Zach Braff Funds 'Garden State' Follow-Up Through Kickstarter

Anita Li2013-04-29 02:28:48 UTC

Zach Braff is the latest celebrity to successfully fund a film through Kickstarter.

The Scrubs actor raised $2 million in three days to fund a follow-up to his 2004 film, Garden State, according to the Associated Press. Currently, more than 30,000 backers pledged over $2.1 million to Braff's Wish I Was Here, with 25 days left in the campaign.

The actor said he was inspired to turn to Kickstarter after seeing fans flock to the crowdfunding platform to back a Veronica Mars movie.

"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 ... maybe there is a new way to finance smaller, personal films that didn't involve signing away all your artistic control," Braff wrote on Kickstarter.

Braff added that signing a "typical financing deal" would mean sacrificing a lot to create the film.

Wish I Was Here is about Aidan Bloom (Braff), a struggling actor, father and husband who is searching for his identity. After Bloom can no longer afford to finance his kids' private-school education, he attempts to home-school them, and finds himself in the process.

Rewards for backers include t-shirts, signed posters and tickets to advance film screenings. Those who pledge $10,000 or more get the unique opportunity to be a cast member.

Despite the success that Braff and the Veronica Mars team have seen with Kickstarter, not every celeb has had luck with the platform. Alice Cooper, the godfather of shock rock, failed to fund his project; it ended on April 19 after reaching just over 25% of its $200,000 goal.

Do you plan to back Braff's latest film? Sound off in the comments, below.

Image courtesy of Kickstarter, Zach Braff

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Aaron Swartz Documentary Seeks Funding on Kickstarter

Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai2013-04-26 00:19:24 UTC

When Internet activist and hacker Aaron Swartz committed suicide, his death resonated far beyond his circle of friends, family and acquaintances, touching technology's greatest minds, other Internet activists, and millions of people whom he never met.

His far-reaching influence is what motivated director Brian Knappenberger to decide to make a documentary on his life and death, and to launch a Kickstarter to fund it.

"I feel a real responsibility –- his story has touched so many people that I feel like I really want to [do] this justice," Knappenberger told Wired. "It’s touched people that didn’t really know him all over the world so, [the film] is about exploring why that is, why people knew about him and why he inspires people. … It’s not a memorial of him, either. It’s an investigative approach into what happened and who he was."

The feature documentary is currently titled The Internet’s Own Boy. The director, Knappenberger, also made the documentary about the hacktivist group Anonymous, We Are Legion. For the documentary, Knappenberger will interview Swartz's family and loved ones, as well as authorities like MIT officials.

At the time of his suicide, Swartz was facing criminal charges for downloading millions of articles using a laptop plugged into an MIT storage room. The articles were from JSTOR, an online academic database. Swartz's supporters and family have called the prosecution overzealous and unfair, and they argue it was one of the reasons he decided take his own life.

The Kickstarter project, which at press time has reached just over $40,000 of the requested $75,000, still has 29 days to go.

To find out more about the documentary, watch the video above.

Image via Wendy Maeda/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

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Filmmakers Have Earned $128 Million in Pledges on Kickstarter

Brian Anthony Hernandez2013-04-20 20:52:14 UTC

Film projects on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter have raised $127 million in pledges since April 2009, Kickstarter's Stephanie Pereira announced onstage at TFI Interactive. The $127 million figure has now increased to $128 million on Kickstarter's live stats page.

More than 1 million people have pledged money to help fund one of 9,700 independent films, features, documentaries, shorts, web series or other video projects, said Pereira, director of art programs at Kickstarter, on Saturday at the Tribeca Film Institute event in New York.

Several of the finished projects have earned accolades at awards shows, praise at film festivals and airtime on such networks as HBO, PBS and Showtime.

Inocente, for example, won Best Documentary (Short Subject) at this year's Oscars. Inocente had attracted 294 backers who collectively pledged $52,527 on its Kickstarter page in 2012.

"[Kickstarter] helped fund a bunch of the film and kept us going through post-production," Inocente co-director Sean Fine previously told Mashable backstage at the Oscars. "It's a great outlet for films especially for documentaries."

Two other Kickstarter-backed films received Oscar nominations this year: Kings Point in Best Documentary (Short Subject) and Buzkashi Boys in Short Film (Live Action). In previous years, Kickstarter-backed films Sun Come Up, Incident in New Baghdad and Barber of Birmingham also earned nominations.

In January, Kickstarter had announced it surpassed the $100 million mark in the film and rounded up these highlights about completed projects (details as of April 2013 weren't readily available at press time):

At least 86 Kickstarter-funded films have been released theatrically, screening in more than 1,500 North American theaters, according to Rentrak. Another 14 films have theatrical premieres slated for 2013.

According to Rotten Tomatoes, three of the 20 best-reviewed films of 2012 are Kickstarter-funded (The Waiting Room, Brooklyn Castle and Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry). Another Kickstarter-funded film, Pariah, was among the best-reviewed of 2011.

Kickstarter-funded films comprised 10% of Sundance's slate in 2012 and 2013. In total, 49 Kickstarter-funded films have been official selections at the prestigious festival.

Kickstarter-funded films comprised 10% of the 2012 slates at the SXSW Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival. In total, 57 Kickstarter-funded films have premiered at SXSW and 21 at Tribeca.

At least 16 Kickstarter-funded films have been picked up for national broadcast through HBO, PBS, Showtime, and other networks.

Kickstarter-funded films have won at least 21 awards at the Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, Cannes and Berlinale festivals.

Eight Kickstarter-funded films are nominated for Independent Spirit Awards this year.

Image via Jason Merritt/Getty Images

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Click and Grow Smart Garden Seeks Seed Money on Kickstarter

Andrea Smith2013-03-27 20:01:03 UTC

Click and Grow, the Smart Garden that uses sensors to help you grow plants, is turning to Kickstarter for seed money for version 2.0. If funded, the new Smart Herb Garden will let you grow three plants at once, a step up from the single plant versions offered now.

Although some gardeners were born to grow beautiful plants with a little water and a lot of sun, others need a boost. Click and Grow provides that, with sensors and software. When the first version came out, founder Mattias Lepp told Mashable all you need to do is add water and batteries. Technology takes care of the rest.

The starter pack for the Smart Herb Garden arrives with seeds for basil, thyme and lemon balm. Refill cartridges containing plant seeds for mini tomatoes, chili peppers, peppermint, and a variety of lettuce, among others, are also available.

You don't have to worry about killing these plants — the smart garden will make sure they always have enough light and water. Just plug the garden into an outlet, add water and the device handles the rest.

One improvement in the new version is a built-in LED light that provides a more natural-looking light that's also safe for young eyes, according to the company. Since it uses only 6 watts of energy, running the Smart Herb Garden should only cost around $5 a year.

The Smart Herb Garden is expected to retail for $79 once fully funded, so people who pledge $39 on Kickstarter will get their Smart Garden at a discount. The company is looking to raise $75,000 with an estimated ship date of September.

Check out the company's Kickstarter page and let us know how you would use technology to help make your garden grow.

Image courtesy of Click and Grow

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