June 25th UPDATE: We've updated our perks to make them a little bit more attractive. :) 

All contributions starting at 15€ will get access to a digital download of the film

The Polliwog tier now includes a DVD of our film.

The Shellback, 2nd Class tier now includes a DVD of 'The Mutiny on the Bounty' starring Marlon Brando.

The Midshipman tier now includes a 25€ voucher to spend at the Bounty Festival in Papeete

New 250€ limited Mutineer! tier, where instead of the Festival Pass and Voucher you get your choice of an autographed book by Glynn Christian.

 

Who hasn’t heard of the mutiny on the Bounty? We all know it from the movies, from the books and plays- but what is most amazing is that this 18th century story isn’t romantic fiction- it actually happened! In 1789, Fletcher Christian put Captain Bligh overboard and took the ship...

Everyone knows the story...or do they?

Was Fletcher Christian a pirate or a hero? Was Captain Bligh the cruel tyrant everyone remembers him to be? Who were the Tahitians who sailed away with the Bounty? Who was Maimiti- and was that even her real name? How long did it take to sail halfway across the world? Where is Pitcairn Island?

 Our documentary will answer those and many other questions.

  

One of the people we will interview is Glynn Christian, Fletcher Christian's descendant and avid researcher of his family history.

Here are a few kind words from him about our project:

The mutiny on the Bounty is not just a romantic pirate story, or a curious anecdote about British sailors, but an extremely important event in the history of Tahiti.

The memory of that event is nowadays more fiction than fact- some people don't even realise it's a true story! 

And as far as true stories go, this one is absolutely amazing. It has everything you'd expect from a thrilling tale of the high seas: a beautiful wooden sailing ship, an exotic paradise, a clash of cultures, piracy, romance, betrayal, kidnapping, shipwreck, desert islands and survival against all odds...

THE FILM

Our short film of 30-40 minutes will be a comprehensive guide to the Mutiny. It will answer the questions of who, what, where and when. It will separate fact from myth, history from fiction, and talk about the unsolved mysteries of the Bounty.

In addition to telling the story of the mutiny, we will also document the First International Bounty Festival in Papeete in October 2013, and take a look at the upcoming construction of a brand new replica of the original ship.

  

Our international crew all have a special place for the Bounty story in their hearts and are committed to doing it justice.

The people volunteering and contributing to this project are too many to list, so let us tell you about the core crew: 

From Tahiti we have Beni Huber, member of the Junior Economic Chamber of Tahiti and head of the Bounty Tahiti Project, where the idea for a festival and reconstruction of the ship first originated. Beni is working hard to find sponsors for our documentary!

From Denmark, we have Simon Quintal. He is a Danish/Australian filmmaker currently working in corporate film. His passion for the story of the Bounty comes from being a direct descendant of mutineer Matthew Quintal. A graduate from Griffith University, his Master Thesis was a film and rapport on the subject of personal documentaries. 

From Poland, we have Madzia Bryll. She spent six months working as a deckhand on the tragically lost HMS Bounty replica. She is a graduate of the Polish National Film School, and the subject of her Master’s Thesis was a comparative analysis of the Bounty films vs. historical fact. She can’t think of anything else she’d rather make a film about!

From Germany, we have Christoph Noack. He is a CG artist working on an accurate 3-D computer model of the original ship, based on historical Bounty blueprints. His animations will be used in our film to help the viewers visualise the ship as she was in the 1700s.

The entire project is coordinated by the “Bounty Tahiti” organisation based in Papeete, Tahiti. They are also the proponents and organisers of the reconstruction of the ship, as well the first Bounty Festival.

(see bottom of page for contact info)

 

 

 

PRODUCTION COSTS:

HARDWARE

Although our crew has volunteered part of the equipment, such as computers and postproduction software, we don’t yet have all that we need to shoot our film.

The money will be used to purchase:

• a camera
• basic lighting
• a set of microphones
• a digital sound recorder

That's the bare minimum we need, but if we surpass our goal, we'll be able to get some additional equipment that will make our work much easier.

TRAVEL

To tell the Bounty story we will visit England, Tahiti, and several tall ship replicas that will help us show you what life was like for the ship’s crew. We also need to travel across the world to meet with all the people we want to interview. If funds permit, we will try to make our way to Pitcairn Island.

