This Week in Crowdfunding (12/4) (2024)

This Week In Crowdfunding is a column dedicated to newprojects that need help from the public in order to reach their goal.

We here at Trust the Dice love to support indie creations.

The list of popular, mainstream, films that began labeled‘indie’ is staggering. So before you start picturing a black and white shortfilm of a naked clown smoking a cigarette and flipping pancakes off a bulldog’sback, remember that some of your favorite films may very well have started outas indie.

Some indie films you may have heard of include: Pulp Fiction (1994), Clerks (1994), Requiem for a Dream (2000), Memento(2000), and The Terminator (1984).Keep in mind, that’s a very short list. A comprehensive list of indie moviesthat have been essential to shaping the entertainment world would be too longfor anyone to want to read.

Hollywood doesn’t prefer to take risks and, as much asartists don’t like to admit it, creativity is risky. That’s the reason we seeso many familiar tropes used over and over again. It’s safe. It makes money.However, some of the best films in history have become legendary because theytook the risky route and shunned the tropes their genres are known for.

Indie films are a breeding ground for risky creativity.

In this column, you’ll find ten of the best projects Trustthe Dice found hosted on crowdfunding sights this week. These are Films/WebSeries’/Shows of varying lengths and genres that we believe in. If you like anyof the projects you see here, donate to them, tell your friends, and/or post theirinformation on social media.

These projects don’t just need money, they need people tocare and spread the word that they exist.

Support creativity. Support indie artists.

Remember that every actor, director, writer, and movie youhave ever fallen in love with had to start somewhere.

Trust the Dice does not, and will not, accept payment from projectcreators for
appearanceon this list. Projects are chosen solely on the merit of the idea,
proposal,and people involved.

10 – Silver Moon

Director: EliasBenavidez

Writer: EliasBenavidez

Other Staff: AllisonVanore (Producer), Dylan Jury (Casting Director), Justin Martinez (VFXSupervisor), Hamdija Ajanovic (Composer)

Amount Requested:$11,000

Current Standing (asof Saturday night): $688 raised by 14 backers

Type of Goal: Flexible(This campaign will receive all funds raised even if it does not reach itsgoal.)

Link: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/silver-moon-a-short-film#/

When film makers delve into dementia, they enter into arealm of reality that’s so harsh that it’s almost always a harrowingexperience. In this case, Elias Benavidez (April’sLast, A Boy’s Life, A Note to Etienne), the writer/director of Silver Moon, actually watched hisgrandmother deteriorate due to the disease. In his introduction video, he creditsthat experience as the inspiration for this short film.

Benavidez has outlined an in depth proposal for the funds hereceives from backers for this film, with stretch goals that include improvedequipment, song licensing and compensating volunteers for their time. He hasalso expressed desires to take the completed film to festivals.

Any proceeds SilverMoon garners will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Between the intense heart of this film and the generosity ofthose working on it, this is not just a film we believe might work out, but onewe genuinely hope succeeds.

EDIT-

I was able to speak to writer/director Elias Benavidez today (12/6). I asked him if there was anything he might want people to know about his project that wasn't on his Indiegogo page.

"Much of the inspiration is already on the page, but dementiacare has impacted me even prior to losing my grandma. My high school job wasworking in a dining hall at a retirement home and I gained great friendshipswith the residents (many of whom had dementia).
"Many of us went to the University of Arizona togetherand we wanted to collaborate on a project that can honor those who've beenimpacted by Alzheimer's or dementia (which is why we want this film to supportthe Alzheimer's Association).
"On a creative note, I love movies that tackle this issue.Movies like Away From Her(2006) and Still Alice (2014) -- and I wanted to create a projectthat honors those themes while infusing genre and heightened surrealism,staying true to my personal aesthetic."

Had I gotten to speak to Benavidez before finalizing this list, his project would have been listed higher up. When a writer/director touches on something as serious as Alzheimer's Disease, passion is absolutely everything.

Obviously, that passion is present here. That is going to shine through in the finished product.

