UPDATE: We're now accepting donations in BitCoin and DogeCoin as well! Click here to claim your perk in cryptocurrency! Please note that by using cryptocurrency you are forgoing taking a tax deduction on your donation.

For those of you who watched the video, no we're not actually trying to raise money to treat zombies with marijuana, but we are making a much, much, higher quality movie based on that premise.

Buds is the story of a group of high school stoners who face the zombie apocalypse when they discover THC treats the deadly virus. We hope it's a fun premise. This isn't just a comedy though, it's a legitimately frightening horror film with a lot of action. It's a genre mash up you haven't seen before with a story I can promise you won't be able to predict. We've got themes and s#!t too! Stuff like friendship, youth, romance, suburbia, and medical marijuana. We aim to answer some pressing questions:

• Why?

• How?

• What?

• Where?

• When?

We'll attempt to answer these vital existential questions in the film. In addition, we can promise to answer some less pressing questions:

• How do zombies act when they're stoned?

• Can the zombie virus be sexually transmitted?

• What is a workable zombie plan?

• How would the government react to medical marijuana for zombies?

• Could stoned zombies integrate into society?

• Who?

Who the f^#k are you?

I'm sorry; I overstayed my welcome without introducing myself. I'm Joseph Klein, the film's writer, directer, producer, and editor. Here's some very impersonal information about me:

"Joseph has studied film at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. He currently works at MTV. In the past he has interned on the show Louie, on the show Blue Bloods, at 3 Arts Entertainment, at Joshua Zeman’s Afterhours Productions, and at Tobey Maguire’s Material Pictures. Joseph has produced a number of short films and the upcoming feature film Little Miss Perfect (learn more here). Joseph's directorial debut Red Triangle (watch here) was an official selection at the New Visions & Voices Film Festival, IndieWorks, and the IBSFF."

Now that I'm done douchily referring to myself in the third person, allow me to introduce the rest of the team:

• Dom Fera is an actor and filmmaker starring in the film. Dom has self-directed himself in a number of highly successful short films including the award winning Ellie Hart (watch here). His YouTube channel Dfear Studios has received over 74 million views (view here) . 

• Matt Morgan is the film’s director of photography. Matt shot Ellie Hart and has also lensed music videos for Marali, Kool A.D., and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Watch his stunning cinematography reel below!

• Matthew Berger is the film’s other producer. Matthew has produced the upcoming experimental short film Fresh Air and a music video for Converse Rubber Tracks.

• Nick Johnson is the film’s special effects and special effects makeup artist. He has filled these roles on the upcoming feature film Little Miss Perfect as well as a number of short films including prior zombie experience with Zombies Can’t Take This. 

• Carlos Zozaya is the film’s assistant director. Carlos has filled this role on a number of short films and is also an award winning director for his short film Remorse (watch here).

• Maggie Richardson is the film's visual effects artist. She's also the graphic designer of our beautiful poster and social media campaign.

• Spencer Kennard is the film’s casting director.

• Alex Dine is the film’s production sound mixer.

And you want my money why?

We can't make this film without your help. Filmmaking is an important but wildly expensive art form. We're scheduled to have 10 days of production, and each day will have a minimum of 17 people on set. This in itself forces us to incur a ton of costs, feeding the cast and crew alone will cost thousands of dollars, but there are other expenses as well:

• Renting lights, generators, and other filmmaking equipment

• Rending industrial vehicles to transport everything and everyone from New York to Maryland and back

• Renting props, a picture vehicle, and other production design needs

• Purchasing highly specialized products for the special effects and zombie makeup

• And so much more

You wouldn't be helping alone. Our cast and crew is working for free, our filming locations are being provided for free, some of the lodging for our cast and crew is being provided for free, and New York University is helping to bring our costs down by providing us with a camera, some limited equipment, studio space, and production insurance. However, they're not giving us nearly enough to get this movie made without your help. We're doing everything in our power to keep our costs at a minimum, but that can only go so far.

Help some filmmakers with a dream. We all have a lot of great experience already, but this film is our chance to prove ourselves to Hollywood and begin our careers.

I don't care about any of that

That's fine... hurtful, but fine... We'd love it if you gave just to help out, but we have some other motivating factors too. You can check out our backer rewards to the right. We're not going to overcharge you just to see the film, it's only $4 to own. That's less than you'd pay to rent a movie on demand, plus you get to see your name in the credits and see what your money bought on screen; I think that's pretty damn cool. If you give more, you get more, such as a DVD, a Blu-ray, and a poster.

Also, thanks to the generous participation of the Moving Picture Institute, we've been graced with their non-profit status, which means that anything you give is TAX DEDUCTIBLE. That's right; if you spend the money for your next gram here instead, the government will actually give you money back!

Ugh... Shut up already...

Jeez man, chill out. I can't make you donate to us, that's your prerogative. I'm just happy you're here reading all this. If you can't afford to donate, you can still help. Above there's a place that reads "Share This Campaign" -- do it! Help spread the word on Facebook, Twitter, or anywhere else where you think this project might be appreciated.

Get out of my house

Ok, ok, I'm leaving. Below there's a link to our Facebook and Twitter pages, like us and follow us to keep updated on the project and when you can see it, donor or not. Thanks so much for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Joseph Klein