Kickstarter, an online fundraising platform, was once the domain of unknown artists seeking funding for small, low budget creative projects. Now, more ambitious projects with higher profile names like Tim Burton and Sir Christopher Lee are beginning to materialize on the site. Buzz is building about a new a six-minute stop-motion animation tribute to visionary filmmaker Tim Burton entitled TIM, which is inspired by Burton's first short film VINCENT. Using clever rhyme and Burtonesque imagery, TIM tells the story about a young boy who wants to be like Tim Burton.
The idea was conceived by writer/director Brian Joseph Ochab who secured the voice talents of film legend Sir Christopher Lee to do the narration. Ochab said, "I was thrilled when Sir Christopher agreed to do the narration. Vincent Price was a dear friend of Sir Christopher Lee's and also the narrator of VINCENT, so it really brings this idea full circle."
Recently Sir Christopher Lee received the prestigious Fellowship Award from BAFTA in honor of a career spanning six decades. The fellowship is BAFTA's highest honor and was presented to Sir Christopher by Tim Burton.
For Lee's part, he was happy to contribute to TIM and said, "I think this has been done in a delightful way, and I think Tim will be very pleased." The veteran actor has immortalized himself in numerous unforgettable roles in films such as DRACULA, THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN, LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY, STAR WARS episodes 2 & 3 and, of course, several Tim Burton films.
TIM has been in development for a year. As other means of funding became unavailable, Ochab and his team turned to Kickstarter with the hopes of energizing the public as well as devoted Tim Burton fans.
With a funding goal of $150,000, TIM is one of only a select few projects on Kickstarter raising money in the six-figure category, and the deadline to raise the funds is March 28th. Reaching the public, getting the word out and mobilizing audiences to pledge has been the key (and the challenge) for every Kickstarter campaign large or small. Chad Frye, a co-producer and the art director of the film said, "It is our hope that the fans of Tim Burton will also see this collectively as their project too."
Frye's comments sum up the "crowd funding" model and possibly the future of independent film. By putting the money power in the hands of the audience, it allows them to directly participate in the creation of a project often giving life to an artist's dream such as Ochab's TIM.
To potentially be a part of Hollywood history, visit http://www.timthemovie.com . Featured there is Ochab's Kickstarter pitch video, which gives an overview of the project, a glimpse into the story, conceptual art and a behind the scenes peek of the creative team behind TIM. In addition, it features a heartfelt appeal from Ochab who explains his humble beginnings of having to sleep in his car upon his arrival to Los Angeles while pursuing his dream of directing.
For the uninitiated, anyone wishing to invest in the project will need to create an account on Kickstarter, which is very easy to do. Backers may pledge as little as $10 or as much as they would like to contribute. In return for contributions, a tiered reward system has been set up. With larger pledges come larger rewards packages from exclusive limited addition artwork to signed DVD's and even screen credit for help in funding the final film.
For more information, visit http://www.wondermotionstudios.com.
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