Lowest Fund Reward:$10 – Neptune – You are now a part ofour intergalactic team! As such, you will receive periodic updates about thefundraising and the film production itself. To infinity…! (Anywhere in theworld)

Highest Fund Reward:$1,000 – Sun – You’re the center ofthis film’s solar system! In recognition, you are listed in the film credits asCO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER for helping bring SILVER MOON to LIFE! Also, YOU’REINVITED TO THE SET WHEN WE ARE SHOOTING (Los Angeles)! A VIP invite to thepremiere screening, plus downloads (movie and music) and shoutouts! PLUS you’llhave a STAR adopted on your behalf, a TREE planted in your honor, AND ADMISSIONFOR 2 TO VISIT THE SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR and the IMAX film JOURNEY TO SPACE!(Anywhere in the world)

9 – Barren

Crowdsource Platform:KICKSTARTER

Director: SarahHickey

Writer: SarahHickey

Other Staff: JessicaPearce (Producer), Josh Mitchell Frey (Director of Photography), JasmineJakulpi (Production Designer), Luke Bicevskis (VFX Supervisor), Phillip Klimek(Composer), Lachlan Harris (Sound Designer), Vanessa Crouch (Cast), TomBeaurepaire (Cast), William Whyte (Cast), Verity Higgins (Cast),

Amount Requested:$11,191

Current Standing (asof Saturday night): $815 raised by 25 backers.

Type of Goal: Allor Nothing (This project will only be funded if it reaches its goal by thedeadline)

Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/855098413/barren?ref=category_newest

This short film is a very emotional drama based on the truestory of one woman seeking to escape a significant loss.

In reality, Sarah Hickey (Communion Day, Waiting on Sound, The Mole), writer/director of Barren, lost someone very near and dearto her heart. As a way to deal with her grief, she carried a stuffed animalbelonging to that person on a nearly 500 mile walk from Melbourne to Adelaidein Australia. It took her a grand total of 31 days.

The story is easy to relate to, heartbreaking, andinspiring. In short, it’s the perfect subject for a crowdfunded campaign.Furthermore, production has already started on this film. That means, one wayor the other, this short film will be made.

The people involved in this film will be putting their fundstoward the last days of filming and post-production. It will cover things likemusic composition, VFX, and editing.

Lowest Fund Reward:$0.75 ($1AU) – SHUFFLE – walk without lifing the feet – Thank you for joiningus on a little shuffle - every dollar counts! We appreciate your company andthat you’re being a part of the film. We will make sure we give you a big THANKYOU and shout it to the mountains on our social media channels! (OnlyAustralia)

Highest Fund Reward:$5,966.40 ($8000AU) – A JOURNEY – from one place to another – If you pledge$8000AU or more, it’s safe to say you’ve made the full journey with us. And wewant to hear all about it! Come join us for a THREE-COURSE DINNER with theDirector and Producer to hear all about the story of the film (Travel notincluded). And for your next journey, we are giving you a OSPREY AURA 50Lbackpack (the same one Sarah used on her walk!) You also receive: AssociateProducer Credit, Coffee Table Book, Cast and Crew screening tickets, T-SHIRT A3Poster Signed by the Director, Cap, Waterbottle, Enamel Camping Mug, 5 Pack ofBARREN Postcards, exclusive access to the full Behind the Scenes Diariesincluding the Making of and Sarah’s video diaries from the original walk and abig THANK YOU and SHOUT OUT on our social media channels. (Anywhere in theworld)

Crowdsource Platform:INDIEGOGO

Director: JeremyWeiss

Writer: JeremyWeiss

Other Staff: Unknown

Amount Requested:$40,000

Current Standing (asof Saturday night): $2,140 raised by 13 backers.

Type of Goal: Fixed(This campaign will only receive funds if amount requested is raised bydeadline)

Link: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/balloons-the-movie-animals#/

I was absolutely charmed by the introduction video on theIndiegogo page for Balloons: The Movie.

This is another film based on a true story, but there’s aslight change of pace. Jeremy Weiss is not telling a drama or documentary-basedstory, he’s introducing his project as a comedy. The story is based on his oneembarrassing day as a balloon salesman.

Judging from the video, I’m sure we’ll be able to expectsome physical comedy along with the cringe-based stuff.

We all know cringe isn’t really my thing. I have a very lowthreshold for tolerating embarrassing scenes, but with the proper balance ofcringe, relate-ability, and physical comedy… it becomes something much better.

This film creator is another that has his eyes set onputting good into the world. All leftover proceeds from what he raises will be donatedto the Lange Foundation – an animal rescue.

Lowest Fund Reward:$20 – A Special Thank you! – A special thank you for your contribution! You’llget a special thank you shout out on social media! Items included: A SpecialThank You!

