We love you!

Wow. Do we have a lot to be grateful for!
By the numbers:
 - The 1st ever Live-A-Thon
 - Clocked 60 total hours
 - Ended Live-A-Thon with 67% of our goal achieved - and 25 day to go!
 - 150 funders gave so graciously to our campaign
 - We had 340,000 live views

Thank you! We love you!

 

You can still contribute at indiegogo.com/geekify for the next 22 days!

It's alive! It's ALIVE!

CLICK on the link below to contribute to TheMakingofCMD!

 {WATCH LIVE Sunday, Oct 21st @ 10am thru Tuesday, Oct 23rd @ 7pm: 60 hours of Geekification}

 CONTRIBUTE!

 * Help us prove that innovation in social filmmaking and orignial storytelling is not only what an audience wants, but what it deserves!

 * Join in with America as she (and her associates) show April “The Way of the Geek!”

CLICK on the link below to contribute to TheMakingofCMD!

Live-A-Thon Schedule!

April Wade and America Young have been friends and colleagues for years ...and it turns out that they don't actually have a lot of interests in common. America is a self-proclaimed geek (seriously, google her, it's obvious). April doesn't claim to be 'cool,' but since she's never read a comic book, she is definitely not a geek. Join us as we attempt to "geekify" the only person you've probably met whose only knowledge of Star Wars is from watching Spaceballs as a child.

Your hostesses: April Wade (@actoraprilwade) & America Young (@America_Young)

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21st

10am
We go LIVE and STAY LIVE for 60 hours! Our IndieGoGo campaign launches with much fanfare. Geeks begin to assemble...

11am
Star Wars: Episode IV
    associates: 
        Eliot Sirota (@OneEyedJedi)
        John M Keating (@jkeats, playing "John Dorn" in CMD)
        John Merchen, Nick Oberlander, Christina Snider (geeks)
        Corey Wish (semi-geek, April's Husband who has put up with her non-geekiness for 
            too long)
        Pete Wade (@askcoachpete, April's Dad: he will answer for why his daughter turned
            out so "cool") 
       
1:30pm
Kevin McShane will be drawing Bad Caricatures ($5 for a drawing and an apology)
    associates: Kevin McShane (@kmcshane) 


2pm
Star Wars: Episode V
    associates:  see above

4pm
Star Wars: Episode VI
    associates:  see above again (these geeks are in it for the long haul!)

7pm
A (probably heated) Star Wars discussion as we build a X-Wing out of LEGOs.
    associates: 
        movie discussion led by Kevin McShane (@kmcshane)
        lego session led by John M Keating (@jkeats, playing "John Dorn" in CMD)

10pm
Spaceballs

11:30pm
Spaceballs wrap up: Now that she has actually seen Star Wars, will April appreciate Spaceballs more or less? Is she starting to change into an honest to goodness geek?

MONDAY, OCTOBER 22nd

8am
Star Trek: Insurrection, complete with Early Grey and detailed explanation
    associates:  Dean Karasinski (@deanographics)

11am
Firely- Serenity pilot episode
    associates:  Kenny Mittleider (www.geekyfanboy.com)

1pm
Firely- Out of Gas episode
    associates:  see above (Kenny is in it to win it!)

2pm
Magic: The Gathering lesson and gameplay
    associates: 
        Eric Collin Campbell (@8BitEric)
        Juan Manuel-Rocha (@comicsoncomics)

4pm
We make every qeeky attempt we can to play an actual round of Muggle Quidditch.
    associates:  Tennyson Stead (@tennysonestead)

5pm
Battlestar Galactica- episode 1
    associates:  Sam McCoy (our writer!)

6pm
Battlestar Galactica- episode 2
    associates:  see above

7pm
Battlestar Galactica- episode 3
    associates:  see above again (Sam McCoy is a BSG machine!)

8pm
Saints Row 3 lesson and gameplay (if April actually picks up on the lesson...)
    associates:  Steve Jaros (@SteveJaros, Studio Creative Director at Volition-Inc)

11pm
Harry Potter (via audio book) as the two lovely ladies make SuperHero masks and probably fall off to a very peaceful slumber...
    associates:  John M Keating (@jkeats, playing "John Dorn" in CMD)

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23rd

8am
X-Men and Thundercats cartoons
    associates:  Sam McCoy (our writer!)

