Jamie Stewart and Matthew Bickerton met in college in 2014. Though each were already capable filmmakers in their own right, they found that they were much stronger as a team than individually. Now that they've graduated, they are looking to make a film larger in scope and stronger in content than they've ever done before, and express a core part of themselves and how they perceive the world. By pledging to this project, you'll be helping bring their dream closer to reality.
Together, Jamie and Matthew have crafted several films that have explored themes of self-realization, self-awareness, and self-deception. A Modern Bard continues with these themes of discovering oneself as it follows the journey of Larry Ferguson, played by the talented David Engel.
Jamie Stewart is a writer and director of A Modern Bard. She's in love with every aspect of film from writing scripts to writing reviews. She's also been a writer/director on such films as Could Have Been (2015) and The Unpublished Sherlock Holmes (2016). She currently works as an Assistant Talent Agent and as the Section Editor of TV & Film for Girls in Capes web Magazine.
Matthew Bickerton is writer and producer of A Modern Bard. He started making films as soon as he could hold a camcorder and never stopped. His portfolio includes several music videos and short films. In 2015 he produced Could Have Been (2015), giving him the experience necessary to tackle larger projects. He now works as a software developer and continues to work on passion projects, such as this film.
David Engel plays Larry Ferguson. He has acted in many productions at The Village Players and The Toledo Rep theaters over the past ten years, including The Fantastiks, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and South Pacific. He also appeared as a supernumerary with The Toledo Opera in The Barber of Seville (Ambrogio). This is the third film he's appeared in, one of which was Jamie Stewart's The Unpublished Sherlock Holmes (2016). When he's not acting, he works as a chiropractor. He is married and a father of three children.
We appreciate our backers! To show our thanks, we have several exciting perks to offer you.
$5 A personalized "thank you" email and a special thanks in the credits.
$15 A personalized social media shout-out for your support.
$25 A digital copy of A Modern Bard.
$50 A digital copy of a behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of A Modern Bard.
$100 A prop from the set.
$150 Reserved seats at the premiere for you and three other guests (travel expenses not included. Premiere in the Cleveland area).
$200 A thirty-minute video chat with the director and producer of A Modern Bard.
$250 Be an extra in the film (travel expenses not included. Shooting will be in the Toledo area).
By contributing to A Modern Bard, you'll be helping us achieve the funding necessary to produce a high-quality film and give us the flexibility to make the film we want to make with no compromises. Funds will go toward production expenses such as equipment rental, location fees, craft services, festival submission costs, and more.
The team has years of experience making films on low budgets, and we're confident that we can overcome obstacles as they occur, but the truth is that things will go wrong on a film set. The biggest challenge we face is that when something goes wrong, correcting the issue can eat into the budget. We will address this by having contingency plans for possible issues before we experience them, and by budgeting intelligently to make sure we have the funds to address issues as they arise.
If you're not in a position to pledge, we understand! You can still help by sharing this page on your social media accounts and getting the word out.
To all of you, we're thankful that you've taken the time to read this page. We hope you consider pledging to help us bring this project to life. Our talented cast and crew will work diligently to ensure that the finished film will exceed your expectations!