Welcome to the campaign page for the short film, "Bill & Maggie's Intergalactic Taxi Service." My name is Jonathan Leiter. I'm a Senior FIlm & Television student, currently getting my BFA at SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design). And I'm the Director and Writer of this project.

The concept of Bill & Maggie is a unique one. But it is basically a revival of early silent movie design (i.e. "A Trip to the Moon), but handled in the style of modern 2D side-scrolling video games (i.e. Rayman Legends): except... it's a movie. The story itself is done in the style of a Coyote and Roadrunner cartoon, but with just a little extra bit of heart in it.

Here's the synopsis: Captain Bill Sprocket doesn’t believe that his daughter Maggie is ready to fly their family ship, the Chimera, which is part of Bill’s self-owned and operated Space-Taxi service. On one particular day, however, Bill is requested by the English royal government to be the official transport of the Queen to an important engagement on Pluto, where she is due to arrive that evening. But, while Bill is engaged in discussion with the Queen’s Adviser, the Queen goes missing, and the Chimera is stolen and taken on a joyride around the solar system, causing Bill and the Queen’s entourage to go off in hot pursuit. Hi-jinks ensue.

I don't want to give much more than that away, or it'll spoil the surprise. But maybe some of you can guess the catch.

The world of Bill & Maggie takes place 500 years in the future, where the world has reverted back to the steam-engine, but has retained the ability to travel into space. Since the water level has risen over those hundreds of years, it has become necessary to design space-ships to land in water, which is why most if not all of our space ships will be built from the hulls of old wooden sailing ships and metal cruise ships. The major design aesthetic to this future version of society is that of salvaging, as you might see in most post-apocalyptic films. However here, the world is less broken and battered and more clever in its recycling. Every building, business and residence is crafted from the shells and remains of older buildings and technology. Everything is a hodgepodge of different eras, different materials, and different colors. But in the end, everything finds its own cohesion.

If you'd like to learn more about the design of this production beyond the campaign video, then please scroll down the page, and you'll be able to find more production design materials as we continue to add more. And if you'd like to learn more about me and my fellow filmmkers, then please continue on.

While this film is only 10 minutes in length, the scope of the production is large. Thankfully, though, our visual approach allows us to do a large amount of it for free, because it will all be painted and animated in the computer, with 2-dimensional graphics. The rest of the production will then consist of our live-action elements, including our principle actors and cast, our set-pieces, which our actors will be interacting with, and the costumes that our actors will be wearing. We also will be designing and building two principle space ships as physical miniatures, that will also be shot against green-screen, along with a series of planets, moons, and asteroid surfaces that will sculpted in either clay or plaster.

The final budget comes down to $8500, which also accounts for both the cost of campaign perks, craft services for the film, and any transportation fees and last minute purchases.

You can find a further itemized break-down of the budget below. Some of these numbers are still rough estimates and are subject to change. But no matter what elements we cut or how much money we save, every penny of the funding will go into making this project the absolute best it can be.

Alright, so now that you know what we're doing, what do you get for helping us make it happen? And for each higher donation tier, you will receive all previous perks.

Well to start with…

$1 – A personal "Thank You" note from the Director for contributing to this project.

$5 - A link to where you can watch the final film upon its completion.

$10 - A downloadble copy of the film for yourself. This download copy will also come with some interviews, behind the scenes extras, and a commentary track from the director.

$15 - A downloadable PDF of the Shooting Script, complete with artistic annotations and sketches.

$25 - Get your name officially featured in the film's ending credits.

$35 - A set of five original art cards, featuring our four main characters: Captain Bill, Maggie, The Queen, and Lord Sheldon (the Queen’s Royal Adviser.)

$50 - A personalized DVD copy of the film, complete with loads of bonus features, and a physical hand-signed "Thank You" card inside.

$75 - A full-color 11x17 print of the official movie poster, signed on the back by the entire cast and crew.