Highest Fund Reward:$25,000 – Executive Producer – Holy cow! What an incredible donation! For thisone you’ll be an Executive Producer of Balloons. You’ll have your name in theopening credits of the movie. Plus all of the Friends of Lange perks. You’llalso receive the official T-Shirt, poster, and digital copy of the movie. Itemsincluded: Executive Producer Credit, Friends of Lange.

7 – Dying: 101

Director: Unknown

Writer: LarryClarke

Other Staff: (Allcast members listed are possible, not necessarily confirmed) Leslie Ann Warren,Brian Dennehy, Mike O’Malley, Sam Trammel, Kate Walsh, JK Simmons, BillyGardel, Chris Bauer, David Koechner, Jeffery Donovan

Amount Requested:$200,000

Current Standing (asof Saturday night): $7,791 raised by 45 backers.

Type of Goal: Flexible(This campaign will receive all funds raised even if it does not reach itsgoal.)

Link: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/dying-101-a-new-film-by-larry-clarke-independent#/

This is another film inspired by the death of the writer’sloved one. The difference between the previously mentioned film and this one isthe method of storytelling. In this case, the writer, Larry Clarke (Road Hard, The Secret Life of the AmericanTeenager, Contagion), has decided to tell the story inspired by hisfather’s passing through the use of dark comedy.

He’s described the film as a mix of Garden State (2004), EternalSunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), Happiness(1998), and Welcome to the Dollhouse(1995). He says it’s told in the flashback style of a Charlie Kaufman (The Edge, Being John Malkovich, Confessionsof a Dangerous Mind) movie with a Todd Solondz (Storytelling, Dark Horse, Palindromes) tone.

That’s a mouthful right there and Clarke seems to be raisingexpectations incredibly high. Of course, with a requested budget of $200k,those expectations were already pretty up there.

With many crowdfunded films, investors are taking a risk onnew talent. However, Clarke is backing up his project with established andrespected cast members. Many of the people speaking on his behalf in theintroductory video are well-know, if not household name, actors.

Clarke did shop his film around, and there were nomainstream takers. I urge you not to put too much stock in that fact. As Imentioned above, Hollywood doesn’t like too much creativity.

They forget the audience does.

Lowest Fund Reward:$10 – Honorary Club 101 – You have full access to the Dying 101 websiteincluding my director’s video diary all through production. Items included:Website Access/Film Diary.

Highest Fund Reward(1): $5,000 – CoProducer Perk – We will have you as a part of the team.Screen credit as a Co-Producer with carte blanche access to production. Ourproducers will include you in all pre-production correspondence. VIP access toall events. In short, you will be our best friend forever. Items Included:Co-Producer Credit.

Highest Fund Reward(2): $5,000 – Walk On Part – You will have a walk on part in one scene. Youwill have a line. I guarantee you will be in the movie. You, of course, will belisted with the cast. You also get all VIP perks. Items included: Walk On Partwith lines.

Crowdsource Platform:INDIEGOGO

Director: AshleyEberbach

Writer: DylanWayne Lawrence (also cast)

Other Staff: SingHowe Yam (Director of Photography), Reid Waterer (Producer), David T. Woodruff(FX Artist), Marianna Von Fedak (Concept Artist), Tamika Katon Donegal (Cast),Jessica Joan (Cast)

Amount Requested:$30,000

Current Standing (asof Saturday night): $1,375 raised by 6 backers

Type of Goal: Flexible(This campaign will receive all funds raised even if it does not reach itsgoal.)

Link: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/hello-there-a-psychological-thriller-film-lgbt#/

This is one of the important films I found this week.

Aside from a very eye catching introduction video, this filmhas an incredible message. The plot of a character seeing demons that may ormay not be real is not exactly unheard of. However, HELLo tHERE is not just a random ghost story. There is a reallypurpose behind the demons they use.

This psychological thriller is based around the traumacaused by inequality, racism, and hom*ophobia.

More and more often I find myself seeing people argue thatthe aforementioned issues are really not a big deal anymore. They don’t see thehate, so it obviously isn’t there, right?

Every person walks a different path and, for many people,that path is lined with thorn-bearing bushes. They can get to their goal, butonly after cutting themselves to bits on other people’s hate.

