Kickstarting Conservative Filmmaking via Social Media
by Wendy A. GoldmanLast October we announced the creation of Crusader Pictures a production company founded to make movies that make a difference. We believe Conservatives need to match their successes at the ballot box, in talk radio, the blogosphere, cable news and the Tea Party, with success at the box office. And the opportunity to do so is here for the taking.
Findings in a recent Gallup poll (Mississippi Rates as the Most Conservative U.S. State, February 25, 2011) reveal that …”In the nation as a whole, Americans are about twice as likely to identify as conservative as they are to identify as liberal, a pattern that has persisted for many years.” And “The conservative political label continues to prevail by a significant margin in most of the U.S. states.”
Ronald Reagan famously said “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. It has to be fought for and defended by each generation.” We seek through filmmaking to promote and preserve freedom. And with the internet and social media we have the opportunity to do so by communicating and sharing information in ways that could not have been imagined in Reagan’s time.
In Karl Rove’s recent article in the Wall Street Journal (Political Campaigns Go Viral, March 10, 2011) regarding the role of social media in politics, he makes the point that “(But) in the year ahead, smart campaigns will devote a good deal less money to running 30- second TV ads and a good deal more to using the Internet to organize, persuade, motivate and raise funds.”
He further states that “The Internet makes it likely that more campaigns will be self-directed from the grass roots. The tea party movement, for example, would have been impossible to organize and coordinate without email and the Web. Thus campaign managers will have to rely less on activity in centralized headquarters and more on volunteers—working at their pace and in their way—to reach voters on their laptops, tablets and smart phones.”
In a March 15, 2011 blog in the LA Times, Andrew Malcolm noted that according to a major new study at the Pew Research Center, “a larger percentage of Americans (46%) get their news online than get their news on that paper stuff that leaves their fingers ink-smudged (40%)…The little-noticed development has many major implications for American politics, how they operate and how they are consumed.”
These developments also have major implications for filmmaking, as film funding has also gone viral and grassroots, offering filmmakers the opportunity to create film projects that garner support at the very inception of the development process, building a constituency for a film project from the grassroots up.
Most prominent among the online platforms making it possible for filmmakers to utilize technology and social media to fund and make films is Kickstarter, the world’s largest funding platform for creative ventures and intellectual properties. Time Magazine named Kickstarter one of the 50 Best Inventions of 2010 and Kickstarter recently announced a collaboration with the Sundance Institute.
Every month thousands of people utilize this unique online pledge system to fund projects ranging from film to music, art, technology, and publishing. Kickstarter projects are inspiring, entertaining and diverse. Project supporters receive smart, fun, and tangible rewards for supporting Kickstarter projects they believe in.
And this new film funding platform is yielding significant results. Sun Come Up, a Kickstarter funded short documentary was an Academy Award nominee this year, and The Woods, a film which opened at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, was largely funded by Kickstarter.
That brings us to our film project, the satirical comedy An Incorrect Man. It’s the story of John Wood, an ordinary family man and business owner who does something really, really bad. He commits the cardinal sin of throwing away a soda can instead of recycling it. And when he gets a citation, he does something even more outrageous. He decides to fight back.
Last week we launched a campaign at Kickstarter to generate grassroots support for this film. To read more about our campaign, including a short scene from the screenplay, go to our Kickstarter project page.
There is a great tradition in filmmaking of movies about one man’s effect on American politics—films like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Candidate, and Wag the Dog, to name just a few. We aim to add our film to the list of those that entertain while exploring the effect ideas and policies have on our lives.
And we hope others will be inspired to utilize Kickstarter for their film projects, so that in the future, instead of bemoaning the dearth of pro-USA, Conservative-friendly films, we’ll be celebrating their success in the marketplace.
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28 Comments
Encouraging. One movie about one man's effect on American politics that you didn't mention may be more relevant to our situation today than any other– "Being There".
As long as conservatives make good, high quality, well written and executed films I'm in favor of it. They will be popular and project conservative values without preaching simply because they were made by conservatives. Conservatives making amateur movies which try to be accepted simply because they push conservatism doesn't move us any further along, and can even hurt, in making an impact in a left leaning culture.
I agree. I saw the movie Fireproof; I loved the premise but the acting and dialog needed work. The Christian message would have been more effective if it had been more seamlessly woven into the script.
The social media jpg is missing one: the website Redux.
