Note: A little while back, Steve and I interviewed two amazing, talented patriot women who are on a mission to produce high-quality, humorous films that simultaneously make an important statement about our PC culture: Crusader Pictures’ Wendy Goldman and Becky best. They chatted with us that night about their first effort, an Incorrect Man, for which they are in the process of securing funding.
Ever since hosting them on Conservative Republican Forum I’ve wanted to delve a bit deeper and give them an opportunity to be featured here on The Conservative Diva site. Many thanks to Wendy and Becky for responding to my questions so promptly! Please read below and help support their worthy endeavor.
1. Tell us about Crusader Pictures, and how the two of you teamed up.
We met at The Wednesday Morning Club in Los Angeles, a speaker forum for entertainment executives that was meant, in the words of founder David Horowitz, “to give conservatives an opportunity to share ideas, push their agenda, swap political tales and lament their endangered-species status in Hollywood.” Thus began our friendship, and the notion that we wanted to work together someday. Recently we recognized that with the proliferation of Conservative new media, blogs, etc., and the emergence of the Tea Party movement, the time was right for a film company that combines the communicative power of film with a commitment to make a difference in the world. With our first film, the satire An Incorrect Man, we hope primarily to make people laugh, but also to think about the impact politically correct thought has on our culture.
2. What inspired you to conceive of “An Incorrect Man“?
We came across a series of tongue-in-cheek articles on political correctness by humorist Judith Weizner, (a few of which you can read on our website) that originally appeared in Heterodoxy Magazine, a journal published by The David Horowitz Freedom Center. The articles are very witty and clever, and so spot-on in their characterization of political correctness, that it’s hard to discern if they are satire or a real news item. An Incorrect Man is an original story inspired by Judith’s articles.
3. Have you both always been active in politics? Have your views changed with life experience or have you always conservative?
Wendy – “I have always been interested in politics. It was discussed and debated in my home when I was growing up. My parents were Democrats prior to the 1960’s, but with the emergence of the New Left rethought their position and moved more to the right, particularly my mother. Then when I was in my early 20’s a relative gave me a subscription to The American Spectator, and that was really the catalyst for my learning about and embracing a more conservative political point of view, and becoming more of an activist.”
Becky – “I have always been conservative, but not always active in politics. When I was younger I was more interested in specific issues. As a college student I was involved in the Pro-Life Movement. I would host screenings of the movie Assignment Life on the campus. After I graduated I started a Crisis Pregnancy Center which is still going strong and I am happy to say there are children alive today because the Center provided their mothers with the resources they needed to choose life. Now with Crusader Pictures, we have the opportunity through compelling storytelling to give a visual representation of the impact ideas have on our lives.”
4. Are things really changing in liberal Hollywood? It seems more and more famous people are “out of the closet” so to speak. And with the success of Andrew Breitbart’s sites, it appears conservative values are making a comeback in Tinseltown.
“There have always been conservatives in the industry, though in recent years they have certainly not been as vocal as the left-leaning folks. That does seem to be changing now—we’re not a much of an endangered species and are more vocal. But we firmly believe there is an audience for high quality right-thinking entertainment, and that’s what we are focusing our attention on.”
5. What are some of the tools you are using to help raise money and spread the word about your film?
“We are using all the tools available, including traditional film financing along with new online funding platforms, such as Kickstarter, where we currently have a campaign. Time Magazine named Kickstarter one of the 50 Best Inventions of 2010, and Mashable, the top source for news in social and digital media, technology and web culture named Kickstarter the number one website to watch in 2011. Many times we’ve heard Conservatives bemoan the dearth of film projects that appeal to them and reflect their point of view. This is a chance to put the proverbial money-where-your-mouth is, and support a film that does just that. We love the possibilities Kickstarter presents. It’s an opportunity to create a new paradigm in film production by going directly to the public for support and offering them, in return for their support, the chance to share in the process. Folks can view our campaign along with a sample of the script at An Incorrect Man.com.”
6. How far along are you on your fundraising goal?
“We launched our campaign 4 weeks ago and have generated some support, but not what we were hoping for at this point. We are only about 11% to our goal. What we need is to get our project to more people. There is an audience out there, they just need to be told and anyone reading this can help us get the word out.”
7. Aside from the internet and social media, are you generating interest in the film through “old-fashioned”, in person networking?
“We have done some “old-fashioned” networking with friends and business connections, but our main effort has been the internet and social media. We are working on getting on more talk radio shows, which would get us to a wide audience quickly. The internet and social media are terrific platforms, but it does take time to build up a following.”
8. How can anyone who believes in your project help you? Where can they donate?
8. How can anyone who believes in your project help you? Where can they donate?
“Right now there are two ways to support our project. One is to make a pledge at Kickstarter. And these are not donations. When you pledge, we are giving you great incentives in return. As an example, you will get exclusive access to our behind-the-scenes membership site, which will give you a bird’s eye view of the filmmaking process. You will also be able to follow us on this journey with key updates, notes and video clips from the set during production, even getting a look at the casting and rehearsal process, etc. It’s going to be a lot of fun and something that we don’t think has ever been offered before, at least not to this extent. The second way is to help us spread the word. Use your social network and other connections to let people know about this fun, worthwhile project. And keep an eye on our website as we move the project forward and offer more opportunities for participation.”
9. Tell us about some of the neat perks you are offering activists who donate to the production costs of “An Incorrect Man”.
“Probably one of the biggest perks is the exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the production process. If you’re an aspiring screenwriter, we are offering screenplay analysis and advice on how to pitch your project. And if you’re looking for a unique one-of-a-kind gift for the person who has everything, how about having a character in the movie named after them? We are also offering product-placement for businesses along with having an ad written for them by our screenwriter, who is a Manhattan-based advertising copywriter. And you can even receive Associate Producer credit on the film, along with all the other incentives.”
10. What are your hopes/goals for this film in terms of its impact?
“Our primary goal is to make people laugh. Movies are entertainment, after all. But Mark Twain wisely stated that “Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.” Our hope is that while people are laughing and being entertained, they will also reflect. When kids are having their lemonade stands shut down for not having a business license, we think we are in danger, as a nation, of losing some essence of who we are.”
[...] our opening and closing music last night. Next week, our guests will be conservative film makers Wendy Goldman and Becky Best of Crusader Pictures, so be sure to join us again next Friday at 8 p.m. [...]