Inequality, racism, and hom*ophobia are diseases that canonly be cured by reversing ignorance. The only way to do that is to flood theworld with information that combats the lies that cause such hate. Sometimes,that information is easier to swallow when it’s in the form of some manner ofentertainment. In this case, you get a badass thriller that helps provoke somethought when it’s over.

Ok, I’ll admit, the title of the film is… rough, but I’vebeen clear about this in the past: You cannot judge a film/TV show/web seriesby its name. After all Reservoir Dogs(1992) is a phenomenal film, yet people have been arguing over the terriblename since it came out.

Lowest Fund Reward:$10 – RUN, IT’S GONNA GET YOU! – Although we appreciate your donation, itwasn’t enough to escape the monster’s grasp. Rest assured it was a quickdemise, but it’s hungry for more! Items Included: Special Thanks in FilmCredits, Shout-out on Social Media.

Highest Fund Reward:$101 – CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON – Any donation over $100 (even by $1) earns you anExecutive Producer credit in the film. Your name will be seen worldwide as akey player in the next iconic horror film! Items Included: Special Thanks inFilm Credits, Digital Poster Download, Stream the Film for Free, VIDEOShout-out on Social Media, HD Digital Download of Film, Behind the ScenesFootage, Executive Producer Credit.

5 – Artemis One

Director: BrendanO’Toole

Writer: BrendanO’Toole

Other Staff: Unknown

Amount Requested:$10,000

Current Standing (asof Saturday night): $159 raised by 4 backers

Type of Goal: Flexible(This campaign will receive all funds raised even if it does not reach itsgoal.)

Link: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/artemis-one-feature-film-initial-funding#/

Artemis One is ascience-fiction film about two women going on a road trip with the intent tosteal a space ship in order to test an invention one of them created. Thecreator describes his vision as a mix of Thelma& Louise (1991) and Interstellar(2014).

The plot seems interesting enough, but that’s not what drewme to this project.

What drew me in was the sheer level of passion this creatorhas for film and space. The introduction video on the Indiegogo page is simple.Much simpler than the majority of the other videos that accompany the projectson this list, but the monologue of the creator was so impassioned that it MADEme care in a way that most of the projects I came across simply didn’t.

When it comes to crowdfunding and creative enterprise thereis nothing more important than passion. Passion for the art and passion for thesubject matter are equally important. Brendan O’Toole has both in spades.

I truly believe that, given the funding, O’Toole will beable to make a film that accurately portrays his heightened level of devotionto the subject and its vehicle.

Lowest Fund Reward:$1 – Thank You! – I get it. You want to support us, but you don’t have much togive. We thank you for your support. Every dollar helps. Items Included: OurThanks.

Highest Fund Reward:$1,000,000 – Holy Crap!!! – Seriously, if you’ve got this much to give, justcontact us and we’ll work something awesome out for you. Items Included: MovieDownload, Have a Hoody, Signed Script, This will look good on a wall, ComeVisit the Set, Post Production Visit, Executive Producer.

4 – SlingshotPrince

Crowdsource Platform:INDIEGOGO

Director: Sixin(Dandelion) Lin

Writer: Sixin(Dandelion) Lin

Other Staff: JanaSue Memel (Executive Producer), Khoi Ly (Director Photography)

Amount Requested:$25,000

Current Standing (asof Saturday night): $1,445 raised by 11 backers.

Type of Goal: Flexible(This campaign will receive all funds raised even if it does not reach itsgoal.)

Link: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/slingshot-prince-a-short-about-bullying-feminism#/

This film shines a significant light on the topic ofbullying.

Bullying is a subject that is very near and dear to myheart. From elementary school until I grew so angry that I developed a violentstreak in High School, I was bullied mercilessly.

I was an absolute magnet for bullies. I was a poor, fat,book-wormy, role-player girl. I had no father, wore glasses, and was confusedabout my sexuality. To top it off, in order to try to tolerate my ownloneliness, I turned to lying in order to make myself look better. Literallyany quality that could trigger a bully to get cruel, people would find in me.

I was a one-stop victim shop.

Although SlingshotPrince seems to focus mostly on bullying triggered byhom*osexual/transgendered people, it still pokes at a subject that absolutelyNEEDS to be poked at.

A friend of mine killed himself when I was thirteen. Afterhigh school, I started a group to help bullied children. When one of the kidscoming to the meetings walked off a building, I found it absolutely impossibleto continue.

