Clyde Butcher Kickstarter just failed :(

[CropDusterMan]

It is a shame that the film funding project failed...would have been nice to see. I must say, I found the trailer very
flat and uninteresting. Take a look at the 2002 Ansel Adams documentary for instance...it grabs you from the moment
it starts...especially with the early narration of John Szarkowski. It is dramatic. Created with voice, imagery and a great
soundtrack. Szarkowski talks of the simple construction of poetry...he compares Ansel and his work to that...it's a
comparison that captured me immediately.

Were the filmmakers financial goals a little lofty...perhaps. You only get one chance to grab a viewers attention, and Clydes
images are dramatic. They are of serene nature, but there is drama in them, and that engages interest in a viewer. The fundraiser
video was boring. Great, I see some production...setting up camera dolly track in a swamp...production value was there,
but then you show such a banal example of the films content.

I don't care who or how many accolades a filmmaker has...you must engage the viewer immediately in this day and age, as the attention span of the average person is less time than it takes to soft-boil an egg.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvt1ImIKi0U

[paulr]

I must say, I found the trailer very flat and uninteresting.

Yeah ... you'd think that a documentary film maker would at the very least make a compelling kickstarter video.

[Old-N-Feeble]

What I want to know is if it's really true he claimed the kickstarter funds were intended for future expenses but then kept the money to pay himself back for previous expenses. If he really did, that appears to be fraud and he deserves to have a class-action lawsuit brought against him. Attorneys would keep it all but a conviction might at least dissuade a few others from repeating similar fraudulent activities.

[Tin Can]

In defense of Clyde.

He is an ultimate DIY Artist. I believe he prints all his work directly himself with help. He setup and made his Darkroom himself.

Most likely he is very idealistic and wanted to pay his young minions. Good for him, maybe bad for him and them.

While a great traditional photographer and wet printer, he is in danger of weakening his position with his recent DSLR adventures.

I think he should keep on with his traditional methods even if he must work from a wheelchair directing his crew in his continuing life work.

His Documentary needs a good 30 second elevator pitch, a script writer and and most of all a genius editor. The raw materials exist already.

For Burroughs, I watched endless days of footage and marked sections for the editor to look at. Post production is time consuming. Then I spent a lot of time watching Ilko edit, free lessons for me.

And yes Paul, very few even got airplane tickets or a beer.

I would add more, but at this point on, it's political.

[Old-N-Feeble]

I have tremendous respect for Clyde Butcher as an artist and technician. I don't know who's responsible for the 'alleged' deceit and misappropriation of funds but if they did something wrong then they deserve to be brought to justice.

[CropDusterMan]

Me too....I am in huge support of Clyde....I think he is a gift to photography!
To understand what's involved with his work in the everglades....he can never put anything down!
A true master.

[Oren Grad]

What I want to know is if it's really true he claimed the kickstarter funds were intended for future expenses but then kept the money to pay himself back for previous expenses. If he really did, that appears to be fraud and he deserves to have a class-action lawsuit brought against him. Attorneys would keep it all but a conviction might at least dissuade a few others from repeating similar fraudulent activities.

The Kickstarter campaign failed, so no money was collected from backers.

[Vaughn]

From the info I got from the Kickstarter page, Clyde is not the one doing the film, nor did he start the Kickstarter project.

It sounds like a worthwhile project, but I do wish to volunteer my time (money) to pay others to do volunteer work. If this is an actual money-making project (as in earning revenue), then greater rewards needed to be provided (as mentioned before, prints).

[DennisD]

While the KS funding goal might seem high, the project did show (via pie chart) the relative breakdown regarding the intended use of funds. I have to believe the intentions were good.

It seems unfair to conjecture about possible misuse of funds or the motives of those involved...especially because we are outsiders -

- we have no knowledge of the producers' intentions regarding management of the funds
- nor do we fully understand the detailed financial requirements to bring the project to reality
- besides all that, the funding unfortunately failed.

[Old-N-Feeble]

The Kickstarter campaign failed, so no money was collected from backers.

Good to know. So, why did someone post that the funds were used to reimburse previous expenses???