Again Again Indiegogo Campaign Approaching 50% Of Fundraising Goal
I've made no secret of the fact that I am excited about the independently created movie, Again Again. There are multiple reasons for my excitement. I like the idea of independent created content by people who are fans of good entertainment. I'm also partial to the idea of the trans community getting opportunities to create and perform in legitimate acting roles. This movie has both.
Because of the way technology is, the average movie buff can create some entertaining things on a limited budget. Whether you are educated in the ways of movie making or are learning on the fly, quite a bit can be done by somebody who has some determination and know-how and a little bit of backing. In this case, Again Again is being created by people with some experience in creating content.
I've watched through the years as transgender performers don't get an opportunity beyond the adult entertainment industry. I've known some who wanted that chance and didn't get it. Or, you'll see a movie with a transgender character being played by a cisgender person. There are transgender performers. They just don't get the opportunities they should.
Again Again is being created by trans queer women, but it's not about being transgender. This intrigues me even more. This movie is about people who happen to be trans having life experiences, and that's as it should be. We need to get to the day where people are people, and some happen to be transgender. We need to get to a place where It's no big deal, and movies like this help the cause.
Mia Moore wrote the script and will star in this movie along with Bugs Matrix. She and Alexa Feeney are co-directing and producing it. It is billed as a SciFi time-loop love story, and it takes a familiar premise and goes in a more interesting direction, in my opinion.
Most people are familiar with the movie Groundhog Day, which was directed by Harold Ramis and starred Bill Murray, among others. Bill was trapped in the same day. I heard that he was trapped in that day for over a year, but it was never really made clear in the movie. The movie was played for laughs as he got so tired of being in the loop that he tried to kill himself, only to wake up to restart the day.
The movie ended with him getting the girl and getting out of the time loop, but they never got to ask any interesting questions. How was Bill's character affected by the fact that he kept living the same day over and over again? Groundhog Day served its purpose, and it really is a good movie by all accounts.
Again Again has two childhood friends, who have become soulmates, living out the same day in a time loop. In this case, they were living the same day over and over again for over 10 years. Can you imagine going through something like that? What comforts the two lovers is the fact that they have each other, and they vow to never forget each other when the day starts over. Of course, there's a monkey wrench in this plan.
Mia's character, Agatha, breaks free of the time loop, but Tess, played by Bugs Maytrix, is not the same person she remembers from the loop. How could she forget going through this experience with the one she loves? Agatha has some soul searching to do. Can they recapture the spark in their relationship? Why did this happen? How did this happen? I like the fact that this movie is attacking this from a different angle and asking thought-provoking questions.
The Indiegogo campaign launched with an ambitious goal of $80,000, and as of this writing, $35,000 has been raised from just under 600 total pledges. They have a ways to go. I know some people will ask why the budget is what it is. I recall about a decade or so ago when Kerri Cecil and Brittany Blackmon were creating content starring trans performers. Kerri had next to no budget, and when she tried to do an Indiegogo campaign (For The Wi-Fi Murders), she suffered backlash from people who thought she was doing it all about the money.
The fact is, it's going to cost Mia and Alexa quite a bit of money to get multiple cameras, lighting, props and other things required for this movie. They also have to relocate the cast to Washington State, not far from where Mia grew up. This is going to be the setting for the story. They'd like to pay their performers a little bit for their time and provide them food and housing while the movie is being made. It isn't free to do this.
$80,000 isn't much compared to some of the entertainment products I've seen raise funds, but in the hands of somebody who has an idea what they're doing, it can get the job done. The one nice thing about what Alexa and Mia are doing here is once they've gotten this movie filmed and edited, they're still going to have the equipment to use on any future projects. They will have a head start, and any funds raised for the next project can go towards adding to their equipment list.
This is the way these independent projects go. You build your wardrobe and your arsenal of equipment little by little, and you use what you have to tell the best story possible. Good movie making doesn't necessarily require a big budget with loads of special effects. All that it really requires is a good story that engages the people to suspend their disbelief and enjoy the story being told.
Thus far, they're not getting the big backing as everything $5,000 and up has yet to be claimed. There are six people who have signed up for $500 for the Zoom call, and nine people have signed up at $300 for the special thanks - worldwide credit. Another 21 people have claimed the $300 special thanks credit in The States, while 56 people have signed up for the $100 mini poster and 92 people have signed up for the $50 digital download - plus extras.
Those are some of the perks. This is what you do with an Indiegogo campaign. You create different tiers to get the support that backers can afford. For instance, 55 people have just put in money to essentially get the movie made and see a few photos of the process. Should a bigger investor come, $5,000 is being offered for a signed script, while $30,000 is being offered to three potential investors for executive producer credits.
My main objective in writing these articles and spreading the word on Twitter is to see that this movie gets made. I am not affiliated with Mia, but I am keen on the idea of creating something with other trans performers in the future. I'd like to try my writing skills among others who are of like mind and see what we can create. There are plenty of places to release content on the internet, and my mind starts turning. While I think about it, I want this movie to become a reality.
I've watched Mia on Twitter, and she's a likable person who posts things that will make you think or even laugh. If you can find the video of her reading of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, you might find that amusing as well. I think when Mia, Alexa, Bugs and everybody get to work on this movie, they're going to make something that will resonate with at least some viewers. That's what movie making is all about. Tell a good story and get people to think. Here's to the success of Again Again.
If you wish to contribute, go to the Indiegogo campaign, click this link https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/again-again-a-time-loop-feature-film#/
