Short Summary
Last year we released the pilot episode of our web series Frank to see if people liked it. They did - a lot.
(You can watch it yourself here: http://frankseri.es/watch_the_pilot_episode.htm)
Now we want to finish the story so that we can take it to the next level and on to a bigger audience. This means making Episodes 2, 3 & 4. Each episode is approx. 15 minutes in length so Frank will end up being an hour long project in it's finished form.
But to do that we need your help....
What We Need
We managed to beg, borrow and steal to get the first episode made but now we need to make another three episodes, we are running out of people and places to beg, borrow and steal from!
To make sure we can make the rest of it (and there are 4 x 15 minute episodes in Series I so that's a total of 45 minutes to make) to same quality as our pilot episode we would like the following: -
£2500 - This pays for camera hire, lighting, sound equipment and all of the other filmaking parapharnelia that allows us to make a great looking drama.
£1750 - This pays for the post production. This is a group of people who sit in dark rooms and edit the film (editor), make it look great (colourist) and sound fantastic (sound mixer).
£750 - This allows us to buy & hire costumes and all of the other props you may not notice when you're watching the film (but you would definitely notice if they weren't there).
£500 - This pays for all of the insurances that we have to have so that we can get the permissions we need to film in and around various locations we want.
£500 - This allows to feed our cast and crew and pay their expenses. This is a nice thing to do when you can't actually pay them for their time.
£500 - Contingency - for when any of the above doesn't go to plan!
In return we are offering some great rewards and if you loved the pilot episode, then you will also get to find out what happens next.
The Rewards
All of the rewards (except Thank You's) are strictly limited in number and unique to this campaign. So whatever you choose, you will be amongst a select few to own that reward. We hope that will make it just that little bit extra special for you.
If we make more than our target: -
If we make a lot more then we will invest it in the project and the rewards that we will send to you. It will also allow us to market the finished web series to ensure that it reaches the audience it deserves.
However, as almost all of the rewards are strictly limited, the maximum we can ever raise from this campaign is around the £8,500 mark.
If we make less than our target: -
As long as we get close to the £2,500 mark we can go into production with Frank - we want to. However, there will inevitably be compromises, it will take a lot longer and we will have to rely on so many more favours to actually finish it.
We also want to submit Frank to various web series awards which will give it (and your contribution) really great exposure and help us promote it to a much wider audience. Hitting the target helps us to achieve that aim in good time.
However, if we do not reach the point where we can make reasonable progress with the funds we have then we will refund your contribution in full.
The Impact
A lot of the people involved in Frank have gone to win awards and recognition from various organistaions such as BAFTA, Film4 and others so this project has a strong, committed team behind it.
Despite this, we still have to have day jobs to pay the bills and spend what spare time and resources we have on making projects like Frank.
We know that £6,500 of your hard earned money is a lot to ask. But it is about 1% of what a professional TV production would cost (and we don't think we are only achieving 1% of the result!) Your contribution today means that we can invest the remaining 99% of sweat, blood and tears that will take this project to being a professional standard. It is your support that will go a long way towards making that happen.
Other Ways You Can Help
Times are tight. We know that, that's why we're asking for help. If you can't contribute financially, perhaps you know someone who can. Please share our campaign with your friends, associates and colleagues. We appreciate your support in whatever form it comes in!
The Team
Luke Aherne - Writer/Director: Frank was Luke's debut project as Writer/Director. Luke went on to become a winner in Film4's Scenestealers competition and is now involved in a number of project's including a short for Channel4.
Alan McLaughlin - Director of Photgraphy: Alan is a graduate from the Screen Academy and the 2013 winner of the BAFTA New Talent Award for Cinematography. Alan has worked on a number of shorts, TV series & feature films.
Lauren Lamarr - Producer:Lauren has produced numerous shorts, music videos and more. She was the producer of double-BAFTA New Talent Award winning short "Lost Serenity'
Robert Harrison - Frank: Robert started his acting career in the Ken Loach film 'Sweet Sixteen'. He has since appeared in a number of shorts and feature films including 'Valhalla Rising'. He also does a mean Bob Dylan tribute act; Bobby Does Dylan.
Duncan Airlie James - Jim: Duncan was a 6 time World Kickboxing Champion before turning to acting. He has worked on a number of shorts and appeared in the feature film 'Perfect Sense' with Ewan McGregor and Eva Green.