$100 - A special, Limited-Edition stylized graphic print of original Concept Art from the film. (Mystery item) (also 11x17)

$250 - A very special prize. For this perk, you can either get a personalized caricature of yourself, or a caricature of any family member you would like, depicted as the captain of a steam-powered space-ship: complete with a Captain's uniform reflecting your chosen color or color scheme. And as I said in the video, I (the Director) will be drawing and painting all of these myself, which is why there only a finite amount available. Each of these caricatures should take about 4-7 days to complete. And all should be completed sometime during April. 

However, if the movie production takes up more of my time, as it is likely to do, then you will receive this perk around the same time that the DVD copies get mailed out during next summer. (June and July). You will also get a full-sized Digital copy of your caricature in order to use it for Gravitar, or Social media icons, banners, profile pics, or whatever else you'd like.

$500 - You'll be named an Associate Producer of the production, and a proper credit for that title will be included in the final film. 

$1000 - A personalized engraved plaque signifying your status as an invaluable and generous backer of this project. This engraving will include a unique piece of artwork placed above your name, with filigree and other steampunk designs around its border. 

My background in film extends all the way back since I was about 7 years old, when I directed and starred in my first film: a shot by shot re-creation of The Empire Strikes Back. I didn't know it at the time, but trying to accomplish something that grand scale at such a young age was a huge undertaking. I was setting up miniature scenes with tiny action figures, building space ship hulls and water tanks out of cardboard, and building fleets of star-ships out of paper and scotch tape. And all the while, I was reciting line by line the dialogue of more than half the characters myself. I never got to finish it, but what I did end up doing has inspired me to do bigger and better things. 

The very next year I started getting into stop-motion and clay animation, and I began to experiment with a brand new camera and a brand new stop-action program. Soon I was building whole epics with a couple blobs of clay, and my mom's old Sunshine Family play set and Fischer Price toys. 

Two more years after that, I was experimenting with IntelPlay movie edit software, and animating paint squiggles and shapes on top of live-action footage, in order to create smoke effects, lasers, light sabers, and all manner of eye-popping craziness. (literally) 

It wasn't until I was 15 that I decided to really take on a new challenge: making an epic. And so for my final project in 8th Grade History Class, I wrote, directed, and starred in my own reenactment of the history of the Civil War. It had soldiers, it had guns, it had cannons, it had explosions, and it even had slapstick and a couple of pirates. Admittedly it wasn't at all very faithful to the historical accounts in the long-run. But it was a project that allowed me to get very creative with the limitations that I had with editing and animation software. Because despite not having a green-screen, I had figured out a way to roto-scope and place different versions of myself around any given shot, in order to create crowd scenes. That way I could avoid the dreaded split-screen that so many solo-filmmakers face. These days, though, I have a fully suited up green-screen, and proper lighting to get the job done much more easily.

All of that has then led me to today. All of the bizarre, wacky, charming, colorful, and fanciful ideas I wanted to achieve back then, I can now do 10-fold with this project. I have an enormous passion for what I do. And I enjoy working on all aspects of production, which in turn helps me to understand how the entire process works. That way I can understand how the different departments function, and in turn help my crew to do the best job that they possibly can.

Something else about me that I feel is important to mention here is my love for animation, especially 2D Traditional animation. Because to me, 2D animation is a beautiful and amazing art-form, and something that—unfortunately—does not get the respect or admiration that it deserves. I’m a big fan of Disney, Studio Ghibli, old and new cartoon series (Wander Over Yonder, Steven Universe, Gravity Falls), and I’m a huge fan of all things anime. Which is why this project, more than anything else I’ve ever created, will be heavily influenced by both Western and Eastern animation tropes, aesthetics, and design. This is also why the entire production will be completely devoid of 3D CGI. Absolutely everything you see in the final film with either be created in Photoshop with hand-painted matte-paintings, or will be shot in live-action with miniatures and stop-motion elements. We’re going really traditional with this one.

By the way, many of the projects I previously mentioned (and more) you can check out on my Youtube page, or on this playlist at the links below. 

•Adrian Theodor - Director of Photography

•Michele Troy - Key Grip (coming soon)

•Leiston Gaddis - Production Designer

Leiston Gaddis is a Production and Themed Entertainment Designer from Yorktown, Virginia, currently enrolled at Savannah College of Art and Design. She was the Production and Costume Designer for the short films Radioactive and Junebug, and the Production Designer for Mirrors. She hopes to design for film, tv, or theme parks after graduating from SCAD.

