Two Weeks Left- Lights! Camera! #TagAction
With two weeks left to raise money, we've started a new movement to push the campaign called #TagAction. Here's how it works:
#TagAction: A movement of 5,000 stickers starting with YOU.
#1: Visit http://goo.gl/qTzzYt and support the next generation of changemakers.
#2: Stick a sticker* and share it on social media with #TagAction.
#3: Spread the word!
One is powerful, all can change the world.
*Send us a message and we'll send you stickers!
Who Are We and Why Does it Matter?
After graduating from Syracuse University with degrees in Television, Radio, and Film, our founders, Iara Rogers Benchoam & Sarah Grabman, realized that their talent and skills in storytelling and organization management could make a positive impact on the world. After bouncing around from movie set to festival they found their own path that melded their passions for creativity and action. So they wrote two things on their chalkboard wall:
1) Make a Schedule
and
2) Dream Big
and that's exactly what they're doing.
Our niche is youth: We feel passionately that communities are stronger when children are supported.
We will target not-for-profit companies (NGOs) that focus on youth empowerment and development. Our goal is to become a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a focus in Education. Storytelling is a powerful force to discovering personal identity and we want to expand its reach in the educational system. We are a community of the world and we want to make sure that supporting youth is universal, so we plan to grow internationally.
We cannot do any of this without your help. Your contributions are essential for Etc. Pictures and its team of dedicated creatives and professionals to achieve these goals. We have to start somewhere, and we're asking you to be that start.
What We Need & What You Get
Our goal for this campaign is $31,000. We plan to use this money over the span of about a year to assist in equipment, travel, projects, and team costs.
Startup Costs: $4,800
Starting a business doesn't just mean going and doing what you want the business to do. It requires a lot of startup costs in order to be legitimate. Our lovely founders, Sarah and Iara have actually fronted a lot of money for these costs already, so it is imperative that they are reimbursed!
- LLC $500 - Limited Liability Company (actually defines us as a company)
- DBA $100 - Doing Business As (Ability to run business in multiple locations)
- 501(c)(3) to become a Non-Profit $500
- Legal and Accounting $400
- PR Materials (business cards, flyers, stickers, etc.) $300
- Co-Workspace Office $3,000
- This building is called the Cosmopolitan. It is a space for startups and local businesses to collaborate. It's located in the heart of the historical industrial district and has been home to businesses that bettered the Syracuse economy.
Equipment: $7,230
Our mission is to create cinematic stories. In order to rise and produce high-quality content, we will need to build our inventory for our team members and clients to use.
- Sony A7-S II Camera $3,000
- Lenses $1,600
- Tripod approx. $60
- Light kit $300
- Gaff tapes and batteries $300
- Sound kit $600
- Creative Cloud Subscription (2) for editing $720
Productions (in Development, Pre-Production, & Production): $13,500
Our projects are the product of our passion and our yearn to serve the community. These videos will become the platform for us to allow people to tell their stories, so they are essential. Productions cost a lot to create. These costs include set, props, and costume; location rentals, food for cast and crew; equipment; travel; compensation for cast and crew; etc.
- I Will Be Series $2,500 (in Development, Pre-Production, and Production)
- A short documentary series about resilient young people and the pursuit of their dreams.
- Pretty Empty $3,000 (in Post-Production)
- Inspired by John Updike's short story "A&P" and filmed on 16mm film, this short captures the theme of snap judgments: A cashier's perception of the world changes when an intriguing woman enters the store. Dir. Grace Cannon
- Syrian Refugee Documentary $1,500 (in Development, Pre-production)
- 100 Syrian refugees are cleared to move into a conservative town in Vermont.
- No Nuts $5,000 (in Development)
- Welcome to Camp No Nuts: A surreal dark comedy short about dealing with the physical embodiment of the child you become when you fall in love.
- Distribution of the projects (including film festival submissions) $1,500
Community Events: $4,000
We plan to facilitate events that bring storytellers, community leaders and members, non-profit workers, and youth together to have open conversations about mutual goals towards a brighter future. These events will start in Syracuse and gradually spread across the nation. The money would go towards event space, food, vendors, music, promotional material, etc.
Travel: $1,000
We want to make sure we're not limiting the people we're talking to and need to get out of our own bubbles to take the time to travel and listen to people's perspectives across the nation.
Parking and Gas $1,000
The Team: $5,000
Currently, the Etc. Pictures team, including its founders, Iara and Sarah, are volunteers. We are working for the cause and because our passion for art and helping others exceeds our other needs. Our team is working incredibly hard and we want to keep them and compensate them.
- Team Member Stipend
- $500/yr x 10 team members = $5,000
Total Costs: $30,530
So What Do You Get?
Every single donation is fuel for the fire that is at the heart of our mission. This isn't just a thank you, this is an invitation to join a movement and a call to action for positive change. But also, we all love us some perks. So let's get PERKY! We've got quite an array of options-- check the right of this page to see the list!
Unfortunately, Indiegogo doesn't allow us to offer write in options for the perks. We are offering a few perks that do have write in options (Baby Come Back to Me!, Hey There From Set!, Hot Damn That's a Nice Poem!, Uthtray Orway Areday, How YOU Doin?) so we will be emailing you during (for Baby Come Back to Me!) and at the end of the campaign (all the other perks) to get your write ins-- keep a look out!
We Promise to be Prudent
If we don't reach our goal, that's alright. Every dollar will help with the development and growth of our company. Our priorities within our budget breakdown are: Startup Costs, The Team, and Our Projects.
Risks & Challenges
Every element of this company involves risks and challenges because we are hoping to make change and that is scary. Film is about collaboration; this means that we have to rely on others to support us, work with us, believe in us, and listen to us. We have to do the same. Our job is to actively work to understand people's complexities and find common ground.
The heart of our company is to fulfill these goals, and we pledge that everything we do will work towards that mission.
Other Ways You Can Help
There are so many ways that you can help. Share this campaign with your friends, family, and network. Spread the word.
Live compassionately!
- Open the door for others
- Smile
- Make eye contact
- Strike up a conversation
- Make someone's day
- Acknowledge people's existence
- Hold a sweet potato and share that ... seriously, try it
"I stand upon my desk to remind myself that we must constantly look at things in a different way." --Dead Poets Society