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[Blablurn]

WISH I WAS HERE by Zach Braff

Zach? What is this?

I was about to sign a typical financing deal in order to get the money to make "Wish I Was Here," my follow up to “Garden State.” It would have involved making a lot of sacrifices I think would have ultimately hurt the film. I’ve been a backer for several projects on Kickstarter and thought the concept was fascinating and revolutionary for artists and innovators of all kinds. But I didn't imagine it could work on larger-scale projects. I was wrong.

After I saw the incredible way “Veronica Mars” fans rallied around Kristen Bell and her show’s creator Rob Thomas, I couldn’t help but think (like I'm sure so many other independent filmmakers did) maybe there is a new way to finance smaller, personal films that didn’t involve signing away all your artistic control.

Financing an independent film the traditional way often means having to give away your right to “the final cut,” casting choices, location choices and cutting down your script to make it shoot-able on the cheapest budget possible.

What if there is a different way?

"If you don't like how things are, change it! You're not a tree." - Jim Rohn

Ok, I'm intrigued. What's the story?

Page 1...

"Wish I Was Here" is the story of Aidan Bloom (played by me), a struggling actor, father and husband, who at 35 is still trying to find his identity; a purpose for his life. He and his wife are barely getting by financially and Aidan passes his time by fantasizing about being the great futuristic Space-Knight he'd always dreamed he'd be as a little kid.

When his ailing father can no longer afford to pay for private school for his two kids (ages 5 and 12) and the only available public school is on its last legs, Aidan reluctantly agrees to attempt to home-school them.

The result is some funny chaos, until Aidan decides to scrap the traditional academic curriculum and come up with his own. Through teaching them about life his way, Aidan gradually discovers some of the parts of himself he couldn't find.

It was written by my brother, Adam, and me last summer.

For a video and more information, please take a look at this: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1869987317/wish-i-was-here-1

 

[Salvor.Hardin]

And he'll have no problem raising those funds. But he needs to ask himself if this movie really needs a sequel.

Edit: Oops. Thought sequel and not follow up.

 

[Acorn]

I like Braff and loved garden state. But I find ks gross, especially celebrity kickstarters (of whatever industry).

Conflicted.

 

[V_Ben]

Ooh, cool. Really wish that one of the options was 'digital version of the film upon release' though.

 

[Feep]

And he'll have no problem raising those funds. But he needs to ask himself if this movie really needs a sequel.

I don't know about that. I can easily see this failing. Does Garden State have a rabid fanbase like Veronica Mars?

Edit: To those reading, I posted this when the project was at $279. Now I look dumb.

 

[Milchjon]

Wait, I thought Jim Parsons being painfully unfunny was an act limited to Big Bang Theory?

I always expected him to be better in other venues.

 

[Impeccable]

Kickstart more Scrubs instead.

 

[confuziz]

What the hell, does Donald Faison not age ?

(I don't mean this in a racist way)

 

[Blablurn]

Kickstart more Scrubs instead.

I would pay money for that

 

[soundscream]

I don't know about that. I can easily see this failing. Does Garden State have a rabid fanbase like Veronica Mars?

And when I read this,

Aidan passes his time by fantasizing about being the great futuristic Space-Knight he'd always dreamed he'd be as a little kid.

My eyes rolled so far back I could see out my ear canals.

 

[Snake]

Kristen Bell, what have you done?!

 

[Salvor.Hardin]

I like Braff and loved garden state. But I find ks gross, especially celebrity kickstarters (of whatever industry).

Conflicted.

It's baffling that they're fine with giving you a return on your investment if you're a film studio, but if you're some dweeb sitting behind your computer, they'll take your money and generously allow you to act as an extra. Disgusting but it allows fans to think they're in charge or something I suppose.

I don't know about that. I can easily see this failing. Does Garden State have a rabid fanbase like Veronica Mars?

Braff's Reddit army might finally be of use to him.

 

[DarkFlow]

Was there really no way for him to get the money for a sequel from a studio?