9:30am
The Last Airbender cartoons
    associates:  see above

10:30am
Anime Marathon (Lord help us all.)
    associates:  Sam Weller (@cravesam)

1pm
Dr Who - Blink
    associates:  Gabriel Diani (@GabeDiani)
 
2pm
Dr Who -  The Girl in the Fireplace
    associates:  see above

3pm
Dr Who - Midnight
    associates: see above again (Gabe is in it for the long haul!)

4pm
FINAL MOVIE of the TELETHON as VOTED on by YOU, the contributors.  What will it be??
  * (Original) Planet of the Apes
  * Willow
  * The Last Starfighter
  * Scott Pilgrim vs The World
  * Star Trek - Wrath of Khan   
    associates:  Sam McCoy (our writer!), Nick Oberlander (geek)

Telethon Schedule!

April Wade and America Young have been friends and colleagues for years ...and it turns out that they don't actually have a lot of interests in common. America is a self-proclaimed geek (seriously, google her, it's obvious). April doesn't claim to be 'cool,' but since she's never read a comic book, she is definitely not a geek. Join us as we attempt to "geekify" the only person you've probably met whose only knowledge of Star Wars is from watching Spaceballs as a child.

Your hostesses: April Wade (@actoraprilwade) & America Young (@America_Young)

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21st

10am
We go LIVE and STAY LIVE for 60 hours! Our IndieGoGo campaign launches with much fanfare. Geeks begin to assemble...

11am
Star Wars: Episode IV
    associates: 
        Eliot Sirota (@OneEyedJedi)
        John M Keating (@jkeats, playing "John Dorn" in CMD)
        John Merchen, Nick Oberlander, Christina Snider (geeks)
        Corey Wish (semi-geek, April's Husband who has put up with her non-geekiness for 
            too long)
        Pete Wade (@askcoachpete, April's Dad: he will answer for why his daughter turned
            out so "cool")
       
1:30pm
Kevin McShane will be drawing Bad Caricatures ($5 for a drawing and an apology)
    associates: Kevin McShane (@kmcshane)


2pm
Star Wars: Episode V
    associates:  see above

4pm
Star Wars: Episode VI
    associates:  see above again (these geeks are in it for the long haul!)

7pm
A (probably heated) Star Wars discussion as we build a X-Wing out of LEGOs.
    associates: 
        movie discussion led by Kevin McShane (@kmcshane)
        lego session led by John M Keating (@jkeats, playing "John Dorn" in CMD)

10pm
Spaceballs

11:30pm
Spaceballs wrap up: Now that she has actually seen Star Wars, will April appreciate Spaceballs more or less? Is she starting to change into an honest to goodness geek?

MONDAY, OCTOBER 22nd

8am
Star Trek: Insurrection, complete with Early Grey and detailed explanation
    associates:  Dean Karasinski (@deanographics)

11am
Firely- Serenity pilot episode
    associates:  Kenny Mittleider (www.geekyfanboy.com)

1pm
Firely- Out of Gas episode
    associates:  see above (Kenny is in it to win it!)

2pm
Magic: The Gathering lesson and gameplay
    associates: 
        Eric Collin Campbell (@8BitEric)
        Juan Manuel-Rocha (@comicsoncomics)

4pm
We make every qeeky attempt we can to play an actual round of Muggle Quidditch.
    associates:  Tennyson Stead (@tennysonestead)

5pm
Battlestar Galactica- episode 1
    associates:  Sam McCoy (our writer!)

6pm
Battlestar Galactica- episode 2
    associates:  see above

7pm
Battlestar Galactica- episode 3
    associates:  see above again (Sam McCoy is a BSG machine!)

8pm
Saints Row 3 lesson and gameplay (if April actually picks up on the lesson...)
    associates:  Steve Jaros (@SteveJaros, Studio Creative Director at Volition-Inc)

11pm
Harry Potter (via audio book) as the two lovely ladies make SuperHero masks and probably fall off to a very peaceful slumber...
    associates:  John M Keating (@jkeats, playing "John Dorn" in CMD)

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23rd

8am
X-Men and Thundercats cartoons
    associates:  Sam McCoy (our writer!)

