Reign of Judges: Title of Liberty (Concept Film Short)
Created by Darin Southam
Reign of Judges: Title of Liberty is a fan-driven beginning… to the epic New World saga of love, war, revolution, and freedom.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
THANK YOU - The Work Begins!
over 8 years ago
– Fri, Sep 15, 2017 at 11:11:54 PM
Where we ended up:
- TOTAL RAISED: $221,157
- TOTAL BACKERS: 1,601
- 3rd ALL-TIME Highest Funded Short Film on Kickstarter (missed 2nd by only $1,500, but oh well, we did great anyways and we will be receiving more funds outside Kickstarter as well. We should surpass $300K with outside funds hopefully-- we'll let you know!). - TOP 3% ALL-TIME Kickstarter Campaigns.
- TOP 1% ALL-TIME Film Kickstarter Campaigns.
- Minimum Goal Achieved on 911, 2017 (2 days early)!
We have received many requests for those still wanting to pledge. We are working on a potential extension of our campaign on IndieGogo or on our site which is currently being prepped for post Kickstarter info. In the meantime, people can either message us here on Kickstarter and we an arrange to take their pledge personally or they can privately message our Facebook page.
Thank you to all of our 1,601 supporters as well as those who have supported us outside of Kickstarter. Next steps:
- Kickstarter order fulfillment.
- Amor creation.
- Tailoring script to budget. - Production prep (costumes, props, etc.) - Booking production team (Filling key positions) - Location scouting.
- Casting.
Many updates to come throughout this exciting process that you won't want to miss. This journey is as much yours as it is ours. We want to take you with us every step of the way. Best way to stay updated is to follow us on Facebook. Make sure and select "See First" under the follow tab so you always see our updates in your feed. Here's a video that shows you how to do this:
We will also do backer updates on Kickstarter throughout the process, but you'll see it first on Facebook.
Watch for the Kickstarter survey coming in the next few days. This is where you provide details for your order selections, mailing addresses, etc.
More soon!
New $50,000 Backer - $300K Even Closer
over 8 years ago
– Fri, Sep 15, 2017 at 07:20:55 PM
UPDATE 9-13-17
LESS THAN 17 HOURS LEFT - CAMPAIGN CLOSES TOMORROW (SEPT. 14th) 3:42PM MST.
First, some AMAZING news. We had an additional $50,000 get pledged outside of Kickstarter tonight! Our total raised now stands at $213,493! We are now less than $10,000 away from becoming the Second ALL-TIME Highest Funded Short Film on Kickstarter. We are also less than $72,000 away from becoming the First ALL-TIME Highest Funded Short Film on Kickstarter. $300,000 is not impossible.
It cannot be stated enough, when we started this campaign we did so on absolute faith. Almost all of our backers, including most of our substantial backers are people we did not know previously. We launched the vision of this action-packed epic based on the 4th Most Influential Book in America. We launched on faith and you all came. You united behind this vision. Our gratitude knows no bounds for the combined faith and effort that has been exercised to make this campaign a success. But we're not finished yet.
The concept film short we can do for $150K is a TOTALLY different concept film short than we can do at $300K. One of them includes a sweeping visual effects battle scene and the other does not. One of them includes 20 times the armor creation and the other does not. As you know :), we've been very repetitive about our goals during this campaign. Raise $1M and MAKE A STATEMENT. $1M may not happen by tomorrow but $300K very likely can-- and we may just hit $1M after the campaign closes. We already have a couple of leads that could possibly bring in $200K more in the next few weeks.
Why does all this matter anyways? Why all this talk about money?
