Friday, July 5, 2013

BALLON: A Short Film #kickstarter

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aostrander/ballon-a-short-film

A ballerina caught in the cycle of partying and cocaine-fueled rehearsals must confront her addiction when she crumbles at an audition.

THE FILM

Ballon allows the audience a glimpse into Marin’s chaotic cycle of partying and professionalism, spanning a 24 hour period. Striving for perfection but caught in a self-destructive pattern of habits, she feels that her life can only operate in a heightened mode. When we meet Marin, cocaine is the center of her universe — the thing that gets her through all-day rehearsals and all-night benders. And it’s killing her. Marin uses the drug as a driving force through her day, until she reaches a breaking point during the audition of a lifetime. Marin’s ballet company is filled with young women who have admired Marin for years, so her embarrissing crash resonates with the group. Only Emily, a fresh-faced dancer new to this world, has the courage to confront Marin and offer her a lifeline. Marin must decide if she’s ready to be honest and look at what her life has become. Making a change will mean leaving behind the life — and the dream — that she knows.

In this heavily stylistic film, you’ll be swept into the emotional world of the dance floor, both in a nightclub and within a ballet company’s walls. The juxtaposition of the music and ambiance of the two spaces will visually stimulate the audience, and allow you to live in the moment with Marin.

Ballon will be entertaining, emotionally engaging, and a piece that sheds light on the dangers of demanding too much of oneself. Inspired by her own observations in the dance world, director Alexis O. Korycinski brought the idea to writer Julia Cox who immediately responded to the concept and penned the piece. Together, they bring you the journey of one broken woman’s path to self-examination. The creative and production team has backgrounds in film, theatre, and dance, and Ballon is a labor of love they are proud to share.

Did we mention there’s an underwater dance sequence?!

Relevé (Here’s Where You Come In)

Whether you are a dancer, dance enthusiast, or someone who’s eyes get a bit wider after seeing an eloquent dance, WE WANT YOU! We welcome each and every one of you to the Ballon Family with open arms! We are creating a community eager to make a change. A change for self-awareness. A change within the dance community. A change for young people demanding beyond their means.

Your support on this project will help us build Marin’s chaotic world.

Check out our Rewards section for our rad kickbacks!!

REWARD EXAMPLES:

Private Instagram Access:

For $10 you will have access to the private Instagram where you will see photos from the cast and crew.

HEADSHOTS:

For $500 (only 20 available) you will receive a private headshot session (does not include hair and makeup) in Los Angeles with the director. This must be redeemed within one year, and you’ll need to provide your own travel to Los Angeles and accommodations once you’re here. Please see examples below.

Original artwork:

Thaddeus T. Chapman will paint original paintings inspired by Ballon for the $5000 and $10,000 Rewards. Please see examples of his work below.

Thaddeus T Chapman has been a professional painter based in Central New York since 2000. In 2012, he relocated to the Central Coast of California.

His paintings are created using gouache on rice paper—a technique that utilizes layers of the heavier, more opaque water-based paint on thin rice paper creating works with greater reflective qualities. “I use the techniques of abstract expressionism and apply them to my figurative work” says Thaddeus, who describes his style as figurative abstraction. Chapman utilizes reference photos of his subjects, which he uses to develop drawings. Although he considers himself a portrait painter, his works vary from landscapes to abstracts and nudes. For more examples please visit his website:http://thaddeustchapman.com

Where Will The Money Go?

Every penny will go directly towards Ballon! We’ve got some work to do! Your support will lend itself towards -

costumes

hair & makeup (we have to get Shelby to look like a druggie!)

location fees & permits (because we want to do good by LA)

top notch filming equipment

food for cast & crew (“Please, sir, can I have some more?” Of course you can because we have plenty of food thanks to our donors!)

underwater gear (oh yeah — here’s our underwater scene plug again)

editing

paying for all of the fantastic kickbacks you’ll be receiving shortly!

and…. taxes! We must do right by Kickstarter. They’re good people.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aostrander/ballon-a-short-film

Friday, June 21, 2013

DVD educational Kickstarter video – How to build your own cnc router

DVD educational video – How to build your own cnc router

by Sam Faix

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1151413310/dvd-educational-video-how-to-build-your-own-cnc-ro

A DVD educational video detailing step by step the construction of a DIY CNC router.

