s treasures, but sadly very few people know about this diamond in the rough.
We need to share Martin’s story with the world because caring for hundreds of cameras is too big a job for one man. Sadly, the bowling alley is starting to fall apart and the cameras and lights are now subject to rust and disrepair. Martin can no longer be the sole guardian of Hollywood history. Help us introduce Martin’s story so that generations of moviegoers can see the cameras that created some of their most beloved films.
Our Goal: Our production company, Emulsion Arts has been documenting the evolution of Martin’s collection over the past five years so that we can present Martin’s riveting story to the public. The only way we can do this is by completing the documentary. We need your help to finish filming and post-production work. Your contributions will help a collection that will otherwise decay and be lost in time.
It is our hope that this documentary will catch the eye of film enthusiasts who will in turn help Martin keep film history alive. Martin is aging along with his cameras and he needs help maintaining this collection that he single-handedly saved from disappearing forever. We want to bring notoriety to Martin’s accomplishments and remind audiences of the beauty of classic Hollywood. By contributing to the Martin Hill film project, you can help save Hollywood history.
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Funding period
- (45 days)