He said he had a deal but he would have to sign away too much control to get it, this lets him have full control.

 

[Burger]

I imagine Veronica Mars has more fans than Garden State.

I haven't backed a single thing on Kickstarter and likely never will. Perhaps maybe if it's a good deal on a tangible product that will be sold to me for less than usual, but this investment without return bullshit needs to stop. Or at least fall on its face which most of these bullshit "Give me money for the thing I want" projects seem to do.

 

[Milchjon]

God, he's so in love with himself...

Donald Faison is still hilarious though.

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

You had me thinking this would be a sequel to Garden State for a second.

 

[Peru]

Please, no more Garden State.

 

[NinjaBoiX]

Wait, I thought Jim Parsons being painfully unfunny was an act limited to Big Bang Theory?

Apparently it's spreading to gaming forums now too.

 

[confuziz]

You had me thinking this would be a sequel to Garden State for a second.

It is...a spiritual one..

 

[show me your skeleton]

And he'll have no problem raising those funds. But he needs to ask himself if this movie really needs a sequel.

this isn't a sequel.
i really liked garden state and i think braff has quite an accomplished directorial style despite his inexperience. would really like to see a follow-up.

 

[John Dunbar]

And he'll have no problem raising those funds. But he needs to ask himself if this movie really needs a sequel.

I don't think this a sequel, just a follow up as a director. At least, the character name is different than the one in Garden State.

 

[Dynamite Shikoku]

Stop giving rich people free money

 

[gotoadgo]

And he'll have no problem raising those funds. But he needs to ask himself if this movie really needs a sequel.

It isn't a sequel, it's a follow up from Braff. Not sure why people are getting confused here, the main characters have different names. Anyways, I hope he gets the funds he needs as I thoroughly enjoyed Garden State. One of my favorite movies to be honest.

 

[Doctor West]

So is KS going to be full of vanity projects now? What a waste.

 

[Burger]

Garden State cost $2.5 million to make, and made over $35 million.

Zach Braff is reported to have been paid around $350,000 per episode of Scrubs.

Now he wants your money. That way he risks none of his money.

 

[Klendathu Club Owner]

Ugh, celebrity kickstarters are shit. This is for things that wouldn't have been possible any other way and not for vanity projects...
I liked him in Scrubs and he seems like a nice guy, but I hope this fails as miserably as Melissa Joan Hart's project.

He said he had a deal but he would have to sign away too much control to get it, this lets him have full control.

Using his own millions of dollars woudl've probably given him even more control.

 

[TrutaS]

Well my kickstarter money is currently reserved for old-school gaming revivals (an agenda I fully agree with) but I'll support it with my ticket money when it comes out. I liked Garden State and I like him in general.

 

[confuziz]

Garden State cost $2.5 million to make, and made over $35 million.

Zach Braff is reported to have been paid around $350,000 per episode of Scrubs.

Now he wants your money. That way he risks none of his money.

Would you have risked your own money?

Exactly. Stop being a hypocrite.

 

[Aiii]

KICKSTART ALL THE THINGS!

Yeah, I'm perfectly okay with things being kickstarted that are being held back by movie studios, like the Veronica Mars project. If that's the only way that movie could get made and I want to see it, sure, I'll kickstart that fucker.

But, if it comes to just making movies, that would have gotten made even without my help. Then no thanks. Though I can't say I agree that it should matter if Zach Braff has enough money to make a movie without help, 2 million is alot of money, even if you have it in your account. It bothers me more that the movie was already one signature away from being made and he turned to Kickstarter because he didn't want to deal with a studio. I'd rather kickstart something more worthwhile in that case.

-edit: Wait, you don't even get a copy of the movie with the low-tier rewards? Well, that's just a pisstake. Kickstart something, but not actually getting the product? Is that even allowed?

 

[Pop-O-Matic]

How much longer before Transformers, The Avengers, Call of Duty and other such huge media franchises try to take a dip in the Kickstarter pool?

