About thirteen days ago Hollywood's collective heart skipped a beat. Spike announced that the "Newest Hottest Spike Lee Joint" was going to be crowd funded by way of Kick Starter. Some people found issue immediately, how could a man who's net worth is claimed to be forty million dollars(Spike denies this) ask for money to make his film? Is he taking all the money from the "real" people who need it? Spike addressed both of these questions in typical Spike fashion here.
To be fair "SPIKE LEE JOINTS" (films written, directed & Produced by Lee) have faired well at the box office, Crooklyn (1994 Universal) is the focus of my thoughts. A personal film written by Spike, his Sister Joie Lee, and Brother Cinque Lee was the first Lee film to loose money and the first to include others at the helm. Since then Several of Spikes projects have loss money, some with huge budgets (Miracle at St. Anna loss over 50M when adding marketing cost). There are still the famed Written, Directed & Produced by Spike Lee Joint's that still hold a pretty good record, classics like She's Gotta Have It(1986), School Daze(1988), & Do The Right Thing(1989) blazed a trail for black film makers in the 80's, while Mo Better Blues(1990), Jungle Fever(1991) & the epic Malcolm X(1992) all won in the 90's.
The record after X mostly with Co-writers or no Lee writing at all, is spotty until 1998's He Got Game, which is the last film with the holy trifecta of being a true Spike Lee Joint. Which brings us to current day Lee and the Kickstarter campaign for his new film which he has said is about "blood lust, but no blackula shit". While others have used Kickstarter and not come under as much fire, Spike has not been as lucky(It wouldn't be real life if he was) Spike has been questioned on his motives and his money but this is how is it done in the new Indieland. Instead of going and asking some suit in an Hollywood office for money to make his film he came to the people who will likely support it; just like he did in 1985.
If the goal is reached, those same people will surely flock to the theater to see what their hard earned cash has paid for. The after is what I'm curious to know about, when and if the movie makes it's profits what then? Surely the money doesn't come back to the people who pledged it, but does it go to the next film or are we back scraping up our dollars to give again in two years? I plan on supporting Mr. Lee as he is an inspiration and along with Mr. Scorsese is one of the first film makers I begin to study in preparation for my own film career.
As I prepare to begin film school this fall I have MANY, MANY bills ahead and without 500k in twitter followers to help me pay them(ah the price of being private). My thought goes too, and past Mr. Lee to the next big name who decides he should ask for help in funding his art, as I will one day. I will pay for fishing lessons once and once you have gotten fat off the catch you should be able to continue to feed your self after. I really hope the campaign is successful(I'm willing to take money from my new Mac fund to invest) but after is where I will judge the true success. When we see the next Spike Joint it should be fully funded by 40 Acers & A Mule not the people.
We need to support in more ways then one our own arts and not wait to be fed our stories and lives anymore.
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