•Trevor Verges - Concept Artist

Trevor Verges is a freelance concept artist and digital painter from Atlanta, Georgia, and a graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design. He works as an Icon artist for the League of Legends fangame "League of Fighters" and recently launched his own webcomic called "Toytown P.D."

•Martin Robertson - 1st Sound Supervisor

Martin Robertson spent 4 years in the army as a medic, where he first learned about SCAD. While still serving in the army, he started appearing as an actor for SCAD films, until he began attending full-time after he came home. Originally a Performing Arts major, he switched to Film & Television to not only learn how to be in front of the camera, but behind it as well. After taking Intro To Sound Design, however, he knew what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. He is currently in his last year at SCAD, now majoring in Sound Design, and is taking a minor in Film & Television Production.

•Sarah Halliwell - 2nd Sound Supervisor

Sarah Halliwell is a senior sound designer at SCAD from College Station Texas. She have worked as a boom mic operator, recordist, and was a foley artist for a couple of student films. She has also mixed and edited on a couple of student animation shorts.

For me, this project is a mile-stone, because it will be the first time that I've directed a project of this scale and with this unique of a design. A lot of moving parts and pieces have to come together in order to make it all work. But I'm confident that I have the skill and the imagination to pull it all together. And of course it will be the biggest project I've ever worked on with a crew of other artists of this size. Because something like this would never work without the combined efforts of other talented individuals.

And really, the simple fact of the matter is… I want to make something fun. More often than not, you see tons and tons of College Senior films that try to be like modern action movies, or they try to be like David Lynch and go for a dark and grungy atmosphere that doesn’t always offer and interesting plot. But then… you go and look over at what the Animation students are putting together, and your heart just soars with excitement over the prospect of watching a short film with magic, and monsters, and cute little kids running around an attic full of mystical nick-nacks. Doesn’t that just sound so much more fun than what those other guys are doing? Exactly. And while I don’t wish to bash those filmmakers who do want to be the next David Lynch, or Quentin Tarantino, or maybe Daran Aronofsky, I think it’s high-time somebody tried to change things up a bit. Just once.

And so that’s why I want to do this. That’s why I want to make this film happen.

There are certainly some major risks when it comes to a production of this type. Will the visual design work? Will the live-action actors blend together well with the 2D matte-paintings? Will all the right crew members come together in time to do this thing right? All very important questions.

And to those questions I say this: I believe it will. That may not mean a whole lot to those of you who are backing this project, but I’ve never had more faith in one of my films in my entire life. More than anything I’ve ever done, this film feels like it is meant to be made. And I am ready to take on all the responsibility that comes with it.

In the past, I’ve only been able to rely on myself because I never had anyone else to help me make my films. I was always my own writer, director, producer, my construction team, my production designer, my entire cast and crew, and my own camera-man. And so I know what it takes to get a film done on my own. But I’ve never worked on a film of this size with an entire crew backing me up, and who are excited about the project. I’ve never had more people excited to see this film happen. And I’ve never felt more prepared to do something different and out of the ordinary. So I want you all to know that this project is an enormous part of my life right now. And of course it will also be my calling card once I graduate college, because this is the last film that I’ll make while I’m here.

However, if for some reason the project starts to go south: if the initial shoot gets cancelled, or we lose some footage, or God forbid we miss a major deadline, then I am prepared to do all that I can—on my own if need be—to finish this film and make it worth all the time and effort we’ve put into it. Because one way or another, I’m going to see this film to the end.

If you are unable to contribute to this project financially, I encourage you to send a link to this project to anyone you know who loves steampunk, who loves animation, who loves comedy, and anyone who just loves weird and unusual short films: because this is sure to be a fun film that anyone can get a kick out of.

You can utilize the Facebook, Twitter and GooglePlus share buttons on the side bar of this page, or you can include a link to the URL on any website, blog, or forums that you wish. Absolutely any exposure you can give us would be appreciated.

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The Chimera - drawn by Jonathan Leiter (Created by Raymond Talley)