New cnc router design

DVD Educational Video – How to build a Computer Controlled Router

This project will be the production of a DVD video detailing the construction of a DIY open source cnc router. All steps of the construction will be documented and explained, including material sourcing, fabrication, assembly, and hardware/software configuration. Final CAD design drawings of the cnc system will be open source.

Drought in the central Texas area has devastated the trees in the area, killing more than 500 million trees state wide. We have partnered with a tree removal company which has now given us access to a huge amount of timber resources that would be destroyed otherwise. A cnc router prototype has been constructed and a new design has been created – one specific to the use of rough cut wood slabs. This new design will allow for massive wood slabs to be loaded via forklift, and easily secured for machining. The cnc router will be capable of cutting intricate relief carvings, joints, and curves.

The unique feature of this cnc router design compared to others is the table top. It will be made from evenly spaced 2×4′s mounted to a slotted iron frame. The 2×4′s will provide an ideal securing surface for rough wood slabs, and allow material to be loaded via forklift.

Funding of the project will cover the cost of 4 industrial stepper motors, stainless steel rails and ball screw drives, power supply, 4 axis cnc controller, basic pc, 3KW water cooled spindle, variable frequency drive, and structural iron material.

The final open source CNC design and implementation details will be freely redistributed online in order to accelerate the innovation of the technology. Any pledge of $25 or more will receive a video of the construction of the CNC machine as well as the final CAD design plans – everything necessary to build your own CNC machine. We have no goal of mass producing the CNC machine at this time, only the production of the DVD and the construction of the unit. This will be an interim step to a possible mass production design.

We are overworked and underfunded. Every pledge will help. Thank you for joining us in this project which is sure to be an adventure in engineering and art!

The DVD will be shipped internationally at no extra charge!

Rustic Cutting Board – $50 Pledge

Military Plaques – Marine, Army, Navy, Airforce Available – $60 Pledge

Edison Quote Plaque – $75 Pledge

Wildlife Carving – $200 Pledge

Rustic Coffee Table – $1000 Pledge

Rustic Bookshelf – $1500 Pledge

Refrigerator Magnet – $15 Pledge

Prototype cnc cutting religious relief

Rustic Desk – $2500 Pledge

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1151413310/dvd-educational-video-how-to-build-your-own-cnc-ro

Thursday, June 20, 2013

LE CHERCHE MIDI: Fragrance without compromise #Kickstarter

LE CHERCHE MIDI: Fragrance without compromise

by Nathan Motylinski

Fashions change. So should your fragrance. Introducing the Autumn/Winter 2013 luxury fragrance collection by Le Cherche Midi.

Not all fragrances are created equal.

THE LE CHERCHE MIDI DIFFERENCE:

1 – Artistic expression without any filters. Our fragrances are inspired solely by the creative vision of our perfumer rather than marketing reports, trend forecasts or other data-driven approaches. Most companies follow trends – we lead them.

2 – Perfumery built on heritage. What good is a great idea if you can’t make it work? Our perfumer, Cecile Hua, was classically trained in the birthplace of perfume – Grasse, France – at the best perfumery school in the world. With her in-depth understanding of chemistry, artistry, and perfumery, we are able to bring new fragrances to life with a sophistication and finesse that will ensure our fragrances never go out of style.

3 – The world is constantly changing and so are we. Drawing on our knowledge and expertise of over 2,000 raw materials, we are constantly updating our line with innovative luxury fragrances built around new ingredients and combinations. We launch an entirely new collection twice each year – Spring/Summer, Autumn/Winter – allowing you stand out in a sea of ‘me-too’ fragrances.

4 – Sold direct. Luxury fragrances sold through retailers often come with a hefty price tag to pay for expensive endorsements, licensing agreements or overdone (and often useless) packaging that ends up in a landfill. By selling directly through our website, we are able to offer a higher quality product at a better price.

5 – We know our limits. Literally. Everything we make is assembled by hand, so in order to ensure the highest possible standards, we limit production of all our fragrances and products. Each bottle is numbered and supplies are only available while they last.

Are our fragrances for men or women?

Both! In fact, fragrance has never been gender specific – just like art, music, or wine. Unfortunately, the idea of gender-specific fragrance was created as a marketing tactic to increase sales. Our rule of thumb – wear what you like!

Why don’t our fragrances have names?

We’re often told what to see, hear, taste and even smell by clever marketing campaigns that can disguise and obscure unoriginal ideas. Our fragrances are not about endorsements, catchy names, or flashy images, so we decided the best way to present them was with a number and a color inspired by the fragrance.