Selling a film to investors (which is ultimately what we are doing with this campaign), is all about building a pitch-- building a case as to why our script is better than the other 50,000 scripts that get pitched every year. Why our script is more capable of substantial box office support than the other 600 films that get made in Hollywood each year. When investors ask why is our film is better, how will we respond? What will we be able to say after tomorrow? I hope it's something like this:
"Our film is based on the 5th best-selling book of all time. It has over 200M copies in circulation-- the 8th Most Influential Book in America. A book so acclaimed it has been republished in its entirety by Yale University Press, University of Illinois Press, Doubleday, and Penguin Books. First edition copies of this book are valued at over $200,000. In addition to these compelling facts, we have proven on a worldwide crowdfunding platform that our film is capable of attracting massive support. We're the Highest Funded and Highest Backed Short Film of ALL TIME on Kickstarter. We had over 5,000 backers pledge to our campaign and raised over $300,000 in 30 days . There could not be a better film, nor a better time to invest in such a film about freedom, than our film right now, today."
Pretty compelling, right? And after this campaign closes, we will also produce a blockbuster concept film short, which (by this time) will have already proven a positive audience response. Our concept short will be the final push to propel our full feature into creation. We could not be more thrilled to get started on it, and it's all thanks to YOU.
Now what needs to happen in the next 18 hours? Right now, our backer count is very low compared to the amount raised. Backer count is very important to demonstrate how impressive our audience is. As of right now, we are initiating a "PLEDGE $1" campaign. Believe me, we get it, we don't want anyone to feel like they're selling beef jerky sticks for their kid's peewee football team. But, here's the problem... we have made substantial efforts to get news coverage and, yes, we've got some but, by and large, the media has left us high and dry. That's ok (and expected), but it means we, together, must be more active and more united than other campaigns. We don't have the luxury to sit back and let Mashable do all the work for us (we've submitted to them over 10 times BTW). We have to work together to make it happen without the media.
When went public three years ago we went from 0 to 17,000 fans in less than 30 days without paying a dime for advertising. Several page owners called us, asking what in the heck we were doing to grow so quickly. We did this with one powerful tool. Private messages. If Facebook allowed it, I would have personally spent the first 2 days of our campaign privately messaging all 26,000 of our fans and we would have been over our goal the first week. Facebook has robbed this powerful tool from us so they can make more money. BUT, all of us individually can still accomplish the task, if we're willing.
I know some won't feel comfortable and that's totally fine, we understand and appreciate your pledged support already, but let's say only half our current backers privately message 30 of their friends to pledge $1. 723 X 30 is 21,000 private messages. We only need 16% of those 21,000 to pledge $1 and we will have over 5,000 backers, making us the highest backed short film on Kickstarter.
We have 17 hours left to give every last effort to this campaign and we have the rest of our lives to remember it. I am leaving it all on the table. Just think for a moment the shockwave it will send around the world if we close a $140,000 gap and gain 3500 additional backers in less than 24 hours. Think of what that will mean for the cause of liberty. Think of what that will mean to honor the Spirit of Freedom.
As a reminder, here are the benchmarks:
For 1st Place - $285K (5,000 Backers)
For 2nd Place - $223K (3,400 Backers)
3rd Place is already US at $213K (BUT we still need our Backer count above 2,200 to claim 3rd Highest Backed; we are currently at 1,446)
Many continue to ask about increasing their pledge. If you pledged as a guest and didn't create an account it's sometimes difficult to manage your pledge after you've made it. If you're trying to increase your pledge as a guest you can always just pledge again as a guest and use a different email address. If you did create an account, and you are trying to increase your pledge, simply log in and adjust your pledge before the campaign closes. Many of you already have and a few have sent notes that they are not able to and that is perfectly ok :). We appreciate all of your support!
Finally, many have asked about buying additional shirts, keychains, tickets to the premieres, etc. There will be a closing survey within a few days after the campaign closes and you will be able to add additional items at discounted rates to your order. You will also fill out your shipping address and other info at that time. In addition, there will be a survey to have you all vote on what style of shirts you want. We will likely have three designs to choose from and, depending on the their popularity, we will choose one or two.
Thank you for supporting this monumental undertaking.
We've already made history. Now, we can finish making our statement. For FREEDOM!
Minimum Goal Achieved 911, 2017 - We Really Need To Hit Our Stretch Goals!
over 8 years ago
– Tue, Sep 12, 2017 at 11:32:03 AM
UPDATE 9-12-17
Minimum Goal $150,000 achieved on 911, 2017!
