Zach Braff: Maybe Greedy...Possibly A Pioneer
Let's get one thing straight. Zach Braff is not the first celebrity to hit up Kickstarter for cash to fund a project. Matt Damon offered to hang out with someone for 10k for a documentary. Former SNL star Horatio Sanz gave the opportunity to enjoy Teppanyaki to help a photography book (check out Vulture for more examples like this). And who can forget the now famous Veronica Mars fiasco that had fans throwing money at the screen?!
Yes, he makes a lot in syndication from Scrubs. Yes, he has a huge house. Yes, he is worth $22 million. I get it. He's rich, and he's asking for money to fund something he will ultimately profit off of. In fact, his Kickstarter goal to make I Wish I Was Here is about the approximate cost it took to make Garden State (which made $36 million). Okay...what was my point again?
Oh yeah. Braff isn't asking you to pay so that he can actually make the movie. He doesn't need you. He's already gotten the film green lit and people who will finance it. He's asking you to pay so that he can make the movie his way, which is what we would all want anyway, right? Granted, I was just like you until I saw his blurb he posted in Reddit...
Hi bibiani. Take a deep breath. I don't have 22 million dollars. I am putting PLENTY of my own money into this movie. This is not some type of scam. If I wanted to print more money, I'd just go back to TV. This is about making a smaller, personal film for my fans with no compromises. In terms of the script, I only showed it to 2 producers; my favorite ones; (Stacey Sher and Michael Shamberg) They produced Pulp Fiction, Reality Bites, Django, my first movie and many more. They said yes. As I explain on the page, I could have this film financed yesterday if I agreed to deal points I think are unfair. The day will soon come when fans can invest in a film like a stock and reap the financial rewards if it's a success. That is not yet legal. So in the meantime for $10 you can essentially subscribe to an online magazine about filmmaking and I guarantee you, you will like the content I put up. This isn't a con. It's a hail mary pass to make something for you without casting some fuck-head in all the roles.
He's right. In a sense, this is the beginnings of the common man producing. Imagine the day where you can invest money to ensure a certain actor lands himself in the role of a film, and actually benefit when the film is a success. We always gripe about Hollywood, and it's tendency to ruin things, but here we have the beginnings of an effort to change that dynamic. Granted, it's for the selfish ambition of one triple threat, but think to the future. Given the negative publicity he's been given Braff is already at his goal, so why not drink the Kool-aid and wait for the next guy to come with something a little more selfless? Plus...I thought you guys liked Garden State?!