LICENSING AND ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE

To better illustrate the myths told about the HMS Bounty we need to use some of the footage from the many films made about it, as well as images of artefacts from museums, which means we must purchase licenses that permit us to reproduce these materials.

 

POSTPRODUCTION COSTS :

EDITING:

Our crew has volunteered to donate their time and do most of the editing and postproduction work for free, using their own computers and software, but we need to help them handle the workload by upgrading their equipment and providing sufficient storage and backup.

The hardware we need is:

• digital storage such as SD cards and portable drives
• additional RAM for the computers.

 

MUSIC and SOUND:

We want to have a great original score for our film, featuring local Tahitian artists and traditional songs.

We also need to hire a professional sound editor to properly mix the different recordings and archive footage.

 

WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DON'T REACH OUR GOAL?

We will still make this film- the only difference is we will have to break down production dates differently, extending shooting and post-production into 2014 while we search for additional funds. Our priority is to film in Tahiti and be present at the 1st International Bounty Festival which we will also film for the documentary. The money collected will be used to buy the minimum of necessary equipment, and to help cover the costs of filming in Tahiti. 

 

WHAT HAPPENS IF WE EXCEED OUR GOAL?

If this project earns more money than expected, we will be able to expand it to better cover the story. Here are some of our stretch goals:

• To visit more relevant sites, interview more people, get better footage.
• To sail all the way to Pitcairn Island, the very place where the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions settled. Pitcairn is an extremely difficult place to access, with landing on the island dependent on weather and limited sailing schedules.
• To make this film the first chapter of a much longer and more detailed series exploring the story of the mutiny as well as the way it reflects on Tahitian society today. 
• To fully document the construction of the new Bounty replica which will be built in Spain.
• To expand this documentary into a full educational package which schools and museums worldwide can use to teach the true story of the HMS Bounty.
• To translate the documentary into as many languages as possible to extend its reach. 
• To pay some, or all of our volunteers. Right now, most of our crew work for free, or at cost.

 

OUR PURPOSE

Our main purpose is to educate, and to raise interest in an important event in Tahitian history.

The film will give a comprehensive account of the mutiny, debunk the most common misconceptions, give an overview of the most likely theories wherever facts are uncertain, and encourage the  viewer to find out more for himself. It will also give suggestions as to where and how the viewer might find experiences that allow him or her to better understand the story.

 

TARGET AUDIENCES

Tourists:

This documentary can be an excellent enticement for tourists traveling to Tahiti, as it will describe events essential to the history of the islands. A tourist watching this film on the long airplane journey might learn about local sites and heritage which he was not previously aware of, and upon his arrival, is likely to seek them out.

The film will aim to be extremely sensitive to Tahitian heritage and not to misrepresent the native culture for the sake of myth. It will encourage the viewer to see Tahiti as more than a holiday resort, but an exciting land well worth exploring outside of the hotel.

 

Students:

The documentary can be used in classrooms and in cultural centres as an entertaining way of transmitting the true Bounty story to younger generations. Students will not only learn a more factual account than movies can provide them, they might also be engaged in follow-up projects where they must seek out known facts and plausible theories for analysis. As there are still many gaps in the Bounty story that may never be fully explained, this would be an excellent opportunity for students to experience the detective work a historian must do to piece a story together. They will also discover that source material may be interpreted in many different ways depending on the time and author of its analysis.

The documentary may serve as an inspiration for field research for students in Tahiti, and raise their awareness of local heritage sites.

For students outside of Tahiti, it would be a suitable primer to the Bounty story as well as Tahiti itself.

 

Festival audiences, reenactment enthusiasts:

The film should be well received at the many nautical festivals around the world as well as with 'pirate' reenactors and age of sail enthusiasts. It will aim to describe the life of a sailor as accurately as possible, drawing not only on historical accounts but also on the experience of modern tall-ship sailors who are most acutely aware of the similarities and differences between their work now and that of 18th century seamen.

 

Museums:

The film will be a valuable addition to any exhibitions concerning the HMS Bounty, Tahitian history or the age of British exploration, of which there are many across the globe. The film may be screened and sold in museums, and additional print materials can also be prepared to allow a museum to enrich its exhibit.

