Unsound's Director explains the film and the crowd funding campaign in this video below
SUMMARY
TITLE: UNSOUND
GOAL: $52,000 minimum, for editing
EDITOR: Doug Crise (Traffic, Ocean's Eleven, Babel, 21 Grams, Good Night Good Luck)
CAMPAIGN: 30 days
About the film
My name is Count. I’ve been producing music for over 20 years. I’ve been fortunate enough to have produced, engineered, and remixed some of the world's most respected artists (Frank Sinatra, Radiohead, DJ Shadow, The Rolling Stones, New Order, No Doubt, Galactic, Living Colour), plus a lot of great up and coming independent artists (Trombone Shorty,Tycho, Zoe Keating, and more).
Most of you are probably already aware that over the past decade the music business has collapsed. However, I’ve found that most people don't know the real story behind this dramatic, compelling issue, and how it is affecting all of our lives well beyond just music. So we decided to make this long overdue documentary.
The internet revolution has brought about so many positive changes in our lives, but there is another side to this story that has not only impacted the livelihoods of musicians, but creators of all kinds. Although the music business was hit first in the digital economy, many other industries are not far behind. As the world becomes digital, the work of creators is now at risk. Increasingly all music, books, movies, and media has either been devalued, or is widely available for free illegally online. Right now, the people that create the things that we all love and depend on are struggling more than ever. In just over a decade, creators have watched their work become increasingly devalued, and their ability to survive from their work is in great danger.
So how do the creators of the things that we all love and depend on survive if their work becomes worth less and less? How is this impacting our society? Where do we draw the line in the internet age? What are the consequences of all music becoming free? What about books? Movies? News? How will journalists research the stories, musicians create the songs, and authors write the books that change our lives? As it turns out, free comes at an enormous cost.
This is an incredibly important overlooked story that needs to be told. That's why I decided to take 2 years away from my career as a music producer to tell this story in the documentary "Unsound". We are about 90% done shooting and about to start editing. The film contains dozens of amazing interviews from noteworthy journalists, industry experts, and major public figures such as U2/Dave Matthews’ producer Steve Lillywhite, Nine Inch Nails/Marilyn Manson’s Chris Vrenna, US Congressman Jerrold Nadler, Pandora founder Tim Westergren, Diplo, Noam Chomsky, Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh, Rolling Stone’s Steve Knopper, Bad Religion’s Brett Gurewitz, Digital Music News’ Paul Resnikoff, Living Colour’s Vernon Reid, Lawrence Lessig, and countless others. However, the film focuses on the personal stories of 5 central characters: cellist Zoe Keating, indie rock icon David Lowery from the bands Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven, Jurassic 5, Tycho, and singer songwriter Rhett Miller. They all have one thing in common which is simply their desire to continue making music that we enjoy, and to be able to make a living from it.
Right now, we are at a critical moment in the internet revolution, and its imperative that we take a critical look at the direction we are heading to make sure that the internet is not just good for a few big corporations and rogue pirates, but is actually sustainable for the creators who make the things that inform and shape our lives. The people who actually make the content that powers the internet.
After a decade of silence, creators of all kinds have finally started speaking out in this film. If we get your support now, we have an opportunity to finish the edit before the end of the year and premier it at some key festivals next year. The timing is crucial in this movement, and this will not only be a critical way to help launch this film, but will make a significant impact in educating the public on a seriously overlooked subject that impacts us all.
What We Need
This campaign is to raise $52,000 specifically for finishing an edit for film festivals. We should point out that online fundraising platforms differ slightly from traditional fundraising. Rather than asking for slightly more than we need, it actually makes more sense financially for us to ask for the bare minimum and hope that it over-funds 20-30% to reach $72,000. Keep in mind that this amount does NOT cover all costs of the film like graphics, animation, marketing, film festival expenses, and the other costs associated with properly promoting and distributing a completed film. Nor does it pay me for the 2 years I will have been working on it full time unpaid. This is why it is important for us to over-fund this crowd funding campaign. This bare minimum amount will enable us to complete an edit that we can screen at film festivals, which gives us a great opportunity to raise the remaining amount of funding.
I’ve produced countless successful productions (see my credits at www.vertebraeproductions.com ), so you can rest assured that your contributions will be going to a project that will be well managed. I deliberately waited until we were 90% done shooting to launch this campaign so that contributors would be able to actually see the work we’ve done thus far and know that this is not a half-baked project that may never get off the ground. Although the finish line is drawing closer, we need your support now. After a decade of silence, artists have recently started speaking out in the press about the issues addressed in this film. So it is imperative that we complete this film soon in order to capitalize on the momentum.
Other Ways You Can Help
Now I realize that a lot of you simply aren’t in a position to give financially. Many of you may be starving musicians yourself. That’s ok if you can’t contribute to this financially. There is plenty that you can do to help that doesn’t involve money. See the links above to share on Facebook and Twitter with your friends and fans. For Facebook, simply copy and paste this link into your Facebook timeline: igg.me/at/unsoundthemovie
What You Get
Most of you who are familiar with online fundraising platforms are probably used to people spending countless hours making what they call “rewards”, which are essentially gifts for people who donate. Although I’m sure there are projects where this makes sense, my time and your money is better spent actually making this time sensitive documentary. This project is about getting this important story out there, not about the rewards. Anyone compelled to contribute to this project is probably doing so because they know how important this subject is, not because they want a Tshirt or gift bag. So I’ve streamlined the rewards and made things really simple. Check the section below to see what we are able to offer beyond the making of this film.
The Impact
This documentary is about fairness for the people who create the things that define our very culture. If their livelihoods aren’t sustainable, we all loose. Reaching the public with this story is crucial. So this is a call to action. Please consider supporting this important, long overdue story.
Thank you!
-Count
director/producer “Unsound” | Vertebrae Productions
