Kickstarter: My Summer As A Goth. Help Make A Movie!

Hello Snarklings! Remember in the previous post, wherein the Lady of the Manners linked to a Kickstarter page for a movie project? As those of you who follow the Lady of the Manners on various social networking sites know, the Lady of the Manners is involved with getting a movie made!

My Summer As A Goth

The film in a nutshell: sixteen-year-old Joey Javitts is sent to live with her grandparents for the summer. During the course of the summer, Joey falls for the neighborhood Goth boy, Victor. She is transformed by Victor and his merry gang of fellow Goths from an average, run-of-the-mill teenager to Goth goddess–falling in love, making friends, and finding herself in the process.

It’s a story about trying to figure out who you are, trying on personae, and the changes we put ourselves through for love. It’s sweet, it’s heartfelt, and it’s very, very funny. The delightful Tara Johnson-Medinger (co-producer) and Brandon Roberts (co-producer and writer) contacted the Lady of the Manners about being their “go-to Goth” and consultant for the movie, and after reading the script, the Lady of the Manners could just not say no.

After posting the Kickstarter page to all the social networks, a very charming Snarkling wrote in with questions about the project:


question: Hello, dear Lady of The Manners. I have been a part of your website for like about a year i think (2010) and we have the same name (awesome)! I am 13 years old. I’ve heard that you have been a part of the My Summer As A Goth 2012 SUMMER MOVIE. I have so many questions. i AM SO EXCITED and so thrilled that you are a part of this project.

Q 1: Is this movie going to be in theatres? When in 2012?

Q 2: Will it be on DVD or on iTunes?

Q 3: How can I help donate money to them?

Thanx
Jillian (Jill)

1. The movie hasn’t been made yet! It is going to start filming in the summer of 2012, with a goal of a Spring/Summer 2013 release date. The Kickstarter project is to raise specific start-up production costs for the filming: to assemble an investment package to shop around to potential investors and marketers, to hire a casting agent, pay some of the kind and talented people who’ve already been working on the project, and all the other getting-a-film-made details necessary to get the project moving.

2. DVD and iTunes releases are part of the hoped-for-future of the movie, but those are things that will be focused on once the film is made.

3. How can you help donate money? Why, through the Kickstarter page! Here, let the Lady of the Manners give you some information directly from the Kickstarter FAQ:

How do I pledge?
To pledge to a project, just click the green “Back This Project” button on any project page. You will be asked to enter your pledge amount and select a reward. From there, you will go through the Amazon checkout process. Note that you must finish the Amazon checkout process for your pledge to be recorded.

If I make a pledge, when is my card charged?
If the project you’re backing is successfully funded, your card will be charged when the project reaches its funding deadline. If the project does not reach its funding goal, your card is never charged.

If funding does not succeed do backers pay anything?
Nothing. If funding fails, all pledges are canceled and that’s that.

It’s that last bit that the Lady of the Manners really wants to call your attention to. The project must reach the funding goal to receive the money; if it misses the goal, even by a few dollars, the pledges are null.

So! One of the biggest ways you can help the movie become a reality is to make a pledge. The Lady of the Manners is well aware that things are tight for everyone right now, but hopes you lovely people are able to pledge even $5. But if your finances won’t stretch to that (and gracious, does the Lady of the Manners understand about tight budgets), there are still ways you can help support the project:

– Help us spread the word! Post about the Kickstarter campaign to your blog, Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, or LJ!

– Go to the My Summer As A Goth Facebook page and click that oh-so-useful “Like” button! (That’s actually more helpful than the Lady of the Manners originally realized: many “Likes” on Facebook translates to eyes on the project, which is Useful Information to tell potential investors about.)

– Become part of the My Summer As A Goth street team! Send an email to info@mysummerasagoth.com for more information.

– Follow the My Summer As A Goth blog!

What if you’re a younger reader and you want to make a pledge? The Lady of the Manners has read through the Kickstarter FAQ, and can’t find anything about age limits for people who want to make a pledge, just that they must have an Amazon.com account. Does the Lady of the Manners really need to say that you absolutely must ask your parent or guardian before merrily using their Amazon.com account to make a pledge? No, she thought not, but better to hammer that point home than to make an assumption that would get people in trouble.

The Lady of the Manners would love to see more positive Goth characters in media. The few that have appeared in movies, TV, and books are a great start, but not enough. The characters of Joey and the flock of Goth kids that take her under their wings are delightful, but more importantly, they’re real. They’re people that you can relate to, whether you’re a Goth or just someone who feels misunderstood. And make no mistake, Snarklings: at some point in their lives, everyone feels misunderstood and like they don’t fit in. It’s a universal state of being that crosses all subcultures and stereotypes. My Summer As A Goth addresses those feelings, and that struggle to define yourself, with truth and humor.

The Lady of the Manners is delighted to be part of the project, and very much wants to see the movie happen and be a huge success. She believes with all her heart that it will do that, with your help. So thank you for reading this, and thank you for any help you can give.

My Summer As A Goth

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