LANGUAGE AND VISUAL COMPREHENSION

The film will be primarily shot in English , French, and Tahitian, with full translations in all three languages. The goal is to have it translated into as many languages as possible to make it globally accessible.

The visual language of the film will be simple and attractive. Interviews will be cut with relevant visual material, showing footage of historical sites, work on a tall ship, source materials such as charts and illustrations where possible, as well as historically accurate animation and modern drawings.

 

I'd like to make a donation!

Thank you! King George himself paid for the original Bounty voyage, but we can't rely on royalty. Your contributions will make this project possible!

Go ahead and pick a perk from the list on the right. Welcome to our crew!

 

I can't send you money, but I still want to help...what can I do?

Our project will span the globe just like the original Bounty story did. If you can't make a contribution, but love the idea and want to be a part of this journey, you can still help us!

You can:

• Get the word out! Send this campaign to your friends, be they sailors, armchair sailors, movie buffs, ethnographers or pirate reenactors.

• Ask us questions. We want this film to be a comprehensive guide to the Bounty story- if there is something you've always wanted to know about the mutiny, TELL US!

You can also:

• share stories of your personal connection to the Bounty. Are you a descendant? Have you sailed a tall ship? Do you collect Bounty film memorabilia? Let us know!

• be a host or guide to our crew. We will be traveling across the UK, visiting tall ships in the US, and finally exploring Tahiti itself. Hotels, travel, and daily expenses quickly add up. Would you like to be crew for a day and help us with accommodation, transportation, bake us some cookies, assist us during the shoot? We'd love your help!

 

WHAT YOU GET FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION:

Changes as of June 25th:

All contributions starting at 15€ will get access to a digital download of the film

The Polliwog tier now includes a DVD of our film.

The Shellback, 2nd Class tier now includes a DVD of 'The Mutiny on the Bounty' starring Marlon Brando.

The Midshipman tier now includes a 25€ voucher to spend at the Bounty Festival in Papeete

New 250€ limited Mutineer! tier, where instead of the Festival Pass and Voucher you get your choice of an autographed book by Glynn Christian.

Those who have purchased perks before these changes will of course get the extra perks as well. :)

So, our perks are now as follows:

Landlubber, 5 €:
Personalised thank you email and newsletter. Your name will appear in a list of contributors at the end of the film and on the film website.

Armchair Sailor, 15 €:
All of the above, plus printable illustrated sponsor certificate and downloadable PDF presentation of our project and digital download of the film

Deckhand, 50 €:
All of the above, plus festival t-shirt

Polliwog, 75 €:
All of the above, plus print of sponsor certificate, small poster, DVD of our film

Shellback 2nd class, 100 €:
All of the above, plus DVD of 'The Mutiny on the Bounty' with Marlon Brando

Shellback 1st class, 150 €:
All of the above, plus high quality signed and numbered print of Bounty-themed illustration (an original by Madzia or a historical print)

Midshipman, 250 €:

All of the above, plus VIP pass and 25 EU voucher to spend at the Bounty Festival in Papeete

Mutineer! 250 €:

Same as Midshipman, with autographed book by Glynn Christian ('Fragile Paradise' or 'Mrs Christian, Bounty Mutineer') instead of the Pass and Voucher

Lieutenant, 500 €:

All of the above, plus name or company logo at end of film as sponsor

Captain, 1000 €:

All of the above, plus guest tour of Bounty reconstruction at the shipyard in Spain, and name or company logo in the opening credits of the film and on the website

Taio, 1500 €:

All of the above, plus name or company logo displayed at festival and incorporated into filming

  

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CONTACT INFO

"Bounty Tahiti" (project coordinator)

Street address: BP 20255, 98713 Papeete, French Polynesia.

Phone number: 00689 42 00 30

Email: bounty.tahiti@gmail.com

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Attribution:

We have used the following public domain images:

"The Mutineers turning Lieut. Bligh and part of the officers and crew adrift from his Majesty's Ship the Bounty" an aquatint by Robert Dodd, 1790

"Artocarpus altilis", by John Frederick Miller, painted from a sketch by Sidney Parkinson

Textures are CC images courtesy of http://lostandtaken.com/ 

CG images are by Christoph Noack

Photographs of HMS Bounty replica and other illustrations are by Madzia Bryll