I’m sorta in the middle of an indie-filmmaking online scuffle, I know both parties involved and this post is meant not as a critique of any one party, but as an attempt to bring a larger perspective to the whole situation.
In this corner: Jessica Mae Stover, creative force behind ArtemisEternal.com, a site which is dedicated to destroying conventional filmmaking by raising $100,000 through small donations to make a 10-minute short film with the title of “Artemis Eternal.” I appear in an upcoming promotional video for the site/film and know Jessica socially.
And in this corner, Mike Ambs and Amanda Walker, the creative force behind ProjectPedal.com, a site which documents Mike and Amanda’s five year struggle to produce a feature-length documentary about a cross-country bike trip which will ultimately be titled “For Thousands of Miles.” It should be noted that Amanda and I were in a very serious relationship until recently and that her dog still loves me.
Okay, so with that, here’s the drama. Jessica feels that Mike and Amanda have pulled off some sort of thievery in their recently re-launched “For Thousands of Miles” site.
There are certain similarities to both sites, both are about unfinished film projects, both feature a side scrolling timeline, and both ask for donations.
That’s it.
Sidescrolling is a bit novel, but it’s pretty out there already. This collection of scrolling sites doesn’t include Artemis at all.
And donations? Well, PBS, The One Second Film, and countless other projects (including projectpedal.com from 2005) have been seeking donations to make their visions a reality for decades.
So what’s the crime?
Not sure — I know I have been outright ripped off before (there are billions of Ask A Ninja homages out there…) but I never complain or let it get under my skin. I compete by being better, funnier, and more creative than them. And I actively try and promote our business model and try and learn from the success of others. Because when it all comes down to it, we’re all just trying to do our art and make a living from it.
Mike and Amanda struggle just as mightily for their survival as Jessica does. It’s one thing to steal source code or content and try and pass it off as your own (which no one claims happened), it’s another to see what works and make it your own.
It’s crazy to think there can’t be two indie film projects with a side scrolling timelines. Just as it’s crazy to think that Jessica can’t open a twitter account for her film, or a myspace, or a facebook.
All of those things are just tools and techniques to talk to an audience.
5 Comments
March 12, 2009 at 1:56 pm
I also know all parties involved, and Mike works with us on our projects. I understand that creators have a right to be miffed if they feel like their ideas are being co-opted by someone else, but in my opinion this situation seems very far from something Jessica should view as threatening. She basically called Mike a thief publicly on Twitter, and then just as quickly decided to end the conversation.
I’d like to understand what it is that Jessica feels is unique to her project that is being stolen. What is it that she is doing that we have never seen before in some form or another? I am unable to identify that myself, having been working, living, and creating on the web since 1994. People were using the web to raise money for their projects more than 10 years ago.
The true greatness of the web is that we put our ideas out there for the public. When something works, everyone can see it transparently and take it apart. If it inspires someone to take a similar step forward in their own work, then you have contributed to the vast pool of knowledge that exists for creative people to solve problems.
March 12, 2009 at 2:03 pm
I hope both parties resolve this quickly. Infighting between indie producers who are struggling to make it in this young new media landscape is FAIL.
We’ve experienced people taking our own website template and adapting it to fit their needs – straight down to the source code. We’ve also had people “steal” our web design and not change a thing. We don’t mind. If it’s enabling others to take that first intimidating step to evolving their own production, then we’ve all won. This is a time for sharing, caring, and all that rainbow/unicorn stuff.
There is only one Kent Nichols, or Jessica Mae Stover, or Mike Ambs, or Amanda Walker – all VERY talented people. People support you for YOUR talent – and THAT can’t be replicated.
Besides, let’s fight when there’s money – at least then there’s some sort of payoff.
March 12, 2009 at 2:14 pm
The idea of asking people to donate money to help you make anything is ages old. Giving someone a nameplate, whether it be on a seat in a theatre, a brick in a walkway, a star in the Artemis heavens, a milemarker on a backroad, or a credit in a film is also nothing new. I created a concept that I thought was novel, about “adopting a frame” of a feature length film, designed a cool wiggy website, and then found out that raising money for a film is really freaking hard work and there are several people online trying to do the same thing.
I was blown away when Artemis’ website came out with the really freakin cool display of donors. And my heart fell out of my chest. I felt like I was done. Been working my ass off on the design, concept, how the donations would be handled and then later trumpeted – only to see someone had done it better. But it’s only a means to an end. It’s a concept. And like movies, there is only one original idea in this town, duplicated over and over and over.
Both sites are serving the goal to get the message out and raise money. However, they target different audiences. People want to be involved, but maybe not necessarily with a sci-fi short. Maybe they love the long narrative. Maybe they like horror flicks. Yadda, yadda, yadda.
It all comes down to focus. Jessica needs to not worry about what anyone else is doing. Focus on her goals, focus on her story, focus on where she is going, not where anyone else is wheeling around to near her. The more time she spends, or anyone for that matter, on what the other person is doing, he or she will fall behind.
Someone will inevitably really dig on the potential success of Jessica’s idea and build on it and be even more successful. If she looked around the internet she will see quite a few people trying to micro-fund their film. There are a couple of guys in Arizona that I felt was my competition, even though we had completely different methods and projects. I lost sight of what my goals were and I fell aside to bitterness and didn’t finish what I started.
Stay focused Jessica. You have a beautiful, clever website with a wagon load of talented designers, programmers, etc. Focus on your script. Focus on your storyline. Focus on your actors. Focus on your film. Make the best of what you have shown us so far. I personally can’t wait to see it!
The same goes for Mike and Amanda. Making a film, making anything artistic, comes from a passion, a desire to create, built with love and effort. Keep your focus. Finish your films, all of you!
March 12, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Wow… WTF… Seriously??? Bullshit.
I hope Jessica really doesn’t think she is that original.
Mike is not being original at all… he is using 24 of the 26 letters in the English alphabet on the front page of http://forthousandsofmiles.com/ what a shame.
March 12, 2009 at 3:36 pm
I’m trying to figure this out:
How exactly does this side-scrolling bit of techno-wizardry put money in their pockets to make the movie?
Make the movie. Quit arguing whose freakin’ website is better or original, because what counts is GETTING THE MOVIE MADE.