9:30am
The Last Airbender cartoons
    associates:  see above

10:30am
Anime Marathon (Lord help us all.)
    associates:  Sam Weller (@cravesam)
 
1pm
Dr Who - Blink
    associates:  Gabriel Diani (@GabeDiani)
 
2pm
Dr Who -  The Girl in the Fireplace
    associates:  see above

3pm
Dr Who - Midnight
    associates: see above again (Gabe is in it for the long haul!)

4pm
FINAL MOVIE of the TELETHON as VOTED on by YOU, the contributors.  What will it be??
  * (Original) Planet of the Apes
  * Willow
  * The Last Starfighter
  * Scott Pilgrim vs The World
  * Star Trek - Wrath of Khan   
    associates:  Sam McCoy (our writer!), Nick Oberlander (geek)

...and the pitch!

We are holding a LIVE telethon OCT 21, 22 & 23rd to raise funds for The Concessionaires Must Die and our 'making of' live stream.

April Wade and America Young have been friends and colleagues for years ...and it turns out that they don't actually have a lot of interests in common. America is a self-proclaimed geek (seriously, google her, it's obvious). April doesn't claim to be 'cool,' but since she's never read a comic book, she is definitely not a geek. Join us as we attempt to "geekify" the only person you've probably met whose only knowledge of Star Wars is from watching Spaceballs as a child.

 * Help us prove that innovation in social filmmaking and orignial storytelling is not only what an audience wants, but what it deserves!

 * Join in with America as she (and her associates) show April “The Way of the Geek!”

Special thanks to John M Keating for the awesome flyer!

...here's the wind-up...

For the last 6 months or more, we have approached a ton of fabulous financiers who were always just moments away from funding us, we get excited, I post something vague on facebook about our progress... and for one reason or another, nothing has hit. This is NOT new or unique. I've been working in Los Angeles for a decade and it always seems impossible to fund an independent film - and in the last few years, the level of difficulty has skyrocketed.  We gambled on starting our journey by building an audience (which consists of a wonderful collection of intelligent fans and nearly 600,000 live views from just a few pre-production meetings). This gamble has paid off creatively and opened many, many doors for us. We've unlocked huge sponsorship donations for production. Just haven't cracked anyone's safe - yet.

Nearly everyone we know has suggested that we do a Kickstarter campaign for this project. They suggest that if there EVER was a project in the history of crowd-funded projects that was absolutely MADE for Kickstarter, it is this one. And they are right.
But, we've resisted. And resisted.
Until now.

We have schemed a great scheme that will squelch many of our reservations about crowd funding in one single bound: 
A LIVE TELETHON: The Attempted Geekification of April Wade by America Young and Associates!

We get about 1-2 Kickstarter requests from our friends a day. We simply don't want to innundate the ones we love. But, you know what? If they love us, they WANT to help. They've told us so. Plus, we've put a ton of thought into making this movie and the making of experience something that a lot of audience members would connect to - so, we have faith that there are people that are willing to pitch in that aren't related to us.

Kickstarter puts your goals and your progress out there for all to see which means that you not only live proudly with a success but you can also live publicly with a failure. In short, our egos are on the line here. Ultimately, we decided that we weren't going to let our fear (and pride) get the better of us. We are risk takers - because without that element, we would never be able to create. It is who we are, so we might as well get cozy with it and wear our hearts on our sleeves and jump head-first into the uncertainty.

Lastly - and MOST IMPORTANTLY - we didn't just want to stand there, hat in hand, telling you that what we are trying to make is more interesting or better than any of the other thousands of projects you could choose to fund. We have been committed to GIVING the audience an experience and cringe at the idea of turning around and asking for money in return. The cold hard fact is this: if we don't have any cash, we simply cannot make the movie, no matter how many amazing sponsors we have been able to attach. So, what we want to do is add value to this project, to create a 'pitch' that is entertaining, pushes our own limits and gives you a really unique and super fun experience in exchange for your very hard-earned money. Not just "perks" - but an event that you can really sink your teeth into.

So, clear your calendars and stay tuned. Oct 21, 22 and 23rd are going to be a ball!