Pr3++yG33kyTh1ng

Trust me! I'm a Producer!

I've spent a lot of time talking about crappy movies.
Almost enough time, in fact.
As you may be aware, I love bad movies.
MTV's Monster Island is unapologetically awful.
A good (bad) low-budget zombie movie is almost a refreshing break from the high-dollar, low-plot splatter-fest.
And we, as a movie-going people, whine.
Houston is on the southern, big-city edge of fly-over country. People here complain about the quantity of sequels churned out by the completely tapped-out idea factories at the major studios.
We wonder about all the creative ideas that exist but can't gain traction with a studio. Our artistic sides fear some of these (possibly at least interesting) movies will never be made.
Our better judgment causes us to lose sleep that someone will release another Nightmare on Elm Street sequel or Gigli 2.
We wonder if there is anything we, so far from Toronto or Orlando, can do to help.
As always, the Deus Ex Machina is the internet.
Andy Doan, of the Spaceship Radio and Beyond Science netcasts, has come up with a way to help.
His latest project springs from the idea of matching small films with producers who don't want to fling gobs of cash at random into the "industry".
I'm not about to compromise my solid gold toilet lifestyle to fund a plot-free, big-budget, CGI romp.
With FundableFilms.com, producers are recruited for independent films in blocks of cash as low as $50.
These films get made and (if they ever make money) the producer (maybe even someone in fly-over country) gets royalties.
There is a shortage of thought-provoking speculative fiction in cinematic format out there. If I'm upset enough about it, I can fling $50 at an idea I like.
Actually, right now there is an even better offer. Since Andy is just starting this project, someone just short of a producer's folding chair and clip board can trade $30 for a T-Shirt and a $50 donation towards the project of their choice.
Also, the producer is eligible for pre-release DVDs and other goodness still being fleshed out -- like maybe an independent film DVD subscription service.
I'm impressed.
Everyone I know is $30 and a few mouse clicks away from being able to say stuff like, "I understand the romantic vision, I'm just saying the scene needs more decapitations" or "I don't care who you are, everyone likes pirates with laser swords" and "Stop filming! Someone stole my low-carb flaxmeal bagel!"
Maybe now is the time that some bright filmmaker can finally get to make "Airwolf: The Movie" in spite of the fact that the major studios are so afraid of it.