Just sayin'…
There's a lot of Christian films that I am hunting down and enjoying. And music. Christian, because conservative a-religious is harder to pin down, but Christian, where Conservative comes from, is vast and expanding. Fireproof, Letters to God, Tyler Perry's films, lots of black christian films, and indie ones… they are there, and most are very enjoyable. And that truth hits home, in my gut and my famiies! We have some great moments together with these films. "Something to Sing about' is a great one. And music is rocking too, I can't stop listening to Hillsong United's Aftermath right now. Just look under Christian in Netflix and Itunes… but beware of "spiritual" or anti-christian or In Name only stuff.
The formula is already there, but seldom followed. Well done films with wholesome plots do very well despite being all but ignored by "the critics".
Same thing in politics. Reagan showed the way. Be Conservative in your campaign and in office and you will get elected in landslides despite what "the critics" say.
In both cases, the people in question fail by listening to "the critics" instead of the American People.
Frankly, I'm amazed that this is a concept that is so hard for our would be leaders to grasp.
Good point. Look how badly all those anti Iraq war movies flopped. Just make good movies with good principles.
Don't try to beat people over the head with the message.
Agreed. Story first, get the politics out of it, and things have a tendency to work themselves out.
The formula is already there
There's the problem. Trying to follow a formula.
Don't.
Indeed. I've heard of this company before, and I fear that their movies will be long on preaching and short on entertainment.
Hi Andrew, I am co-producing the film referred to in the above article and I wanted to let you know that I agree with you 100%. In fact, making high quality films that incorporate conservative principles is basically the mission statement of Crusader Pictures. We aren't making a "conservative film." We're making a comedy. Granted it does have political overtones, but our goal is to make you laugh. If it also makes people reflect a bit, too, I think that's a good thing. And maybe we will do a Star Wars or Inception type film that supports the values and principles we hold dear. But a fun comedy about an average guy who makes a small mistake which snowballs out of control can do the same thing.
Do! There is nothing wrong and everything right with doing things that have proven over time to be successful. Just as 1+1 will always equal 2, well made conservative movies will succeed. And campaigning and governing as a Conservative will equal electoral victory. And in both cases, the country will be better off for it. IMHO.
I'm glad to hear it, and thanks for the response! Too many times, when I've heard people say they want to make a conservative film, they seem to be talking about something that is almost sketch comedy which attacks various liberals who are then in the news. To me, that's a mistake. Something like that will never reach beyond the same base of conservatives who would watch a conservative documentary. It's like setting yourself up for failure.
So I'm glad that you aren't doing that and I wish you the best! I look forward to see it!
Ed, I'm not saying it can't be full of politics, but in my opinion, it should be subtle about it. Average people will forgive politicking in the middle of a good story, but they won't forgive a poor story. And if the poor story is blatantly political, then it gets even worse. That's my take on it.
I know several people who turned off "Green Zone" in less than 10 minutes. I can usually put politics aside and enjoy a movie just on the basis of "film quality," but I've honestly reached the point with the Iraq films that I won't even give them a try anymore.
By the way, your timing is a bit ironic (or probably coincidental is a better word). We were talking the other day about how foreign markets have started to control the content of US films because Hollywood is making twice as much overseas as they are in the US. Because of this, some studio chiefs have actually said that they don't intend to do many comedies and to start stripping the pro-American ideas out of films. This caused our crowd to wonder if that wasn't creating a market opportunity for conservatives to fill in the gap as the big studios vacate that area. And here you come along!
So I really do wish you well, and I hope that you can exploit Hollywood's shortsightedness to capture the American consumer!
(Here's the article/discussion if you're interested: http://commentarama.blogspot.com/2011/03/why-holl...
I agree that you can kickstart conservative filmmaking, or any conservative media project via social media, but that alone will only take you so far. I remember talking about "I Want Your Money" and still no one went to see it. I've tried to advertise my self-published book over social media and it's worked to an extent, but it has still reached far less people than I would have liked (what author doesn't say that though?). So while you can kickstart conservative projects via social media, you're going to have to eventually come to the main doors and hit the standard avenues to sell your work. It's possible that I Want Your Money sucks and it's possible so does my book, but I feel like the majority of the lack of people consuming the product is due to the lack of knowledge of the product being available.
Of course, Big Hollywood is fast becoming one of those main entrances and standard avenues of getting the word out!
An anti-recycling themed conservative flick? Seriously? Can't we do better? More edge, better actors, maybe not so white bread? [See: An American Carol. Great film, bad box office]. We have to get rid of our button-downed dork reputation in the pop culture. No, we need not sell out – there is a balance that exists between the near porn of lefty Hollywood and the embarrassingly lame don't touch yourself, after school special type of stuff that we've put out all too often in the past. We're trying to get rid of those stereotypes and reach a wider audience, remember? A recycling citation fighter…ugh…I have to be honest, I'm not feelin' it guys.
