Kursk Update

Author  Jane Monica Jones has broadcast 2 amazing videos about crowdfunding. 

She lists 3 rules: 1) start connecting 2) approach connectors to endorse and pass on your campaign 3) list of influencers start connecting:  I have contacted over 500 of my friends mostly family members, people in college and high school friends.  I have gotten some response. connectors to endorse: Don't really know what this means but I suspect it means get a hold of comic book reviewers and enthusiasts and get them to look at my book  list of influencers: I emailed the following people:

1.  Brian White - web content producer for KVOA
2. Craig Anderson Arizona Republic
3. Betty Beard - freelance reporter
4. Peter Corbett - Arizona Republic
5. David Morgan - Sierra Vista
6. Christina Leanard - Arizona Republic
7. Cecilia Chan - Arizona Republic
8. Carmen Duarte -
9. Andy Kavetz - Freelance Reporter Illinois
10. Jimmy Lovaas - Freelance Reporter Seattle
11. Editor, Eloy Enterprise
12. April Madison - KGUN 9
13. Obi Wan Kenobi - KNST
14. Jennifer Marries KOLD 13
15. Jenna Busch - ThinkHero.TV
16. Erin Christensen KGUN 9
17. Quinn Schuler - TV Minneapolis
18. Naomi Pescovitz - TV
19. Paul Westcott- White House Brief

Kim McLaughlin a Social media strategist helping established brands engage & retain consumers with Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn has been helping me too. She advises the following:

"There's no magic bullet when it comes to success on social media James. You have to simply invest the time and the money (or time in lieu  of money.) 

Because you're creating a person brand, I'd advise you start working your twitter community more. Much much more. And follow James. Follow others. 

Every single day, log in and follow about 15 people. Careful here - if twitter feels you're 'aggressively following', they'll suspend you account. At the end of the month, unfollow those who haven't' followed back (not at once though b/c now you'll be 'aggressively unfollowing' as per Twitter) and start again. 

If you have money, get some tweets sponsored. You can certainly buy follows to boost you social credibility, however, it's easy enough for folks to figure that out and engaging robots will only get you so far. In the meantime, work with a freelance PR agent who can get you a bit of press and start building relationships with local media folks so they turn to you for commentary. Direct everybody to you social media feeds." I also contacted a few local publicists too: more to follow

    

The Kursk Sails Again

Draft Cover Art
provided by  Sławomir Nietupski

Tucson, Arizona – July 4, 2013 – The Russian submarine, K-141, the Kursk sunk in the Barents Sea 13 years ago in a mysterious accident in August 12, 2000.  But with the help of awarding winning Australian playwright Sasha Janowicz, illustrator Andrea Montano and film producer James A. Bretney, The Kursk Sails Again in a new graphic novel: The Kursk.

Bretney is raising money on IndieGoGo to make his dream a reality.  “I invite you to discover a new world, world of intrigue and honor, of danger and mystery.  By donating to our campaign, I guarantee you will have done good thing.  You will reinforce the health of your community and the world that is only good by the results of good men.”

Illustrations by Andrea Montano

Bretney is trying again after his campaign on Kickstarter failed. "I did not know what I was doing.  Failure can be a generous teacher.  But we are not quitting on the Kursk," says Bretney.    Bretney is revising his expectations.  His Kickstarter campaign was $ 2,500.  On IndieGoGo, Bretney hopes to raise just over $ 500.    “We are raising less not that we don't need less but because we have to start small.  I have 45 days to raise 500.  It works out to about $ 11 a day. “  IndieGoGo offers a flexible funding format where if project managers fall short of our goal they still get the money.  Kickstarter is all or nothing.

With collaboration with the author,
illustrator Andrea Montano designs
the characters of the novel

Actress Evelyne Bronwyn Werzowa raised over $ 30,000 from her crowdfunding campaign or $ 1,000 a day.  Her advice to Bretney was "just bug every body." Bretney responds , "That is what I am doing."

Bretney himself has paid for five pages out of his own pocket.  "We are building a fan base one fan at a time from our friends. To get our art out there. Once its out there strangers have joined us and are waiting to see what we come up with next."

Front man James A. Bretney. says “ I once asked a stranger what he felt when he saw someone die.  He said that though he did not know the man, he felt like he lost something great and valuable that he was not aware he had.” 

Author Sasha Janowicz spent 6 years researching the story by interviewing members of the very secretive Russian Navy. Sasha Janowicz’s play won the 2007 Bell Award for Best New Play, the Matilda award three times for Best New Australian Play, Best Direction, and Best Independent Production, Matilda Awards.  

Like a director's story boards, here
Andrea Montano provides Sasha
Janowicz a rough visualization
before proceeding to the finalized frames

Bretney continues, “This is a good story.  It raises questions about what really happened and the people deserve answers.  The families of those who died deserve answers to what happened and how their loved ones lived and died.”

Bretney hopes the visual medium of the graphic novel will resonate with younger viewers.  “Andrea Montano is in her twenties.  She is very young.  She has a youthful vitality in her portfolio.  She handles color and lighting very well.”  Comics books are a billion dollar market with more users not only going to the comic book stores but downloading them from websites and smart phones. 

The art of comic book making is a process.  Andrea Montano draws rough thumbnail sketches throughout the script. Sasha Janowicz approves each thumb then Andrea Montano proceeds with each frame. Image Comics requires 5 pages to pitch.  The play is 60 pages -  55 pages to go.  

“We want to bring this story to a world stage.”

To Donate to this campaign:

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-the-kursk-sail-again/x/268132?c=home

For more information on this:

http://thekursk.wordpress.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kursk-by-Sasha-Janowicz/444388175655458

TAGS:

The Kursk, Sasha Janowicz, Submarine, Russian Submarine, Russian Navy, Soviet Navy, Spies, James A. Bretney, Jimbo, Airborne Productions, Andrea Montano, Matilda award, Bell Award, Best New Australian Play, Best Direction, Best Independent, Best New Play, Graphic Novel,