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Becoming Acadia: Celebrating Acadia's 100th Year

Acadia turns 100 in 2016. Help tell the story of one of America's most beloved national parks.

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Becoming Acadia: Celebrating Acadia's 100th Year

Becoming Acadia: Celebrating Acadia's 100th Year

Becoming Acadia: Celebrating Acadia's 100th Year

Becoming Acadia: Celebrating Acadia's 100th Year

Becoming Acadia: Celebrating Acadia's 100th Year

Acadia turns 100 in 2016. Help tell the story of one of America's most beloved national parks.

Acadia turns 100 in 2016. Help tell the story of one of America's most beloved national parks.

Acadia turns 100 in 2016. Help tell the story of one of America's most beloved national parks.

Acadia turns 100 in 2016. Help tell the story of one of America's most beloved national parks.

Jefferson Dobbs
Jefferson Dobbs
Jefferson Dobbs
Jefferson Dobbs
1 Campaign |
Bar Harbor, United States
$5,467 USD 70 backers
5% of $98,000 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal

Jeff Dobbs Bio

I graduated from Emerson College in Boston with a B.S. in Speech and a minor in Mass Communications. During the 1970s, I made my living as a still photographer, specializing in marine photography, and I also collected and reproduced old sailing and steamship photos to sell along with my originals.

When cable television came to Bar Harbor in 1980, I started Dobbs Productions and began The Acadia Channel, a tourist-information magazine reaching thousands of hotel rooms and homes daily. Along with cinematographer and editor – and friend – Bing Miller, who joined me in 1981 Dobbs Productions, will mark our 36th year of operation in 2016.

I became involved with the then-fledgling Maine Film Commission in the 1980s as well, serving first on the board and later as chair, and helped create the Maine Film and Video Association, serving there as vice-chair for several years. During this time, Dobbs Productions added many Maine clients and produced all manner of projects, including promotional and corporate videos, short films, and television commercials.

Dobbs Productions produced its first documentary film in 1985, Portrait of an Island: The Story of Mount Desert Island, but we didn't commit to the genre in earnest until the early 1990s. That was when a retired CBS News commentator by the name of Jack Perkins walked in our door.

Since that fortunate day, we’ve produced all sorts of short pieces with Jack for any number of national programs such as the McNeil/ Lehrer News Hour and the Arts & Entertainment Network. We also began working together to produce documentaries about Maine. Our first was The Gift of Acadia, which appeared on national and local PBS and was very popular. Before you know it, some 20 years had gone by, and together we had produced as many films about Maine.

Then the internet arrived, and started to change the film and music business forever. The market for VHS and DVD was affected, but our passion for Maine subject matter was undimmed, so we took a new tack for project funding. That was the birth of The Jefferson Davis Grant Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit, named after my great-grandfather. Our nonprofit status was granted in 2004, and since then we have produced a half-dozen film projects through the foundation.

Becoming Acadia – A Remarkable Place, a Good Start, and Now a Memorial

Becoming Acadia was begun last winter, and initial fundraising brought in more than $30,000.00 in cash, pledges, and pro bono donations. From the start, we were happy to have two exceptional people on the project, two men who shared our passionate feelings about Maine and Acadia National Park: Jack Perkins was with us, as was another of our longtime collaborators (and a dear friend), Gunnar Hansen. Gunnar had stockpiled research, and was set to write the script. But tragedy intervened.

Gunnar was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last summer. Private man that he was, his condition was not a public matter. Though he struggled mightily against the disease, he lost the battle and passed away this November. His talents and friendship will be sorely missed. So, with great appreciation and deep admiration, Becoming Acadia will be dedicated to the memory of Gunnar Hansen and his love of Acadia.

Picking up on the script where Gunnar left off will be another fine creative voice, Catherine Russell. Catherine has worked with Dobbs Productions on many projects and will be taking great care to honor Gunnar’s vision of Becoming Acadia while bringing the writing to completion.

