Urging caution

It looks like, from Candida Brady’s feed, that she’s going to set up some kind of campaign to make a visible version of Urban & the Shed Crew available. What I’m really hoping is that we could download it for a fee (even if it were a hefty fee). What I suspect we’re going to get is an opportunity to crowd fund a DVD.

Casting no aspersions on Brady, veteran fans will remember we’ve been through this before, in 2009-2010, when Armitage was attached to an independent film called “Charlie.” Armitage never said anything about it, but the filmmaker advertised that he had Armitage’s permission to announce that Armitage was attached, and the filmmaker urged fans to donate to crowdfund the making of the film. By 2010 there was a lot of frustration built up in the fandom that Armitage seemed at a sort of professional plateau — headlining the UK primetime TV schedule but not going further. I remember a lot of discussions about whether projects for him that would be more artistically satisfying could be crowdfunded; it was the point at which smaller bands were starting to crowdfund their new albums with fan funding, and it seemed like a promising avenue. As we now know, of course, Armitage left the project, and I think, although I didn’t follow it, that the film was made under other circumstances. But many fans who had donated to the crowdfunding effort were understandably upset than their money was now supporting a project in which Armitage was no longer involved.

This situation is slightly different, in that the film has been made and has been seen by some fans already. I don’t doubt that Candida Brady has good intentions, even if her choices in the past regarding the marketing of this project haven’t been entirely professional. However, remembering the situation last time, I’m urging anyone who donates to a crowdfunding effort to be aware of what exactly is being promised. Read the offer carefully. Make sure in advance that if what you want doesn’t materialize, you can live with the consequences.

This is of course basic advice for being an adult — don’t buy a pig in a poke — and I’m trying to figure out a way not to make this post sound condescending, or as if I’m trying to trash the project. I’m not — I really badly want to see this film and have been excited since I read the book. And we’re all adults, able to bear the consequences of our actions.

So: without knowing any more details than that, I’m just: urging caution. Maybe it will be a download. In which I case I look forward to it. I just think if large, going concerns can’t manage that (Digital Theatre, I am looking at you), I’m not sure how Candida Brady will.

~ by Servetus on October 31, 2017.