It screwed me up for a long time.

Bullying is a HUGE problem. It inspires suicide, schoolshootings, violence… at some point people need to stop pointing fingers andstart really looking for the source of the problem.

I had the absolute pleasure of talking to thewriter/director of this film, Dandelion Lin (Bifrost, 6915 Miles, The Screenwriter in the Restroom).

I asked Lin if there was anything the Slingshot Prince team would want to tell people about their projectthat wasn’t already on the Indiegogo page.

“We hope more people can accept people who are different,”Lin said. “…I used 26 years to identify and accept my gender. I want other kidsdon't need to feel less and shame about themselves, they can dress whateverthey like, and be themselves. No one should take so long to accept themselves.”

The story of SlingshotPrince is about a tomboy girl in 1995 living in the south of China. Thefilm explores the bullying she experiences from her classmates due to herapparent sexuality. The story twists into one of revenge, but that does notcheapen the meaning behind it all.

Children are being hurt every day because people can’thandle what is not like them. Projects like this one could make more of adifference than people realize.

Lowest Fund Reward:$5 – STAND UP AND SHOUT! – Thank you so much for standing up and being with us!There will be a big THANK YOU note for you on our social media and website.Please share our site on social media and shout with us “People who aredifferent deserve to be treated equally!” Items Included: THANK YOU Note on SocialMedia.

Highest Fund Reward:$2,500 – CO-PRODUCER CREDIT – We sincerely appreciate for your contribution!Your altruistic support will receive everything above. Plus, as ourCo-producer, your name will be showed on the end credit of this film as well ason IMDb. You will get THE PRINCE’S SLINGSHOT which hands crafted by ourdirector. Moreover, you will get FOUR PREMIERE TICKETS as our BIG STAR! ItemsIncluded: THANK YOU Note on Social Media, Collectible Movie Poster, DigitalDocumentary Film, FOUR Premiere Tickets, Prince’s Slingshot, Co-ProducerCredit, Printed Storyboard Book, Printed Behind the Scenes Book, SlingshotPrince DVD.

3 – Don’t Kill It

Director: MikeMendez

Writer: Unknown –Script was delivered to Mendez by Robert Yocum according to an interview hegave Movie in Focus

Other Staff: ScottMartin, Michael Slifkin, Heather Brawley, Alex Scott-Webster, Dolph Lundgren,Kristina Klebe

Amount Requested:$100,000

Current Standing (asof Saturday night): $2,483 raised by 28 backers

Type of Goal: Flexible(This campaign will receive all funds raised even if it does not reach itsgoal.)

Link: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/don-t-kill-it-see-dolph-lundgren-as-a-demon-hunter-movie-horror#/

As a reader of this blog, the name “Mike Mendez” (Lavalantula, Big Ass Spider!, The Convent)should ring a bell. Mendez is one of those underestimated directors that canturn a minor horror idea into a phenomenally memorable B-Flick. The last filmof his that we’ve mentioned on the blog was TheLast Heist (2016) starring Henry Rollins (Con Man, He Never Died, The Legend of Korra).

Any creator that’s smart enough to want to work with thegreat Henry Rollins will always get my attention.

In this case, we have an entire Indiegogo page filled withthat awesome cheesy horror/action/comedy stuff that all of us at Trust the Dicejust love. Especially when you add in the part of the main character, played byDolph Lundgren (Shark Lake, TheExpendables 3, Army of One).

The last film we reviewed with Lundgren in it, didn’t quitethrill us. Then again, Kindergarten Cop 2(2016) was poorly handled. Marketing it as a sequel when it was actually areboot was the movie industry insulting our intelligence.

In Don’t Kill It,Lundgren plays a demon hunter in Mississippi. He works with an FBI agent,played by Kristina Klebe (The Last Heist,Slay Belles, Free Fall), to figure out how to kill the demon they aretracking through a series of deaths.

The Indiegogo site is very clear with nearly everything youneed to know about this film, but I was able ask the producer, Scott Martin (Time Rush, A Fighting Man, Battle Force),a couple of questions, so I thought I might be able to get him to expand on theplot and the demon used within it.

Trust the Dice:Many of our readers tend to find interest in where the ideas for projects comefrom. Were the demons utilized in the film unique creations or were they takenfrom various legends/religions and adapted for your needs?