Dobbs Productions, in association with The Jefferson Davis Grant Foundation, is already in pre-production on Becoming Acadia, and we’re using Indiegogo to help raise the balance needed to complete the documentary. Our fundraising goal is $98,000.00. It will take some 1,200 hours of production time to complete the project, not including the many hours still required to raise the funds to cover those costs. There is still much to be done in production, including completion of the script and graphic research, photo restorations, interviews, etc. But together, Jack Perkins, Bing Miller, composer John Cooper, Catherine Russell, and I, we will be the primary production team for the film, with completion slated for spring 2016. We’d like to ask you to join us. Pledge your support through Indiegogo, and help us to tell the fascinating story of how Acadia National Park came to be.

You know, I’ve produced many documentaries in my career, and even with the best planning, they rarely stick to the expected course. But that’s the creative process. We hope you’ll join us in that adventure, and support production of Becoming Acadia.

Please take the time to watch the accompanying video…

What happens when Becoming Acadia is completed

On completion, Becoming Acadia will be made available at no cost for broadcast on MPBN and PBS. Furthermore, as part of the mission of The Jefferson Davis Grant Foundation, copies of the film will be offered free of charge to all Maine libraries and schools. Then, as part of the Acadia Centennial Celebration, Becoming Acadia will be screened at Maine venues.

We are pleased that over the years our history films have been a staple of the Maine Public Broadcasting Network, appearing throughout their schedule. Becoming Acadia will join that list of films, expanding the catalog of projects about the rich history of Maine that have been funded by The Jefferson Davis Grant Foundation. These documentaries have helped add a new dimension to the understanding and appreciation of Maine history and the people who made it.

So, your support of Becoming Acadia through Indiegogo helps tell the story of Acadia National Park, it celebrates Maine history, and it provides quality learning materials for schools and engaging public television.

Once Becoming Acadia is completed, we have other Maine projects production planning, such as films about the history of the Maine fisheries and the history of Maine shipbuilding, so keep an eye on Indiegogo for what’s next from Dobbs Productions.




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Choose your Perk

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Two Acadia DVD's

$100 USD
2 DVDs about Acadia National Park Becoming Acadia DVD & Acadia Always DVD (Released in 2008)
2 claimed
Ships worldwide.

Just helping out

$10 USD
I know not everyone has big bucks, but if you like our idea and just want to help. Thank you
2 claimed

"Becoming Acadia" DVD

$35 USD
Donor will receive a DVD copy of "Becoming Acadia"
21 claimed
Ships to United States of America

Becoming Acadia DVD

$75 USD
2 DVD copies of the finished production of "Becoming Acadia: A Documentary to Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Acadia National Park."
0 claimed
Ships worldwide.

Two Acadia DVDs or Blu-rays

$250 USD
" Becoming Acadia" DVD or Blu-ray and " Acadia Always " DVD or Blu-ray ( 2008) and your name mentioned in the Special Thanks Credits
0 claimed
Ships worldwide.

Sponsor plus DVD & Blu-ray

$500 USD
Receive DVD & Blu-ray copy and name will appear as Sponsor in credits
1 claimed
Ships worldwide.

Silver Sponsor & DVD & Blu-ray

$1,000 USD
Your name will be listed as a Silver Supporter in the credits of " Becoming Acadia," and you will receive a copy of the in DVD or Blu-ray.
2 claimed
Ships worldwide.

Gold Sponsor

$1,500 USD
Your name will be listed as a Gold Sponsor and you will receive a DVD and a Blu-ray copy
0 claimed

Platinum Sponsorship

$5,000 USD
Your name will be listed as a " Gold Sponsor" in the credits of " Becoming Acadia and you receive a DVD or Blu-ray copy of the film
0 claimed
Ships worldwide.

Underwriter

$10,000 USD
You will be listed as a major underwriter in the film credits and receive DVD and Blu-ray copies of the film.
0 claimed
Ships worldwide.

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