The last year has witnessed the rise of famous filmmakers taking to crowdfunding. The campaign platforms which allow creative types the opportunity to finance their own projects have been the subject of many column inches. Be prepared to hear a lot more on the topic in the near future though as writer-director-actor-producer James Franco has now created his own campaign to finance his next project, Palo Alto.
Based on his own short story collection, the aim of the fundraising is to bring three of the stories in Palo Alto to the big screen. Instead of Kickstarter, Franco has launched his plea through Indiegogo. His power as an established actor has led to him taking the directorial reins on six films to date which has no doubt led to this latest altruistic mission. Not one to hog the limelight, Franco intends to offer the directing duties to four up and coming NYU grad students. The three stories being adapted; Memoria, Killing Animals and Yosemite will together be funded by his pledged goal of $500, 000.
Here’s the book description from Amazon:
Palo Alto is the debut of a surprising and powerful new literary voice. Written with an immediate sense of place–claustrophobic and ominous–James Franco’s collection traces the lives of an extended group of teenagers as they experiment with vices of all kinds, struggle with their families and one another, and succumb to self-destructive, often heartless nihilism. In “Lockheed” a young woman’s summer–spent working a dull internship–is suddenly upended by a spectacular incident of violence at a house party. In “American History” a high school freshman attempts to impress a girl during a classroom skit with a realistic portrayal of a slave owner—only to have his feigned bigotry avenged. In “I Could Kill Someone,” a lonely teenager buys a gun with the aim of killing his high school tormentor, but begins to wonder about his bully’s own inner life.
What do you make of James Franco boarding the crowdfunding wagon? Will you donate to see Palo Alto on the big screen?