Scott Martin:This is a single demon and it is entirely unique. How it changes bodies, if youkill the demon, it jumps into your body and becomes you. Then someone kills youand the demon jumps into their body. This obviously makes it very difficult tostop, and creates opportunity for lots of Mayhem.

Trust the Dice:Was there a specific inspiration for the storyline in general?

Scott Martin: Wewanted to take the familiar demon in a small town story and add a big twist tooit. It’s also fun to have Dolph be the one trying to stop the Mayhem, when inmost of his movies, he’s the one driving it.

Trust the Dice:Also, would you classify this film as straight horror, horror/action,horror/comedy, or another genre altogether?

Scott Martin: Itis definitely not a straight horror movie. We would classify it ashorror/action/comedy. There is a lot of fun moments and Dolph is very funny inDON’T KILL IT. People are going to really enjoy his performance. We haven’tseen him like this before.

When it comes down to it, this project has the potential tobecome a great finished film.

Lowest Fund Reward:$5 – THANK YOU – You are awesome! Our team will send you a digital “Thank You”for your support! Items Included: THANK YOU.

Highest Fund Reward:$10,000 – Executive Producer – Be an Executive Producer on “Don’t Kill It”!Receive Screen Credit and IMDB Credit as an Executive Producer. Also receiveour team’s “Thank You”, the exclusive Sticker, a Digital Download & DVD ofthe film, the exclusive T-Shirt AND Hoodie, lunch w/ the Producers andDistributors, and the Screenplay signed by Mike Mendez and Dolph Lundgren.Items Included: THANK YOU, EXCLUSIVE DON’T KILL IT STICKER, DIGITAL DOWNLOAD,DVD, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, EXCLUSIVE DON’T KILL IT HOODIE, EXCLUSIVE DON’T KILLIT TSHIRT, LUNCH W/ DISTRIBUTORS & PRODUCERS, SCREENPLAY SIGNED: DOLPH& MENDEZ.

2 – Transhuman: ADocumentary

Crowdsource Platform:INDIEGOGO

Director: FordFischer

Writer: N/A

Other Staff: AlejandroAlvarez (Outreach Producer), Zoltan Istvan (Advisor), Mike Ricciardi (ResearchAssistant), Emily Bank (Production Assisstant)

Amount Requested:$20,000

Current Standing (asof Saturday night): $250 raised by 1 backer

Type of Goal: Flexible(This campaign will receive all funds raised even if it does not reach itsgoal.)

Link: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/transhuman-a-documentary-news-film#/

We don’t do many documentaries on Trust the Dice for onesimple reason.

They’re boring.

Ok, not all of them. You take an interesting subject andgive it to someone with a new perspective on it, and you have something verymuch worth watching. That’s the reason we don’t completely rule out the genre.

For a documentary to not only be chosen for a Top 10 on thissite, but to be placed as high as second, you know there’s some substancebehind it that makes it intensely interesting.

I had never heard of transhumanism before.

That statement alone probably doesn’t mean much, I’m surethere’s a ton of stuff I’ve never heard of. However, I questioned a great dealof people out-and-about on Friday. Only two out of fifty knew what transhumanismwas… and I’m fairly certain one of them was lying.

For me, technology is life. Everything I do is based aroundmy computer, my phone or my gaming consoles. I work with technology, all myhobbies involve technology… there’s never a moment when I don’t have a complexmachine touching my hand or my lap. Even when I sleep my phone is mere inchesfrom my head. And my husband is even more of a technophile.

Transhumanism seems to be the next step in that evolution.

According to the Indiegogo page, transhumanism is all aboutusing technology to enhance humanity in ways that are beyond what we currentlyunderstand to be possible. The final goal of transhumanism seems to be usingtechnology to overcome death completely.

Due to the fact that no one involved with Trust the Diceknew absolutely anything about transhumanism, we were thrilled to hear backfrom the director, Ford Fischer.

I asked Fischer what triggered his interest intranshumanism.

“…I actually heard about Zoltan Istvan's Transhumanist PartyPresidential run,” he explained. “I contacted him and did an interview … Iended up becoming very interested in the topic and watched several news storiesabout it and read Zoltan's book, TranshumanistWager. Before announcing the film, he also agreed to participate as anadvisor and be interviewed for it.”

