A video explaining how Crowdfunding works in The Biracy Project

A new video from the Biracy gang explaining what crowdfunding is (and ISN'T) and how it is applied to the various membership models.

Screenwriting Contest about to Begin!!

Have you written a science fiction screenplay that's gathering mothballs instead of getting made into a kick ass film? Here's your chance: from March 1-31, 2010, the biracy project is accepting completed scripts. The winning script will go down in history as the first film made using the SoKap funding model, oh, and the scriptwriter will get money... and glory.

So brush off those scripts and send 'em in! You have to be a member to join. But that's only $25! Oh and you can't be related to, or live with any of the biracy project staff. Fair's fair, eh?!

Click here to go to the page all about this!

Live Event: March 10, 2010 in Winnipeg, Canada

The National Screen Institute of Canada have invited Jon Reiss & David Geertz to host a panel discussion on film marketing, distribution & finance in the digital age.

The venue is to be confirmed, but you can learn more about on this facebook page.

SciFi Brainstorming

Checking out the Biracy facebook page, I'm loving all the science fiction terminology being thrown around as they ramp us up. I'm a big fan of the sci fi genre. I love its capacity for representing life with alternate histories and/or outcomes.

Just for fun I'm going copy some of the listed terms in here:

Dystopian
self assembling molecular ram
teleportation
spacetime contiuum
Lorentzian Manifold
gibson's law
Stanford Torus
alt history
Alderson Disc

Lots of theory in there to make us think!

And recent status updates indicate that there will openings for crowd participation for writers.... interesting! Fun!

"get your science fiction scripts out people....were going to have a little contest soon."Feb 8th

"Hard SF, soft and social, space opera, apocalyptic, steam punk, dystopian, utopian, alt history, superhuman, cyberpunk, religious, western scifi, and many more. If you are a writer of these sub genres....join this group and wait for instructions." Feb 17th

Ross L Pruden writes up an interview with Dave Geertz about Crowdfunding

Check out this great article that gets into the nitty gritty of the SoKap crowdfunding model and how it is being applied to the Biracy project.

Clearly Mr Pruden decided that Biracy has the right attitude and a successful approach because he makes the statement that he too has now taken up a membership.

Liz Hover of the National Screen Institute interviews Dave Geertz

Want to hear exactly what Biracy is about directly from one of the founders?
Listen to this great interview. Liz asks Dave where the idea came from and why it is so revolutionary and why he's excited about it.

So what is SoKap?

It says everywhere that the Biracy Project is a pilot project. But for what and who cares? According to the blurb on the Biracy site, it is the first film project to engage the unique funding model of the SoKap platform. SoKap stands for Social Kapitalist, a cute play on capitalism, which at some level we're all into whether we like it or not. It builds on the belief that everyone who puts energy into a project should receive just rewards for it. And it intends to offer filmmakers unprecedented access to audiences and funding in one step. And it offers audiences the chance to be a part of the filmmaking process.

So the SoKap model (as it is being tried out with Biracy) will eventually be available to any filmmaker or producer who wishes to raise money for their movie. They use the platform, manage their own promotions via it, build their fanbase and raise their funding. The neat thing about this is that it offers an alternative to traditional funding options. With the SoKap model there is no one mega-financing company that also wishes to have creative control of the film. The money comes from genuinely interested fans who want to see the project make it to completion.