Spike Lee is Teaching Kickstarter to People who Know Nothing About Kickstarter

4.61K

Anonymous

07/29/13 03:59PM

Filed to: Kickstarter

It's not that Spike Lee doesn't have the money to fund his $1.25 million mystery movie he won't release any details about, it's that he would prefer to "appeal to the Kindness in your Hearts" on Kickstarter.

Now, Lee is out to bring Kickstarter "to people who don't even know what Kickstarter is." In his defense, says Lee, and in defense of other established celebrities—celebrities like "Zach Flack"—by using the site, they're bringing people to Kickstarter who have never been on Kickstarter before. And what's more, he's been Kickstarting before you were even kick(start)ing in the womb. According to his updated Kickstarter page:

It was people like: PRINCE, JANET JACKSON, TRACY CHAPMAN, PEGGY COOPER, CAY FRITZ, MS. WINFREY, MAGIC JOHNSON AND MICHAEL JORDAN who STOOD UP, came to our rescue so you could see the MALCOLM X on screen we envisioned.

Now it all makes sense. It's not just about raising money outside of the studio system. It's about teaching Janet Jackson and Oprah how to take part in the internet's biggest prank.

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Freddie DeBoer Anonymous 07/29/13 04:03PM

teehee Film Courage

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poxpopulus effdot 08/02/13 06:02PM

Let's not forget "Get On The Bus"!

effdot Ceraunograph 08/19/13 01:31PM

Red Hook Summer was released in 2012.

I think 'proving to the system' is the point of the kickstarter. The key for any film is distribution, which is where all the money is made. Theatre chains buy the rights to the film for screening. The questions for studios with distribution relationships is, "Can I sell this film?" That has a direct correlation to both the production budget and whether a film will get made.

Kickstarter is a tool to help convince a studio, "Yes, you can sell this film." The kickstarter itself shows interest in the concept, and helps generate sales buzz. This is Kickstarter at its essence; it's a series of marketing pages, where people pledge based on how much they trust the marketing.

Not sure I followed what your point was, here, other than, maybe, you don't like Spike Lee or his movies very much? I guess?

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effdot Anonymous 07/29/13 04:12PM

She's Gotta Have It, Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, He Got Game, Bamboozled, Crooklyn, Red Hook Summer - those are just my favorites. He's a talent, he should get to make movies in NYC, they are expensive, and this is all about showing a studio somewhere, "Yes, see, there is a fan-base; here's $1.25 million from the public, let's have the rest to make X."

Or so I figure it/hope.

Ceraunograph effdot 07/29/13 04:23PM

How long ago were those movies you mentioned made? And how many films has he been able to get funded since? He could have shown a studio that the money they have given him recently was worth it. Or he could have waited for his next film, the remake of Old Boy, to be released so he can point to the success of that. I hope he has some great movies left in him, but I think he needs to prove to the system that he does, or else fund his own films. I certainly won't be betting my own money on it.

wushuliu Anonymous 07/29/13 04:03PM

Apparently you're not aware of the costs of making a film. It costs a LOT more than $1.25 million. That's just what he needs to show there's interest. To show there's something of a base out there that will support his film. He could put up his own money but that won't make the banks - I mean the studios or prod. cos - feel any better about footing the rest of the bill. He had a hard enough time getting the funding for his last film. The fact that he has to use Kickstarter is degrading enough for arguably one of the greatest living directors.

Ceraunograph wushuliu 07/29/13 04:18PM

If he really wants to bring kickstarter to the masses, he should be putting this energy into funding drives for his students at NYU, or other up and coming filmmakers. That would be bringing kickstarter to the masses. Perhaps Spike is in this position because his movies for the last decade have been mostly uninspiring and people no longer want to watch them. He is one of the greatest living directors, and the quality of his work should be enough to secure studio investment. And if the story he's trying to tell is important and controversial enough to no longer be attractive to studios, he has a vast personal network he can tap in to for funding, in exchange for points off the back end.

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rewod Anonymous 08/02/13 05:29AM

Rich people begging us 'normals' for money via Kickstarter is inherently offensive to me, and I don't really care about anyone's attempts to reason around it.

If you want to demonstrate the public supports a potential project, take a poll. And if you need money, just call Oprah again.