What that means is that this all started with a politicianthat had the future in mind (shocking, I know). It’s not uncommon for adocumentary film to take something small, like an unknown politician runningfor president, and turn it into something worth learning about.

This is exactly the kind of documentary Trust the Dice iswilling and happy to support.

This will be the first full-length documentary that Fischerdirects, but he’s hardly a newbie to the genre. Three years ago, he co-foundedNews2Share – an online news source. He has an eye for intriguing truths.

“I’m up to the challenge and believe the topic is perfectlysuited for a successful film,” he said. “Transhumanism is a relatively fringephilosophy right now, but I anticipate it emerging and shaping our future bothsocially and politically.”

I can’t claim to know what will happen in the future, but Ido know that technology seems to be leaning toward taking over the world… andthat make Transhumanism a fascinating subject.

Lowest Fund Reward:$5 – The Mention – We will thank you by name on Facebook or Twitter, andinclude you in a list of backer on our donor website.

Highest Fund Reward:$2,500 – Executive Producer – You will be granted exclusive access to the filmin progress and be able to give feedback to help shape the film, and all perksabove. We will also include your name in marketing materials such as posters,trailers, etc. Included: Social media shout-out, Inclusion on online donorlist, Digital copy of the film, DVD copy of the film, Signed poster, “ExecutiveProducer” in film credits, “Executive Producer” on IMDB, Inclusion in meetingswith film producers, Thank you video.

Crowdsource Platform:INDIEGOGO

Director: Alvaro Calmet

Writer: AlvaroCalmet

Other Staff: N/A

Amount Requested:$3,000

Current Standing (asof Saturday night): $490

Type of Goal: Flexible(This campaign will receive all funds raised even if it does not reach itsgoal.)

Link: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-lyosacks-movie-movies#/

I have always been and will always be a big fan andsupporter of YouTubers.

Alvaro Calmet began posting the Lyosacks series on YouTube in 2010. Like many, his channel startedslow. Sure, he doesn’t post as often as some of the really big names out there,but he does post regularly and his Lyosacksseries is adorably hilarious.

I’ll be honest, I had never heard of the series when I firstcame across this project on Indiegogo. My initial interest in the film stemmedsolely from the fact that it was based off a YouTube series.

I have a mild obsession with YouTube. Well, more than mild. I’ve actually been working on getting my own channel up and running.

On this blog, we’ve seen some interesting projects that werecreated by YouTubers. Riley Rewind (2013),SMOSH: the Movie (2015), Video Game High School (2012), etc. Weseem to always enjoy these kind of projects. I have a theory that the qualityis better because the sheer amount of passion and dedication necessary for aYouTuber to stand out among the rest and force their work into existence is staggering.Especially since YouTubers never start off getting paid for their work.

It’s a labor of love.

The audience can always tell when extra effort has been putinto a project and it DOES pay off.

In the case of the LyosacksMovie you have Alvaro Calmet, a YouTuber that animates and writes hisseries alone. The only reason he intends to work with anyone for this film isbecause he needs voice actors.

The film is about three friends trying to save the world.From what? Well… everything. The movie will involve everything from zombies toninjas to aliens. It’s sure to be crazy fun.

Not only that, but Calmet has stated that, although it helpsto be a fan of the series beforehand, the story works just fine as astand-alone film for people unfamiliar with his previous work.

When I asked Calmet what he might want to tell people abouthis project/channel, he explained that he wanted people to understand thateveryone has a chance to make their projects and dreams become a reality ifthey put their minds to it and exert as much effort as possible.

I urge you to take a look at Calmet’s channel. Watch a few Lyosacks episodes. After an hour, you’llsee exactly why this project landed our number one spot this week.

Lowest Fund Reward:$5 – THANK YOU POSTCARD! – Thanks for pledging $5! Everything helps to reachour goal! As a token of our gratitude, we would send you a postcard! Thisincludes a pictures of the Lysacks world and a phrase thanking you by name.

Highest Fund Reward:$100 – PRODUCER ACCESS! - $100! You’re now officially a producer of the movie!Of course, this comes with its own privileges: You get access to a closedFacebook group with the voice actors where I’ll be updating the movie as itprogresses and discuss it! This means YOU’LL BE WATCHING THE MOVIE AS IT’SBEING MADE all the way to the release date, and be able to help improve it! You’dalso get ALL the Lyosacks music from the show and movie! Finally, your namewould also be in a special category in the credits.