OUR PRODUCTS (YOUR REWARDS):

Travel Spray (yours for $10+ pledge)

Travel Spray Trio (yours for $25+ pledge)

100 ml eau de toilette (yours for $79+ pledge)

Eaux de Toilette Collection (yours for $169+ pledge)

Bespoke Fragrance (yours for $999+ pledge)

OUR STORY:

As fragrance industry professionals, we (Nathan and Cecile) have seen far too many great fragrances and concepts get sacrificed for corporate constraints that focus more on what’s ON the bottle than what’s IN the bottle. With our combined experience and passion for fragrance, we decided to BE the change we wanted to see and now showcase our own original concepts with two luxury fragrance collections – Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter – each year. So join us in exploring the infinite world of luxury fragrance – without compromise.

THE TEAM:

Nathan Motylinski, entrepreneur and owner of Le Cherche Midi, knows how to transform concepts and ideas into reality. Nathan holds several fragrance-related design and utility patents. In addition to running Le Cherche Midi, he assists companies of all sizes with fragrance and product development.

Cécile Hua, perfumer was born in Marseille, France and knew by the age of 7 that she was destined to become a perfumer. After earning a Master’s Degree in Chemistry to lay the foundation of her technical knowledge for perfume creation, Cécile was chosen to attend the invitation-only Givaudan Perfumery School in Grasse, where she furthered her understanding of creative fragrance development.

Graduating first in her class from the world’s most prestigious perfumery school, Cécile decided to take her talent and ideas to New York, where she was the first recipient of the Fashion Group International ‘Rising Star Award’ for Fragrance Design in 2003. Since then, Cécile has been the creative drive behind many fine fragrances and continues to develop perfumes with some of the most famous celebrities and brands in the world, including Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren, Estée Lauder, L’Oreal, Abercrombie & Fitch, Brooks Brothers, David Yurman, Vera Wang, Michael Kors, Alfred Dunhill, FCUK, Gendarme, Henri Bendel, MAC Cosmetics, Fresh, Park Hyatt, and Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

SURRENDER Kickstarter – photography art book

SURRENDER

by Jim Young

Stunning images that honor the dignity of life by stimulating the surrender of our outdated views and attitudes about one another.

ABOUT SURRENDER:

“The late Photo-Secessionist, Alvin Langdon, wrote, ‘Photography teaches its devotees how to look intelligently and appreciatively at the world, but religious mysticism introduces the soul to God.’ This new body of work by Jim Young accomplishes both. Always an extremely insightful photographer and a master writer of the inspirational word, he brings these gifts together in Surrender.”

Stephen C. Sumner, award-winning photographer and Executive Director, Center for the Arts, Evergreen, Colorado.

“…Jim Young has used his consummate skill in handling light to masterfully interpret his subject. Young succeeds in this endeavor through a clear vision of the project, a trusting working relationship with the models and exemplary control of the photographic process. It also presents a way to see that we all are destined to bear out own cross, as we endure each struggle that accompanies life as a human being.”

Ron Lutz, award-winning photographer, Eureka Springs, AR

Anonymous reviews from the Amazon/Kindle version of Surrender:

“Surrender – the most daring spiritual book of the decade!”

“To say a picture is worth 10,000 words was never more true than here. Both the images and words convey a story ‘the church’ would rather not tell.”

“A virtuous treatment that rings the inner bell with profound resonance!”

“Provocative, redeeming photography that unshackles devotional servitude…a coffee table and conversational must!”

“A titillating crucible, contrasting compassion and servitude, virtuosity and betrayal, liberation and infringement.”

Surrender, a provocative photo essay, honors the dignity of life by stimulating the surrender of our outdated views and attitudes towards one another. It also honors the dignity of life by clarifying life purpose and meaning through a spiritual narrative, releasing the stunning inner images that speak through spiritual awareness. Through the photographic and word images alike, it celebrates the innate beauty of the human figure and soul, as we stand naked before God in all our innocence.

Surrender is not about religion, or even spirituality. Surrender is a book aboutyou! Surely, allowing yourself to BE with the images, both individually and as a collection, will have its very own profound impact on you—and it could well empower you to reach well beyond current views and circumstances.

Surrender will be printed in a 9” X 9” format, using a tri-tone process to make these exquisite black and white images be as close as possible to their archival print counterparts.