It's about time we are seeing more films that counter those which contain gratuitous sex and violence. Besides, I'll be very interested in knowing the fate of the lead character in "An Incorrect Man" for I happen to be one myself.
While driving home from my daughter's friend's birthday party a helium balloon she had accidentally released from her hand flew out the car window. It wasn't long after I saw those blinding blue lights flashing in my rear view mirror. After the license and registration protocol I received a lecture on littering and a verbal warning. Whew! said I and then thought to myself that it could have been worse, $250 worse. I'm assuming the guy who threw away the soda can instead of recycling it was not as lucky. At this time I can only look forward to learning the fate of my fellow incorrect man as he battles the dark side of the force; otherwise known in the U.S. of A. as the EPA, DEP, DEQ, DPHE, DNREC, DLNR or whatever enforcement agency it is that monitors and records our carbon footprint. Personally, I'm pullin' for John Wood, 'cause we're all in this together.
Can't wait to see this film!
Good Luck Wendy A. Goldman.
I think with technology getting better and cheaper, we are going to see more and more independent projects. It's only going to be a matter of time before Hollywood finds itself in a position like newspapers and magazines today.
All it's going to take is one really good online production, and the rest will be history.
Hello Wendy, I hope you read this since I don't know your e-mail but I will seek it out. You write about conservative films making a difference in Hollywood. I have been at it since 1980 doing it all alone as an unknown filmmaker/writer, seeking private funding since I won't work for hire for these leftist that run Hollywood. I made a film in 1988 it took me two years to complete and I showed the Vietnam soldier as a HERO during that war. In 1990 i got blacklisted by the open minded tolerant leftist that run this town. You can go to my site and read my reviews from Vietnam Vets, people from all over America who are fed up with the crap that spews out of Hollywood and they call it art. I even have a letter from President Bush who saw my film.
I have put together a biz plan to flip this leftist nonsense we all find ourselves swimming in year in and year out. There isn't anyone I know that will set this up but me. I just lack the funding source to make it a reality and not a grandiose idea as I have been told by people who have yet to expose one frame of film.
I have made three films and two are in profit, I am an independent filmmaker and I make films by my rules and I make my own distribution deals and collect my money. That is another reason I was shut out, politics is one and the other is I know this game like that back of my hand.
My site is http://www.forgottenheroesthemovie.com
Now if you want to promote your company Crusader Pictures in one of the fastest internet radio shows on LA TALK RADIO, contact me on facebook,I have my own radio show every friday night at 8PM PST. I talk about what it is like being a conservative here in this leftist paradise. I have been fighting these people for close to 29 years and I was making 35 mm films long before a lot of people got out of jr high.
I am inviting you to come on my show this Friday night the 25th and lets talk about being a conservative here in Hollywood and Crusader pictures. jackmarino@warriorfilmmakers.com I hope to hear from you so we can rock the internet
Sam Goldwyn famously said, "If you want to send a message, call Western Union."
Or in the words of DH: "Shoot me, stab me, just don't bore me." Agenda films, whether they are coming from the left or the right too often forget to entertain.
Off topic, but WTH….Saw Battle L.A……….OOOOORAH! Loved it! Go see it! Especially if you were enlisted!
Semper Fi
My opinion is if you are going to do a story, do a story, and leave the politics out. If politics happen to be part of the story, by all means add them. But if you think politics first, the story comes second, and it shows.
I'm having trouble thinking of a good example at the moment. How about Star Wars? It's primarily a story of good vs. evil. Of course that's going to involve the politics of who decides what is good and what is evil. But that's not the central theme.
Story first, the details will work themselves out.
I made a film already with a conservative slant to it. It will be in theaters this fall. Here is a preview:
http://lasteaglescout.com/video.aspx
Take the time to read the scene from the script at the Kickstarter site. It's pretty funny. Satires usually don't play it safe, and a movie that takes on political correctness is liable to be anything but "buttoned down" or square.
Looks good !
It's not an anti-recycling themed flick. Recycling's a good thing. But like a lot of good things, it can be taken to such an extreme that common sense gets left in the dust. And it's not an agenda piece. People go to movies to be entertained, not preached at. Go to our website crusaderpictures.com and read the article "Homeless Man to Get Honorary Law Degree." It's at the bottom of the home page. It's about a street character who manipulates the system for his advantage. And it's pretty funny. That's what this project is – it's a comedy, period. But the comedy does look at what happens when we forget to apply a little common sense.
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