I had an strong impression Sept. 10th (when we hit $135K) that we would surpass $150K on Sept. 11th and we did. September 11th is a day we all remember, when terror reared its tyrannical head. Now, because of you, this day can have new meaning. Now, this day can also be remembered as the day when the first Book of Mormon war epic funded, fueling the impetus to ignite a worldwide Spirit of Freedom. For those who’ve read the book, can you imagine a greater ensign for our time than Captain Moroni and his Title of Liberty? For those who haven’t read the book, they will soon come to know this mighty man.
Now, as exciting as all of this is, we cannot look back or let up. We didn't launch this campaign to just make our minimum goal. We launched it to make a statement. We want to give our supporters a visual effects battle scene, which we can only do if we hit $300K. Also, hitting this stretch goal will unlock 150 more spots to be a battle extra in our film (which are currently sold out). I know $300K seems so far away with such short time left, but NOTHING is impossible if our campaign gets in front of the right people who can get us there quickly. Think of it, we received 3 pledges today for $2,500 each and one for $3,000 to help us get over our goal. We can also continue fundraising outside of Kickstarter for those who come late to the game. For those who want to help, please thoughtfully consider contacts you may have who could help us reach $300K. We are happy to speak to any of them personally, with your introduction. One of our supporters has introduced us to 3 people who have pledged significant amounts. It can happen quickly if we all work together.
Remember, we don't get to keep all the money we make on Kickstarter. That is why we really need to raise as much as we possibly can. Here is the graphic from our campaign again so you can see how much money is deducted before we can begin production on our concept short.
STRETCH GOALS: $300,000 raised / 5,000 Backers - Achieves the Highest Funded and Highest Backed Short Film on Kickstarter. - Unlocks 20 times the armor creation and a Visual Effects Battle Scene. - Unlocks 150 more spots to be an Extra in our concept short.
Why are these stretch goals so important? Every goal we hit makes our story more compelling to local and national media.
JUST TWO DAYS LEFT - CAMPAIGN CLOSES SEPT. 14th 3:42PM!!
Current Short Film Records to Beat on Kickstarter
Total Raised: $153,000 (up from $120,200) Total Pledges: 1,337 (up from 1,035)
Top Pledges: 1 @ $20K (no change)
1 @ $7.5K (new) 3 @ $5K (down 1 due to increased pledge of $7.5K) 8 @ $2.5K (up from 2)
8 @ $1K (up from 8) 25 @ $500 (up from 16) 51 @ $300 (no change)
MEDIA COMING THIS WEEK: Hard push today now that we are past minimum goal.
On September 11th, we made history. Now we can finish making our statement.
Can you imagine the statement it would make if we raised $150,000 in two days? I know it can happen if we all work together.
PS - Let's also make a huge push to increase our pledge total even if they are only $1. This is one of the biggest ways to demonstrate our audience and right now our number is a bit low compared to our amount raised.
Keep sharing the following videos:
This one has gone viral with over 46K views and 771 shares in 2 days... let's keep it going.
Original Campaign Video:
Over 1,000 Pledges - 5 DAYS LEFT!!
over 8 years ago
– Mon, Sep 11, 2017 at 09:40:12 AM
UPDATE 9-8-17
Before we get into this update we want to take a moment to express our thoughts on those affected by the recent and ongoing natural disasters. We are heartbroken for those suffering from these events. Please know, we had no intention of "competing" with two major hurricanes and multiple wild fires throughout the USA during our campaign. By way of disclosure, we actually petitioned Kickstarter to allow an exception for us to donate some of our proceeds to the relief efforts but our petition was denied.
We sincerely thank ALL of you for believing in this film enough to pledge your hearts out even with so many worthy causes to support. Unfortunately, there are no mulligans with Kickstarter. For our part, we launched a 30 day campaign on August 14th with the intent to finish it, just as we will make our concept short with the intent to leverage it into the full feature. In this light, we stand by the import of this undertaking. We are most honored for those pledges we have received and those we will yet receive to get us over our goal.
