Source:ARTIST ALLIANCE WEBSITE
Artist Profile
(August 30, 2003)
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Written by
Randy Marquis
Evann Black wants you to help her make her film. In fact, it says so
right in the name of her website, www.helpmakemyfilm.com. No, she's not
casting actors yet, so put those headshots away. No, she's not
organizing a crew, so hold on to those reels. She's using her website as
a unique method for financing the estimated $45,000 project. She's
asking the site's visitors to donate the money they'd normally spend to
see just one big, Hollywood blockbuster towards funding her first
feature length film. They can donate the money directly via PayPal, or
they can shop for items she's selling through affiliated merchants.
Either way, the money will go directly towards helping Evann realize her
dream of producing this film.
"As an unknown actress/filmmaker living in Florida, there are no
'traditional' fundraising methods," writes Black. "I've been through
the grind of trying to get investors but it was a big waste of time and
energy. Working on this project the way I am now makes me feel far more
productive because I'm depending on my own creativity to make it
happen."
The spirit of Black's endeavor is, indeed, the essence of The Artist
Alliance Network, where we're trying to encourage independent artists to
work together, often outside traditional networking channels, to
facilitate the creation of their art. Actors, screenwriters, filmmakers,
and musicians spend so much time frantically waving their arms about,
trying to attract the attention of casting directors, agents, and studio
executives, that they wind up devoting less time to nurturing their
creativity and far more time to licking envelopes. By bringing
independent artists together in one place, the AAN hopes more people
like Evann Black are willing to stand up and try unorthodox methods for
making their visions reality.
To that end, Black writes, "To me, 'independent' means being able to
collaborate with other artists without the pressures to make a film
that's not true to the story I'm trying to tell."
Black is hardly naive when it comes to the ways of the arts world. A
performer since the age of six, she's now a card carrying member of SAG
who spent a year and half soaking in the bright lights of New York City
chasing the Broadway dream. Upon returning home to Florida to visit
family, however, she soon realized her heart rested with the beauty and
warmth of the Sunshine State.
Since then, she has been performing in Florida's vibrant theatre, TV,
and film scene, though she has found "being outside NY & LA definitely
limits access to resources." Feeling something was missing, she turned
to writing screenplays as a creative outlet. Having written several, as
well as produced a short titled "Daddy's Little Girl," Black feels she's
ready to tackle the challenge of producing her first feature.
The film, "Wildflower," tells the story of Jasmine, a second-generation,
crack-addicted prostitute, who finds herself at a crossroads upon
realizing a cash windfall: succumb to her addictions, or follow her
dreams of becoming a singer.
Black, too, is following a dream, and she's doing it on her own terms.
"This is the art ingrained in my soul which fuels my passion to
persevere and get this project made. This is a business with no marked
pathways."
Now eight weeks into her efforts, her idea has seen mild success, with
five people making donations or buying merchandise for a total of $56.
Even including $500 of her own savings, Black remains well short of her
$45,000 goal. Still, she says "I am making this film, come hell or high
water, so I don't expect to fall short of what I need. Plan B includes
bartering for services as well as a few other cards in the deck that I
haven't revealed yet." She also has plans for what she terms "wacky
fundraisers," though she won't divulge the details of those plans until
they're announced on the website on September 7.
Does Black have any advice for other artists striking out on their own,
independent track? "Perseverance and passion are the only things we, as
artists, own outright and the combination of the two will eventually get
you where you want to go. Just remember as artists, it can't be solely
about gaining money or fame. The focus has to be the art. Nothing else
matters if the art doesn't exist."
For more information on Evann Black and her project "Wildflower," please
visit www.helpmakemyfilm.com.
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