I spoke for awhile with Gabriel Leigh in Los Angeles last weekend. Gabriel produces a short documentary in 2009 about the quest for miles and points.
He’s now working on a feature length documentary, and he’s looking for support for the project.
Kickstarter allows you to raise funds for a project, people make commitments but the project’s driver only gets the funds if they raise the goal which will allow them to make the project happen. If they fall short they get nothing, everyone keeps their money.
Over the weekend I knew that Gabriel was close, but the final deadline is Friday morning. So I planned to post here, hoping that I could make a contribution and that some of my readers might as well, and push him over the top — it would be the difference between a full documentary and no documentary. But others spoke to him in Los Angeles too, and Milepoint jumped in and put him over the top. He’ll get the funds and be able to make a documentary.
However his goal was only $15,000. Which is the ultimate shoestring. He tells me his plan is to have the film ready to submit to Sundance, not the easiest place to get into, and with a bit more money he could both speed up the production (more money sure helps getting things done) and make the production far better (from locations and travel to editing expense). I’d really love to see a bit support for the project, and I’m making a commitment to it today myself. Hopefully others will as well. Because it’s a great opportunity to see our passion on the big screen.
Okay, I’m in for $50. I remember seeing the Vimeo short back when he made it and being delighted by it. Here’s hoping the feature length is a success!
Why would you cause more attention to ourselves? The more hype around it, the more companies will crack down on lucrative bonuses.
Im in….$50 in the pot……Although I do appreciate Tyler’s comment…the more something surfaces, the more its regulated, and the more its tightened up…and then goodbye free trips..(seen this already on a smaller scale with the coins)…
Gabe is working hard on it..and I can appreciate the hard work…so Im in.
I had the exact same thought as Tyler, isn’t this the newspaper story on coins all over again?
@Sunrise089:
I’d say it’s not. For one, Gabe’s doc appears to be focused more on FF culture and less on the nuts an bolts of our “deals.”
Also, the coins story was about embarassing a government agency into stopping a program. Had various sources not “poked the bear in the zoo”, Direct Ship would likely have just kept shambling on until the end of the presidential dollar series.
The same can’t be said for the airlines/CC companies. Because they are for profit enterprises, they have a vested interest in axing unprofitable programs. I don’t think a doc about people on the fringes (us!) will have much impact on their business decisions.
Very nicely done
I did a post last week to support him too! I’m glad to hear his project will make it! Really enjoyed it!