Now, where do we stand today:
80% FUNDED OVER 1,000 PLEDGES!
We broke our record for total pledges in a single day today with 87 and counting. We've had a surge of support the last 3 days and we are confident it will continue but we cannot let up.
JUST FIVE DAYS LEFT and $29K to go - CAMPAIGN CLOSES SEPT. 14th 3:42PM!!
Total Raised: $120,200 (up from $103,372, 18% increase) Total Pledges: 1,035 (up from 809, 28% increase)
Top Pledges: 1 @ $20K (no change) 4 @ $5K (no change... but 1-2 pending hopefully)
2 @ $2.5K (no change) 8 @ $1K (up from 7, 14% increase)
16 @ $500 (up from 8, 100% increase)
51 @ $300 (up from 42, 20% increase)
MEDIA COMING THIS WEEK:
No promises, BUT... we may hit the Daily Wire tomorrow. Fingers crossed!! Still working on local TV as well. If we get on the Daily Wire we will leverage it like crazy to get more national attention.
Some of you have already got this note but for those who haven't, I want to address something that has been brought up many of our supporters. We have over 26,000 Facebook fans. Several have commented, if every fan pledged just $8 (not including larger pledges), we would have already raised over $200,000. Although this is this very true, let me tell you why all our fans haven't pledged yet. It's important you know why. I promise, it isn't because they don't want to. Believe it or not, it's because they haven't seen it yet! Social media platforms are always finding ways to capitalize on (or usurp) the popularity of its patrons. In the past, Facebook allowed us to pull up ALL our fans, and message them privately. This powerful tool has been taken from us. We have spent three years building a fanbase only to lose access to them almost entirely. The only way to reach them now is to pay to boost our posts, which we are doing, but the worst part is, boosting posts still doesn't reach all our fans-- and its effectiveness pales in comparison to that of a private message.
Even though we cannot privately message our fans, for those who desire to help even more, you certainly can privately message your friends if you like and we encourage you to do so if you can.
One final note: We have been greatly moved that 60 of our backers have increased their pledges since first backing, making a total of over $21,000 in increased pledge amounts. Please don't feel obligated, but if you have the desire (and are able to) before the campaign closes, we would welcome any increase you could add to your pledge. Either way, we are so grateful to have you behind this important undertaking.
We won't let you down. I promise.
With your help, we will exceed our goal. With your help, we will make history.
More soon!
We are now TOP 1% on Kickstarter! (OVER $100K Raised)
over 8 years ago
– Mon, Sep 11, 2017 at 08:21:50 AM
UPDATE 9-4-17
Three huge milestones, if you missed them from last week.
1. We surpassed $100,000 in total pledges. We have now raised more than 97% of ALL Kickstarter campaigns and more than 99% of all FILM campaigns on Kickstarter. TOP 3% site wide and TOP 1% for our category. Not bad!
2. We had our first $20,000 pledge! It came from someone I'd never met and the pledge was made without a reward selection. What an amazing blessing to this effort, which inspired us all. We are truly grateful, as are all of the many backers who expressed their gratitude on Facebook.
3. We had articles hit KSL (article blew up with over 100 comments) and Meridian this week, which both gave us nice boosts.
Total Raised: $103,372 (up from $69,390 at last update) Total Pledges: 809 (up from 568 at last update)
Top Pledges: 1 @ $20K (NEW) 4 @ $5K (same) 2 @ $2.5K (same) 7 @ $1K (up from 6) 8 @ $500 (up from 5) 42 @ $300 (up from 32)
MEDIA COMING THIS WEEK: Greg Trimble will be blogging about us. We are working a couple contacts at The Blaze and the Daily Wire as well as TV stations in 5 different states. We still have a ways to go but a lot can happen in 9 days.
If any of you would like to set up an introduction, I am happy to speak with any of your friends personally over the phone about the project. Thank you so very much for your support. 9 DAYS LEFT!!