Some background:

Although I have authored and published 16 spiritual books with three different publishers in the past 7-8 years, photograph books are exceptionally expensive and thus difficult to publish. Even though many of my photographs have been accepted and awarded in juried exhibitions worldwide over the years, publishers have been reluctant to address spiritual issues using such powerful images. Even so, I’ve worked diligently to see that Surrenderhas as least found its way into many individual collections through the Amazon/Kindle digital publishing program. (See this version on my website: www.creationspirit.net.)

Since its release a little over a year ago, readers continue to clamor for a first rate tabletop hard copy, as well as wanting to obtain prints of the images themselves. Recently, two artist friends who also happen to be gallery owners—both of whom have contributed commentary to this book—suggested that putting the entire collection and related perks into the hands of artistically and spiritually motivated patrons would provide both, and at much less expense. Eureka!

Archival print included as $100 perk..

So here it is. Surrender is fully designed and ready to go. It’s up to us now. Let’s show the world what it really means to collaborate! Why you should participate?

• Because you’d be the proud owners, not only of an autographed, limited edition classic photo book of black and white images and sterling commentary, but also—depending on the level of support provided—the possessor of a signed, limited edition archival gelatin silver photograph for your collection.

• Because you’re a good friend, a loving family member, a treasured member of my computer-based social family or simply interested in fine art photography and/or spiritual issues.

• Because you’re interested in issues of the heart and being empowered by deeper meaning gained from a variety of sources.

• Because you would like to share this abundance with other loved ones, those who also appreciate such approaches to deeper meaning and clearer purpose.

• Because you’d like a book on your coffee table that could spark interesting conversations with neighbors, visitors, friends, colleagues and family.

• Because you think the body of work deserves to be published, and are moved to be part of bringing this creative venture to fruition.

Whatever your reason(s), I invite you to join me in making this project a reality by making finances available pertinent to your level of desire and interest.

The cost for publishing a limited edition of Surrender is $7750. This is not inexpensive, but this is what it takes to make a great book—a book you can give for a special occasion, and get lost in for a change of inner scenery, which is sure to also transform how you see life—from the inside, out.

Over the years, I’ve invested far more than this amount of money, plus immeasurable time and energy, to bring the images and the Amazon/Kindle version of Surrender to fruition. And I’ve contributed hundreds of books from my collection to others, simply to help “seed” the spiritual development of interested persons.

Now, at this point, I’m asking for your help to make this single printed version a reality. For all these reasons, I would greatly appreciate your generosity of spirit, both financially and by telling your friends about this opportunity, so they, too, can join in.

Thank you!

Jim Young

Losing Altitude- A collaborative art book #birds #kickstarter

Losing Altitude- A collaborative art book

by Arras Wiedorn

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/animuspanthera/losing-altitude-a-collaborative-art-book

This collaborative art book will feature over 50 artists and over 100 pages of full-color art of endangered birds from the world over.

Tiny little dinosaurs

Birds are some of the most beautiful and interesting animals in the world. They live on every continent, and over the ages they have developed all kinds of interesting adaptations to life in all those different places. With such a huge variety of species, shapes, plumages and colors, birds have inspired artists from the world over. This art book will bring together more than 50 artists from around the globe to illustrate threatened and endangered birds ranging from the little Fairy Pitta and tiny Dusky Starfrontlet to the magnificent Great Green Macaw and the mighty Javan Hawk Eagle.

The details

The finished art book will be 8.5 x 11 inches and will come with your choice of a hard or soft cover. It will include well over 100 pages of full-color illustrations, photographs, and artisan crafts ranging from sculpture to culinary arts featuring endangered and threatened birds from around the world, created by over 50 different artists. The book will be printed through The Art Bookbindery.

Each illustration will include an infographic with information on the species pictured. Also included will be a section on conservation and what you can do in order to help protect these birds in your own area and a list of resources and relevant websites. All information will be drawn from reliable sources and fully cited.

Feeding those starving artists

Since artists cannot create their art without the necessary funds, the profits of this book will be divided up among contributing artists. Artists will receive a portion of the profits based on their contributions. Furthermore, since part of the point of this project is to help support deserving artists, all participating artists reserve the rights to sell originals, prints, and merchandise (etc.) of their art.

Stretch Goals:

For every extra $500 we raise over the goal we will release one more acrylic charm design! Up to 5 total designs- if we raise $7,000, then all five designs will be available.