 

[Dead Man]

It's baffling that they're fine with giving you a return on your investment if you're a film studio, but if you're some dweeb sitting behind your computer, they'll take your money and generously allow you to act as an extra. Disgusting but it allows fans to think they're in charge or something I suppose.



Braff's Reddit army might finally be of use to him.

Yeah, I'd be much more likely to fund something with a profit sharing model. Or at least a copy of the bloody film.

 

[TAJ]

Stop giving rich people free money

.

Yet another reason to hate Kickstarter.

 

[Triple Oceans]

Kristen Bell, what have you done?!

This is exactly what I thought. Anyone else getting kick starter fatigue?

 

[Burger]

Would you have risked your own money?

Exactly. Stop being a hypocrite.

I'm not a multi-millionaire asking people to give me money in exchange for soundtracks and bit parts so I can make what I hope is a profit generating enterprise.

So I'm not really a hypocrite am I.

It's like HSBC asking me to deposit $10,000 but without interest. But I get a pen, and can appear in one of their ads. Oh and I don't get the $10,000 back.

 

[Doctor West]

Would you have risked your own money?

Exactly. Stop being a hypocrite.

Zach?!?

 

[confuziz]

I'm not a multi-millionaire asking people to give me money in exchange for soundtracks and bit parts so I can make what I hope is a profit generating enterprise.

So I'm not really a hypocrite am I.

It's like HSBC asking me to deposit $10,000 but without interest. But I get a pen, and can appear in one of their ads. Oh and I don't get the $10,000 back.

He's not demanding any money. People can do whatever they want.

 

[kazebyaka]

Meh, i rather see stuff like this kickstarted:

 

[Dynamite Shikoku]

How much longer before Transformers, The Avengers, Call of Duty and other such huge media franchises try to take a dip in the Kickstarter pool?

I await Michael Bay's 400 million dollar kickstarter

 

[Impeccable]

It's like HSBC asking me to deposit $10,000 but without interest. But I get a pen, and can appear in one of their ads. Oh and I don't get the $10,000 back.

What if you really are interested in seeing Zach Braff's movie and the only way to see it is to invest some money in the project. It goes beyond the surface level rewards.

 

[Burger]

He's not demanding any money. People can do whatever they want.

No he's not demanding any money. He's just asking for it.

 

[confuziz]

There are already 2 backers for 5k. Incredible.

 

[DiscoJer]

How much longer before Transformers, The Avengers, Call of Duty and other such huge media franchises try to take a dip in the Kickstarter pool?

The record for a kickstarter is what, like $10 million or so? That's chump change to the big studios

 

[Aiii]

What if you really are interested in seeing Zach Braff's movie and the only way to see it is to invest some money in the project. It goes beyond the surface level rewards.

I was about to sign a typical financing deal in order to get the money to make "Wish I Was Here," my follow up to “Garden State.”

.

 

[Bladenic]

Well, I'm sure this will at least get more backers than Melissa Joan Hart's nonsense.

 

[Pop-O-Matic]

The record for a kickstarter is what, like $10 million or so? That's chump change to the big studios

Most Kickstarters don't deal with franchises that big. They'd probably make $10 million in a slow hour of the campaign.

 

[Roland Deschain]

Use your Scrubs money to make your movie.

 

[otake]

Finally, people are waking up and realizing how foolish it is to donate money to a kickstarter for movies/games.

 

[Impeccable]

.

"It would have involved making a lot of sacrifices I think would have ultimately hurt the film."

.

 

[Aguirre]

lol WHAT?! im pretty sure he can bankroll this movie himself. haha and he'll be taking the profit too if it does well?

he wants a cake and to eat it too

 

[Aiii]

Most Kickstarters don't deal with franchises that big. They'd probably make $10 million in the slower hours of the campaign.

No they wouldn't.

Seriously, the average contribution would be about $15, but lets say, for arguments sake, $30. To get 10 million, you'd need 333.333 backers.

That many in a few hours? Where would these people come from?