Kickstart Cicada Princess

There's an interesting new business incubator site called Kickstarter. The concept is fairly simple: You help fund a creative project by donating money. If the set amount of money is raised in a given time period then in return you get a predetermined reward for your donation. I call it a donation because you don't get your money back plus interest. You get a gift .. a bonus.

Quite frankly some of the projects on Kickstarter are a bit dodgy. You can fund anything from a start-up comic book to a purchasing a man-size bunny suit for a children's play.

From Penny Arcade

I decided to fund a project called, Cicada Princess. The project is a short-film based on a children's book of the same name. The film uses miniatures and puppets to create an unbelievably realistic  but magical world. The creator, Mauricio Baiocchi was a animation supervisor at Industrial Light and Magic. In 2002, he opened his own studio called Assemble.

Cicada Princess project is trying to raise around $52,000 with 33 days to go. The funding levels and gifts are:

$15 - A thank you and credit on the Cicada Princess film website. 

$25 - A Cicada Princess HD DVD signed by director + a set of postcards of cicada artwork

$100 - Cast in resin and individually painted, each bug on the bridge stands at about 4 1/2 inches tall. At this level we are offering the HD DVD signed by the crew, a set of postcards of cicada artwork, and a bridge bug from the film.

$150 - All of the rewards to this level but also the full color book signed by the Director and crew of the picture.

$250 - All of the rewards to this level with the addition of a limited run Cicada Princess figurine. Standing at 6 1/2 inches tall and mounted for permanent display, each princess is cast and painted by Steve Ferrera, Art Director of Cicada Princess.

$1,000 - An articulated full size ballroom cicada puppet. Each stands at 11 inches and comes with a handmade dress or suit and applicable jewelry accessories. And of course an HD DVD and signed Cicada .

$3,000 - All of the rewards to this level plus an Associate Producer title on the credits of the picture. 

I pledged 25 bucks, just couldn't afford the $100 level, although I seriously want that bug.