An Update on Making History! Blue Like Jazz the Movie Presses on…

Once again, we are beyond grateful for your contribution to save Blue Like Jazz, the movie. It's done. The movie is saved, and we are moving forward! Steve is busy calling all donors to thank them, along with choosing the supporting cast and lining up production. We will start filming on October 28th, in Nashville, TN. We will likely also film in Portland, Houston and Los Angeles. If you've donated, you will be on an exclusive, behind-the-scenes e-mail newsletter that tells you where we will be and when, along with constant updates about how things are going. You will truly be in the production loop, along with all the principal cast and crew.

If it weren't for your contributions, the movie would have been dead. It's amazing to think what can be done in two weeks.

That said, we are still a very low-budget movie. None of the principals who have been involved with this movie, from the very beginning of the writing stages, have been paid anything. We are rolling everything into the film with you. In the industry, it's called "putting the money on the screen." With our film, the more money we bring in, the more well-known talent we will be able to hire, and the more the crew will be able to be paid (people are discounting their services left and right to help us out.)

What's more, the attention the campaign has received has brought much more than financial contributions. People are donating equipment and locations because they've heard about the campaign. And the larger the campaign gets, the more likely people are to join in the production process.

In the near future, we will be letting you know what we could use from you in the way of extras. I know Steve already needs a lot of 18 – 26 year old college-like students dressed as robots at one location in Nashville. It's stuff like that that we will use this blog to keep us all on the same page. How cool would it be to actually be in the movie?

And so, we continue to need your help. If the amount of donations top $200k, (and some change) we will be the largest project ever funded on kickstarter. While there have been other movies that have used crowd sourcing, we can solidly say this will be the first full-length theatrical release ever crowd sourced in America. It doesn't sound like much, but it's the sort of thing that gets written up in Variety. This movie went from dead to front-page news overnight, because of you.

If you've not donated yet, there are some really great incentives to do so. A donation of only $10 gets you a digital download package that includes wallpaper, a ten-page sample from the shooting script, a digital movie poster and a few more things we intend to throw into the grab bag. No matter what you donate, as long as you donate more than $10, it's all yours. And the incentives go up from there. For $25, you get our movie poster, signed by both me and Steve Taylor, the director. Donations of $50 get you a t-shirt, along with the digital download, and a $100 gets you listed in the credits as an Associate Producer. For $200, I'll be recording your personal voicemail message, and for a donation of $300, you get to come to a huge party in which we will watch the movie at a theater here in Portland. That's going to be one heck of a celebration, I assure you! We already have 11 backers who have donated $1,000 and so will be included as extras in the movie. No looking at the camera! And 2 more of you donated $3,000 and will be invited to a dinner with me and Steve. I'll be waiting the table, no doubt. And there are even more incentives on top of all that.

But the real incentive is that when the movie comes out, and you're sitting there in the theater with your friend, you get to tell them you saved it, and you caused it to make history.

On a personal note, I want to thank my Mom for pitching in $100, and Marshall Allman's mom, too. We've heard from so many friends and family who have contributed. I'm reminding myself each day that this is a once-in-a lifetime experience, and to soak it in and write down everything I'll want to remember later. The story behind the story continues to be just as great as the story itself. I can only imagine the magic that is yet to come.

For those of you who have contributed, thanks. We have a special treat coming to all of you on this blog all week. Follow me on twitter (@donmilleris) and you'll be notified. Pretty fun stuff.

Take some time and donate today!

And now, some frequently asked questions with our director, Steve Taylor:

Ask The Director (FAQs):

Why are you still raising money? Didn't we reach the goal?

- When the Kickstarter idea was pitched to me by Zach and Jonathan, they asked me how much we needed. I gave them the absolute minimum amount to turn our screenplay into a low budget indie movie. They suggested we set the Kickstarter goal higher – at $200K. I checked the site and decided that would be impossible, since it had never been done before – the biggest raise I could find on Kickstarter for a movie was $50K. Oops! Oh me of little faith… I've since asked forgiveness from God, Zach, Jonathan and Don; in that order.

Where will the additional money go?

- Where to start? Cast (we'd like to get a few more "name" actors)! Extra shoot days! Music licensing! A better sound mix! Did I mention that movies are expensive?

What are you guys getting paid to make this movie?

- I'm completely in favor of the concept of getting paid money for four years of work. But in order to "get the money on the screen," Don and I have deferred any payment until after the movie has paid back its investors and turned a profit.

Shouldn't the money we've donated to Kickstarter be considered an investment?

- I hear you, but rules are rules, and Kickstarter's are very specific: Investment and loan solicitations are forbidden, as are lotteries, raffles, and sweepstakes.

Isn't there a way that all of the funding and good will generated by the Save Blue Like Jazz campaign can benefit something besides the movie?

- We've talked about that at length since we surpassed our goal, and here's what we've come up with:

1) We like that idea!

2) We've all agreed that 10% of the movie's profits should go to a worthy non-profit organization. But we don't want to be the ones to decide where it goes. So…

3) When the campaign ends on October 25th, we're going to notify all of our thousands of Kickstarter backers and give you a list of recommended non-profits to choose from. Then you'll VOTE on where the money goes. (And If it's a close call between a handful of orgs, we'll figure out a way to split it up between them.)

Is there a way to help besides donating money?

- Yes!

1) Pray for us. Often.

2) Spread the word.

3) As we get closer to the beginning of the shoot, we'll have more opportunities to get involved. (Who knows – we may even throw a party or two and invite all of you who are making this movie happen…)